Achilles Class Dropship

The Achilles Class DropShip is unusual in being designed primarly to combat other DropShips and AeroSpace Fighters, rather than engaging in planetary assault. It is incapable of atmospheric flight, but to compensate the vessel is highly maneuverable in space and can outrun any other existing DropShip and most heavy and medium fighters.

The design of the Achilles is relatively simple. The ship masses 4,500 tons, with over half of the ship taken up by it extremely powerful fusion drive. This powerful drive system has the disadvantage of stressing the spaceframe in such a way that extended operation can be harmful to the ship's systems. This, unfortunately can include malfunctions in the ship's weapons systems, which must go through a lengthy process to fix.

The ship's quarters are cramped for the 60 personnel it must carry, and all amenities are located in one small area.

Located on either side of the engine core is a small craft bay with a pair of small craft cubicles in each. The normal small craft complement is two AeroSpace Fighters and two marine-bearing buses for use in boarding operations. The Achilles is used to lead planetary assault forces and space defense forces into combat. The ship's high maneuverability makes it an excellent anti-Fighter ship. The Achilles is an extremely rare vessel with all its production facilities having been destroyed many years ago. While it is present to a certain degree in all the Successor States, the Draconis Combine has the largest number of these craft.

The Achilles is extremely heavily armed for a Dropship. Three Particle Projection Cannons are placed in different firing arcs. Two LRM-20 racks are mounted in the nose, along with two large lasers. Other armament includes eight medium lasers, two Autocannon model 20's, 2 Autocannon models 5's and a single Autocannon model 10. Two more LRM-20 racks and an LRM-10 rack and another large laser complete this dropship's formidable armament.

The upgraded version involves tying Artemis FCS into the missile launchers, and replacing the older energy weapons with extended-range or pulse variants.

Record 907 - vehicle/ship class - Last update 28 Mar 2007, 23:06:56

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