Type: Victory Class Frigate In Service: 2370 Number in Service: 275 Mass: 720,000 tons KF Integrity: 14 Sail Integrity: 4 Thrust: 3/5 Fuel: 3000 tons SI: 100 Armor: 1000 tons standard armor ( Fore/Aft : 30 + 10, Sides: 35 + 10) Heatsinks: 3500 Docking Collars: 2 Fighters: 12 Small Craft: 6 Crew: 475 Lifeboats: 30 Escape Pods: 70 Grav Deck: 2 (both 75 meters) Cargo: 36,198 tons Other Equipment: Advanced Sensor Package Bays: Bay 1: Fighters 6 doors Bay 2: Small Craft 2 doors Bay 3: Cargo Weapons: Forward: 8 Light Naval PPC 2 NAC/25 10 Large Lasers 10 LRM 20 5 Medium Lasers 20 AC/2 10 AC/5 Fore Left/Right: 4 NAC/25 2 Large Lasers 5 LRM 20 10 Medium Lasers LBS/RBS 4 NAC/10 20 AC/2 15 AC/5 Aft Left/Right: 4 NAC/25 3 Large Lasers 5 LRM 20 10 Medium Lasers 10 AC/2 Aft: 2 NAC/10 10 LRM 20 5 Medium Lasers Ammo: 400 Rounds NAC/25 Ammo 200 Rounds NAC/10 Ammo 200 Tons LRM20 Ammo 100 Tons AC/2 Ammo 200 Tons AC/5 Ammo DesignerÕs Notes: The design in underweight by 40,000 tons to represent the early engine and weapons technology. The armor was calculated at 0.2 points per ton. Overview: The Victory class Frigate was one the most common ships in the Lyran Navy and, at the same time, one of the least well known.The design of the Victory class Frigate began in 2376, shortly after Robert Marsden assumed sole control of the Lyran CommonwealthÕs government. At that time it appeared that war was imminent against the Draconis Combine. The Lyran Navy decided it need a new Frigate that could be used to patrol the border with the Combine and provide early warning of any attacks. The specifications issued for the new ship were very ambitious. They called for a ship capable of operating either independently or as part of a fleet, with heavy weaponry for use against both fighters and warships and the ability to detect enemy ships at extreme ranges. The Victory design a joint venture by the Shipil Company of Skye and Wallace Ship Constructors of Kessel, met all the the requirements issued by the Lyran Navy. The design was based on the hull of the Triumph class cruiser which had been developed by Bowie Industries in 2360 as part of the design competition for the 1st Lyran Cruiser. When the Triumph was rejected, Shipil purchased the design of the basic hull from Bowie Industries as mockups of the hull showed it be very resiliant to damage. When the LCAF issued a request for a new frigate, Shipil teamed up with Sara Wallace of Wallace Ship Constructors to develop a proposal. The design used the hull of the Triumph which was mated with the innovative engine designed by Sara Wallace for use on the unbuilt Sentinel class Frigate, which had proposed to the Lyran Navy in 2365. Combined with Shipil's expertise in weapon design and fire control hardware, this resulted in a very advanced design for the era. Production commenced at Shipil and Wallace facilities in 2378. Since the need for ships was so great the design was license to Bowie Industries of Dell and Hanford Shipyards of Furillo at the request of the Lyran Navy in 2380. [Editor's Note: The Lyran Navy had requested that the design be licensed to Commonwealth Boat Manufacturers, but Sara Wallace refused to license it to CBM due to the long running feud between her and Justin Day of CBM] There were 275 ships built between 2378 and 2465 when production finally stopped. Capabilities: The Victory was designed to fulfill several roles in the Lyran Navy. The Victory was expected to be able to operate independently to patrol border systems and also be able to function as a picket ships for the main Lyran Fleets. The VictoryÕs design proved effective in both roles. The ships had above average thrust capabilities for the era, with the ability to achieve a maximum thrust of 2.5Gs. In addition the large fuel tanks, unusual for a Lyran ship of that era, allowed the ships to carry out long duration patrols. The Victory class mounted the most advanced sensor packages available to the Commonwealth. The sensors were able to detect ships at extreme ranges. The ships were also the first Commonwealth ships to carry the Doering Electronics R375/6521 IR/Neutrino Detector. This equipment could detect jumpships arriving in system as well as being able to detect the emissions from fusion reactors, allowing the ships to track inbound dropships and warships. The complex nature of this hardware required significant maintenance as the system was prone to breaking down. The ships were built to a rugged design, the structural framework proved to be stronger then that of many larger ships. The Victory mounts 1000 tons of armor, using the latest Titanium Alloys. This proved adequate, at the time, for defense against corvettes, destroyers and frigates. However later developments in armor material would provide newer ships with better protection, while at the same time reducing the weight of the armor. The weapons array on the Victory is very heavy for a ship itÕs size in the late 24th Century. The Class 25 Naval Autocannons were the largest guns available to the Commonwealth when the ship was designed. They provided the main punch of the ship and were mounted to provide fire to all sides of the ship except the rear. The Victory also mounted 8 class 10 Naval Autocannons. These were used to protect the shipÕs broadside and aft areas. The 8 Light Naval PPCs were added late in the design process, when the Lyran Navy added a requirement that the ship be able to provide orbital fire support for ground forces. These weapons are all mounted in the nose of the craft where they could provide concentrated fire. The fighter defenses were provided by a variety of Laser, LRM and Autocannon systems. While later designs would rely on large missile systems for fighter defense, none of those weapons were available when the Victory was designed. Instead the designers used a layered defense, with Autocannons and LRMS for long range fire and a variety of laser systems for close range defense. This array would prove very effective in combat. It is unfortunate that this design was not copied on later ships, as it would have provided the Commonwealth ships with superior fighter defenses. The Victory was also capable of carrying 2 dropships. The type of dropships which were carried varied by mission. The ship also had 12 Fighter bays and 6 small craft bays. The typical complement was 6 medium fighters, 6 light reconnaissance fighters, 2 shuttles and 4 large reconnaissance shuttles. Deployment: The Victorys served the Lyran Commonwealth admirably for over 250 years. The ships were initially used to patrol the border with the Combine, to provide the Commonwealth with advanced warning of any Combine attacks. As more ships became available they were assigned to the FWL border and as well as serving as pickets for the Lyran Fleets. The ships served throughout the Age of War, participating in every major battle of the war. The ships were noted for their reliability and durability. There are many stories of Victory class ships which located attacking fleets and held them off long enough for reinforcements to arrive. While the ships were successful most of the time, this success came at a high cost with 57 ships destroyed or scrapped due to damage during the Age of War. Towards the end of the Age of War the Victory class began to be out matched by similar ships from the Draconis Combine and Free Worlds League. Even so the Commonwealth continued to deploy the Victory, as most of the Naval budget was earmarked for the new Cruisers and Battleships being designed and built at the time. The ships continued to serve in a reduced capacity during the Reunification War, where they were used mainly as escorts for the LCAF and SLDF Transports. The ships saw little action in the war, just the occasional raid by Rim World Aerospace forces. After the Reunification War the Lyran Navy began decommissioning the Victory Class, starting in 2618. The age of the ships made the maintenance costs very high and the Lyran Naval command felt that the role of the Victory could be better carried out by other more modern ships such as the Valkyrie Class Destroyers. Of the remaining 218 Victory class that were in service, the 50 worst condition ships were scrapped. There were 28 ships which were converted to McQuiston Class Fleet Underway Replenishment Ships. This involved a major overhaul and replacement of the main engines with a newer more compact design freeing up significant cargo space. The remaining 140 ships were mothballed in the Alarion system against future need. In the mid 2700Õs these would be reactivated and undergo a massive upgrades and renovation to enter service as Icarus Class Frigates.