Subcraft
A Subcraft is a smaller ship carried within a larger ship.
- Most subcraft are boats and smallcraft, although larger FTL-capable bigcraft are possible, but used much less often.
Please refer to the following AAB Library Data for more information:
Starship:
- Advanced Ship Classifications
- Ship Mission Code / Supraclass
- Ship Type Code / Superclass
- Ship Class Code / Class
- Model (TL)
- Bloc (Lot)
- Astronomical Unit (AU)
- FTL
- Light Speed (c)
- Light-week (lw)
- Light-year (ly)
- NAFAL (STL)
- Parsec (pc)
- Jump Drive
- Jump Drive Key Resources
- Jump Drive Lore
Description (Specifications)
The terms subcraft and smallcraft have semantic overlap in meaning. Subcraft can come in any size. Smallcraft cannot. Smallcraft always weight less then one hundred tons.
And there are similar issues with subcraft carriers.
- Militarized subcraft carriers are known as Carriers or Tenders.
- Civilian subcraft carriers are typically known as Ship Transporters or Tenders.
These vary in tonnage and in their intended function or role.
Ship Classification by Size | |||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
# | Type | Tonnage | Examples | Remarks | |
1. | Smallcraft | 0 to 99 tons | Smallcraft are typically Subcraft, designed to be carried by carrier craft. | ||
2. | Spacecraft | 100 tons or larger | Spacecraft are in-system vessels, lacking interstellar drives.
| ||
3. | Adventure Class Ships (ACS) | 100 to 2,499 tons | Adventure Class ships are usually jump-capable.
| ||
4. | Battle Class Ships (BCS) | 2,500 to about 1,000,000 tons | Battle Class ships are warships. They are usually jump-capable.
| ||
5. | World Class Ships (WCS) | Larger than 1,000,000 tons | Loeskalth planetoid generation ship. | World Class ships are beyond expensive and represent suprapolity-level investment.
|
Ubiquitous Subcraft Usage
However, practically speaking, almost any craft can dock a subcraft to an airlock, docking point, or hangar. And when it comes to drones, they can be deployed from a standard missile rack or tube as well. In this sense, a vast variety of craft can deploy subcraft of varying sizes and types.
Impromptu Subcraft Carriers
Larger cargo vessels typically can transport entire ships, vehicles, subcraft, bigcraft, largecraft, and other forms of craft in vast numbers. Under the right conditions, many can launch and/or recover them as well. Almost any container ship can be converted into an impromptu subcraft carrier in times of need.
Dedicated Subcraft Carriers
The primary difference is that a dedicated carrier, tender, or ship transporter possesses dedicated facilities to launch, recover, track, coordinate operations, communicate, support pilots, support service personnel, and otherwise maintain subcraft operations over vast distances, time durations, and areas of influence.
There is a tremendous difference between a top of the line launch tube and a simple cargo airlock. A dedicated hangar space is vastly superior to an unpressurized cargo bay. A dedicated subcraft carrier will vastly outperform an impromptu subcraft carrier the vast majority of the time.
History & Background (Dossier)
No information yet available.
TL:4-6 Epoch Carriers
No information yet available.
TL:7-9 Epoch Carriers
No information yet available.
TL:10-12 Epoch Carriers
No information yet available.
TL:13-15 Epoch Carriers
No information yet available.
References & Contributors (Sources)
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- T5 Core Rules
- Traveller Wiki Editorial Team
- Author & Contributor: Lord (Marquis) and Master of Sophontology Maksim-Smelchak of the Ministry of Science