Palladium-class Attacker
Named after the 46th element, the Palladium-class of ships are a controversial mass produced fast attack craft built for the Quadriarma Navy. Fast and hard hitting but exceedingly light and cheap, this class of ship fits somewhat awkwardly in the doctrine of "strength through superior technology". It defied the idea that the Quadriarma's strength came from its cutting-edge ship design. Its below standard targeting equipment, uncomfortable crew compartment, and use of antiquated and dangerous deuterium-tritium engines almost dishonored the years of innovative ship building that came before it. Despite it all, Palladiums excel in combat. When they can't, their presence is enjoyed as escorts.
The Palladium-class was introduced with the Flight I design. The shortest and lightest design of them all proved to have extensive issues with thermal control, endurance, and protection. As a result the Flight I model would be discontinued almost immediately with the Flight II becoming the mainstay. The navy's little pack-a-punch proved to be remarkably effective as a warship. By no means is it the pinnacle of military technology, but its cheap and surprisingly rugged frame is swift and very easy to maintain. When the Quadriarma-Emuligar War broke out, the class racked up offensive victories very quickly. It could take out vessels of every size, although lackluster missiles defenses often meant a corvette or frigate had to provide a missile screen. Halfway through the war, a prolonged lapse in foreign intelligence gathering completely underestimated just how far along Emuligar science was. The Ayin-class of Frigates yielded an experimental armament of rapid firing light railguns that can quickly destroy missiles and turn on dumbfounded attacker. Quick and close attacks from Palladium IIs were no longer effective. In response to this, half of all existing Palladiums would be refit into the Flight III version. They feature more efficient engines, increased fuel load, more crew, more armor, modified fire control for interceptor missiles, but no coilguns. Flight III is all-around an escort that can better network with other ships in a fleet.
Palladiums were designed to be as light as possible. The spear-tip shaped vessels once featured no armor for the crew or internal components. Protection is instead derived from the hull's sharp angles. This was deemed unsatisfactory and armor would be installed soon after the debut of the class. It's main armament, a complement of 40 missiles, were installed in a block just behind midship while coilguns turrets were installed just behind the bays. The coilguns are, however, not ideal. Due to their location to the side of the fuel tanks they have limited ammo and can only fire rearward. Flight III refits would have them removed.
The pressure vessel and crew compartment of all Palladium models are considered less than optimal. The interior layout was very tight and excessively vertical in design. Each deck had one or two rooms and was accessed by ladder. This was problematic if a crew member was injured in flight because they couldn't be moved until the vessel isn't accelerating. To the credit of the class though, the onboard med station was rather capable of handling a lot of injuries and ailments. The crew compartment was fully pressurized, and atmosphere could be vacated to pressurized tanks during combat. Each deck could be separated by a transverse airlock, and every compartment door is airtight. Cockpits for Flight I and Flight II models were placed at the top of the pressure vessel. On Flight IIIs, however, the cockpit was closer to the center of mass. Palladiums of all models featured an embarkation room, a mechanical workshop, galley, crew berths, and a small bathroom with a shower.
Service
The Palladium-class was introduced with the Flight I design. The shortest and lightest design of them all proved to have extensive issues with thermal control, endurance, and protection. As a result the Flight I model would be discontinued almost immediately with the Flight II becoming the mainstay. The navy's little pack-a-punch proved to be remarkably effective as a warship. By no means is it the pinnacle of military technology, but its cheap and surprisingly rugged frame is swift and very easy to maintain. When the Quadriarma-Emuligar War broke out, the class racked up offensive victories very quickly. It could take out vessels of every size, although lackluster missiles defenses often meant a corvette or frigate had to provide a missile screen. Halfway through the war, a prolonged lapse in foreign intelligence gathering completely underestimated just how far along Emuligar science was. The Ayin-class of Frigates yielded an experimental armament of rapid firing light railguns that can quickly destroy missiles and turn on dumbfounded attacker. Quick and close attacks from Palladium IIs were no longer effective. In response to this, half of all existing Palladiums would be refit into the Flight III version. They feature more efficient engines, increased fuel load, more crew, more armor, modified fire control for interceptor missiles, but no coilguns. Flight III is all-around an escort that can better network with other ships in a fleet.
Design
Palladiums were designed to be as light as possible. The spear-tip shaped vessels once featured no armor for the crew or internal components. Protection is instead derived from the hull's sharp angles. This was deemed unsatisfactory and armor would be installed soon after the debut of the class. It's main armament, a complement of 40 missiles, were installed in a block just behind midship while coilguns turrets were installed just behind the bays. The coilguns are, however, not ideal. Due to their location to the side of the fuel tanks they have limited ammo and can only fire rearward. Flight III refits would have them removed.
Flight I
The original Flight I model of the Palladium-class used two large for forward flight and two smaller jets mounted to the dorsal and ventral side of the ship ahead of the main engines. The retro engines are angled 10 degrees away from the hull to avoid torching the ship. The arrangement of the main engines and their design presented numerous heating issues internally and with surrounding components which included stored cryogenic fuel. Power was supplied via the engines and large batteries stored up charge for engine startup and onboard electronics.Flight II
Flight II models replaced the main engines with new ones in a bident-shaped rearward extension. The newer, slimmer engines are easier to cool but they offer less thrust. Anti-fragmentation armor would be installed around the crew compartment between the pressure vessel and the exterior hull, but the top and bottom remained unprotected.Flight III
By the time of the Flight III, the Palladium-class underwent a significant design overhaul. Targeting and control systems were modernized. The crew compartment was expanded, and the hull enlarged to accommodate a redesigned cockpit and a crew of five instead of four. The coilguns mounted aft were completely removed and interceptor missile packages could now be integrated with the original missile bays. This effectively turned the class into a pure missile ship and dedicated escort. Propulsion and power were additionally enhanced with the replacement of battery storage with a dedicated fusion reactor. Larger, more powerful jets were installed in a redesigned mount. The old shroud was replaced with an extension of the hull that provided protection to the engines and added even more fuel space. The Flight III variant, after all the upgrades, was twice as heavy and more than three times as expensive than the Flight II model.Crew Compartment
The pressure vessel and crew compartment of all Palladium models are considered less than optimal. The interior layout was very tight and excessively vertical in design. Each deck had one or two rooms and was accessed by ladder. This was problematic if a crew member was injured in flight because they couldn't be moved until the vessel isn't accelerating. To the credit of the class though, the onboard med station was rather capable of handling a lot of injuries and ailments. The crew compartment was fully pressurized, and atmosphere could be vacated to pressurized tanks during combat. Each deck could be separated by a transverse airlock, and every compartment door is airtight. Cockpits for Flight I and Flight II models were placed at the top of the pressure vessel. On Flight IIIs, however, the cockpit was closer to the center of mass. Palladiums of all models featured an embarkation room, a mechanical workshop, galley, crew berths, and a small bathroom with a shower.
Class Overview
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Fast Attack, Escort
870 tons
92 Meters
24.5 Meters
13.7 Meters
High-performance power cells
2x fusion jets
42 m/s2
4
40x 960mm missile bays
2x twin 40mm MKV coilguns
Citadel: 26mm anti-frag
Radiation: 900mm neutron-absorbing plate
870 tons
92 Meters
24.5 Meters
13.7 Meters
High-performance power cells
2x fusion jets
42 m/s2
4
40x 960mm missile bays
2x twin 40mm MKV coilguns
Citadel: 26mm anti-frag
Radiation: 900mm neutron-absorbing plate
General Characteristics (Flight III)
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Escort
1,230 tons
89 Meters
24.5 Meters
13.7 Meters
1x toroidal fusion reactor
3x fusion jets
38 m/s2
5
40x 960mm missile bays
Citadel: 70mm self-sealing armor
Hull: 38mm anti-frag
Missile bays: 26mm titanium tubs Radiation: 900mm neutron-absorbing plate
1,230 tons
89 Meters
24.5 Meters
13.7 Meters
1x toroidal fusion reactor
3x fusion jets
38 m/s2
5
40x 960mm missile bays
Citadel: 70mm self-sealing armor
Hull: 38mm anti-frag
Missile bays: 26mm titanium tubs Radiation: 900mm neutron-absorbing plate
Known Ships
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