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Note.: ships designs courtesy of Adventwolf.
The TMI report on other nations shipbuilding plans as well as the report on the AFFC starting using WarShips in combat operations, caused a major shake-up in the TDF leadership.
Two nations - Earth and the FWL (although in this case more precisely the WoB) already had not only larger navies, but also bigger ships. Worse, all the large neighboring nations, the FWL, the FC and the CC, were building Cruisers, a type of WarShip that the TDF had decided not so long ago, it would not need.
The need for a proper navy in a few years was made evident and the construction plans had to be changed accordingly, following the wishes of the Admiralty that like all good naval officers always aimed at the biggest machines possibles
Two new types of WarShips were added. One was the very modernized and extended version of the old Taurian Cruiser class Winchester, the other was a completely new design.
Class: Winchester II / Cruiser
Mass: 770,000 tones
Armor Type: Improved Ferro-aluminum
Armament (Capital): 11 NL55, 2 NAC/30, 8 NAC/20, 1 NAC/10, 6 AR-10 Launchers.
Armament (Secondary): 10 ER Large Lasers, 20 LB 10-X AC, 16 ER Medium Lasers
12 ASF and 6 small crafts
3 DropShips
LF Battery
Class: Ajax / Fast Destroyer
Mass: 390,000 tones
Armor Type: Improved Ferro-aluminum
Armament (Capital): 3 NAC/20, 10 NAC/10, 9 NL55, 2 NL35
Armament (Secondary): 16 AMS, 20 LB 10-X AC, 22 ER Large Lasers, 6 LRM 20+ArtIV
18 ASF
2 DropShips
LF Battery
While the construction of the Winchester class, was not a major problem from a technical point of view, the Ajax suffered from all the problems that a new design had - delays, cost overruns, glitches on the first ship, etc.
As the budget was not unlimited, even after the information of the construction plans of the neighboring nations, the number of Concordat (Frigates and Carriers) had to be reduced in order to provide means for the construction of the new ships.
The two Concordat variants (Frigates and Carriers), the Cruiser, and the new Destroyer, were all LF battery equipped, allowing task forces equipped with these WarShips to have great mobility, unlike the Pintos, already relegated to patrol and anti-piracy operations.
To accompany / refuel the task forces, a fleet train equipped with Mriyas, each carrying three Starlifter DropShips (50k+ monsters), was planned, as they were the only type of JumpShips equipped with LF battery, and thus able to cope with the speed and range of these task forces.
Although the TDF had a clear preference towards using their new standard Lee class DropShips, these were tremendously expensive, and with most of the available funds allocated for the construction of WarShips, the use of more economical DropShips had to be accepted in some areas.
Thus, a new variant of Union (Union-BA) was accepted, with a capacity to carry 72 battle-armor troops, and to rearm, repair and maintain the BAs.
Another was a (relatively) cheap version of Leopard. Eliminating the cargo capacity, it was equipped with a NL35 spinal mounted, thus creating the cheapest (and not ammo dependent) pocket WarShip in service on the TDF Navy.
Meanwhile, the shipyards at New Vandenberg and Mechdur were in the middle of the upgrading / expansion to be capable to also build Pintos. The bigger WarShips for now, could only be produced in the shipyards at Bolthole and Taurus. In Badlands and Pinard, two new dockyards were in the early phase of construction.