Battle Class Heavy Destroyer

(Version 1.00 - Last Modified: 07/20/2005)

After the Zentraedi Malcontent Uprisings had been put down, attention was directed into a defensive fleet and into the Pioneer Mission, which was to either make peace with the Zentraedis' masters, the Robotech Masters, or, if this proved to be impossible, to keep the next war away from the Solar System. The Battle class was designed as a compromise: they had to be capable of serving as interstellar war vessels in the Expeditionary Force, but also had to be capable point-defenders in their role as Earth's guardians. This was accomplished with the extensive missile batteries and the RMS-3 missiles with the REF and with the Spacelord missiles of the Southern Cross. The RDF Space Forces, on recon missions into Tirolian territory, heavily used the first Battle class vessels.

Unfortunately, the enemies against whom the Human forces would have to fight were the Invid and the Robotech Masters, not the Zentraedi. The more advanced technology of the Masters made the large warheads on the Spacelord rockets mostly useless. They sometimes managed to blast holes in the hulls of the Azashar vessels, through which ground troops were then inserted, but this was not an effective tactic. Most military minds agree that while the Southern Cross fought valiantly, it also fought rather amateurishly.

The Invid did not have the technology the Masters had, but unlike the Masters and their Zentraedi, the Invid relied more on overwhelming numbers of mecha in any particular engagement, rather than on large and powerful starships. This left the RMS-3 missiles carried by the REF ships with far fewer viable targets than their Southern Cross counterparts were presented with. This caused the REF to reequip its remaining destroyers as depot ships and flotilla leaders for the Garfish class destroyers after its own Karbarran based building program came into full swing, as the Garfish destroyers, with its heavy turret, was far more capable against multiple Invid Mollusk Carriers than the Battle class. Proposals to refit the existing Battle class vessels and reopen the production lines for these vessels were not accepted, though more because of the far faster building rate of the Garfish destroyers than because of an unsuited nature of the Battle to modification. In fact, the Battle class is, on pure vessel qualities, considered superior to the Garfish class, though also far heavier and expensive. Not long after 2038, almost all surviving REF vessels were in reserve storage.

There were 73 Battle class vessels built on the Space Factory for the Southern Cross. In addition to six REF ships of this class destroyed, the Tirolian forces destroyed no less than 47 Southern Cross vessels. To these losses must be added the 6 ships that were so heavily damaged after the war that they had to be scrapped as constructional total losses. Of the remaining ships, sixteen Southern Cross and four REF ships were destroyed in the Invid Invasion. Four other ships were on Luna completing repairs and refits. They remained in their docks during the war, and were mothballed shortly afterwards. The final two ships, the St. Vincent and the Yom Kippur, were assigned to Jupiter Base Io just before the Invid invasion, and survived the entire Invid occupation. They joined the inactive reserves in 2047 and were mothballed at the Sea of Tranquility depot on Luna with the other four survivors.

The Battle destroyers were the backbone of the SC Aerospace Forces, and was an important class for the REF as well. Its design is very much like that of the Banshee, only larger in all respects. For instance, the side sponsons house two engines each, as well as the two double fighter bays and a launch pad. The hull has one launch / recovery chute for mecha, halfway down the hull, serving another double hangar. These bays can hold 4 squadrons for 48 mecha total with room for a few other craft in the REF vessels, or, due to the smaller size of their fighters, 6 squadrons for a total of 72 mecha in the SC configurations. The bridge is located in a spade-shaped deck atop a low tower on the upper main hull. The vessel can hold several Special Forces squads, and the RDF ships often held such forces during the recon operations in the late 2010's.

The cannon armament was small but sufficient for the intended tasks: to provide additional anti-ship firing power to aid the larger capital ships and to perform small actions as the flagship of a detached light force. The RG-60 rail cannon was devastating in its effect and damage concentration; however, the mount held a limited amount of fire and the nimble Invid usually managed to dodge most salvos. The Southern Cross later ordered an upgraded version with a different armament suite; in these vessels (SDD-80 onwards) the rail gun was replaced with a particle weapon, as previously mounted in the Ajax and Tristar classes. This change caused an increase in long range firepower.

Names and Disposition:

Shipyard Name	Name	Notes	Shipyard Name	Name	Notes
SDB-22	Midway	Destroyed during the Second Robotech War.	SDD-88	Warsaw	Destroyed during the Second Robotech War.
SDB-27	Coronel	Destroyed during the Second Robotech War.	SDD-89	Sarajevo	Destroyed during the Second Robotech War.
SDB-28	River Plate	Destroyed during the Second Robotech War.	SDD-90	Omdoerman	Destroyed during the Invid Invasion.
SDB-29	Alamein	Destroyed during the Second Robotech War.	SDD-91	Okinawa	Destroyed during the Second Robotech War.
SDB-31	Tsushima	Destroyed during the Second Robotech War.	SDD-92	Sara	Scrapped in year 2031 due to extreme damage from combat.
SDB-36	Lexington	Destroyed during the Second Robotech War.	SDD-93	Chosin	Destroyed during the Invid Invasion.
SDB-37	Waterloo	Destroyed during the Invid Invasion.	SDD-94	Princeton	Destroyed during the Second Robotech War.
SDB-38	Falklands	Destroyed during the Second Robotech War.	SDD-95	Camperdown	Destroyed during the Invid Invasion.
SDB-40	Nieuwpoort	Mothballed in the Sea of Tranquility on the Moon and survived the Invid Invasion.	SDD-96	Gallipoli	Destroyed during the Second Robotech War.
SDB-42	San Jacinto	Destroyed during the Second Robotech War.	SDD-97	Bull Run	Destroyed during the Second Robotech War.
SDB-43	Verdun	Destroyed during the Second Robotech War.	SDD-98	Moscow	Destroyed during the Invid Invasion.
SDB-44	Ayn Jalut	Destroyed during the Second Robotech War.	SDD-99	Gaugamela	Destroyed during the Second Robotech War.
SDB-45	Sedan	Destroyed during the Invid Invasion.	SDD-100	Kasserine	Scrapped in year 2032 due to extreme damage from combat.
SDB-49	Pearl Harbor	Destroyed during the Second Robotech War.	SDD-101	Armada	Destroyed during the Invid Invasion.
SDB-50	Britain	Destroyed during the Second Robotech War.	SDD-102	Atlantic	Destroyed during the Second Robotech War.
SDB-52	Salamis	Destroyed during the Invid Invasion.	SDD-103	Berlin	Mothballed in the Sea of Tranquility on the Moon and survived the Invid Invasion.
SDB-56	Monte Cassino	Destroyed during the Invid Invasion.	SDD-104	Oran	Destroyed during the Invid Invasion.
SDB-57	Crimea	Destroyed during the Second Robotech War.	SDD-105	Copenhagen	Destroyed during the Second Robotech War.
SDB-60	Little Big Horn	Destroyed during the Second Robotech War.	SDD-106	Desert Storm	Destroyed during the Second Robotech War.
SDB-63	Ardennes	Destroyed during the Second Robotech War.	SDD-107	Marianas	Destroyed during the Second Robotech War.
SDB-64	Tobruk	Destroyed during the Second Robotech War.	SDD-108	Vella Gulf	Mothballed in the Sea of Tranquility on the Moon and survived the Invid Invasion.
SDB-67	Iwo Jima	Destroyed during the Second Robotech War.	SDD-109	Borodino	Destroyed during the Second Robotech War.
SDB-68	Vicksburg	Scrapped in year 2032 due to extreme damage from combat.	SDD-110	Savo Island	Destroyed during the Second Robotech War.
SDB-69	Yom Kippur	Mothballed in the Sea of Tranquility on the Moon and survived the Invid Invasion.	SDD-111	Tet	Destroyed during the Invid Invasion.
SDB-70	Macross Island	Destroyed during the Second Robotech War.	SDD-112	Arnhem	Scrapped in year 2032 due to extreme damage from combat.
SDB-71	Wake	Destroyed during the Second Robotech War.	SDD-113	Luna	Destroyed during the Invid Invasion.
SDB-73	Marne	Destroyed during the Second Robotech War.	SDD-114	Ouiberon Bay	Destroyed during the Second Robotech War.
SDB-76	Argincourt	Destroyed during the Second Robotech War.	SDD-115	Navarino	Destroyed during the Second Robotech War.
SDB-78	Hastings	Destroyed during the Second Robotech War.	SDD-116	Tassafaronga	Destroyed during the Invid Invasion.
SDD-80	Guadalcanal	Mothballed in the Sea of Tranquility on the Moon and survived the Invid Invasion.	SDD-117	Santa Cruz	Destroyed during the Second Robotech War.
SDD-81	Yper	Scrapped in year 2031 due to extreme damage from combat.	SDD-118	Normandie	Destroyed during the Second Robotech War.
SDD-82	Bataan	Destroyed during the Second Robotech War.	SDD-119	Bosnia	Destroyed during the Invid Invasion.
SDD-83	St. Vincent	Mothballed in the Sea of Tranquility on the Moon and survived the Invid Invasion.	SDD-120	Passchendale	Destroyed during the Second Robotech War.
SDD-84	Bandung Strait	Destroyed during the Invid Invasion.	SDD-121	Jutland	Destroyed during the Second Robotech War.
SDD-85	Dunkirk	Destroyed during the Second Robotech War.	SDD-122	Virginia Capes	Destroyed during the Invid Invasion.
SDD-86	New Orleans	Destroyed during the Second Robotech War.	SDD-123	Bunker Hill	Destroyed during the Second Robotech War.
SDD-87	Corregidor	Destroyed during the Second Robotech War.

Ship Information:

• Ship Class: Destroyer
• Ship Type: Heavy
• Year Commissioned: 2018 CE
• Crew: 287
• Troops:
  • Air Group: 230
  • Marines: 40
  • Total: 270
• Total Crew and Troops: 557

Vehicle Complement:

• Other Complement:
One squadron of 12 fighters can be replaced with a single Gossamer Space Shuttle. This was used on ships sent on deep space patrols or exploration missions.

Vehicle Complement: (2018 Complement)

• Fighter Complement:

72	SF-7 Chimera Escort Fighter

• Other Complement:

2	Nuclear Warheads (of each long-range type)
2	Reflex Warheads (of each long-range type)

Vehicle Complement: (2026 Complement)

• Mecha Complement:

72	VF-3 Logan Veritech Fighter

• Other Complement:

2	Nuclear Warheads (of each long-range type)
2	Reflex Warheads (of each long-range type)

Vehicle Complement: (2030 Complement)

• Mecha Complement:

24	VF-3 Logan Veritech Fighter
48	VAH-2A AJACS Veritech Attack Helicopter

• Other Complement:

2	Nuclear Warheads (of each long-range type)
2	Reflex Warheads (of each long-range type)

Vehicle Complement: (2031 Complement)

• Mecha Complement:

72	VAH-2A AJACS Veritech Attack Helicopter

• Other Complement:

2	Nuclear Warheads (of each long-range type)
2	Reflex Warheads (of each long-range type)

M.D.C. by location:

• RG-60 Electromagnetic Rail Gun Turret (SDB-variant only) - 500
• PB-45 Particle Beam Cannon Turret (SDD-variant only) - 500
• PB-25 Particle Beam Cannon Turret - 300
• PB-4 Particle Beam Cannons (11) - 200 each
• LT-5 Point Defense Laser Turrets (4) - 150 each
• RG-2 Point Defense Rail Guns (4) - 150 each
• SMS-10 Vertical Missile Launchers (4) - 200 each
• Retractable Weapon Hatches (23) - 100 each
• Airlock Access Hatches - 80 each
• Command Tower - 2000 *
• Main Engines (4) - 1500 each **
• Auxiliary Engines (2) - 1000 each **
• Maneuvering Thrusters (8) - 200 each
• Hull Regions (30, Main Body) - 200 each
• Hull Regions (10 in each Engine Section) - 200 each
• Main Body - 10,00 ***


M.D.C. Armor Rating - Hull Region: 10
M.D.C. Armor Rating - Main Body: 19
Notes:

*	Destroying the command tower will destroy the command bridge, but the auxiliary command bridge will remain functional.
**	If both the main and auxiliary engines are put out of commission, the ship will be floating dead in space or will crash if the damage occurs in atmosphere. If the main engines are undamaged, the loss of the auxiliary engines will not impair the ship in any way.
***	Depleting the M.D.C. of the main body will shut down the entire ship, including life support, gravity control, communications, weapons, and engines.

Speed:

• Sublight: Can travel at up to 15 percent of the speed of light (0.15c) and accelerate / decelerate at a rate of 0.1 percent of light (0.001c) per melee.
• Atmospheric Propulsion: Mach 3 (2235 mph / 3600 km/h), can enter and leave an atmosphere under its own power, but it is not designed for atmospheric flight.
• Maximum Range: Effectively unlimited by drive system, but onboard supplies for the crew and troops will last for 8 months before the ship needs to be restocked. Water stores were recycled almost completely and hydroponics installations provided the crew with a limited supply of fresh foods.

Statistical Data:

• Height: 170' (51.8 m)
• Width: 268' (81.7 m)
• Length: 940' (286.5 m)
• Weight: 139,773 tons (126,800 metric tons)
• Reactor System: Mk-II Protoculture Reactor with a life span of 25 years.
• Propulsion System: Chemical Rocket
• Gravity System: Internal

Weapon Systems:

1. RG-60 Electromagnetic Rail Gun Turret (SDB-variant only)
   This powerful heavy weapon was designed for close range combat. The Particle Cannon Turret, because of its longer range and near-infinite payload, replaced this weapon in the newer ships, although the rail gun had a much higher rate of fire. The turret is stored in the foot of the command tower.
   • Range: 3.2 miles (5.1 km) underwater, 32 miles (51.4 km) through an atmosphere, and 32,000 miles (51,499 km) in space.
   • Damage: 2D4x100 M.D. per single blast.
   • M.D.C. Weapon Rating: 25
   • Rate of Fire: Each cannon can fire six times per melee.
   • Payload: 240 rounds
2. PB-45 Particle Beam Cannon Turret (SDD-variant only)
   This twin-cannon turret is designed to attack large spaceships. This turret is mounted forward of the PB-25 and the command tower on the upper hull.
   • Range: 93.2 miles (150 km) underwater, 186.4 miles (300 km) through an atmosphere, and 186,411 miles (300,000 km) in space.
   • Damage: 2D4x100 M.D. per single blast.
   • M.D.C. Weapon Rating: 24
   • Rate of Fire: Each cannon can fire twice per melee round.
   • Payload: Effectively unlimited
3. PB-25 Particle Beam Cannon Turret
   This twin-cannon turret is not as powerful as the PB-45 turret, but was designed for combat against smaller vessels. This weapon is mounted between the PB-45 / RG-60 turret and the command tower.
   • Range: 62.1 miles (100 km) underwater, 124.3 miles (200 km) through an atmosphere, and 124,274 miles (200,000 km) in space.
   • Damage: 1D4x100 M.D. per single blast.
   • M.D.C. Weapon Rating: 24
   • Rate of Fire: Each cannon can fire four times per melee round.
   • Payload: Effectively unlimited
4. PB-4 Particle Beam Cannons (11)
   These retractable cannons are an improved version of the PB-2 Particle Cannons used on the old Oberth destroyers. These cannons are not quite capable enough to be effective against ships larger than the Zentraedi Tou Redir scouts, the Tirolian Roil Tiluvo assault corvettes, or the Invid Mollusk carriers. There are four on the dorsal side sponsons, two on the ventral side sponsons, two on the sides of the superstructure, two on the sides of the forward hull, and one on the dorsal forward hull.
   • Range: 31.1 miles (50 km) underwater, 62.1 miles (100 km) through an atmosphere, and 62,137 miles (100,000 km) in space.
   • Damage: 4D4x10 M.D. per single blast.
   • M.D.C. Weapon Rating: 24
   • Rate of Fire: Each cannon can fire six times per melee round.
   • Payload: Effectively unlimited
5. LT-5 Point Defense Laser Turrets (4)
   The LT-5 lasers are designed to deliver heavy firepower on very close targets. A double-barreled laser with a round sensor between the barrels, the LT-5 is stored inside the hull, but elevates upwards from under movable panels into firing position. Two turrets are mounted around the engines and the other two are in the forward hull.
   • Range: 1.6 miles (2.5 km) underwater, 3.1 miles (5 km) through an atmosphere, and 310.7 miles (500 km) in space.
   • Damage: 2D6x10 M.D. per single blast.
   • M.D.C. Weapon Rating: 23
   • Rate of Fire: Each turret can fire four times per melee round.
   • Payload: Effectively unlimited
6. RG-2 Point Defense Rail Guns (4)
   These rail gun turrets are a development of the Retractable Howitzer Turrets on the SDF-1. The four cannons are mounted in the hull, near the curvature of the side sponsons.
   • Range: 1640' miles (500 m) underwater, 1.2 miles (2 km) through an atmosphere, and 124.3 miles (200 km) in space.
   • Damage: 2D4x10 M.D. per round.
   • M.D.C. Weapon Rating: 10
   • Rate of Fire: Each cannon can fire five times per melee round.
   • Payload: 4000 rounds per cannon..
7. SMS-10 Vertical Missile Launchers (4)
   This system replaces the Pepperbox launchers used on old RDF ship designs. This new system consists of two rows of five launch tubes for each missile launcher, this allows for an even higher rate of fire. These launchers are located in the dorsal and ventral side sponsons.
   • Missile Design: SCAR Spacelord Long Range Missiles
   • Missile Type: Anti-Spaceship only.
   • Missile Guidance Systems: Select any one available guidance system.
   • Missile Warhead: Armor Piercing, Fragmentation, High Explosive, Plasma / Napalm, Fuel Air Explosive, Kinetic Energy, Multi-Warhead, Nuclear, Proton Torpedo, and Reflex only.
   • Range: 800 miles (1288 km) in an atmosphere and 935,525 miles (1,505,582 km / 5.0 light seconds) in space.
   • Speed: 2500 mph (4023 km/h) in an atmosphere and an acceleration of 4% of light (0.04c) per melee in space, with a maximum duration in space of 16 melees and a maximum safe speed in space of 55% of light (0.55c).
   • Damage and Blast Radius: Varies with type of missile warhead.
   • Rate of Fire: One at a time or in volleys of any size up to 10 missiles. Each launcher can fire three times per melee round.
   • Payload: 60 missiles per launcher, for a total of 240 long range missiles.
   • Modifiers: Increase range in space by 25%, but reduce warhead strength by 10%. Automatically hits a stationary target in space, has more advanced targeting equipment that gives a bonus of +6 to strike a moving target, but has a penalty of -10 to strike any target under 500 tons (453.6 metric tons).

Special Systems:

1. Electronic Warfare System
   The ship is equipped with a standard Southern Cross EW suite.
   • ECM: 5
   • ECCM: 3
   • EWS Abilities: Attract Tracking Device, Break Tracking Device Lock-On, and Scramble Communications.

Standard Systems:

1. Life Support System
   The ship has a fully operational life support system that provides fresh atmosphere throughout the ship. The life support system can sustain a maximum of 600 people indefinitely or 1000 people for a short period of time in case of an emergency.
2. Communication Systems
   The ship is equipped with three communication systems. The first is a long range laser system with a maximum range of 100,000 miles (160,934 km), the transmissions travel at the speed of light, but they rely on line of sight, so it cannot communicate with a ship that is on the other side of a solid object. The second system is a long range radio system with a maximum range of 10,000 miles (16,100 km), the transmissions travel at the speed of light, but they are easy to intercept and jam. The third system is a satellite relay system that allows the ship to boost the range of the other communication systems indefinitely by using satellites or other ships to relay the transmission. The ship's communication array can maintain contact with up to 750 ships simultaneously.
3. Sensor Systems
   The ship is equipped with three sensor systems. The first is the Electromagnetic Detection Equipment that detects other sensor systems at twice the maximum range of their transmitter. The second is a powerful array that uses standard radar waves, which are fairly easy to jam, but it is obvious when the radar array is being jammed. The sensor can track tiny targets at a range of up to 450,000 miles (724,205 km), small targets at a range of up to 4.5 million miles (7.2 million km), medium targets at a range of up to 9 million miles (14.5 million km), and large targets at a range of up to 13.5 million miles (21.7 million km). The third is a Subspace Mass Sensor that uses gravity-based technology to detect target's at real time speed. The sensor can track tiny targets at a range of up to 500,000 miles (804,672 km), small targets at a range of up to 5 million miles (8 million km), medium targets at a range of up to 10 million miles (16.1 million km), and large targets at a range of up to 15 million miles (24.1 million km). See Human Ship Systems for more details on sensor systems.
4. Targeting Computer System
   Connecting the ship's sensor systems with the weapon systems is the Targeting Computer System. The system is designed to control all of the weapons currently equipped on the ship. This system can track up to 150 targets simultaneously, providing detailed information about the targets from the ships data files. All direct fire weapons receive a bonus of +3 to strike and missiles using non-autonomous guidance systems receive a bonus of +3 to strike. These bonuses are in addition to any previously stated bonuses or penalties.

Combat Summary:

• ECM: 5
• ECCM: 3
• EWS: EWS Abilities: Attract Tracking Device, Break Tracking Device Lock-On, and Scramble Communications.
• Combat Actions: 5
• Strike: +3 to strike for all direct fire weapons and +3 to strike for all missiles using non-autonomous guidance systems.
• Dodge: +2 to dodge.
• Targeting System: Can track up to 150 targets simultaneously.