On FictionpressDOTcom, I am in the middle of writing a novel titled How Close To Failure Have We Come? Central to the story is the Arren Imperium Space Force. I have also been watching Star Trek episodes for the past year and a half. After getting past the scientifically laughable parts, I began to wonder how one of my spacecraft might fare against a Star Trek Federation starship.
To conduct this examination fairly and objectively, I will be taking into account physical attributes, tactical advantages and disadvantages on both sides, and special considerations. I intend to quantitate these conclusions and I will then write a little encounter between these two vessels under artificial circumstances that will graphically (read: literarily) represent my findings. I will use observed events for the profiles of each vessel where given explanations are ... unacceptable (read: given out of pure speculation (read: out of the ass)).
Representing the United Federation of Planets is a standard-armed Galaxy II-class Starship (I refer to the more well-known class as Galaxy II in order to prevent confusion with the earlier Galaxy-class). This class is most famous for providing the Federation its sixth flagship, the NCC-1701-D. Designed primarily as an exploration class, this was nonetheless one of, if not the, largest and most powerful classes the Federation had fielded up to that point.
Information is taken from WikipediaDOTcom, Memory-AlphaDOTorg, ditlDOTorg, and StardestroyerDOTnet.
Physical Attributes:
Length: 640 meters
Width: 470 meters
Height: 190 meters
Mass: 4.6 metric megatons
Acceleration Rate: Above 12.5 km/s^2 and below 15km/s^2
Crew: ~1000
Weapons:
12 x Type X Phaser Banks/Arrays/Emitters/Things/Whatever:
-Projectile: Frequency-modulated rapid nadion beam ... or something
-Projectile Type: Directed-Energy
-Projectile Mass: N/A
-Projectile Dimensions: N/A
-Projectile Rate of Fire: Continuous Beam
-Projectile Velocity: Unknown, will assume 99.995 PSL
-Projectile Energy: Differing measurements lead me to pick a lower limit of 40 PJ/s and an upper limit of 45 PJ/s
-Projectile Effective Range: Debatable; effective range (meaning reasonably accurate at said range) shall be set to be between and 500 and 1000 kilometers
-Other: These phasers are arranged in strips and placed in strategic locations on the hull to cover presumably nearly all approach angles. Despite being considered the main armament, they are seen throughout Star Trek (TNG: "Conundrum"; As the Enterprise-D is approaching the alien Command and Control Center, the main phaser strips are seen being used to destroy what appear to be single-ships (craft designed to emulate 20th century fighter aircraft) to be used against capital ships as well as smaller targets such as fighters and presumably guided and unguided munitions.
1 x Forward-facing Photon Torpedo Launcher/ 1 x Aft-facing Photon Torpedo Launcher -(250 in storage)-:
-Projectile: Anti-shipping Self-guided Munition
-Projectile Type: Energy-Warhead Torpedo
-Projectile Mass: No information has been found.
-Projectile Dimensions: No useful information has been found.
-Projectile Rate of Fire: No useful information; will assume one torpedo per second.
-Projectile Velocity: All over the place. Will assume an arbitrary acceleration rate of 50000 km/s^2.
-Projectile Energy: Effective energy on target will be 24 megatonnes, upper limit is 32 megatonnes.
-Projectile Effective Range: 15 kilometers to 4.5 million kilometers.
-Other: These torpedos apparently work via the annihilation factor between contraterrene and normal matter and other technobabble things. They will be analogous to Cruise Missiles, meaning that any targets that aren't doing any serious maneuvering are almost guaranteed to be hit.
Unknown number of Antimatter Mines (However, TNG: Chain of Command ptII establishes at least 500 can be stored on in a Galaxy II-class Starship):
-Projectile: Anti-shipping Mine
-Projectile Type: Energy
-Projectile Mass: No information has been found.
-Projectile Dimensions: ~20 cm diameter & ~100 cm length
-Projectile Rate of Fire: Just toss 'em out a window.
-Projectile Velocity: N/A
-Projectile Energy: No useful information has been found.
-Projectile Effective Range: Theorectically infinity when referring to deploying the mine.
-Other: These things are just ...
Structural:
There are repeated mentions of "structural force fields" which can lead one to assume these are there to reinforce internal support beams and columns and help them keep their shape. It is unknown to me how much durability these force fields add to a starship. However, I doubt it will come into play as much as the other factors do. Starships appear to have relatively thin hulls in comparison to their size; they can't be more than a meter in thickness. I do not pretend to fully, or even partly, know the capabilities of Tritanium/Duranium hulls. There is only one observation I can make in concert irrefutable proof, and that is that the crew of any starship depicted in the Federation aren't shown to be suffering from electromagnetic radiation sickness every other episode, so it is a relatively small assumption we can attribute to the hull of a Federation starship (let's just agree to forget about radiation vaccines, yeah?). Other than that, l I don't know much else about Starship hulls.
Sensors/Scanners:
I have no clue as to the true range of a Federation Starship's sensors and/or scanners. Let's just assume they are effective for at least 10 billion kilometers to detect spacecraft, and a few lightyears for larger astrological phenomena. However, these are for subspace scanners. Electromagnetic-based detection systems are obviously forced to obey lightspeed lag. Let's say their range is a lightsecond. Another thing I've noticed was that their sensors ignore lightspeed lag.
Shield:
You may have noticed by now that I have only discussed the capabilities of the technologies, not how they work. Now, the shield energy capacity for a standard Galaxy-class Starship is either between 2.7 exajoules (ditlDOTorg) and "low megaton range" (StardestroyerDOTnet), "as much as 30 megatons" (StardestroyerDOTnet). Let's put a happy medium between 600 megatonnes and 30 megatonnes with a nice, even 175 megatonnes. If there are any objections, you can go and attempt to slit your throat with a rubber chicken (obviously, it won't work, but the sentiments are the same). Heat dissipation, ellipsoid bubble shape.
Computer:
Something something trillion calculations per second. Doesn't seem to have a very effective firewall since even a technologically inferior species was able to infiltrate and alter computer records in TNG: "Conundrum." Of course, the case can be made that they might have been weaponarily inferior but computerologically superior, but boohoo. Why doesn't the computer set aside a few billion calc's to come up with a firewall that's worth a damn?
Electrical systems are wired with plasma conduits that invariably lead to a dead red-shirt being thrown back from an exploding console with burns covering his face.
Communications:
Subspace ansibles, along with "primitive" radio for contact with "pre-warp civilizations." Prats.
FTL:
Warp using subspace. TNG Technical Manual gives warp 9.99 as 7912, so let's use that as maximum speed for our GIICS.
Propulsion:
Impulse engines are used for sublight acceleration, while external reaction control thrusters are used for precision attitude keeping.
Power Generation:
Matter-Antimatter plant capable of producing the energy needed to power the systems. I'm not even gonna attempt to bother worrying about thinking to decide whether or not to figure out what the power output is, because it's already been done. Let's just assume that the starship has the power generation facilities capable of producing the power it needs.
Other Considerations:
All Federation Starships possess transporters, devices capable of converting a person's mass to energy, moving that energy to someplace, and then recompile that energy back into matter. I will give these things an arbitrary range of 45000 kilometers. However, these devices are reduced in effectiveness by varied phenomena, not the least of which is dense metals, high electromagnetic radiation, subspace anomalies, etc.
Star Trek starship computer systems seem, to go down easily, but on the flip, they can be easily repaired as well. I would imagine this was intentional. I would also think they can be temporarily repaired by allocating more power to that system in cases where the damage is not severe.
Exposed FTL engines are offset by the fact that they make for a relatively small target profile.
Star Fleet prides itself (erroneously, at times) on its nature of exploration and diplomacy. My mind is still groggy from sleep, so I've no clue how this is a factor yet, but bear with me. Ah, got it. Because of this, they don't mind taking along children into situations where they more or less could be killed.
The bridge is located at the top of the starship.
Now, are you ready to see the competition?
Facing off against the flagship class of the United Federation of Planets is a low-weight, a mere Light Independent Escort Craft, a standard-armed Mercain III-class. This class was around in the earliest days of the Arren Imperium, and has been so successful it's stuck ever since. Designed to either provide protection for a larger craft or patrol on its own, it can pack a punch and take one. It is manned entirely by Junior-grade crewmen.
Information is taken from my brain. Disclaimer, none of these figures have been changed. If you feel a bit of unfairness, just PM me, and I will happily ignore it for you.
Physical Attributes:
Length: 780 meters
Width: 108 meters
Height: 115 meters
Mass: 2.59 Megatonnes
Acceleration Rate: 125 m/s^2
Crew: 4068
Weapons:
16 x Single-Type Mk-19-IV/A-SG(FTB):
-Projectile: Depleted Uranium Sears-Haack Body Anti-Craft Shell
-Projectile Type: Kinetic Energy
-Projectile Newtonian Mass: 351.6 kilograms
-Projectile Relativistic Mass: 353.4 kilograms
-Projectile Dimensions: 5 cm wide; 40 cm long
-Projectile Rate of Fire: 1 rnd/ 15s/ barrel
-Projectile Speed: 10 PSL
-Projectile Newtonian Energy: 158 PJ
-Projectile Relativistic Energy: 159.2 PJ
-Projectile Effective Range: Unlimited; practical range is 30000 kilometers.
-Other: These are broadside batteries. Eight barrels are on the starboard face, and eight are on the port face. The barrels are perpendicular to the face on the x and y axes. Their firing arc is 40 spherical degrees.
2 x Double-Type Mk-45-N/A-S(T):
-Projectile: Nuclear Anti-Craft Shell
-Projectile Type: Directed-Energy
-Projectile Newtonian Mass: 1.6 metric tons
-Projectile Dimensions: 75 cm wide; 400 cm long
-Projectile Rate of Fire: 1 rnd/ 45s/ barrel
-Projectile Speed: 257 km/s
-Projectile Yield: 155 Kt
-Projectile Effective Range: Unlimited; practical range is 2000 kilometers.
-Other: These are double-barreled turrets located on the prow super- and under-structure. The turrets have limited slewing ability, but the barrels can be independently pitched to 20 degrees ascension (and descension for the under-structure turret).
86 x Quad-Type Mk-13/A-F(T):
-Projectile: Coated packets of neutral hydrogen particles
-Projectile Type: Directed-Energy
-Projectile Newtonian Mass: N/A
-Projectile Dimensions: 60 cm wide; 240 cm long
-Projectile Rate of Fire: 400 rnd/ s/ barrel
-Projectile Speed: 35.25 km/s
-Projectile Newtonian Energy: 600 TJ
-Projectile Effective Range: 270 kilometers
-Other: These are flak batteries. They protect against missiles, various single-ships and other enemy phenomena. They provide 360 spherical degrees of coverage.
4 x Jaguar A/Si-45 All-Purpose Missile Tube Bays -(4 tubes to each bay, 5,000 missile in storage)-
-Projectile: Anti-shipping Self-guided Munition
-Projectile Type: Directed-Energy Nuclear Missile
-Projectile Mass: 1.6 metric tons
-Projectile Dimensions: .5m wide; 4.5 meters long
-Projectile Rate of Fire: No useful information; will assume one torpedo per second.
-Projectile Velocity: Acceleration rate is ~550m/s^2
-Projectile Yield: 100 Kt
-Projectile Effective Range: Unlimited; max delta-v is ~5000 km/s
-Other: I know I don't discuss how things work, but I realize that the concept of a nuclear shaped-charge might go over some of the ... shorter-minded ... members of the audience. The nuclear device is encased in a radiation case of x-ray opaque material (depleted uranium) with a hole in the top. This forces the x-rays to to exit only from the hole, where they run full tilt into a large mass of beryllium oxide (channel filler). The beryllium transforms the nuclear fury of x-rays into a nuclear fury of heat. Perched on top of the beryllium is the propellant: a thin plate of aluminum. The blast of heat turns the aluminum plate into a star-core-hot (RE: 15,700,000 kelvin) spindle-shaped plume of ionized aluminum plasma. The x-ray opaque material and the beryllium oxide also vaporize a few microseconds later, but that's OK, their job is done. The aluminum plasma jet hits square on the target the missile was after at 75 PSL. The plume is confined to a cone of about 12 degrees. About 85% of the nuclear device's energy (RE: the aluminum plasma jet) is directed into the desired direction. Any damage done by the nuclear blast may be significant, but is secondary. The ammunition of the Mark 45 Nuclear utilizes the same technology.
1 x LASER SET-2 A-M/F(F):
This weapon is used primarily for pinpoint strikes against incoming superiority fighters and missiles. It emits 50 pulses, each 1 microsecond in duration, half a microsecond apart for a 75 microsecond long burst. Each pulse carries an energy of 500 megajoules. The energy density of matter irradiated by these pulses can be higher than the fissioning (or fusioning) core of an detonating (thermo)nuclear weapon, or the fusioning core of a sun. This energy is so high that no matter held together by chemical bonds can withstand it. Normal linear optical properties of matter, such as reflectivity or transparency, cease to apply- any condensed matter will absorb the focused pulse and explode just because of the sheer amount of energy being imparted to that surface. And that's just from one pulse.
There are a total of 34 point defense laser emitters; 10 emitters located on the dorsal surface, 10 emitters on the ventral, 5 emitters along the belt or sides of the craft (on each side), 2 on the prow, and 2 along the stern of the craft. The focal point possible of any emitter can reliably be focused up to a beam radius of 65 millimeters from 80000 km (This is the laser point defense system's max effective range). When not being used, the laser emitters are kept shuttered, so as to protect the inner optics from being slagged by hostile lasers.
Structural:
Not all of the craft is pressurized. About 75% of the vessel is pressurized. There are many layers to the hull, much of which is armor. Over the armor is Titanium-tungsten carbide ribbing running vertical and horizontal that ensures the craft will keep its shape except under the most punishing of damage. Ribbing extends one meter out, and is three meters wide. Under that is the primary armor system: carbon nanotube-reinforced titanium-steel frame with titanium-tungsten carbide-aggregated diamond nanorod composite armour plating .75 meters thick. Under that is kinetic foam plates; think nonnewtonian fluid in foam form. This layer is 20 centimeters thick. Under that is the actual hull, mid-carbon steel plating in a titanium carbon nanotube-reinforced frame approximately ten centimeters thick. Under that is a series of internal cross bracings and honeycombs, filled with the atmosphere of the craft. This is the tertiary armor system, a sort of whipple shield, working in tandem in addition to its main function to provide intense structural integrity throughout the craft. This layer is 45 centimeters thick. Inhabited sections are covered with a ten centimeter layer of lead (1 cm), tungsten carbide (1 cm), tin (2.5 cm), mid-carbon steel(.5 cm), aluminium ( 4.5 cm), and boron carbide(.5 cm). The various layers armor has sensors, so the AI is able to tell up to which which layer has been , such as thermoceptor, propiroceptors, and nociceptors (primarily to detect whenever something is being damaged). Overall, the combined layers of armor systems and hull can withstand up to 7.34 x 10^16 joules of kinetic energy.
Sensors/Scanners:
Passive sensors with an effective range of several million kilometers provided a working time of several days. Active scanner is the nano-wave scanner. Effective range is 35 light-seconds where the media propagates at near lightspeed. Equipment includes spectroscopes, visual imaging sensors, and something else. Unlike those snooty Star Trek sensors, our sensors obey the speed limit.
Shield:
Hyperdense layer of particles 1 cm thick. Not much good against EM radiation, but hella good against attacks that use matter. It will take 35 EJ of kinetic energy to Pierce the shield. Heat dissipation, variable geometry.
Computer:
The ship's computer systems are protected from outside intrusion because the sensor and communications equipment are both separate entities from the internal systems; they aren't tied in any way, shape or form to them. The wiring of vessel is protected as well; electromagnetic shielding in the form of a wire mesh surrounding an inner core conductor. The shielding impedes the escape of any signal from the core conductor, and also signals from being added to the core conductor.
The Tactical Command and Control Center, or TC3 is surrounded by what amounts to a large Faraday Cage; the only openings within this cage are the two entrances onto the TC3. The signals that do escape are dissipated by directed-energy electromagnetic interrupters that scramble the signal beyond recognition. If a signal survives that, it will be rendered undifferentiated from the rest of the signals that escape the ship.
Electrical systems are wired with fiber optics. As a result, random crewmen don't die at their stations.
Communications:
Hyperspace ansibles with near-unlimited range and near-instantaneous delay times.
FTL:
Jump using Yellow-Hell Hyperspace. Near-instantaneous travel time, unlimited range. Offset by the effect jumping has on human crew. The drive has no external components. It is called the AHJ Drive, or Arrennian Hyper Jump Drive.
Propulsion:
Impulse engines are used for sublight acceleration, while external reaction control thrusters and control moment gyroscopes are used for precision attitude keeping.
Power Generation:
I am still assuming that the craft has the capabilities to power all its systems.
Other Considerations:
This craft was designed for relatively long-range intervention. In fleet actions, it usually stays back from the fight and lobs shells into the enemy. However, should the enemy get close, missiles and the flak and laser point defense systems are sufficient to take care of any problems.
It may seem heavily armored, but it relies on the hull-hugging shield to do most the protecting.
Space Craft in the Arrennian Space Force are slow, heavily armed and armored, but that is due to the many years of war with an alien species the Imperium has had to endure. Experience from this war gives the Space Force a valuable advantage over adversaries who scoff at even tactical training exercises.
The TC3 is located in the center forward midships of the craft.
So, I've calc'd out the superior ship. Now, let's get down to business.
They were exploring the gamma quadrant, noting points of interest and strange anomalies. They were careful to stay away from the Dominion's territory, and all they had to show for it in the way of intelligent species was a benevolent bio-ship some two hundred lightyears back. Many of the M-class planets they'd found either had no civilizations or had the ruins of one. But, recent scans had shown a star system some three and a half lightyears away that showed promise. A gas giant with 1.5 times the mass of Jupiter, but orbiting the planet was a structure hundreds of kilometers long and tens of kilometers high. The architecture was bizarrely alien.
"I'm also detecting a ship near the space station. Scans aren't conclusive but it seems to be constructed of different materials," Ensign Brown reported.
Captain Doe put his hand to his chin, rubbing it while he thought out loud. "It wouldn't be the first time one civilization has found the remains of another. Then again, the ancient Mayan pyramids are wildly different from Deep Space Nine, but they were both built by humans. It could be the same civilization, but different people. Smith, what do you think?"
Commander Juan Smith, who'd been studying the images on his display, glanced at Doe. "You know what I think," he said with a grin.
"But, sir, they could be hostile," the tactical officer complained.
Doe turned and raised an eyebrow. "If they are, then they are. If they aren't, they aren't. Only one way to find out. Ensign, set a course. Warp eight."
The ensign at the helm reported with an "Aye."
Doe sat back and smoothed out his top. "Kick it."
With that, the starship disappeared in a flash. It arrived two days later after having to deal with a subspace lifeform that had tried to take up residence in the warp core, which in turn had caused the core to destabilize and threatened to breach it. They got rid of it by adjusting the frequency of the matter-antimatter reactions and polarizing the plasma conduits. Misadventure aside, they finally arrived in orbit around the planet.
"The station is approximately three thousand kilometers dead ahead. Scanning ... our scans can't penetrate more than a centimeter, and the ship near the station has erected some sort of force field around its hull; our scans can't past that forcefield. They begun to retract ... hold on, they're retracting radiators. They're charging weapons!" Brown said.
Doe shifted in the command chair while calling out, "Shields! Red alert! Brown, open a channel, all subspace frequencies! Maybe we can't settle this through diplomacy ... "
"Channel open, sir."
"Please, this is Captain Johann Doe of the Federation starship Sol. We come in peace!"
Brown's console beeped. "No response! They've finished retracting their radiators and- what! it's gon- no, it's- Captain, three hundred kilometers off our port stern!"
Doe gawked. "How did they go to warp without us noticing?"
"I don't know sir-"
"All decks report combat ready, sir. Phasers and torpedos ready!" The tactical officer interjected.
"They're fir-"
Brown didn't get to finish his sentence, for the entire bridge crew was knocked out of their seats and stations, while Brown himself and the helm officer were nearly decapitated by pieces from their exploding consoles.
Smith tapped on his combadge and shouted, "Bridge to Sick Bay, medical emergency! Two to beam!"
Two lieutenant junior grades replaced the dematerializing dead officers. The tactical officer relayed more grim news. "They're launching missiles, phasers are keeping up but bare-"
Sparks and charred, dismembered limbs flew as the ship shook again and consoles exploded. Somehow, the tactical officer was still alive, and managed to rattle off damage reports. "Shields are down forty-three percent! The navigational deflector just went. We've lost our warp and impulse engines are off-line! Thrusters aren't responding! Sir we can't- ... s-sir ... ?"
The tactical officer coughed and cleared the smoke away from her eyes. She finally got a good look at her captain. A ceiling beam and dropped straight through his chest, and his first officer was lying face down on the floor. She gasped and and grabbed the hand rail, steadying herself as the bridge shook violently as she realized she was in command as literally everyone else on the bridge was dead. Amazingly, her console hadn't killed her yet, so she tried to return fire but found weapons and life support were down. She tapped her combadge. "This is Lieutenant Commander Ishara Yar to Engineering, is anybody there?"
What she got back in reply chilled her to her core. "Lieutenant! The core is destabilizing! We got impulse going back up in a couple seconds ... Impulse engines are back online! But if we can't stop the destabilization, we'll have a warp core breach on our hands!"
Ishara drew a ragged breath, just as her console finally exploded, taking off her hand and leaving her chest a bloody mess.
After a couple more hits to the ship, the shield was down, and missiles began searing openings into the hull, not to mention the Engineering section finally realized that the entire bridge crew was dead, and re-routed controls. They shot away at full impulse, narrowly missed by the round that would have destroyed them. However, laser bursts began picking at the hull before finally they managed to get the warp core stabilized. A flash, and they were gone.
The Federation starship Sol lost over two hundred men, women, and children. A sad day, indeed.
If you, the reader, have any consternations as to how this little match went down, please, drop a pm my way. I'll seriously consider your input.