The Banshee-class ships were designed to be jacks of all trades. As the smallest major combatants available, they aided larger ships with mecha defense in the Southern Cross and REF Aerospace Forces and added their firepower to that of the larger ships. They also provided a hany meathod to transport troops quickly and easily within the solar system or across the planet.

Banshees had a hull form resembling a Second World War submarine, as with the hulls of their larger contemporaries. However, there was no conning tower, but a raised deck at the back, the front of which housed the main bridge. Beginning at about half length, there were also two side sponsons that housed the main engines. The Banshee-class were equipeed with a mixed Beam Cannon and missile arnament, as well as a small mecha compliment.

The REF and ASC feidled Banshees in their forces. Unfortunately, these ships proved to be no match for the Triolian Motherships, Battleships and Assault Carries. Many of them were destroyed by the Master's forces during the ASC's futile attacks. Most of the few ships that survied the war were destroyed by the Invid. Several ships of the class survived on the moon or holed up in varous posts across the Solar System.

The REF's ships faired little better against the Invid, who destroyed the ships through swarms of mecha arather than direct ship-to-ship combat. The REF's ships were largely replaced with the Garfish class vessels. The survivors were either retired or sent back to Earth.

RPG STATS

NOTE: These stats replace the stats for the CTC Combat Troop Carrier Shuttle in the Southern Cross RPG Book.

Ship's Crew (30 men)

Mecha Group (70 men)

ASC Ships

(2021-2024) 24 SF-9 Pirate Fighters or VF-3 Logans

(after 2030) 24 VAH-1 AJACS mecha.

Optionally can carry VHT-1 Hovertanks or ASC Battloids, but rarely does so.

REF (Human Ships)

18 VF-1 Super Veritechs or 24 VAF-6 Alphas

REF (Zentraedi Corps Ships)

9 VF-1 Super Vertechs or 12 VAF-6 Alphas

12 Z-1/Z-2 battlepods

MDC BY LOCATION:

	Main Laser Turret			300
	Laser Turrets (4 or 6)			300
	Retractable Laser Turrets (6)		100 each
	Hanger Doors (2)			500 each
	Airlocks/Access Hatches (8)		100 each
	Outer Hull (per 12 meter area)		100
	Interior walls (per 6 meter area)	20
	(1) Bridge				1,000
	Forward Section (1/3)			2,500
	Midsection (1/3)			2,500
	(2) Rear Section (1/3)			3,000
	(3) Main Thrusters (2, Rear)		1500 each

NOTES:

1. Destroying the Bridge will instantly kill the command staff and deprive the ship of all forms of long range communications, radar and targeting. The range and targeting capabilities of the secondary systems are equal to that of an Alpha. The ship can still operate, but is at -3 on initiative, -3 to strike, and number of attacks per melee of the weapon systems are reduced by half.
2. Depleting the MDC of the rear section means that the back third of the ship has been destroyed. this includes all engines/thrusters, half of the main mecha hangers, and all personnel, mecha & equipment in those sections when it was destroyed. the ship will be adrift in space without any means of propulsion, and on auxiliary life support. However, the command towers, forward mecha hangers, missile launchers and weapon systems are still fully operational.
3. Depleting the MDC of the main engines will force the ship to rely on its secondary engines. Depleting the MDC of the main engines AND secondary engines will leave the ship adrift in space. If in an atmosphere, the ship will crash (destruction of the main engines will render the antigravity system useless due to loss of power).

SPEEDS:

Speed(sublight): 0.001 speed of light
Speed(conventional Drives): Maximum space acceleration possible 2g acceleration until fuel is exhausted. 0.8g of acceleration can be sustained for fifty minutes, 1.2g for 32 minutes.
Planet bound:

Flying speed is about mach 3. Capable of breaching the atmosphere and re-entering under its own power.

Maximum Range: Unlimited (Protoculture generator has an estimated 30 year life span)

STATISTICAL DATA:

Length: 182.8m
Height: 36.5m
Width: 42.0m
Weight: 31,500 tons

Fold System:

None.

Sublight Drive:

SNECMA RB12 local, monopolar-induced gravitic space-time distortion drive.

Gravity Control System: Internal
Auxiliary Engine:

Westinghouse RT-80Q Fusion-Plasma Reaction Thrusters with protoculture energizer.

Radar System: Robotech Resaerch Group sensory systems

WEAPON SYSTEMS:

1. One Main Laser Turret is mounted on the top of the ship, fore of the bridge. It has a 360 degree rotation and a 180 degree arc of fire.
   • PRIMARY PURPOSE: Assault/Defence
   • SECONDARY PURPOSE: Anti-Warship
   • RANGE: 160,000km (Half in an atmosphere)
   • DAMAGE: 1D6x100 M.D.
   • RATE OF FIRE: Twice per melee
   • PAYLOAD: Effectively unlimited.

2. Four Double-Barreled Laser Turrets are mounted on the ship, one on the upper side, one on each side of the forward hull and one on the rear hull. Many ships of this class mounted two more on the sides of the hull, facing forwards. Each is operated by a gunner from within the ship. The +1 strike bonus is added to the gunner's own hand to hand combat bonus (if any). 360 degree rotation and a 180 degree arc of fire.
   • PRIMARY PURPOSE: Assault/Defence
   • SECONDARY PURPOSE: Anti-Warship
   • RANGE: 160,000km (Half in an atmosphere)
   • DAMAGE: 4D6x10 M.D.
   • RATE OF FIRE: Twice per melee
   • PAYLOAD: Effectively unlimited.

3. Six Rapid-Fire Laser Turrets are mounted on the ship, two near the bridge, one on the top and bottom of the main hull and one on each side. Each is operated by a gunner from within the ship. The +1 strike bonus is added to the gunner's own hand to hand combat bonus (if any). 360 degree rotation and a 180 degree arc of fire.
   • PRIMARY PURPOSE: Anti-Mecha
   • SECONDARY PURPOSE: Anti-Missile
   • RANGE: 2.4 km (Half in an atmosphere)
   • DAMAGE: 1D4x10 M.D.
   • RATE OF FIRE: Six times per melee
   • PAYLOAD: Effectively unlimited.

4. Three Long Range Missile Silos. The ship mounts three missile launching silos, one forward of the main bridge and another one each side sponson. The silos are covered until needed, whereupon the large missile doors slide back revealing the launcher. The missiles launch vertically and turn towards their targets. Carries only long-range missiles.
   • PRIMARY PURPOSE: Anti-Aircraft
   • SECONDARY PURPOSE: Anti-Warship
   • MISSILE TYPES: Any type of Long Range Missile can be used. Reflex missiles are commonly used to avoid hitting friendly aircraft.
   • RANGE: Varies
   • SPEED: Varies
   • DAMAGE: Varies
   • BLAST RADIUS: Varies
   • RATE OF FIRE: One at a time or in volleys of 2, 4, 6, 8 or 10
   • PAYLOAD: 10 missiles per silo plus another 80 reloads for a totasl of 90 missiles per launcher.

SYSTEMS OF NOTE:

• ANTIGRAVITY PROPULSION SYSTEM: The Banshee battleshipss are equipped with an anti-gravity propulsion system used for planetary landings and liftoffs. The system is good for vertical ascent/descent only and can lift the ship at speeds of up to 1,320 feet (400 m) per minute. The system will function so long as the main engines can supply energy to it.
• HYPERSPACE COMMUNICATIONS: Based on the same technology as the space fold system, the hyperspace communications relay allows faster-than-light communication between the Banshee ships and other vessels or planetary bases. Hyperspace communications are still not instantaneous, however. Audio/video communication travels through hyperspace at a rate of about 5 seconds per light year, so messages communicated over vast distances can still take days, weeks, or months to arrive.
• LIFE SUPPORT SYSTEMS: The battleships have sufficient life support to provide breathable air and comfortable temperatures for 32,000 people for up to 12 years (air is recycled). In an emergency the life support system can support up to 120,000 people at one time, though living conditions onboard will get extremely cramped at that point.
• LONG-RANGE LASER/SATELLITE RELAY COMMUNICATIONS: The impressive communications array of the battleship can communicate with up to 1,000 craft simultaneously at ranges of up to 900 miles (1,440 km). This range can be boosted indefinitely by using satellites or other spacecraft as to relay communications.
• LONG-RANGE RADAR: The radar array of the battle carrier is equally as impressive as the communication system, and can track and identify up to 2,000 craft simultaneously. The radar system has a 2,000 mile/3,200 km range.
• SUBLIGHT ENGINES: As a backup to the Fold System, the battleship is equipped with a SNECMA RB12 local, monopolar-induced gravitic space-time distortion drive that can propel the craft at speeds up to 0.001 speed of light in space. Note that these engines are mainly intended for rapid movement inside a planetary system and are not suited for long voyages between star systems. In a planetary atmosphere the carrier is limited to subsonic speeds maximum due to hull stress.
• SUBSPACE MASS SENSORS: The Banshee battleships are equipped with subspace sensors, which are based on the same principles as the hyperspace communications array. These sensors can essentially instantly detect mass readings and movement of objects up to 1 AU (93 million miles) distant from the carrier, and the readings are used both for early warning and for navigation when travelling at sublight speeds. Readings taken with the subspace sensors are not very detailed (-25% penalty when trying to identify a detected object) and cannot detect objects of less than 60,000 kg (this includes most mecha).

Designers Notes

Japanese Name: Unknown Super Dimensional Cavalry: Southern Cross

Episodes Seen in: #36, #50-60

The info on the Banshee is limited only to examining the footage of it in action in various episodes.