Arago-Class Light Cruiser
| Name: | Arago-Class |
|---|---|
| Type: | Medium Patrol Warship |
| Builders: | Orvieto Naval Shipyards, Safe Haven Naval Yard, Some larger private yards |
| Operators: | Umbrian Republic Navy |
| Completed: | 271 |
| Lost: | 156 |
| Length: | 461 m |
| Width: | 194 m |
| Height: | 126 m |
| Power Supply: | 2 x SSE 6c Fusion Powerplants |
| Sub - Light Propulsion | 1 x Fulmin Propulsion Fe-Series Ion Thruster Array (Primary); 2 x Fulmin Propulsion 4Rho Ion Engine Nacelles (Secondary) |
| Supra-Light Propulsion: | 1 x SSE 26-b supra-luminal drive core |
| Endurance: | Fuel for 36 lightspeed jumps; 12 months of provisions for the crew |
| Crew: | 213 officers, 2,056 enlisted |
| Sensors: | 2 x Cianave Systems GXp Active Sensor Arrays, 2 x Cianave Systems GXr Active Sensor Arrays, 4 x Cianave Systems 64r Passive Sensor Arrays |
| Armament: | 10 x 2 150 mm rail guns in ten double turrets; 6 x 3 20 mm rotary point defense cannons in triple barreled weapons stations; 144 vertical launch cells with a configurable loadout of up to 720 missiles depending on mission requirements |
| Armor | 200 mm titanium plate armor; 50 mm double hull cavity; 100 mm composite armor |
| Spacecraft Facilities: | Enclosed hanger space for 4 shuttles |
The Arago-class was the URN's pre-war ideal for a naval warship. Featuring moderate armament and extended endurance, it was perfectly suited for its primary function of patrolling the vast swaths of open space between the Republic's far flung colonies.
As the Frontier continued to expand, the Navy realized that its existing warships were poorly suited for patrolling the area of space that the Umbrian Republic now occupied. There were too few capital ships to deploy, and they were expensive to operate, while the smaller frigates and destroyers required more extensive infrastructure to support, facilities that were sorely lacking in the Frontier.
The need for an intermediate sized long endurance warship became clear.
Faced with this conundrum, the Naval Architecture Board submitted a request for proposals from several leading design firms in 31139. Ultimately, a number of designs were submitted, but none were deemed to meet the Navy's requirements. Instead, the Board would design the Arago from the keel up and the vessel would go through numerous revisions before being approved.
The Magistracy of the Navy was successful in obtaining budget commitment for one hundred and eighty ships, despite protests from some quarters that the Reaction Force would be better suited to fill the Arago's mission profile.
Initial production was slowed as the Republic's private shipyards struggled to adapt to the vessel's specific construction requirements. This would lead to a much higher number being produced by the URN's own shipyards, and some of those produced by the private shipbuilders were of such poor quality that they would require extensive repair before the Navy excepted them for service.
Despite these challenges, the Arago was one of the most numerous Umbrian warships at the breakout of hostilities. Initial encounters with the enemy showed the light cruisers to be under gunned and poorly suited to serve in the main line of battle. Despite this, the shortage of heavier warships required their continued employment in this role, and losses quickly mounted.
As the Republic refined its tactics, the Aragos' roll was better defined. Its sensor suite was improved, while its missile armament was also increased with the addition of thirty-six more vertical launch cells. These upgraded Aragos were much more capable of serving as the defensive shield of the Republic's fleet and losses began to slow.
In combat the light cruisers would focus on covering the rest of the Umbrian formation as they entered the optional range for their guns. Once the two fleets converged, the Aragos would peel off to the flanks of the engagement, where they could remain mobile and use their superior missile armament to swarm vulnerable enemy targets.