The Astro Lift Co. "Freedom" Class Medium Destroyer (TDF-CS225)

TDF-CS225 "Freedom"

Classification: Medium Destroyer
Manufacturer: Astro Lift Company
Designation:

ALC Designation: Captial Class Medium Destroyer "Freedom"
TDF Designation: TDF-CS225 "Freedom"

Dimensions: 300 m L x 120 m W x 54 m H
Weaponry: 16 PBC turrets/ 2 naval laser turrets/ 12 ballistic missile tubes/ 4 torpedo tubes/ 2 AFD missile arrays
Spacecraft Complement: Light shuttlecraft or troop dropships.
Shields: ALC Gauntlet(tm) F1500 redundant kinetic shield generators rated at 300a, plus 500 tons of polarized ablative armor.
Anti-bugger explosive blisters
Drive:
- Sublight Primary: 3 ALC 2000 Series Sublight Drives
- FTL: Dual Prudenski II Series spam/anti-spam Faster-than-Light Drive with Ramses3445-A sub space warp bubble generation nacelles.
- TW: 2702-B ALC Transwarp Conduit stabilization unit and navigation system.

OVERVIEW:

The TDF-CS225 "Freedom" class medium destroyer was designed to compliment the earlier Constitution class heavy destroyers. The Freedom is smaller, less expensive, but still heavily armed for it's size. It also incorporates new explosive blisters on it's hull as a last line of defense against the increasing threat of the space-borne buggers.

CAPABILITIES:

This class of ship can hold up to 150 personnel including shuttle pilots and support teams. The ship is equipped with a large number of ballistic missile tubes for both long range ship-to-ship attacks and planetary bombardment. After the trial success of the new spam/anti-spam torpedoes from the ALC aboard the Liberty class cruisers, the TDF requested that all capital ships be retrofitted to include this new weapon technology. As a result, the ALC was able to pack more firepower into a smaller spaceframe on the Freedom.

For fire support, the Liberty boasts a large array of heavy PBC cannons. The new technology used on this ship enables greater energy output in a smaller package, much in the way that the UAR build their weapons to date. 2 long range naval lasers are at the disposal of Liberty to decimate large attack vessels.

The Liberty is equipped with redundant Gauntlet(TM) kinetic shield generators (as are all ALC capital ship designs) in addition to hull armor. The most interesting new feature on this class of ship us the use of explosive blisters that are used to destroy buggers in close proximity to the ship should the redundant shields be breached.

DEVELOPMENT:

Unlike the United Archadian Republic who has helped the TDF with rebuilding it's fleet via ships such as the TDF-CS-200 "Helios", the Astro Lift Company is a private conglomerate vendor that has committed to providing new fleet solutions to the TDF in addition to it's regular product line and colonization mandate.

ITEMS OF NOTE:

The Freedom class medium destroyer is intended to replace the function of the Constitution class heavy destroyers in escorting the large Ticonderoga class medium carriers. Prior to the construction of carriers for the TDF fleet, the TDF relied on the Constitutions for initial fighter support with their relatively large fighter bays. However, after the construction of the Ticonderoga and Vigilant class carriers, the need for a destroyer to carry fighters AND escort carriers bacame no longer a priotrity. Hence the Freedom class medium destroyer was designed with only moderate bay space for troop drop ships (like the TDF HA110 Foxbro) and other light shuttle craft. This move by the TDF opened up the opportunity for the Constitution to return to it's original purpose: to be a battleship hunter-killer.

The Freedom class medium destroyer, while an escort for large carrier groups, is still a very powerful and versatile craft, capable of holding its own against battlecruisers and battleships.