Thrace Shipping is proud to announce the release of the Chatham Fast Combat Logistics Vessel. It has been four long years in development and testing, but thanks to our partners, 387 Communications and RedEnergy it hasn’t seemed half as long. The Chatham is available for purchase, however DPR's are not available to sovereign entities at this time.
| Type: | Fleet Replenishment [AOR] |
| Displacement (Full): | Approx. 68’500t |
| Length: (Overall): | 312m |
| Beam: (Overall): | 35m |
| Design Draught: | 12m |
| Propulsion: | 1x RedEnergy SU3R Mobile Thermal Nuclear Plant |
| Power: | 130’000shp |
| Speed | 36 knots |
| Range: | ~ 35 Years |
| Armament: | 12x 12.9x99mm HG Mounts 1x vM19k 2x vM72k |
| Countermeasures: | 4x vM166k-SRC LS/QAI 4M |
| Protection: | CBRN Class II Protection 22mm Kevlar over Vital areas |
| Sensors: | LS/QAI 4M LS/MAS 44B(U) LS/AAC 228 |
| Aircraft: | Hanger space for 2xHelicopters |
| Cost: | NS$650’000’000.00 |
Propulsion
The Chatham Fast Combat Logistics Vessel is powered by the Trivvalian designed SU3R thermal nuclear mobile energy plant. The SU3R is the Trivvalian designation for as Sea Utility reactor, Type Three manufactured by RedEnergy, and is often named as the ‘Suer’ (pronounced ‘Sir’). The Chatham FCSS was intended to keep up with the highly mobile naval task forces which scour the globe. The Chatham class is designed to lodge a single SU3R plant, and powers three RE4400+ propeller turbo-shafts. This configuration was rated at approximately 96MW, or 130’000 shp, and allows more than 36 knots.
The decision by the Thrace design team to use a thermal nuclear plant to power the Chatham was due to the nature of modern fleets and the world which those fleets sail. With the rising cost of fossil fuels, which has been utilised as an energy source for many years, as well as the negative effects of carbon emissions had led to the Thrace team to seek out an alternate energy source. The choice of nuclear energy was almost immediate, with the rapid adoption of nuclear power in other naval vessels, as well as an essentially reliable and plentiful energy solution. Firstly, the Chatham can go more than twenty years without a core replacement. Secondly, in some cases forces can go months without laying eyes on land, and it is a necessity for supply vessels to keep up with fleets which require supplies as they cannot simply dock as resupply. The lighter Chatham vessel has a higher-than-average speed which allows it to break and re-join the formation with ease.
The RedEnergy Corporation has previously been known for the conversion of military nuclear power plants, mainly naval, for civilian use. In 1964 the SNS Vallen, a Solmian Aircraft Carrier, was damaged heavily in a collision with the smaller HTV Lipzik, a Trivvalian Frigate, during routine operations. Fortunately the reactors weren’t damaged during the collision, and the Carrier, due to be decommissioned in two years, was brought to an early retirement. RedEnergy was already pioneering Trivvalian nuclear technology and leapt at the chance to proceed with the next stage, and by 1966 with the purchase and conversion of the Vallen RedEnergy had its first mobile thermal nuclear station. Due to the nature of the Vallen, with it’s large cargo space and hangers, became an vessel attached to an expeditionary mining group looking for resources in the Ellorean artic. Since then the Vallen has been put in use with dozens of other projects, and is now just the first of twenty-eight floating power plants, with several being moved inland via rivers and canals. The RedEnergy projects have been supported heavily by the Trivvalian government.
Several problems faced by RedEnergy regarding a mobile nuclear power station was regarding what would happen in the event of an incident or accident aboard the vessel. After several years of testing on board the Vallen it was found that a lead-cooled fast reactor would be best, supported by a pressurised water coolant system. In the event of a leakage or incident on the reactor the lead could be cooled rapidly solidifies. However constant input of water would be needed, as the Lead alloy used as a coolant has a very low melting temperature. The SU3R was based off the up-rated reactors used on the Vallen and later mobile stations, and thus is a smaller, lighter version, producing approximately a quarter of what the larger SC#R series of mobile plants.
The thermal power given off from the SU3R reactor will be removed from the primary reactor cooling loop and then circulated to power the Chatham. Thermal energy not used will be circulated out-system through specialised cooling systems and dispersed over a time in an effort to minimise the Chatham’s signature. This thermal energy will be passed through water to create steam to turn the energy plant’s turbines, which will power the Chatham’s electrical and mechanical systems.
The reactor is located just rear of the central blockhouse which contains the bridge and crew sleeping arrangements. During development it was found that, in the case of a collision such as the Vallen-Lipzig incident, this was the most secure area in the entire ship and would provide the best protection against any impact. Due to the fact that the Chatham is to keep up with combat fleets, the bridge was regarded as the most probable place for any attack, and as such the reactor was located away from any ‘strike’ zones.
Electrical Systems
Being an Auxiliary ship, the Chatham is not equipped with any advanced sensory equipment normally seen on a ship with regular combat roles. However because often it will operate in a combat environment, the Chatham is equipped with a version of the venerable 387 Communications LS/QAI 4 ‘ANTICS’. As many vessels worldwide operate with either Yohannesian or Lyran vessels, with their Quasi-AI Wilhelm and Cromwell systems, 387 Communications has worked with Yohannesian and Lyran development teams to create the ANTICS system. ANTICS by itself a Quasi-AI system but it is also a Patch which operates with all up-to-date Wilhelm and Cromwell systems. ANTICS was created as a bridge between the two systems, enabling countries who operate large numbers of Lyran, Yohannesian and domestic vehicles to not have to worry about issues regarding the inter-operability of any of these ‘quasi-AI’ systems. The version currently in use with the Chatham is the LS/QAI 4M, which not only collects data from the ships radar, facilitate the use of long range communication systems and allow control of the Point-Defense Anti-Air weapons, but also collects tactical information from other ships in the immediate area with either the ANTICS full system, or the ANTICS patch on the Wilhelm or Cromwell AI. The LS/QAI 4M will allow the ship to keep up to date with everything that passes over either net, so that commanders do not have to be concerned about inability to keep up to date with information regarding the battle-space which the ship occupies.
However the LS/QAI 4M is not the only system which the Chatham relies upon, and is equipped with it’s air, surface, air traffic control and target acquisition radar. The main radar, the 387 LS/MAS 44B(U) is an active phased array which is a great improvement on the previous LS/MAS 17 previously used and currently seeing service with vessels across Ellorea. Four of these are installed on the Chatham to provide 360 degree coverage of the surface and air surrounding the ship. Designed for both blue-water and littoral operations, the MAS 44 combines the functions of several old radar systems providing Surface and Aerial search, navigational functionality, and weapons fire control. The MAS 44 operates in a two band functionality, and the single antennae can share both bands. The first ‘Search’ band has the advantage of all-weather durability with a narrow beam search for tracking and high resolution data input, whilst the ‘Combat’ band is used separately to guide missiles to their targets. Previous versions of the MAS, such as the MAS 17, have had trouble with ‘untraditional’ targets – slow moving, or static surface contacts – often found in anti-piracy roles. When in prototype testing with the destroyer HTV Red Droll in anti-piracy roles in the Ellorean Arctic, some high-end warfare capabilities unnecessary for pirate-hunting were able to be temporarily sacrificed in exchange for increased surface search functionality by utilising both bands for searching, however crew members recognised an increased time for weapons to be targeted whilst both bands were on an active search. The Chatham has significantly less warfare capabilities than the Red Droll, and as such the ‘Combat’ band would likely never be utilised, allowing for an almost permanent boost to surface-search capabilities.
Armament
Being a supply ship the Chatham is lightly armed, and is not expected to engage in any combat. However, for self-defense the Chatham has been equipped with a variety of weapons ranging from personal defense weapons to surface-to-air missiles. The most common armament is the BIH-229 12.7mm Heavy Machine-gun, however this is often changed to native 12.7mm or ‘.50 cal’ weapons. These weapons have to be controlled by crew members and are strictly for close-in defense against small boats. Thrace wishes to remind purchasers that the maximum range for the standard 12.7x99mm Heavy Barrelled weapon is two kilometres, and it will not pierce standard hull armor for any modern combat vessel.
At the bow of the Chatham features the vM19k and vM72k deck launchers. The vM19k has space for two surface-to-air missiles. These are controlled from the central bridge via the LS/AAC 228 System, designed for the targeting and the launch of any munitions placed within the launchers. Thrace is willing to provide experienced programmers to assist with the installation of firing controls for any munitions currently on the global market.
The vM72k is a low-cost, lightweight point-defense missile launcher, able to defeat incoming anti-ship missiles and low-flying aircraft. Designed by an Thrace ‘Spear’ R&D team, the vM72k provides a significant increase in survivability to otherwise unarmed ships. The eleven-centimetre missile, SRPD-2, utilises 387 Guidance technology in combination with the advanced LS/MAS 44. The vM72k consists of a single 14-round launcher which can be installed onto almost any vessel, however it requires external guidance systems. For an increased cost the vM72kB can utilise the advanced ‘IRSRPD’ missile which has increased capability to intercept supersonic cruise missiles, and incorporates infrared guidance system to increase performance against jamming, however is not completely able to guide itself and still requires the original radar system for at least half of the journey.
The Chatham has hanger space for two helicopters and we reccomend that this ship stocks either two TH300s from Gemballa, or two LY214s from Lyran Arms. These helicopters are not included in the final price. Whilst recognised as ‘transport’ or ‘utility’ helicopters, they can both be equipped with a variety of combat weapons ranging fromhigh rate-of-fire machine-guns or cannons, to anti-submarine torpedos.
Resupply
The Chatham is one of the larger Combat Auxiliary ships on the global market today. As it is intended to keep up with, and supply Carrier Battle Groups and other strike forces the Chatham can rapidly replenish any ship even in combat operations. Recognising the growing number of ships on the global market which operate in a nuclear capacity, the Chatham has reduced its overall capacity for marine diesel fuel to just under five million litres. However this allows for a greater proportion of standard jet fuel, thirteen million litres; ordinance, two-thousand tonnes; chilled and frozen storage, five-hundred tonnes; and, ninety-thousand litres of water.
To decrease the vulnerability of task forces to which the Chatham is attached to it receives supplies from shuttle ships as it passes naval bases, or which go out and meet the task force, and then can redistribute these stores amongst the task-force. The Chatham can replenish the other ships of the battle group by two methods. Some ships can manoeuvre alongside and receive fuel, stores, ammunition, food and personnel through Connected Replenishment. Other ships can receive some products through helicopter delivery. It can replenish up to four warships simultaneously, while carrying out its self-defense, electronic surveillance, and battle group command and communication functions.
Resupply occurs at anything from twelve to fourteen knots, however in emergency situations it can progress at a maximum of twenty knots. This is not recommended unless it is the direst of circumstances. Testing has shown that one degree in course deviation can move a ship six meters away at just twelve knots. At any distance beyond sixty meters emergency disconnection will take place where Chatham’s fuel and supply rigs will disconnect from the ship being resupplied, lest the fuel line breaks or the supply rig snaps and damages it. Such an emergency disconnection is costly and can result in thousands of dollars of supply wastage.
Crew
The Chatham requires fewer crew members than other ships of similar size, with the minimum requirement being six officers and twenty nine other ranks. The extensive automatic systems enabled by advanced electronics such as the LS/QAI 7 allows the crew to do more tasks with less people. The Chatham provides living, eating and recreation quarters for ninety-six personnel. Additional features include leisure and community facilities, medical and dental spaces, barber shop, ship's store, snack bar, laundry and dry cleaning facilities.
Protection
The Chatham is unique in that it is considered to have similar survivability as similar sized combatant ships to which it would serve with. It is built to extremely rigid shock, noise, and vibration standards and features survivability features protecting the crew and cargo in the event of a Chemical or Nuclear battle-space. The reactor and fuel compartments have increased protection as such a strike from an Anti-Ship missile that would normally destroy a ship of comparative size would merely cripple the Chatham, enabling the crew to escape or repair the damage. Vital areas of the ship, such as the bridge, are covered with twenty-two millimetres of Kevlar to give increased protection.
For protection against Anti-Shipping Missiles, the Chatham utilises four vM166k-SRC’s, commonly known as the ‘Serk’. The vM166k is a short ranged mortar which launches chaff and infrared decoys similar to that used on aircraft. These are used in an effort to defeat most modern AShM’s. In each vM166k unit there are four mortars, three which are loaded with SRC-6 IR/Bloom rounds which are counter-measures against radar-guided missiles. The last is an ‘active-decoy rocket’ which is fired a short distance before dropping into the water, where it creates a signal similar to that which the Chatham would create a false radar return similar to what the Chatham would give, creating a phantom ship. The ADR was found to be particularly useful against late switch-on radar seeker missiles.
