Guide:Whirlwind

Whirlwind
Class Overview
Category	assault ship
Operational	2250-2274
Constructed	40
Dimensions
Length	286.0 m
Beam	54.2 m
Height	22.9 m
Mass	400,000 mt
Performance
Cruise Speed	w 5
Max Speed	w 8.0 (full internal load) w 7.0 (full external load)
Endurance	2 years
Complement
Officers	24
Enlisted	276
Troops	1,000
Cargo	30,000 mt internal 90,000 mt external
Tactical Systems
Beam Weapons	Original 1x laser emitter (600 MW) (dorsal bow) 2x laser emitters (600 MW) (port/stbd forward hull) 1x laser emitter (600 MW) (dorsal aft hull) 1x laser emitter (600 MW) (ventral aft hull) 2259 refit 1x phaser IV (dorsal bow) 2x phaser IV (port/stbd forward hull) 1x phaser IV (dorsal aft hull) 1x phaser IV (ventral aft hull)
Missile Weapons	2259 refit 1x light torpedo tube (ventral bow)
Shields	1-layer forcefield Navigational deflector array (bow)
Laboratories	1x medical/biology
Transporters	2x GP (6-pad), Mk III 4x cargo, Mk III 4x emergency (22-pad), Mk III
Auxiliary Craft	2x light shuttles 2x cargo shuttles 28x light assault barges (or hoppers) 12x heavy barges (external grappler plates)
Historical
Ships of Note	USS Whirlwind' (NCC-6000)
Canonicity
Design	Daniel Biringer
Name	Daniel Biringer
History	own

A solo sortie to a pirate stronghold allows USS Surmass (NCC-6026) to shine. Each of the two-deck TBL-4 barges launched here carries a platoon of troops, allowing the vessel to disgorge its entire contingent at one stroke. The capacity saw frequent practical application, as solo missions that required battalionfuls of troops generally could be assumed to also pose a grave danger to the mothership: no Marine commander wanted to leave his or her second battalion idly sitting in the bowels of the troop transport during the dangerous deployment maneuver. On the other hand, the Whirlwinds were configured to be operable with skeleton crews, allowing some 2/3 of the ship’s own complement to join the assault if needed.

Starfleet’s efforts at upgrading its planetary assault capabilities continued in the 2250s. Even with the Aakenn heavy transport production at full swing, it was obvious that the mobility of Federation ground combat forces would remain limited by the lack of suitable transports. Two bottleneck criteria existed: sufficient speed of travel, and sufficient speed of unloading. Conventional thinking dictated that only a large transport could house the powerful warp engines and numerous assault barges required. However, there were many unconventional thinkers in the Fleet. In 2250, a sleek assault transport propelled by two relatively lightweight engines and carrying 28 modern and compact barges defied the expectations and gave a welcome boost to Starfleet troop logistics.

The Whirlwind (NCC-6000) relied on PB-45 for warp 5 cruise and warp 8 dash performance. Instead of the complex if flexible hull arrangements of the heavy Aakenns, she went for a simple baguette of hexagonal cross section, with the assault barge bays laid out along the upper flanks. A heavy defensive armament of five single 600 MW lasers, later Type IV phasers, was concentrated on bow and stern. So were the ship’s utilities: the forward end housed the bridge and command offices at Deck 1, an analysis center on Deck 2, assault planning offices on Deck 3, sensors, deflectors and port and starboard tractor beams on Deck 4, and a small gymnasium on Deck 5, while the aft end featured workshops on Deck 1, warp engineering on Deck 2, upper mess hall and recreation facilities on Deck 3, impulse engineering and auxiliary control on Deck 4, and lower mess hall on Deck 5.

The upper two decks of the long midsection housed the assault barge berths plus two general utility hangars for personnel and cargo shuttles. Internal cargo stowage was available next to the utility hangars, and was provided with two cargo transporters. Deck 3 forward end featured both a wellequipped hospital and a security complex that could hold 30 detainees, while the aft end offered an extensive training space or staging area, all of these ideally placed for direct access to the assault barge deck. Amidships there were fabrication facilities for the needs of the full two battalions that could be shipped. Deck 4 housed one of these battalions, along with the operating crew that included the barge pilots. Deck 5 housed another, in troop cabins of four triple bunks and officer/NCO cabins of one or two bunks. Ship’s stores on Deck 6 were served by two additional cargo transporters, and surrounded by a variety of support systems. There were no troop transporters, as the technology was not deemed suitable for first wave assault, the main task of this heavily armed and protected assault ship.

Crew fatigue in the cramped accommodations limited mission duration. Every attempt was made to alleviate the effects, and there were all sorts of amenities such as contemplation rooms with visicom systems, garden areas and variable-gee pools – all with alternate military training applications, of course. Similar measures aboard the much larger Aakenns had better odds of success, though, thanks to the sheer difference in legroom. The Whirlwinds were true to their name in having been designed to storm crisis spots at fastest possible reaction time. They could also cause some devastation of their own by mounting a ventral torpedo launcher for bombardment purposes. Yet they carried very little in terms of ground combat hardware, beyond what the troops themselves packed or what their TBL-4 light assault barges represented. No hoppers or rollers were typically shipped; some light flitters for command and liaison purposes could be beamed or shuttled down, but they provided no troop mobility. The barges could move the troops on the battlefield, but they were unavailable for general logistics roles then, and in any case unsuited for them. A Whirlwind battalion could not carry the battle alone, but absolutely required the material support of a more conventional cargo hauler.

A spearhead force of 40 Whirlwinds was nevertheless considered vital, and produced in full by 2255. Miranda, Surya and especially Coventry frigates were ideal escorts for Whirlwind formations, offering their own logistics shuttlecraft and heavy bombardment weaponry to the mix. By the 2260s, the transports had been upgraded with phasers, and all of them had received the ventral torpedo launcher as well; independent operations against hot spots now became a distinct possibility. On the other hand, conventional assault capabilities were boosted by the addition of grappler plates on the dorsal and ventral surfaces: some 60,000 tons of external load could be attached, resulting in reduced speed and endurance but allowing for meaningful battlefield logistics. Instead of the TBL-4 barges, the ships might now load up on Benares or Coronet hoppers in the berths and carry larger barges on the grapples, providing a new balance of equipment and tactics.

This forced versatility translated to extreme fatigue. By the 2270s, the fleet was rapidly approaching the limits of spaceworthiness, and mainly persisted because the follow-on Makin program of fast troop transports had met with delays. No reengining was attempted, as a switch from PB-45 to the structurally compatible LN-61 or LN-23 would have meant a performance reduction. Nor was there much point in upgrading the weapons, as the ‘happy time’ when a Whirlwind had been a competent individual combatant was long over. Between 2270 and 2274, the ships were only given solo assignments to ‘lukewarm spots’, but did excel in such duty. On the other hand, several losses were suffered in the feline Xindi campaign; the remaining force was retired as soon as the Makin was perfected and fielded.

Gallery

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  Whirlwind class
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Notes

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