Welcome to the Thread of Naval Architecture, where you can participate in the discussion of continued development of the ISDC's first Ship capable of true deep space travel.

A few key constraints and points which have informed the design so far bear reitterating:

• We do not have unlimited thrust available. Volume and mass need to be minimised where possible.
• The ship's reactor and superluminal drive: we only have one of each available to us. Do not break them, they do not grow on trees.
• Any engagements are expected to take place well beyond visual range.
• Other than those systems aided by captured alien hardware, our technology base is roughly modern day.

The further proposal requirements have also been intimated to us by the ISDC command:

• The Ship requires an unreplenished "at sea" endurance of six months, with a further 6 months buffer.
• Crew size is yet to be determined, and will only be able to be finialised after simulations have been run. For now it is expected to be in the 200-400 persons range.
• The Ship is not required to be capable of making planetfall, but will need provision to carry landing craft.
• As humanity will be likely working at a disadvantage out in the black, any combat is expected to be more akin to submarine warfare than surface warfare. The best defence therefore, is to not get shot in the first place.

From this, and in order to create a starting point, the following basic design principals have been devised:

• The Ship's forward sensor profile is to be minimised (including radar cross section and emmissions). This will hopefully reduce chances of detection when arriving in-system.
• Additionally, current expected tactical doctorine forsees the ship's best fighting arc to be off its forward quarter. By minimising the frontal cross-section a smaller target is presented. This is then also used to inform placement of armour, weapons, and arrangement of The Ship's vitals (reactor, magazine spaces, Ops Room, etc.).
• Tactical sensors are arranged to give as much overlapping coverage across a full 360 degrees. Scientfic and long range sensors do not require full 360 degree coverage. Sensor loadout is very much under development, but currently includes:
  • Tactical: RADAR, LIDAR, broad spectrum passive sensors.
  • Long Range: Radio Telescopy.
  • Scientific: Undefined.
• In order to fight effectively over the ranges anticipated, the ship's main armament mass drivers will be too unweildy to be turreted. Ship's armamant currently consists of:
  • 6no. "torpedo" tubes. Four forward, two aft, with magazine space for 80 rounds each. Option to utilise rounds with specialist payloads.
  • 4no. point defence emplacements, forward, aft, ventral and dorsal.
  • Countermeasures: chaff, flares, etc as well as Nulka style active decoy system.
• Provision for 2no. ship's boats/shuttles.
• Engines to have limited reverse thrust capability.

From this, first pass form studies were commenced:

Sketch Concepts

During the initial concept phase it was found that The Ship's fighting ability was the primary driver of form as, while scientific equipment and laboratories, crew accomodation and the like could be moved anywhere, protection, sensor profile, firing arcs, etc are dictated by shape.

As such, a number of decisions were made as a starting point:

• Tactical sensors were mounted on masts to give maximum possible overlapping coverage, and lower the sensor shadow horizon they would encounter across the ship's bow and stern.
• Scientific sensors were moved to the flanks to minimise the forward profile whilst giving the maximum area available to mount them.
• Weapons layout was determined as above.
• Armour is concentrated forward due to mass constraints, with flares protecting the stern from incoming fire from the forward quarter.
• The reactor, magazines, ops, etc. were burried deep in the central hull.
• The boat bay is located in the ship's belly, with the intention that it shall also provide access for oversize cargo and equipment into the magazines, engineering spaces, and storage areas. It is understood this will require choke points to be designed into the internal layout to counteract its vulnerability as a vector for boarding.