Estia-class carrier
 Estia undergoing crew transfer during Operation Kipling
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| Class overview | |
|---|---|
| Name: | Estia-class aircraft carrier |
| Builders: | O’Shea Container Shipping |
| Operators: | Burgoignesc Security Forces |
| Preceded by: | Faramount Class |
| Succeeded by: | Bourgondi Class |
| Built: |
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| In service: |
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| Planned: | 11 |
| Completed: | 11 |
| Laid up: | 2 |
| Lost: | 0 |
| Retired: | 8 |
| Preserved: | 1 |
| General characteristics | |
| Class and type: | Estia-class aircraft carrier |
| Displacement: |
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| Length: |
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| Beam: |
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| Draft: |
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| Propulsion: | |
| Speed: | 32.1 kn (36.9 mph; 59.4 km/h) |
| Range: | 5,200 nautical miles (9,300 km) at 25 knots |
| Complement: | 2,230 (2,620 inc. air staff) |
| Sensors and processing systems: | tbd |
| Electronic warfare & decoys: | tbd |
| Armament: |
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| Armor: | 3.5" waterline belt, 2" deck armor |
| Aircraft carried: |
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| Aviation facilities: | CATOBAR style flight deck |
| Notes: | Equipped with 2 steam-powered catapults. |
The Estia class is a class of light aircraft carriers developed by Burgundie in the 1950s following the production of the Faramount class. Initially designed as a small fleet carrier, the class was constructed in two flights in the 1950s and 1960s, and constituted the primary naval aviation force of the Burgoignesc Security Forces for the majority of the Occidental Cold War and all of Operation Kipling. The award of the entire class's production to O’Shea Container Shipping was broadly considered the final blow to competition between O'Shea and rival corporation Lansing Lines for monopoly over the major shipbuilding industry in Burgundie. The aircraft carriers served with distinction from the 1960s-the late 1990s in a variety of roles which reflected three major shifts in military doctrine, presiding over the end of the Age of Battleships, the Missile Age, and the early days of the Metaorizonal Age. Of the 11 ships built in the class all but three were scrapped. One, the Estia is preserved as a museum ship, the last two built the Agale I and the Boniface I are laid up in ordinary as part of the ready reserve fleet of the sea lift command.
Design and Construction
Coming out of the Second Great War, the Navy of Burgundie sought to reduce the response time to conflicts in its various trade islands, especially after the humiliating lose of Ayermer to Daxia. At one point or another almost all of the islands of the Burgoignesc thalattocracy have come under threat, attack, or invasion. While Urcea had supported Burgundie in repelling these attacks it was deemed inappropriate to rely so heavily on allies for the maintenance of the thalattocracy. A new requirement for a class of 10 light, fast carriers was submitted to the ship building industry. Lansing Lines and O’Shea Container Shipping both submitted designs. O'Shea won the contract and began work in 1959.
The first 5 carrier were developed based on the initial specifications, eventually dubbed Flight I. Bases on lessons being learned in Operation Kipling upgrades to the design were made in the late 60s and early 70s to develop Flight II which included a 12° ski jump to allow aircraft to launch in all conditions, updates were made to the powerplant to make it more powerful, and new radars were added.
After the delivery of the third Flight II, the Montrau I, the Flight I carriers began to be retrofitted to the Flight II specifications in the mid 70s. By the completion of the final ship of the class, the Boniface I, in 1974, all of the ships of the class were up to spec. After that they underwent smaller equipment and armament upgrades, but never a full-scale retrofit.
O'Brien Affair
In 1965, it was publicly revealed in the Levantine Times Union that the second hull of the second flight of the Estia class had been purchased by the Fhainnin Navy. Though at the time only beginning keel-laying, the revelation was a political scandal which saw dual citizen George O'Brien, who owned 3% of shares in O'Shea, lose his Burgoignesc citizenship and be forced to sell his holdings in the country. While Faneria and Fiannria would normalize relations before the hull was to have been completed, making the sale of the vessel technically legal through the voiding of the remaining stipulations of the Treaty of Loughlin, the government of Burgundie faced strong pressure from Urcea and to a lesser extent Fiannria to void the sale of the ship.
In response, O'Shea would change construction partway through, renegotiating to sell the hull to Puertego as the smaller unique carrier PGT Torres. Faneria subsequently contracted the four treaty-legal Barefield class.
Ships in Class
| Name | Years in service | Notable missions | Fate |
|---|---|---|---|
| Estia | 1959-1987 | Operation Kipling | Museum ship |
| Guillem I, Duke of Estia | 1961-1985 | Operation Kipling | Scrapped |
| Nestor I, Duke of Estia | 1964-1999 |
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Scrapped |
| Gaillarde II, Duke of Estia | 1965-1986 | Operation Kipling | Scrapped |
| Valencien I, Duke of Estia | 1966-1993 |
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Scrapped |
| Esteve III, Duke of Estia | 1967-1995 |
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Scrapped |
| Loriens I, Duke of Estia | 1968-1976 | Operation Kipling | Scrapped |
| Montrau I, Duke of Estia | 1969-1999 |
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Scrapped |
| Carl I, Duke of Estia | 1971-1989 | Operation Kipling | Scrapped |
| Agale I, Duke of Estia | 1973-1999 |
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Laid up in ordinary |
| Boniface I, Duke of Estia | 1974-1998 |
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Laid up in ordinary |
Operational History
During Operation Kipling, which took place from 1962 to 1976, the Estia class aircraft carriers played a crucial role in the Navy of Burgundie's military strategy in Audonia. The Navy's approach to the conflict was characterized by a combination of air and naval power, primarily facilitated by the use of their aircraft carriers, chief among them was the Estia class.
In the early stages of the war, the Estia class carriers served as instrumental platforms for projecting air power over the contested areas, including Kandara, Oyashima, and Pursat all beyond the reach of land based aircraft stationed on Alcairet, Chaukhira, and Salarive. The carriers were seen as key assets for the Burgoignesc military to assert dominance in the region, allowing them to conduct airstrikes, provide air support to ground troops, and conduct reconnaissance missions.
Burgoignesc aircraft carrier doctrine emphasized the strategic importance of maintaining air superiority and providing close air support for ground forces. The carriers were used to deploy a mix of fighter aircraft, bombers, and reconnaissance planes to conduct offensive operations against communist and socialist forces, disrupting supply lines and targeting key enemy positions. These operations were crucial in sustaining the Burgoignesc military presence and control over certain areas during the conflict.
The Estia aircraft carriers also served as a means of logistical support, enabling the transportation of troops, equipment, and supplies to various locations within the region. This logistical function was essential for maintaining the Burgoignesc military's operational capacity and reinforcing their positions in the face of persistent communist/socialist resistance.
However, despite the strategic advantages offered by the aircraft carriers, the Navy of Burgundie faced several challenges during the war, including the limited availability of carriers, logistical constraints, the disparate battlefields, and the evolving tactics of the communist/socialist forces. The increasing use of inland guerrilla warfare and the vast expanses in the region made it challenging for the Burgundie to fully leverage the capabilities of their carriers and achieve decisive victories.
The entire class went under refits from 1975 to 1985, including more extensive work on the Flight 1 carriers. This process generally homogenized the class's displacement and equipment characteristics.
At the dawning of the Metaorizonal Age in the mid to late 1980s the concept of a small, fast carrier seemed obsolete assume of the Estia class carriers were retired and sold for scrap. Those that remained went under a final retrofit in the 1988-1993 timeframe to upgrade their navigational, sensor, and radar computers to match the rapid technological advancements of that time. The increased range of jet aircraft continued to make the light, fast carrier concept redundant and for much of the 90s the remaining ships in class were relegated to power projection or humanitarian assistance roles. In 1995 the Boniface I was used as a test bed for the development of future helicopter carrier and amphibious assault ship specifications and tactics. In 1997, the Nestor I was used as a test bed for a carrier launched drone-wing which it continued to serve as until it was struck from the record in 1999. The Montrau I was the only carrier of the Estia class that, when it was struck from the rolls in 1999, was still acting in the capacity as a light carrier.
See Also
Ships of comparable role and era: