Propulsion/Stats:
(4) A1B Nuclear Reactors
(4) Steam Turbines
(4) Fixed-pitch propellers 640,000 Shp
Max Speed: 34.6 knots Flank
Size
241,179 Tons Standard
410m Long (Waterline)
430m Long (Flight Deck)
90m Beam (Flight Deck)
53m Beam (Waterline)
16m Draft
Armament
(64) Mk.50 VLS Cells
(12) Mk.78 Launchers, totaling 252 PDMs
(8) CIWS Mounts
Aircraft
Up to 95 aircraft and Helicopters (Max Combat Useful load)
Sensors
PEI 9940 Multipurpose Long Range Radar
SPQ-9B fire control radar
6 × SPN-46 air traffic control radars
SPN-43C air traffic control radar
SPN-41 instrument landing system radar
Crew: 2,890 Ships Company, 2,597 Air Crew, 5,487 Total
The James Lawrence Class Nuclear Powered Aircraft Carrier (CVN) was a program that started in the 1990s to replace the than aging Nuclear and Conventionally powered Aircraft Carriers than in service with the Pennsylvanian Navy.
The First James Lawrence Class Vessel rolled off of the slipway and into the water at the Philadelphia Shipbuilding Corporations Philadelphia yard, and into history, in May of 1991. It was the largest ship ever to be commissioned by the Pennsylvanian Navy, the most powerful, and one of the most expensive.
Despite this, the ship, as would be expected, had a multitude of issues with its design that could only be fixed by extended time in a Dry Dock. However, due to the large scale production required to replace the Carriers than in use that were reaching obsolescence every day. As a result, the majority of the James Lawrence Class Aircraft Carriers were produced without many of the prime issues being corrected.
Despite this, the James Lawrence Class remained a highly combat capable class of Aircraft carrier, and by 2013, the first dozen ships were approaching their time for Refueling, and, as such, it was decided that the Refueling would also encompass a Complex Overhaul, resulting in a major redesign of the entire carrier.
Combat Information Control
The Combat Information Control Room, or CIC, is the heart and soul of any combat ship, taking in and processing all information received by the ships own Radars, and that of friendly aircraft and ships, compiling a map of the battle space, and organizing it, directing combat units to intercepts.
In the original design of the James Lawrence Class Aircraft Carrier, the CIC was found to be a little too small for the applications the Carrier found itself being used in. As a result, during the Lawrence’s Complex Overhaul, a bulge was added to the side of the hull in the location where the CIC was located. While it created a noticeable indicator as to the exact location of the Combat Information Center within the vessels hull, it also allowed for a distinct increase in size of the CIC, increasing the load that it could take, and the total amount of room in it.
This increase in size resulted in greater computing power for the various systems encompassed within the CIC, increasing the combat efficiency of the vessel.
Flight Deck and Related Systems
The Lawrence’s Flight deck is extremely large, easily taking up more than two and a half times the total area of a single floor at the vessels waterline. Located on this flight deck at 6 Catapults, 3 on the Bow, and 3 on the outboard side of the flight deck opposite the Island pointing to sea. Each of the half dozen aircraft catapults are each of a Electromagnetic Aircraft Launch System (EMALS), designed by the United States of America for use on its Gerald R Ford Class Supercarrier.
The Choice to use a EMALs over a Steam Catapult was the fact that a EMALS could control the launch of a aircraft more accurately, as well as being more able to be working into a Ramp, further reducing the energy and speed needed to get a aircraft airborne.
They also require less maintenance and manpower, takes up less space, and weighs less than a contemporary steam catapult. In addition, a EMALS Catapult is less likely to fail, do not require any steam to operate it, resulting in less energy needed to achieve more than 100Megajoules of energy. For comparison, a steam Catapult aboard the USS Nimitz requires 614kg of Steam to achieve 95Megajoules. The EMALS Catapult used by the Gerald R Ford Class for comparison, does not require the 614kg of Steam, and achieves 122Megajoules.
The three Catapults on the bow of the carrier are arranged in a fashion not to dissimilar from that of Contemporary American Supercarriers, but with more space added between the two and a third running down the middle of them. Two of the three outboard catapults are located running parallel to the landing runway, with enough clearance that a landing aircraft can land with a reasonable amount of safety and surety of not hitting one of the aircraft waiting to launch. The final outboard catapult is located at a steeper angle, while still maintaining enough space to allow a aircraft to be parked on the Catapult while not posing a high risk to landing aircraft. The reason for the steeper angle was to allow for other aircraft to be parked on the Port-Rear corner of the Carrier during landing and launch operations, waiting for the Catapults to be used.
Propulsion
The propulsion for the Lawrence Flight II remains the same as in the original build version, consisting of four A1B Nuclear Reactors and 4 Steam Turbines, one to each of the vessels four propellers. Each of the Steam Turbines are capable of producing up to 160,000 Horsepower, for a grand total of 640,000 shaft horsepower between the four turbines.
While the 4 Turbines provide the power that moves the Lawrence, the ships 4 Reactors provide the entirety of the Electricity to the ship, and can provide enough excess to allow for a small city to be powered from dockside by a Lawrence Class Carrier.
Armament
The armament of the Lawrence class aircraft carrier is designed around the ability to defend itself to a degree from enemy attacks. As a result, in the Close In Defense Systems of the Ship, such as Gatling Guns, Point Defense Missiles, and other systems, such as Decoys, are deployed in high concentration on the Lawrence.
The ship is equipped with 8 Mounts for Close In Weapons System. For any export orders, the Lawrence is standard equipped with a Kashtan mount in each position unless otherwise requested. These mounts are located 4 on each side, 2 to each corner, facing parallel to the ships course and perpendicular, allowing maximum coverage of the ships angles.
In addition to this there is 12 Mk.78 Point Defense Missile launchers, holding 21 missiles per launcher, for a grand total of 252 ready to fire missiles. These missiles are located one to each CIWS mount, and 2 amidships of each side. These launchers are capable of accepting most RIM-116 Rolling Airframe Missile sized units.
Finally, the Lawrence also carries four sets of 16 Vertical Launch Cells, one on each corner of the main section of the flight deck, near the twin sets of CIWS and PDM Launchers. These VLS cells are designed to carrier medium to long range Surface to Air Missile’s like the SM-6 or SM-2. All of these weapons are controlled by a computer, which classifies enemy threats based on type, and prioritizes them for intercept. For example, a F-15C would most likely not be shot at, while a missile such as a Sunburn would receive the full attention of the Ships defense systems, since the Sunburn presents a much large threat to the integrity of the ship. This also works on terms of different Anti-Shipping Missiles.
For example: If both a Exocet and a Brahmos missile were to be detected at long range heading for the Carrier and her escorts, the Carriers Air Defense control Computer, which is linked to those of her escort vessels, would prioritize the two, with the Brahmos receiving the initial brunt of attention, due to its higher speed and larger warhead over the Exocet.
Export
The Lawrence is a large, powerful and influential surface combatant. As such, Lyran Arms takes great care that the capacity to produce these vessels is not given into the wrong hands.
DPRs to the James Lawrence-class are Level 3 restricted, but are available at NS$9.8trillion
Individual vessels are available at NS$9.8 Billion
Questions, comments, or purchases, can be lodged at Lyran Arms.
