Dimensions:
Length: 196.6 meters
Beam: 27.4 meters
Draft: 5.4 meters off-cushion
Top speed: 65 knots
System weight 10,000 tons
Power: x 2 100 MW nuclear reactors,
Crew: 335
Aircraft: 4
Radar: X-band AESA MFR, S-band AESA VSR
Top speed: 65 knots in surface effect mode, 20 knots regular
Price: 7 billion New Dornalian Dollars
Armament: 160 Cell Mk 51 VLS, x4 57 mm dual-pupose guns, x2 RAM launchers,
Propulsion: Nuclear electric water-jet, 8 main motors + 4 secondary motors
DPR: 3 trillion
Background: Due to the increased need for rapid reaction forces capable of reacing rapidly not only to foreign wars, but also to terrorism incidents, international disasters, and genocide/democide incidents, the Free Kingdom Armed Forces sought out a series of tenders for rapid deployment vessels capable of providing the Free Kingdom with a fast response capability.
What won out was a series of surface-effect (air cushion) ships designed by Allanean Arms. In effect, those ships used the same design principle as hovercraft. At the sides, the sides of the hull extend downwards, playing the role of the ‘skirt’, while rubber skirts extending from the stern and bow (not visible in the artist’s impression) complete the air cushion enclosure. Because of the necessity to escort the system’s capital ships (its aircraft carriers and landing ships), a destroyer-class vessel was required to sail alongside them into battle.
The doctrinal thought process behind the Lighning-class and other ships in the series is simple - sacrifice firepower for speed. While CVNs and their escorts carry more weapons, aircraft, and cargo than SECN and their escorts, the cushion-carried will simply be there earlier. In some situations having a small force there in two days is simply preferable to having a large force on location in two weeks. (As an example, a force departing across the Atlantic Ocean would arrive in Africa in 2-3 days).
In the past, the Menelmacari Prefecture of Compassionate Relief, acting in coordination with private rapid delivery companies in Allanea, made use of nuclear-powered hovercraft to resolve the Taros Islands conflict (which arose from the destruction of the water treatment system on the islands) by delivering a payload of portable desalination equipment, which was then hooked up to the islands’ water grid by Allanean military specialists on-site.
Layout: Compared to a conventional warship, the Class is noticeably different in arrangement. Compared to the long slender hulls of most warships, the Lightning class instead has a shape described by some as "a bread box on stilts" due to its catamaran design, a wide hull supported on narrow twin hulls. The Catamaran design, coupled with flexible Bow and Stern seals are used to trap a cushion of air beneath the vessel and allow for speeds in excess of 65 knots. The ship's feature a nuclear electric propulsion scheme with two 100 MW LWNP-derived reactors providing electrical power for both the 4 main motors and the 8 secondary motors. Each of the main drive motors drives both a supercavitating propeller and a lift fan. The secondary motors power additional fans, 4 for lift and 2 each for the Bow and Stern seals. Backup power can be provided by 4 diesel generators however these lack the power needed for the ship to maintain the surface effect. The reactors are located at opposite ends of the ship, the forward reactor is located just aft of the forward gun and the aft is located beneath the flight deck.
Rescue operations:/b] The high speed and agility of the SEDN and other surface effect craft enables them to be used in search and rescue operations at high seas, or to be deployed to respond to emergencies such as earthquakes, nuclear meltdowns, etc. at incredible speed. (Consider, in this context, that Free Kingdom Emergency Response Doctrine emphasizes rapid, immediate response as key to large-scale rescue operations.
[b]Make all your purchase at Allanean Defense Exports
What won out was a series of surface-effect (air cushion) ships designed by Allanean Arms. In effect, those ships used the same design principle as hovercraft. At the sides, the sides of the hull extend downwards, playing the role of the ‘skirt’, while rubber skirts extending from the stern and bow (not visible in the artist’s impression) complete the air cushion enclosure. Because of the necessity to escort the system’s capital ships (its aircraft carriers and landing ships), a destroyer-class vessel was required to sail alongside them into battle.
The doctrinal thought process behind the Lighning-class and other ships in the series is simple - sacrifice firepower for speed. While CVNs and their escorts carry more weapons, aircraft, and cargo than SECN and their escorts, the cushion-carried will simply be there earlier. In some situations having a small force there in two days is simply preferable to having a large force on location in two weeks. (As an example, a force departing across the Atlantic Ocean would arrive in Africa in 2-3 days).
In the past, the Menelmacari Prefecture of Compassionate Relief, acting in coordination with private rapid delivery companies in Allanea, made use of nuclear-powered hovercraft to resolve the Taros Islands conflict (which arose from the destruction of the water treatment system on the islands) by delivering a payload of portable desalination equipment, which was then hooked up to the islands’ water grid by Allanean military specialists on-site.
Layout: Compared to a conventional warship, the Class is noticeably different in arrangement. Compared to the long slender hulls of most warships, the Lightning class instead has a shape described by some as "a bread box on stilts" due to its catamaran design, a wide hull supported on narrow twin hulls. The Catamaran design, coupled with flexible Bow and Stern seals are used to trap a cushion of air beneath the vessel and allow for speeds in excess of 65 knots. The ship's feature a nuclear electric propulsion scheme with two 100 MW LWNP-derived reactors providing electrical power for both the 4 main motors and the 8 secondary motors. Each of the main drive motors drives both a supercavitating propeller and a lift fan. The secondary motors power additional fans, 4 for lift and 2 each for the Bow and Stern seals. Backup power can be provided by 4 diesel generators however these lack the power needed for the ship to maintain the surface effect. The reactors are located at opposite ends of the ship, the forward reactor is located just aft of the forward gun and the aft is located beneath the flight deck.
Rescue operations:/b] The high speed and agility of the SEDN and other surface effect craft enables them to be used in search and rescue operations at high seas, or to be deployed to respond to emergencies such as earthquakes, nuclear meltdowns, etc. at incredible speed. (Consider, in this context, that Free Kingdom Emergency Response Doctrine emphasizes rapid, immediate response as key to large-scale rescue operations.
[b]Make all your purchase at Allanean Defense Exports
OOC: Many thanks go to The Corparation, who did a lot of the research, drew the art, and even contributed some of the content of the writeup.