Ships

The GTVA Colossus resulted from an endeavor unprecedented in Terran or Vasudan history. This 6-kilometer-long behemoth is the result of 20 years of joint effort from dozens of contractors of both races. The Colossus is the most powerful space-faring warship ever made, bristling with over 80 weapon turrets. It also houses 60 fighter and bomber wings and requires a crew of over 30,000. The firepower of the Colossus is greater than that of most GTVA battle groups.

The GVS Nephtys is the Vasudans' new support ship. It is fast and maneuverable, a necessity when trying to dock with fighters in the heat of battle. Mekhu Enterprises built a cargo bay into the rear of the ship, enabling it to carry extra supplies and munitions during emergencies. Mekhu enterprises licensed the GTS Hygeia's magnetic-stasis delivery system from Triton Dynamics, so both ships are equally adept at re-supplying combat craft with missiles and bombs. The high number of warheads carried by the Nephtys makes it a dangerous ship to be near when it blows up.

The GVA Setekh is the Vasudan class of AWACS vessels, comparable to the Terran GTA Charybdis class. Setekhs are smaller, less heavily armored, and have half the turrets of Charybdis ships. Despite these shortcomings, the Vasudan navy insists upon deploying Setekhs in Vasudan battle groups, claiming the Vasudan versions are more appropriate for their fleets. Setekhs' crystalline detection arrays provide their fleets with doubled radar range within the nebular region. Every Vasudan battle group operating in this theatre has a wing of Setekhs attached to it.

The GVB Sekhmet is a Shivan design that was initially adapted to Vasudan needs by Hammer of Light engineers. The version currently in use was further modified by technicians at Mekhu Enterprises. Sporting four Primary weapon banks and three missile/bomb bays, the Sekhmet packs a massive punch. Add in a top speed that surpasses that of some fighters and an ultra-dense molybdenum armor plating, and it's easy to see why the Sekhmet is the favorite bomber among Vasudan pilots.

The GTSC Mjolnir is the most advanced sentry gun device known. Vastly tougher and deadlier than the earlier Watchdog, Cerberus, and Alastor models, the Mjolnir is a danger to any hostile fighter or bomber that comes within range. Its two beam weapons and three missile banks enable it to take on multiple bogeys simultaneously. Mjolnirs are also referred to as RBCs (remote beam cannons). They are used to help protect the most vital front-line Alliance installations.

The GTT Argo has become the standard military transport vehicle for the Terran fleet. Argos sometimes carry new weapon and combat craft prototypes to and from testing grounds or to front-line deployment positions. Military VIPs occasionally commandeer Argos to travel from star system to star system in some semblance of comfort. Argos are most often used as transports, carrying squads of Marines through heavy flak to board enemy vessels that Command has decided to capture rather than destroy.

The new GTD Hecate class of destroyers is replacing the Orion class as the flagship of Terran battle groups. More heavily armed than the Orion, the Hecate also carries over 150 combat spacecraft and a crew of 10,000. The GTD Aquitaine is a superb example of this new ship class, serving as the flagship of the 3rd Fleet, based in the Capella system.

GTF Erinyes craft are fresh off the drawing boards of Triton Dynamics. Though fast and heavily armored, their main attraction is firepower. With eight Primary banks and two Secondary weapon bays, Erinyes are at the top of the combat craft food chain. Both sets of weapon banks have been designed to maximize compatibility with the greatest possible number of weapon system. Erinyes-class ships are being evenly distributed through the GTVA fleet, but only elite pilots are currently authorized to fly them.

Ships of the GTA Charybdis class have been packed with the latest tachyon-enabled AWACS equipment from GTVI labs. Each GTVA battle group has a squadron of Charybdis-class ships assigned to it. These ships double the range of the group’s standard detection arrays. Charybdis ships are found at the center of a battle group, as their thin armor, weak offensive capability, and poor maneuverability make them easy victims for enemy bombers. They have proven indispensable, however, in forays into the nebula beyond the Knossos portal. Without the aid of AWACS, battle groups would be flying blind within the EM disturbances of the nebula. Charybdis-class ships are very vulnerable in this environment, as witnessed by the recent loss of the GTA Panopticon from the 3rd Battle Group.

The GTS Hygeia is the fleet’s newest Terran support ship. It is fast and maneuverable, a necessity when trying to dock with fighters in the heat of battle. Triton Dynamics designed the Hygeia class with huge cargo bays for munitions storage, plus the latest magnetic-stasis delivery system for quickly re-supplying combat craft with missiles and bombs. The Hygeia’s repair facilities are driven by neural-net AI, for ultra-fast system diagnostics and repair. The high number of warheads carried by the Hygeia makes it a dangerous ship to be near when it blows up.

Design of the corvette class GVCv Sobek began in the dark days after the destruction of Vasuda Prime by the Shivans in the Great War. The Vasudan Navy wanted a vessel that could single-handedly counter powerful Shivan cruisers and provide critical support to Vasudan destroyers in battles against Shivan capital ships. The Sobek class fills those requirements admirably. Bristling with almost two dozen turrets, these corvettes are a terror to all vessels of cruiser size and below, while presenting a dire threat even to ships far larger than themselves.

The GTC Aeolus is the first cruiser class ever produced by the RNI shipyards orbiting Laramis II. Only two dozen of these cruisers were put into service in GTVA fleets, with production ending in 2365. Allied Command assigns Aeolus-class ships primarily to guard slow-moving convoys against fighter and bomber wings, as these cruisers are severely out-gunned by most capital ships in service today. Their flak and AAA turrets serve as marvelous deterrents to smaller craft, however.

Learning a lesson from the bomber losses of the Great War, Vasudan defense contractor Akheton designed the GVB Bakha, a fast, agile bomber that could still deliver a warship-shattering payload. The Bakha’s dual Akh-12 engines are baffled and masked, giving it a small profile for heat-seeking missiles. The bomber’s speed and maneuverability make it the craft of choice for taking out destroyers and corvettes with multiple flak, AAA, and anti-ship beam turrets. Over 6,000 Bakhas have been produced in the orbiting shipyards around Vasuda Prime.

The GTI Ganymede is the Alliance’s newest repair and resupply facility. Ganymede installations are currently deployed behind the front lines in the Vega, Vasuda, and Capella systems. Each Ganymede can service up to five warships simultaneously. Repairs of any type or degree can be made here, on any ship in the GTVA fleet. Ganymedes also provide retrofitting services, enabling Allied Command to extend the lifetime of aging ships by upgrading weaponry, systems, and engines.

In 2360, Allied Command commissioned the first of the GVD Hatshepsut-class destroyers. The Vasudan contractor Akheton designed the Hatshepsut to integrate the new beam cannon efficiently within its power grid. The process of retrofitting the older Typhon-class warships yielded only marginal results, with vessels prone to system failures and reactor overloads. Though a handful of modified Typhons remain in service, the Hatshepsut has taken over its role as the primary Vasudan carrier and command ship. With 24 turrets, 5 beam cannons, and 2 fighterbays, destroyers such as GVD Psamtik of Deneb’s 13th Battle Group serve at the vanguard of the modern Vasudan fleet.

Terrans developed the GTM Hippocrates early in the post-war Reconstruction. The urgent need for mobile medical units that could respond to humanitarian crises across multiple systems prompted the Alliance to commission a new class of hospital ship. With the outbreak of the NTF insurgency, the GTVA has once again called the Hippocrates into active military service. Its on-board facilities provide state-of-the-art medical care to thousands of patients and help transport refugees out of contested systems into the safety of Allied-controlled regions. The unusual design of the Hippocrates enables its crew to isolate sections of the ship quickly in the event of quarantine or hull breach.

Nankam Aeronautical’s GTF Myrmidon replaces the Ulysses as the Alliance’s primary space superiority fighter. A joint Terran-Vasudan endeavor, the Mymidon has received high marks for speed, maneuverability, armor, and loadout. An ultra-efficient hull configuration provides for the mounting of three secondary fire control systems, a first for Terran-Vasudan fighters. This versatility enables space superiority squadrons to fulfill a range of combat roles, from light assault to heavy reconnaissance. In the Deneb system, the 53rd Hammerheads of the GTD Aquitaine have demonstrated the effectiveness of the Myrmidon against NTF forces.

For the past twenty years, the GVFr Bes has been the mainstay of Vasudan commercial and military shipping fleets. While some Terran systems languished in the post-war era, the Vasudans experienced an economic and industrial recovery that was nothing short of miraculous, given the annihilation of all life on their home planet. Experts credit the policies of the newly restored Imperial government that emerged following Khonsu II’s dissolution of the Vasudan parliament. As commerce among the Vasudan systems resumed and expanded into Terran worlds, a new generation of space-faring cargo vessels was required to meet the needs of this burgeoning economy.

The GTC Vigilant encountered a wing of these fighters while patrolling the Gamma Draconis jump node in the Capella system. All other information concerning the Mara is classified level Psi.

Deimos-class corvettes, such as the GTCv Actium and the GTCv Lysander, are the newest addition to the Terran fleet. These sleek, ultra-modern warships are the products of a new era of ship design, maximizing maneuverability and firepower. Their hulls are strengthened with collapsed-core molybdenum sheathing for better protection against beam fire, and their Vasudan-designed reactor core provides more energy per ton than any other allied ship class. As the Leviathan and Fenris cruisers of the Great War are gradually phased out, these corvettes will become the foundation of tomorrow’s fleet.

When a fighter pilot sees a ship of the GTG Zephyrus class, one thought flashes through his or her mind: "Thank God I don't have to fly that tub!" The Zephyrus is a gas-mining ship, designed to harvest the deuterium-rich gases of interstellar nebulae. It's the largest non-combatant ship in the GTVA fleet. The Zephyrus's thin armor, weak weaponry, and poor maneuverability give it a very low survival rate in combat, so these ships stay well back from the front lines. Despite these weaknesses, the Zephyrus plays a critical role in the operation of the GTVA fleet. The deuterium gathered by Zephyrus-class ships powers the fleet's fusion drives. Without this fuel, offensive operations would cease. For this reason, foes often seek out these gas-mining behemoths.

The GTB Artemis is the most agile bomber in the GTVA fleet, which makes it ideal for quick-hitting missions against warships and other targets whose defenses are slow to react. Of the same technological generation as the Boanerges class, the Artemis is less heavily armed and carries a lighter weapon payload, but it is significantly more maneuverable. While the Boanerges can inflict more damage, the Artemis can undertake (and return from) missions the slower Boanerges would have no hope of surviving. All Artemis-class bombers in the GVTA fleet are currently serving with the 2nd and 3rd Battle Groups.

The GTF Perseus is the newest fighter in the GTVA’s arsenal. Slated to replace the aging Valkyrie as the Alliance’s primary interceptor, the Perseus’s high max speed and maneuverability make it ideal to hunt and destroy enemy bombers. Perseus fighters have been assigned to the 3rd Battle Group on a trial basis, with wide deployment expected after the OpEval period. Primary weapons include the Subach HL-7 and Prometheus cannon, with secondary loads of Harpoon and Hornet missiles. Preliminary results have shown the Perseus to be a superb fighter.

The GVC Mentu cruiser is the lightest of the next generation of Vasudan warships. Following the Great War, allied scientists developed the beam cannons that now serve as the primary armaments of today’s GTVA warships. Rather than modify existing ships, the Vasudans developed new designs to mount these weapons. The Mentu improves on the old PVC Aten cruiser in size and firepower. Its 16 turrets include heavy beam cannons for duking it out with other warships, as well as AAA and flak turrets to fend off fighters and bombers. The GVC Ibis and the GVC Mycerinus recently demonstrated the strength of the Mentu against rebel forces in Epsilon Pegasi.

The GTF Hercules Mark II is the next generation of Terran heavy assault fighter. Introduced during the Great War, the original Herc's balance of firepower and maneuverability made it the most versatile strike fighter in the fleet. Some military historians have claimed the Hercules "won" the Great War, citing its deployment in key battles near the end of the Shivan conflict. Implementing recent advances in fusion drive technology, the Mark II improves the assault fighter's speed and maneuverability without sacrificing load-out capacity. Until the GTVA begins phasing out the original Hercules fighter, only elite squadrons will be authorized to fly the Mark II.

The GVF Tauret will replace the Seth as the Vasudan's heavy assault fighter. While integrating cutting-edge technology developed in collaboration with the Terrans, the Tauret boasts a distinctly Vasudan design. Its unusual configuration was inspired by the Apsu-Hek, a creature that once inhabited the deserts of Vasuda Prime. In the post-war era, the Apsu-Hek has become an emblem of the Vasudan diaspora, and the Tauret continues this culture's tradition of symbolic industrial design. Armed with four gun mounts and two missile banks, the GVF Tauret has the speed and firepower to challenge both fighters and warships.

The new GTB Boanerges has been assigned to elite bomber squadrons in the 4th and 5th Terran battle groups. The challenge of maintaining an aging fleet has motivated the GTVA to develop a new generation of ships able to withstand long-term abuse in the field. By maximizing shielding and payload (while offering enough maneuverability to make it a viable tactical unit), the Boanerges promises to remain in service for decades to come. One test pilot observed that the Boanerges "handles better than any other bomber currently in circulation while providing the firepower to make it a formidable anti-capship weapon."

The GTFr Triton hauls almost twice the tonnage of the Poseidon-class freighters that have served the Alliance since the Great War. The ability to distribute supplies and munitions is a strategic imperative in any theater of operations. With the Triton, battle groups can keep their forces well-equipped and well-armed, even if warships are dispersed over multiple systems. The Triton not only has the ability to dock with and haul TAC units, but it also has an internal cargo bay for ship-to-ship transfers. The GTVA expects the Triton to reduce its reliance on deep-space depots, which are vulnerable to attack, piracy, and sabotage.

The GVG Anuket was originally designed for resource extraction in the volatile environment of gas giants. More recently, the Anuket has been modified for nebular operations. The Anuket has the most sophisticated sensor array available, enabling it to navigate the intense EM maelstroms of supernova remnants. In the nebula, the Anuket plays two important roles. First, the miner collects samples for scientific analysis and serves as a laboratory for field experiments. Second, the Anuket gathers deuterium-rich gas for use in the fusion drives that power the allied fleet. The gas miner's weak shielding and armaments make the vessel a prime target.