Albatross-class

"The Albatross Class Mobile Cruiser is the primary ship of the line for the Altairan Self-Defense Forces and happens to be one of the most superior ship of its class in the Earth Sphere with only larger combat ships superior to this all-rounded warship."

- - Taken from Jane's Space Ships and Warships, CE72 Edition



General and Technical Overview

 * Class: Albatross Class


 * Ships of the line: Albatross, Wakamiya, Langley, Jason, Foudre, Canard, Chitose, Engadine, Currituck, Campania, Riviera, Anne, Pine Island, Norton Sound, Tangier, Teste, Empress, Hamlin, Wright, Curtiss, Nairana, Vindex, Chiyoda, Raven, Cuxhaven, Tsingtao, Mississippi, Timbalier, Vulcano, Manxman (Albatross Main Class) Pegasus, Springbank, Maplin, Ariguani, Patia (Pegasus Sub-Class) Argus, Hosho, Hermes, Furious, Eagle, Vindictive, Ark Royal, Unicorn, Lexington, Saratoga, Ranger, Courageous, Glorious, Formidable, Illustrious, Indomitable, Victorious, Implacable, Indefatigable, Zuiho, Shoho, Kaga, Akagi, Colossus, Glory, Pioneer, Warrior, Triumph, Ocean, Venerable (Argus Sub-Class) Midway, Enterprise, Leviathan, Powerful, Forrestal, Saratoga, Constellation, Kennedy (Midway Sub-Class)

Unit type:Mobile Cruiser


 * Classification:CM


 * Manufacturer: Sphinx Heavy Industries/Mars Security Corporation (Marsec Shipyards)

Operator(s): Altairan Self Defense Forces; Lunar Colonial Militia (PegasusClass)


 * First deployment:June, CE68


 * Dimensions: 265 Meters Long


 * Wingspan:35 Meters


 * Weight:unknown


 * Propulsion: 3 x Thermonuclear Propulsion Engines

Equipment and design features:sensors, range unknown


 * Fixed armaments: 6 x “Hammer” 100cm Medium Linear Cannons; 3 x “Thunderbird” 125cm Duel Barrel High-Energy Beam Cannons; 6 x “Pixie” 35mm High-Speed CIWS/AMS Cannons; 8 x “Gremlin” 55mm High-Speed CIWS/AMS Cannons; 8 x Heavy Torpedo Launchers

Mobile weapons: 6


 * Launch catapults: 1

General Overview
During the build up of the Altairan Self Defense Forces in late CE67, they started to build their own defensive ships after using older Nike Class Light Cruisers for the last few years. Since they where already building mobile suits, this new ship was to be a carrier as well. After a few months of designing and planning with support of Sphinx Heavy Industries the first new Albatross Class ships cruised out of the newly built shipyard of Mars Security Corporation at Colony Scorpio.

The Albatross Class is heavily based on the tried and proven Nile Class Light Cruisers which the Altair Defense Forces have used since their formation several years before. This is thanks to the support of Sphinx which is one of the developers of the Nike Class. Therefore the Albatross bears a very strong resemblance with the Nike Class, and is even the same size. The only difference lay in the forward section which contains the mobile suit hanger of the ship.

The Albatross Class Mobile Cruiser, named mostly after various Seaplane Carriers which where one of the first aircraft carriers, was the first of its kind, part battleship and part carrier able to carry six mobile suits yet has the firepower to counter any other ship out there. Its weapons load-out of three 125cm heavy beam cannons gave the ship vast superior firepower compared to ships from other navies. That is not mentioning the supporting six single-barrel linear cannons, which gives the ship a ship plenty of supporting firepower. This ship could easily take small fleets of ships by itself if needed, and that is not including its mobile suits.

The hanger of the Albatross is able to carry six machines in relative comfort along with two disassembled machines for spares. Not including the spare machines, the hanger is also able to carry over ten tons worth of spare parts, ammo, and spare weapons in an attached cargo bay. This extra cargo bay allows the ship to carry its supporting mobile suit cargo, without using space in the ships main cargo bay. The ship is also able to launch all of its machines using its single linear catapult in the matter of only minutes. This catapult would be different from any other linear catapults deployed at the time, basically it was mainly built into the forward hull of the ship which during launch operations would deploy its paired catapult arms while the mobile suits would raised to the deck thanks to a pair of elevators. These external catapult arms would later be used as a basis for ZAFT’s later Nazca Class Destroyer.

The Albatross Class would be used by the ASDF for several years, through both Wars and the events surrounding them. The class would also be in use by the small Lunar Colonial Militia as the Pegasus Class, purposefully built for the LCM by Mars Security Corporation. It would be replaced by the Forrestal Class Mobile Battlecruiser, in late CE75 during the later stages of the war, though the Albatross would still be in service for years afterward until the Forrestal would finally fully replace the ship in CE76.

Notable Ships and Crew
ASDS Langley (Captain Lisa Hayes)

The third ship of the class and is slightly modified for the rest of its sisters to serve as a command ship when needed by adding dedicated gear in the almost useless sub-bridge to serve a fleet commander as a flag-bridge. Thanks to this was the flag ship of the ASDF Third Fleet till February of CE71 when the third Majestic Class Battleship was commissioned. Even then the Langley would serve the ASDF for her entire career and would the lead ship of the ASDF Detachment of the Peacekeeper Alliance for much of the last months of the war. Sadly during the Second Battle of Jachin Due the Langley is heavily damaged and later scuttled thanks to being brushed by the third shot of the GENESIS Laser Platform though much of its surviving crew managed to evacuate safely.

ASDS Wright (Captain Claudia Grant)

One of the ships assigned to the ASDF Third Fleet when it was first formed in late CE70 where it would serve during numerous early engagements against pirate forces hiding in the Lagrange Four and Lagrange Three areas. In November of CE70 Wright would be detached from Third Fleet to join anti-piracy patrols alongside the ZAFT Ship Rutherford and Black Knight Anti-Terrorist Taskforce Flagship Barachiel in the Lagrange Two area. Later during the war the Wright would be along the ASDF Detachment of the Peacekeeper Alliance where it would take part in the Battle of Mendel, Battle of Artemis, Battle of Copernicus, and finally the Second Battle of Jachin Due. It would manage to make it through the battle pretty much intact, and after the battle would join the Bonaparte Taskforce in scouring the battlefield recovering survivors from the battle.

ASDS Enterprise (Captain Henry Archer)

One of the so-called Carrier-Albatross Class ships and sports an extended hanger along with second catapult along the ventral hull replacing the third beam turret. It becomes one of the more famous ships of the ASDF when it would take part in the initial Battle of Altair when the Earth Alliance Second and Fifth Fleets would try to forcibly take Altair. This would fail and would fully bring Altair into the war.

However during the Battle the Enterprise would become famous when it picked up a second force of Alliance ships trying to sneak up on Altair using the Mendel Debris Field as cover. This single damaged ship started to engage this small force where it managed to take out the majority of the enemy ships single-handily. However this would only allow the single Agamemnon Class Carrier of the small force to launch its nuke-armed Mobile Armor force towards the colonies of Altair.

The Enterprise would then race away from the intact carrier and head towards the mobile armors along with its remaining Mobile Suits. They would thankfully manage to destroy many of the mobile armors but three of the mobile armors managed to launch their payload at Colony Leo. With no time for the mobile suits to engage the missiles the Captain of the Enterprise, one Henry Archer, would make the decision to use his own ship as a shield for Colony Leo. Both missiles would hit the heavily damaged Enterprise and destroyed her with all hands beside her remaining Mobile Suit pilots.

Miscellaneous Information
Subclasses:3


 * Pegasus Class, a class built by Marsec for the Lunar Colonial Militia and are slightly different from the their sisters in the main class with its main cannon replaced with light Positron Cannon, and a fourth beam cannon on the rear ventral hull.


 * ArgusSub-Class, mainly a new flight of the original class built during the course of the war instead of a complete new sub-class, and is slightly different with the addition of laminated armor and several minor improvements. Named after some of the first real Aircraft Carriers.


 * MidwaySub-Class, a sub-class that removes the ventral main turret for another catapult and extended hanger on the ventral hull. Carries eight mobile suits thanks to the extended hanger. Named after some of the larger aircraft carriers. Twelve Planned, though only eight ever built.

Notes: Basically, this ship is heavily based on the Salamis Kai Class Cruiser from the later UC Gundam series. Since I had the Nike Class based on the original Salamis class it made sense to have Altair use that ship as a base for their own ship.