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.
Library Data Referral Tree
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)
Almost as soon as engine-driven vehicles are first invented, smaller sub-vehicles or subcraft follow. Smaller craft typically use less resources is it's more resource-efficient and often far more convenient to use.
TL:4-6 Epoch Carriers
Most sophont societies achieve flight with powered aircraft in this technological epoch and the first aircraft carriers are born. On many worlds these are wet navy, maritime vessels, but on others they may be land ships or even more exotic carriers. The aircraft deployed on these carriers tend to be the first dedicated subcraft that reach mass manufacture.
TL:7-9 Epoch Carriers
Most sophont societies achieve spaceflight during this technological epoch. The earliest spacecraft are very dangerous and the cost of lifting mass out of gravity well is horrendously expensive so few spacecraft deploy subcraft during this period. Personal mobility units for individual sophonts in the vacuum are deployed instead. By the end of the epoch, a transition from spaceplanes to dedicated spacecraft occurs and a wider variety of spacebourne subcraft are deployed and manufactured. the first sleep ships and generation ships all use an array of subcraft and ship's vehicles. The first vessel using FTL jump drives do as well.
TL:10-12 Epoch Carriers
This technological epoch is the first to have achieved mastery over gravity control technologies, which massively lower the cost of bringing mass out of a gravity well. The G-Drive replaces conventional reaction drives on many vessels and makes it vastly easier for larger interstellar trade vessels to move goods and freight. The air/raft becomes a favored ship's vehicle on any vessel that can afford it. G-Carriers are larger and perform most of the same missions. A whole variety of spacegoing smallcraft fill in the gaps as interface craft. Military subcraft become a part of interstellar navies, not just fighters, but an array of bigcraft and largecraft as well as battle riders are experimented with.
TL:13-15 Epoch Carriers
Great bounds are made in the advancement of gravity control technology and air/rafts and G-carriers grow more capable. Improved G-Drives also are developed. Miniaturized craft grow in new technological directions as nanotech and microtech are advanced. Drones become more commonplace. Military subcraft use newly developed naval weapons and electronics to become even more vital parts of interstellar navies.
References & Contributors (Sources)
- Marc Miller. T5 Core Rules (Far Future Enterprises, 2013), TBD.
- Traveller Wiki Editorial Team
- Author & Contributor: Lord (Marquis) and Master of Sophontology Maksim-Smelchak of the Ministry of Science