Guide:Normandy/Port Stanley - Revision history

Dan at 21:07, 21 May 2020

2020-05-21T21:07:21Z

← Older revision		Revision as of 14:07, 21 May 2020
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	accompanied by one.		accompanied by one.

	[[Image:No Photo Available.jpg\|left\|300px\|thumb\|A wing of ''Port Stanleys'' swoops past a perimeter sensor platform at [[Rigel]]. Independent sublight patrol was hardly the ideal		[[Image:No Photo Available.jpg\|left\|300px\|thumb\|A wing of ''Port Stanleys'' swoops past a perimeter sensor platform at [[Beta Rigel]]. Independent sublight patrol was hardly the ideal
	role for the design, yet little other employment was available in the [[2180s]]. The decision of the [[Starfleet Merchant Marine]]		role for the design, yet little other employment was available in the [[2180s]]. The decision of the [[Starfleet Merchant Marine]]
	not to operate escort fighters was especially damaging to the future of the type.]]		not to operate escort fighters was especially damaging to the future of the type.]]

Dan at 18:12, 12 May 2015

2015-05-12T18:12:47Z

Dan: created

2015-05-12T18:07:58Z

created

New page

{{Sidebar Guide ship
|image=[[Image:Normandy (starboard).png|250px|Normandy/Port Stanley escort fightercraft]]
|classname= ''Normandy / Port Stanley''
|category= escort fightercraft
|years= [[2162]] - [[2187]]
|constructed= 510 total: 
* 370 ''Normandy''
* 140 ''Port Stanley''
|length= 40.0 m
|beam= 12.2 m
|height= 11.5 m
|mass= 
* 195 tons ''Normandy''
* 202 tons ''Port Stanley''
|cruisespeed=
|maxspeed= 
* w 2.9 ''Normandy'' (sustainer only)
* w 2.8 ''Port Stanley'' (sustainer only)
|endurance= 2-3 weeks
|officers=
|enlisted=
|troops=
|passengers=
|patients=
|crew= 
* 3 ''Normandy''
* 2 ''Port Stanley''
|cargo=
|beamweapons= 
* 4x laser emitters (40 MW) (pylons)
* 2x laser emitters (60 MW) (fwd hull) (''Normandy'')
* 1x laser emitter (60 MW) (fwd hull) (''Port Stanley'')
* 2x Type D phased particle cannon (4.0 GW) (fwd hull) (''Normandy'')
* 4x Type D phased particle cannon (4.0 GW) (fwd hull) (''Port Stanley'')
|missileweapons=
|otherweapons=
|shields= Light polarizable armor
|labs=
|transporters=
|auxcraft=
|historicalships=
|design= SFC
|name= SFC
|history= SFC
}}
The end of the Romulan war spelled the end of convoying as well. Although theoretically a good
anti-piracy measure, the practice of forcing multiple ships to share destination, timetable and speed
was not commercially viable in the long term. Yet the transports did not have to do without the
protection of escort craft – wartime industry, although gearing down, could still produce such
overwhelming numbers of escort fighters that practically every single transport could be
accompanied by one.

[[Image:No Photo Available.jpg|left|300px|thumb|A wing of Port Stanleys swoops past a perimeter sensor platform at Rigel. Independent sublight patrol was hardly the ideal
role for the design, yet little other employment was available in the 2180s. The decision of the Starfleet Merchant Marine
not to operate escort fighters was especially damaging to the future of the type.]]

Surplus Galliant fighters were not a favored solution, though. The discomfort to which their pilots
were subjected had not changed, nor had their combat performance increased despite the many
wartime inventions and refinements. Both ECS and Starfleet called for an improved design, but
could not hope for miracles. What they got was a moderately enlarged model, with space for three
crew so that piloting could be performed in shifts. Life support endurance was increased to about
500 hours. Propulsive endurance naturally remained theoretically infinite; yet the warp 2.8 top
speed of the sustainer engine, once considered excessive, now meant that some transports had to
throttle down so as not to outrun their escorts!

A quantum leap in combat capabilities was taken when miniaturized phase cannon were mounted in
the forward hull for FTL engagements. Targeting data could be shared via a subspace transceiver
array mounted ventrally amidship; onboard scanners could lock on to targets with two warp factors
of speed differential. Shielding remained as nonexistent as ever, however; shuttle-standard armor
plating might withstand the glancing hits of particle cannon, but a sustained laser beam would easily
cut the craft to pieces, and a proximity nuclear detonation would be lethal to crew and equipment
alike. Half a decade of operations was sufficient to erode Starfleet’s trust on the vulnerable craft. As
casualties mounted in action against the Tarn and the Nausicaans alike, a production run of 370
Normandy and 140 Port Stanley escort fighters, a major commitment in prewar terms, was shrugged
off as a misinvestment in 2164. Operations continued until 2187, but with a diminishing number of
craft involved in progressively shorter escort missions.

Warp sustainer technology made steady progress in the following decades, and helped extend the
reach of torpedoes and probes. It was not applied on manned craft any longer, however. The
accidents suffered in escort operations ultimately weighed more than the combat losses, and deep
space escort was completely relegated to frigate or destroyer vessels. The number of escorted
shipments fell to 2% of the 2160s figures, but improved intelligence helped Starfleet provide
protection where it was truly needed. Fightercraft escort was an outdated concept in the late 22nd century anyway, since the pirates that still dared operate within the UFP sphere of influence were
by definition tactically formidable opponents, not to be scared off by a pair of phase cannon
mounted on a shieldless outgrowth of a shuttlepod. In the 2180 defense review, an explicit decision
was made not to develop a successor of any sort to the escort fighter line.

==Gallery==
<gallery>
</gallery>

----
*[[Guide: Timo's Guide to Starfleet|Back to the Table of Contents]]
*[[Guide: Small Craft|Small Craft]]
*[[Guide: Of Ship Statistics|Appendix A: Of Ship Statistics]]
*[[Guide: Glossary|Appendix B: Glossary]]
*[[Guide: Starfleet Organization - General Outline|Appendix C: Starfleet Organization - General Outline]]
*[[Guide: Abbreviations From Outside|Appendix D: Abbreviations From Outside]]

[[Category:Guide|{{PAGENAME}}]]

← Older revision		Revision as of 11:12, 12 May 2015
Line 51:		Line 51:
	accompanied by one.		accompanied by one.

	[[Image:No Photo Available.jpg\|left\|300px\|thumb\|A wing of Port Stanleys swoops past a perimeter sensor platform at Rigel. Independent sublight patrol was hardly the ideal		[[Image:No Photo Available.jpg\|left\|300px\|thumb\|A wing of ''Port Stanleys'' swoops past a perimeter sensor platform at [[Rigel]]. Independent sublight patrol was hardly the ideal
	role for the design, yet little other employment was available in the 2180s. The decision of the Starfleet Merchant Marine		role for the design, yet little other employment was available in the [[2180s]]. The decision of the [[Starfleet Merchant Marine]]
	not to operate escort fighters was especially damaging to the future of the type.]]		not to operate escort fighters was especially damaging to the future of the type.]]

	Surplus Galliant fighters were not a favored solution, though. The discomfort to which their pilots		Surplus ''[[Guide:Galliant\|Galliant]]'' fighters were not a favored solution, though. The discomfort to which their pilots
	were subjected had not changed, nor had their combat performance increased despite the many		were subjected had not changed, nor had their combat performance increased despite the many
	wartime inventions and refinements. Both ECS and Starfleet called for an improved design, but		wartime inventions and refinements. Both [[ECS]] and [[Starfleet]] called for an improved design, but
	could not hope for miracles. What they got was a moderately enlarged model, with space for three		could not hope for miracles. What they got was a moderately enlarged model, with space for three
	crew so that piloting could be performed in shifts. Life support endurance was increased to about		crew so that piloting could be performed in shifts. Life support endurance was increased to about
Line 72:		Line 72:
	alike. Half a decade of operations was sufficient to erode Starfleet’s trust on the vulnerable craft. As		alike. Half a decade of operations was sufficient to erode Starfleet’s trust on the vulnerable craft. As
	casualties mounted in action against the Tarn and the Nausicaans alike, a production run of 370		casualties mounted in action against the Tarn and the Nausicaans alike, a production run of 370
	Normandy and 140 Port Stanley escort fighters, a major commitment in prewar terms, was shrugged		'''''Normandy''''' and 140 '''''Port Stanley''''' escort fighters, a major commitment in prewar terms, was shrugged
	off as a ~~misinvestment~~ in 2164. Operations continued until 2187, but with a diminishing number of		off as a mis-investment in [[2164]]. Operations continued until [[2187]], but with a diminishing number of
	craft involved in progressively shorter escort missions.		craft involved in progressively shorter escort missions.

Line 80:		Line 80:
	accidents suffered in escort operations ultimately weighed more than the combat losses, and deep		accidents suffered in escort operations ultimately weighed more than the combat losses, and deep
	space escort was completely relegated to frigate or destroyer vessels. The number of escorted		space escort was completely relegated to frigate or destroyer vessels. The number of escorted
	shipments fell to 2% of the 2160s figures, but improved intelligence helped Starfleet provide		shipments fell to 2% of the [[2160s]] figures, but improved intelligence helped Starfleet provide
	protection where it was truly needed. Fightercraft escort was an outdated concept in the late 22nd century anyway, since the pirates that still dared operate within the UFP sphere of influence were		protection where it was truly needed. Fightercraft escort was an outdated concept in the late [[22nd century]] anyway, since the pirates that still dared operate within the [[UFP]] sphere of influence were
	by definition tactically formidable opponents, not to be scared off by a pair of phase cannon		by definition tactically formidable opponents, not to be scared off by a pair of phase cannon
	mounted on a shieldless outgrowth of a shuttlepod. In the 2180 defense review, an explicit decision		mounted on a shieldless outgrowth of a shuttlepod. In the [[2180]] defense review, an explicit decision
	was made not to develop a successor of any sort to the escort fighter line.		was made not to develop a successor of any sort to the escort fighter line.