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RESTRICTION LEVEL THREE
PRICE
- Unit Cost: $5.9bil NSD
- DPR: $88.5bil NSD
Stats:
Class: Supercarrier, (Carrier Vessel/Nuclear)
Hull Style: Trimaran Tumblehome
Length: 1336 feet
Width: 395 feet
Height: 256 feet (from waterline) 300 feet (with draft)
Draft: 44 feet*
Tonnage: 128,000†
Speed: 36 knots
Aircraft: 118†
Boats: 4
Freefall Lifeboat Launch: 2
Ship's Force: 3420†
Air Wing: 2380†
Defenses:
11 30mm Shield CIWS
10 20mm Mk3 Rapier Defense Autocannons
11 .50-cal Dagger ROADS
7 NRAM-32 Longsword (24 Missiles each)
40 VLS Tubes
64 Cluster Countermeasure Packs
180 Active Anti-Torpedo Decoy-Explosives
6 Active SONAR Decoys, towed
14 .50-cal Machine gun posts
2 Torpedo Tubes
Full Command Electronic Warfare & Deterrence Suite
Power & Propulsion
Power Source: 3 A3H1 875Mw PWR
Back up Source: 3Mw Diesel Generators
Battery Back up: 24 Hour life, 6 for propulsion
Propulsion: 6 Asimov Engineering CV-2 Azipod Motor-Propulsors
Secondary Propuslion: 4 Internal Asimov Engineering CV-2 Motor-Propulsors
Tertiary Propulsion: 24 Azipod-mounted Quad-Jet/Positive Displacement
pumps, 8 Maneuvering & Docking Motors, 2 Tertiary Jet Pumps, 2
Bilge Pump Assemblies, 3 Scoop Pumps
Air:
6 Aircraft Elevators
6 Weapons Elevators to Flight Deck
6 Weapons Elevators to Hangar Bay
6 Aircraft EMALS Catapults (Electromagnetic Aircraft Launch System)
2 Five-Wire Traps
2 Auxiliary Aircraft Nets
*Pending speed and load
†: Denotes ideal specification
Description
The Noble-class carrier is an extensive refit to the older Citadel-class carrier. While still quite similar in outer appearance, the Noble fixes internal problems not foreseen with the Citadel and creates an entirely more streamlined lifestyle for the crew. In addition come more advanced and better ventilation systems. The entire ship maintains heating and air conditioning systems suited to maintaining a comfortable living condition in any environment the world has to offer it, as well as better particulate filtering and dehumidifiers.
Coming from the Citadel's success with the six-elevator, six-catapult, two-trap system, the Noble still uses a centerline island, but utilizes a larger bridge to make up for the sacrificed space from utilizing the flight deck for island space. The windows on the island also allow for old-school visuals of the flight deck in addition to the many cameras. The added two elevators are necessary in assisting in moving aircraft about the flight deck during Flight-Operations (FLOPS), taking into consideration the ability to land twice as many aircraft as a typical carrier while also launching the same volume as it's predecessors. These covered elevators also provide an added degree of protection from both enemy munitions and prying eyes, allowing for normal flight-deck preparations to be performed relatively outdoors and rapidly launching the aircraft from a safe location, in the event of war, high-seas, or a black-operation.
In addition, each of the external elevators sports a crane which can reach as far out as seventy-feet from the edges of the boat, and as far in as near the center-line of the carrier, where cargo can be rapidly transported by internal ceiling-bound cranes or mobile cranes. The crane's support arms are imbedded beneath the flight-deck, fixing it in place. In the event of a failure of the primary and secondary hydraulic locomotive drives of the elevators, the crane can act as a tertiary lift, albeit slow. Unlike the Citadel, this crane is far better protected and it's support more internal.
The propulsion system itself is the largest advancement; the addition of a new azipod aft - meaning that the two most centerline azipods do not maintain a full range of motion - as well as using the same engines for six internal engines, allowing for speeds that would normally be considered ridiculous for carriers so large. The six internal engines have some vectoring to their discharge as well, allowing for lateral motion of the carrier, allowing for docking without tugboats and for increased maneuverability. The azipods themselves allow for turning so drastic that, were the Noble not trimaran, it would cause severe listing.
Ideal aircraft complement is denoted as being 118 aircraft; the ideal figure includes allowances for several COD aircraft, AWACS, and eight to twelve helicopters, the remainder of aircraft expected to be fighter-sized.
- Roles of the Noble-class
- Aircraft Carrier
- Disaster Relief
- Anti-Submarine
- Anti-Air
- Electronic Warfare
- Medical Relief
A3H1 Pressurized Water Reactor
A: Aircraft Carrier
3: 3rd Generation
H: Halcyon Arms
1: 1st Iteration
The A3H1 is a Pressurized Water Reactor utilizing nuclear fission for the purpose of heat production to be used to create steam for usable work. The A3H1 is jointly designed by Halcyon Arms and Asimov Engineering, and built by Halcyon Arms. Core life is expected to be twenty years, depending on operations, maintenance, and modifications made. Utilized for only electrical power, the core may last for up to 60 years, and made it's debut on the Noble-class The reactor core is rated to 875 MW production capacity and utilizes highly enriched uranium as fuel. The Uranium is made into uranium oxide pellets which are then clad in zircaloy to make fuel-plates, which are stacked with gaps between them (for coolant to pass through), and made into assemblies, which are then assembled around a center channel design for the control rod to pass through, making a fuel assembly. This fuel assembly is immobile within the core.
The A3H1 is a two-loop reactor plant design, using highly pressurized and purified water as both coolant and moderator. The heated coolant passes through a boiler unit, heating it's water to produce steam. This water is then pumped back to the core by a reactor coolant pump, one per loop, where it passes around the reactor vessel, mixing with water from the other loop and then through a colander to ensure proper mixing of the coolant and filtration of debris, should any exist. From the colander the water passes up through the first-pass fuel channels for the initial heating, then out, around, and down the fuel assemblies to again pass upwards through the second-pass fuel channels, heating up the coolant further before ejecting it into the outlet region, where the coolant is sent back through towards the boiler units. The boilers provide steam for five turbine generators, two of which are used to power the reactor coolant pumps, and the other three powering the Common Electrical Distribution System.
Due to using water as a coolant/moderator, the reactor achieves natural stability. If the reactor experiences an up-power transient the coolant heats up further it will be less dense and moderate fewer neutrons, so more neutrons will escape the core, again lowering reactor power back to it's original state. The only process, therefore, which will change reactor power and maintain it steady-state at that new power is a change in steam-demand, save for massive introductions of poisons which drive the reactor out of it's power range, such a protective "Scram". Conversely, other factors can change temperature, namely the introduction of poisons, to include control rods. Control rods are used for reactor control as well as protection; in the event of a loss of power they will automatically scram (insert to the bottom of the core, shutting it down completely). This can also be done by the operator or by automatic action in the event of other casualties as well. Additional safety features include automatic filling of the reactor, should the core become depressurized and risk becoming uncovered, which would mean a lack of coolant and would allow for potential meltdown. With this, significant release of fission-product contamination external to the hull of the ship is guarded against.
The A3H1 is capable of operating up to 10% power without powering it's reactor coolant pumps; this natural circulation can be used for both decay heat removal and low power operations, making the reactor plant relatively quiet, but this natural circulation also provides for power transient-response and is not suitable for combat operations. As they are easy to cool without operator action or electrical power, the A3H1 is remarkably safe when shutdown. This also means that the reactor plant can perform a battery-only start-up, which is highly valuable for combat scenarios or a loss of all reactor plants simultaneously.
Radiation shielding is required and makes up the outside of the reactor compartment, which houses the reactor, boiler units, coolant loops, reactor coolant pumps, pressurizer, and filtration system. The shielding is made up of borated poly, water tanks, steel, and lead. It also has photovoltaic cells lining the inner wall to provide a trickle-flow of electricity to power the ship's battery and auxiliary reactor-plant batteries. With the reactor at power this trickle flow can be used to maintain supply of electricity to critical components. Entering this reactor compartment while the reactor is at power is considered to be deadly, but the layered shielding is so sufficient that personnel working in the propulsion plant will receive less radiation than those working on the weatherdecks of the vessel.
In the event of a loss of power, several emergency diesel generators can provide auxiliary power. This are primarily designed to support the reactor plant's automatic fill protection system, but they can also be aligned to the common electrical distribution system for propulsion power.
Amenities:
Crew amenities, for the most part, are as standard with any Pharthan Navy ship. Each individual sailor is allotted their own "Coffin-Rack," which storage underneath the rack, which sits in a tray that can be lifted to expose personal storage space, as well as a personal locker. Each rack space comes with a personal reading light, towel-hangar, emergency egress breathing device stowage, personal six-outlet power strip, and a state-of-the-art Smart Reveille Suite, or SRS.
The SRS monitors the sleep pattern of the sailor, and can be programmed in with the applicable Watchstation Schedule, Morning Routine & Muster, et cetera. For those requiring certain amounts of sleep such as pilots, it can also advise the sailor on when they should be falling sleep. The SRS is a built in computer roughly the size of a smart-phone, built into the rack itself and is tamper resistant. It also includes vibration sensors which are, as a standard, built into the walls and base of the rack, as well as separate remote sensors to be able to differentiate natural ship motion from the motions of the sailor.
To promote healthy sleep, the SRS will begin playing soft music of the sailor's choice to ease them awake within the optimal period prior to their next appointment, as well as emitting "peaceful" light.
In the event the sailor is late for watch or muster, a louder alarm and brighter lights will be emitted.
The speakers for the sounds are directed inward, and additional sound-proofing is provided to prevent disturbing other sailors.
While differing on each ship and in each compartment slightly, each berthing location houses between eight and 12 enlisted sailors. Officer berthings may be singular, double, or a quartet, depending on rank and station. Each berthing space comes with one computer, which, when available, is linked to the ship's internet and unclassified network; internet browsing on this network is often limited for security reasons, though general social media is allowed. A separate web-browser notebook is also provided to allow sailors to download movies, games, videos, et cetera, and more extensive chat with family. While still monitored for security reasons, this is not connected to the ship's unclassified data network and is more free to use.
Each berthing space has an ample amount of electrical outlets and storage space, both communal and personal, to allow for personal gaming systems, and each berthing space has one large flatscreen TV, with space for an extra. Additionally, every berthing space has their own minifridge and microwave oven.
For every forty sailors there is an additional community space, allowing for more activities to include the watching of movies, TV, gaming, et cetera, without disturbing those sleeping at the time.
For every sixteen sailors there is at least one head, to include two showers, two toilet stalls, and three sinks, though some areas may include more based on availability. These are often of stainless steel construction for sanitary reasons, and the shower-stalls are curtained off, though some may include a hard vanity door.
Gym services include rowing machines, various styles of treadmills, weight machines and racks, yoga mats and equipment, sports equipment for any open areas, and more at the request of the ship's recreational officers.
