NationStates

[b]Background: The Caracole fast attack corvette is a relatively simple craft, designed by Allanean Arms for the purpose of maintaining a simple, reliable, and affordable fast attack craft to provide to Allanean allies and neutral states alike, without running into restrictions imposed on some high-grade Allanean technologies by export controls. As such, it follows many of the same principles as other Allanean export spacecraft - it is simple and reliable as a brick, even while missing many features with which the vessels of advanced nations are often equipped.

The basic principle operation is as simple of the craft itself: the Caracole is built around a single, powerful drive with its plasma exhaust built on a bulky gimbal, enabling it to accelerate forward at a prodigious speed and bank at sharp turns, while it’s main armament is a single spinal gun, backed up by six missile tubes that require minimum energy input. An array of sensors of various types allows it to serve as a patrol craft - whereas when an enemy or lawbreaker is detected it can then speed towards them and fire its weapons. The great speed enables the vessel to participate in hit-and-run attacks (for which it is named) or to avoid an engagement when tactically necessary (that’s to say, to run the frak away).

A secondary propulsion capability is in the form of a set of gravitic drives, enabling the ship to move in atmospheric conditions as well as to perform precision maneuvers on landing and docking.

Weapons systems: The chief weapons system of the Caracole is a single plasma armament. As a spinal weapon, it is able to produce power comparable to the ship-to-ship armament on larger ships, but of course requires aiming by steering the entire ship. It is also capable of being used as a rapid-fire armament, provided the power output is removed - that’s to say, the weapons officer has the choice of either firing 10 shots per second on a low power output, useful for applications against enemy light vessels or ground targets, or single, high-power shots at a slower rate of fire.

The secondary weapons system is six autoloaded missile launchers / mine dispenser. Utilizing a chain-driven rapid reload system these are capable of firing a single missile or dispensing a mine every 15 seconds (assuming a missile of length 7 meters, shorter weapons can be dispensed somewhat faster).

Furthermore, the Caracole is armed with close-in weapons systems to defend against incoming enemy missiles and smallcraft, in the form of a dorsal and versal laser turret, and a light missile launcher at the top.

In terms of soft-kill systems, it is equipped with an EM jamming system and a rapidly-hardening foam dispenser system to defend from boarding teams.

Crew conditions: The ship maintains crew berths for all 16 crewmembers, as well as an ability to take up up to 10 additional crewmen as a boarding/inspection team. An autodoc system is onboard to assist with lifesaving surgeries on injured crewmembers (although we recommend having a ship’s medical officer as part of the crew). All onboard facilities have an artificial gravity environment that can be customized and set from the captain’s control dashboard, and are climate controlled. The ship’s larder has the capacity to maintain 90 days’ worth of regular food (50 days for a crew of 26 men including a prize party). Chargers for personal devices (not connected to the ship’s own tactical network) are available in each crew berth and mess hall).