Guide:Bradley

Bradley
Class Overview
Category	space tank
Operational	2160 - 2181
Constructed	153
Dimensions
Length	70.0 m
Beam	108.2 m
Height	25.7 m
Mass	19,628 tons
Performance
Max Speed	w 1.2
Endurance	1 week
Complement
Crew	8
Tactical Systems
Beam Weapons	4x plasma cannon (2.2 GW) (single banks) (lateral barbettes) 3x Type B phased particle cannon (200 GW) (bow)
Missile Weapons	2 fwd missile tubes (w/20 fusion missiles) (bow)
Shields	Polarizable armor
Historical
Ships of Note	USS Blue Angel
Canonicity
Design	SFC
Name	SFC
History	SFC

Revival of the space tank concept in the aftermath of the Battles of Vega was as swift as it was brief. Blueprints for improved space tanks had existed for several years, and had been updated to acknowledge the latest advances in phase weaponry. When the decision in September 2159 was made to resume space tank production, the Bradley class craft already existed down to the minutest detail in the databanks of Martin DefenseLine. The incarnation of three units two months later was only slightly delayed by material shortages, and sights were set at production of 150 more.

The Blue Angel, a typical Bradley in smart indigo warpaint, taking potshots at passing Romulan fightercraft at Draylax.

The Bradley was significantly more advanced than the Clark in terms of armament and targeting systems. Three Type B phase cannon were installed at the bow, for a devastating punch against both sublight and low-warp targets. They could not be fired while the tank itself was at warp, though, for reasons of power allocation. FTL scanners on optical, RF and upper duonetic regimes were available at all flight modes. Eight crew were needed to tend to the weapons, engines and sensors, and their carefully repositioned workplace at the heart of the craft was armored more heavily than ever.

Deployment of the Bradleys throughout human space came at a time when need for system defenses was rapidly dissipating, though. Unlike was the case in many later military conflicts, the Romulan Star Empire did not operate free-roaming fleets deep in enemy space – a typical sign of a novice star power still accustomed to fighting a 2D planetary battle and thinking in terms of supply lines and fronts. Thus, when the Earth offensive moved forward, Romulans everywhere fell back into more defensible positions, leaving behind no direct threat which the space tanks would need to address. Efforts were made to redeploy the tanks in the wake of the advancing Earth forces, so that new conquests and reconquests could be rapidly secured against counterattack without tying down actual conquest vessels. Yet although the Bradleys were quite mobile in in-system terms, with warp 1.2 top speed, they weren’t the easiest type of hardware to transport from star to star. Only about 40 space tanks ultimately followed the UESF to the heart of the Star Empire, and even these were pulled back when the First Treaty of Algeron established the Romulan Region of Sovereignty and sealed it behind the Neutral Zone.

Investment in the 153 Bradleys was minuscule compared with what had been spent on the war overall. There was no official denouncing of the concept, nor a move to discontinue operations. On the other hand, no attempt was made to support the space tank infrastructure after the end of the war, either. The major factor influencing the decision was the diminishing value of polarizable armor, and the incompatibility of the Bradley design and concept with modern shield generators. The fighting force was allowed to decay until, in 2181, the last Bradley was stricken from active strength and immediately recycled for raw materials.

Space tanks have not been seriously considered as a viable space combat type for the past two centuries. System defense ‘fortresses’ today are light, mobile, distributed and expendable units that do not require on-board personnel. Certain planetary assault vehicles do resemble miniature space tanks with all their armoring and concentrated firepower, however. Even the Defiant class, carrying modern armor and forward-firing weaponry, owes to the space tank concept – but speak of a continuous ‘lineage’ in this context would be quite misleading.

Gallery

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