Carrier

Line Combatants (Primary - Capital)				Escort Combatants (Secondary - Subcapital)				Military Auxiliary (Tertiary)
B- Battleship	C- Cruiser	O- Ortillery	V- Carrier	D- Destroyer	E- Escort	F- Fighter	H- Defense/Security	I- Combat Transport	Q- Combat Support	S- Scout	U- Utility	X- Commo	Z- Special

Mercantile Commercial Ships (Trade & Profit)				Non-Mercantile Commercial Ships (Industry & Profit)					Non-Commercial Ships (Nonprofit)			System Craft (Intrastellar)
A- Tramp	M- Freighter	R- Liner	T- Transport	G- Industrial	J- Prospector	K- Expedition	P- Corsair	U- Utility	L- Science	N- Medical	Y- Private	WB- Barge	WA- Satellite	WO- Space Station

V-class Carriers are designed to carry large numbers of combatant smallcraft (...under 100 tons), which in turn attack the enemy’s combatant vessels or world surfaces.

• Tenders and Carriers for the mission category: Subcraft Carriers.
• The most common types are Carriers and Tenders. Carriers carry smallcraft fighters and tenders carry bigcraft battle riders.
• Commercial or civilian tenders tend to be called Ship Transporters among other terms.
• The Supraclass designation is also known as Ship Mission, Ship Mission Code, Mission, or Ship Hull Designation.
• It is a starship supraclass.

Library Data Referral Tree

Please refer to the following AAB Library Data for more information:
Starship:

• Starship User Types
  • Civilian Ship
  • Military Ship
  • Non-Commercial Vessel
  • Paramilitary Ship

• Advanced Ship Classifications
  • Ship Mission Code / Supraclass
  • Ship Type Code / Superclass
  • Ship Class Code / Class
  • Model (TL)
  • Bloc (Lot)

• Basic Ship Classifications
  • Adventure Class Ship (Auxiliary Class Ship)
  • Battle Class Ship (Bulk / Subcapital Class Ship)
  • Capital Ship (Capital Class Ship)
  • Fleet Class Ship (Capital Class Ship)
  • Size-Role Classification
  • Subcapital Ship (Small & Large Battle Class Ships)
  • QSP
  • USP
  • World Class Ship

• Ships by Function
  • Bigcraft
  • Boat
  • Capital Ship
  • Largecraft
  • Non-starship
  • Smallcraft
  • Spaceplane
  • Spaceship
  • Starship
  • Subcapital Ship
  • Subcraft
  • System Craft
  • Warship

Speed of Travel

• NAFAL (STL) - (Not As Fast As Light) / (Slower Than Light)
• Light Speed (c)
• FTL - (Faster Than Light) - "Superluminal"

• Astronomical Unit (AU)

» Imperial Standard Astronomical Unit

• Light-second (ls)
• Light-minute (lm)
• Light-hour (lh)
• Light-day (ld)
• Light-week (lw)
• Light-year (ly)
• Parsec (pc)

» Solomani Parsec

» Vilani Parsec ("Deshi")

» Imperial Standard Parsec

Description (Specifications)

Carriers are starships designed to carry large numbers of small combat vessels, termed either fighters or system defense boats, to screen the battle fleet or support a planetary invasion. The smaller craft are arranged into groupings known as carried squadrons.

• Fighters and light SDBs are little more than an annoying distraction in a major fleet action, but they can be extremely effective against ships of cruiser class or less.

Frequently large displacement hulls are used with an unstreamlined dispersed structure. Imperial navies prefer hulls which can carry some armor and often use large launch tubes for rapid fighter deployment and recovery, often in place of a spinal mounted weapon, and sometimes in addition to it. Screens, repulsors, and defensive batteries are a top priority for protection and numerous small beam batteries are used to shoot down enemy fighters.

Image Repository

No information yet available.

Strategy & Tactics (Doctrine)

To understand carrier operations is to understand the utility and limitations of fleet fighters. Carriers are used to defend fleets from enemy fighters. They can maintain a combat space patrol. Fighters with sufficiently large and sophisticated computers can score hits on enemy minor combatants and degrade enemy escort strength. One squadron per escort is typical for massed volley fire. Fusion armed fighters rush in for close assaults to increase their chances of scoring penetrating hits against low agility lightly armored targets. Fighters can be used to finish weakened ships which have withdrawn from the line of battle for repairs. They can provide cover for boarding operations as well. They can provide close point defense by intercepting homing ordinance targeting friendly fleet assets. They are invaluable for planetary assaults and are critical for marines to survive. Close fighter support allows assault capsules to land, supplies to arrive and wounded to be evacuated. Fighter strikes are used to smash hard targets so that marine forces can bypass centers of resistance and maintain an accelerated offensive tempo vital for their style of assault. They leave protracted siege to follow on army units.

Supraclass Roles

Subcraft Carriers typically serve as Carriers or Tenders:

Carriers typically serve the following roles:

1. Assault Carrier (VA)
2. Battle Carrier (VB)
3. Carrier (V) (Namesake)
4. Command Carrier (VC)
5. Escort Carrier (VL)
6. Fleet Carrier (VF)
7. Heavy Carrier (VH)
8. Light Carrier (VL)
9. Mercenary Carrier (VS)
10. Micro-Escort Carrier (VL)
11. Pocket Carrier (VP)
12. Provincial Combat Carrier (VF)
13. Range Carrier (VF)
14. Strike Carrier (VS)
15. System Defense Carrier (VD)

Tenders typically serve the following roles:

1. Battle Tender (VTB)
2. Commercial Tender (TB)
3. Communication Tender (XT)
4. Cruiser Tender (VTQ)
5. Escort Tender (VTL)
6. Fighter Tender (VT)
7. Fleet Tender (VTF)
8. Interdiction Tender (VTD)
9. Jump Carrier (VT)
10. Repair Tender (VTQ)
11. Ship Tender (VTQ)
12. Tender (VT) (Namesake)
13. Xboat Tender (XT)

Supraclass Archetypes

Battle Tender: Interstellar ship transport intended to carry battle riders into combat. Generally a dispersed structure (of up to one million tons), it transports a Battle Squadron (BatRon) of two to ten battle riders ready for immediate launch upon entry into a system. While the riders press the attack, the tender stays in reserve for protection.

V-class Subcraft Carrier Supraclass Archetypes
Archetype	Type Code	Exemplar	Remarks
Heavy Carrier	VH	TBD class TBD	(VH): VH-13: Very large carrier designed to serve as a force flagship, carrying a large suite of defensive weaponry. Due to its size, cost, and complexity, they were not considered effective units. The smaller carriers are favored due to cost effectiveness and tactical flexibility.
Fleet Carrier	VF	TBD class TBD	VF-11: The massive VF-11 was produced to provide support for the vast numbers of fighters that fleet tactics required. The size and design of the VF-11 call for an independent refueling tanker, the TV-11. VF-12: The technological development of the VF-11 into the VF-12 also called for a similar tanker, but rather than design a new vessel, the TV-11 was used without change.
Strike Carrier	VS	TBD class TBD	VS-13/-15: The VS-13/-15 series is a new line of carriers designed independent of the VF-11/-12 series.
Light Carrier	VL	TBD class TBD	VL-15: The higher-tech trend is to smaller carriers. The VL-15 light carrier
Pocket Carrier	VP	TBD class TBD	VP-15: Even smaller than the light carriers is the VP-15 pocket carrier continuing the higher-tech trend to smaller, more inexpensive vessels.
Assault Carrier	VA	TBD class TBD	VA-14: These Carriers carry assault landers and other craft whose missions are focused on ground assault mission, rather then fighters. These vessels usually carry large numbers of troops.

History & Background (Dossier)

Historically different navies have used fighters differently.

• Imperial fleets do not heavily emphasize carriers as the ships that decide battles. They carefully pair carriers with assault squadrons and battle squadrons with fleet tenders. Fighters can screen the launching and recovery of battle riders. Battle riders are used to destroy enemy ships of the line and the fighters make sure some survive recovery operations.
• Vargr fighter pilots are widely regarded as fierce and unpredictable opponents. Corsairs use fighters when available. Fighter pilot duty is seen as extremely charismatic among the Vargr.
• Zhodani fleets are more likely to place fighters on small patrol ships for intelligence gathering and recon. Some of this is thought to be supplemented by psionic crew members. They use the fighters as a force multiplier to give smaller ships more batteries to bring to bear against smaller combatants and are very helpful during commerce raiding deep behind enemy lines.

Selected Variant Types & Classes

Carrier:

1. Type TBD class Carrier
   1. TBD class Free Carrier

Tender:

1. Type TBD class Tender
   1. TBD class Free Tender

Ship Summary List

Some of the most commonly used vessels in this role or these roles include:

30 Representative Subcraft Carrier (V) Classes

Class Mission Code TL Tons Jump G Origin Canon Quick ship profile Class Mission Code TL Tons Jump G Origin Canon Quick ship profile Antiama class Fleet Carrier VM 15 100,000 4 2 Third Imperium Yes. Published, canon starship design. VM-TBD Bengal class Carrier VE 10 1,000 1 2 Bain Defense Squadron No. Unpublished, non-canon fan design. CV-KP21 Confederate class Scout Station VTE 7 1,000 0 1 Third Imperium No. Unpublished, non-canon fan design. VTE-TBD Exilicanda class Medium Carrier VM 13 100,000 4 1 Council of Leh Perash Fer-de-lance class Destroyer Escort VE 15 1,000 4 6 Third Imperium Yes VE-KU64 Garin class Light Carrier VL 10 10,000 1 5 Firstworlds No. Unpublished, non-canon fan design. VL-TBD Garin class Light Carrier VL 10 10,000 1 5 Firstworlds No. Unpublished, non-canon fan design. VL-TBD Garin class Light Carrier VL 10 10,000 1 5 Firstworlds No. Unpublished, non-canon fan design. VL-TBD Hangar class Light Fleet Carrier VL 12 6,000 2 2 Nexus Fleet Forces No. Unpublished, non-canon fan design. TBD Horror class Strike Carrier VKB 12 200,000 3 5 Old Worlds Navy No. Unpublished, non-canon fan design. VKB-0LP53 Hybrid Zeno class Light Carrier VL 11 3,600 2 2 Lon Mardos Defense Forces No. Unpublished, non-canon fan design. VL-03U22 Hyperion class Escort Carrier VE 9 1,000 1 1 Nist Military Forces No. Unpublished, non-canon fan design. VE-KS11 Karna class Fleet Tender VTH 11 20,000 2 2 Regency of Muirimi No. Further developed by a fan. VTH-0MU34 Lurenti class Battle Carrier VTB 15 300,000 4 2 Third Imperium Yes. Published, canon starship design. VTB-0MS24 Merant class Fleet Tender VTB 10 12,000 1 1 Rimward Federation No. Unpublished, non-canon fan design. TBD Merant class Fleet Tender VTB 10 12,000 1 1 Rimward Federation No. Unpublished, non-canon fan design. TBD Mie class Fleet Tender VTB 13 10,000 4 4 Taakas Yh'Drak No. Unpublished, non-canon fan design. TBD Sakhai class Assault Carrier VE 12 2,000 3 3 Aslan Hierate Yes. Published, canon starship design. VE-VS33 Senator class Battle Tender VTB 11 20,000 2 2 High Senate No. Unpublished, non-canon fan design. TBD Senator class Battle Tender VTB 11 20,000 2 2 High Senate No. Unpublished, non-canon fan design. TBD Senator class Battle Tender VTB 11 20,000 2 2 High Senate No. Unpublished, non-canon fan design. TBD Senator class Battle Tender VTB 11 20,000 2 2 High Senate No. Unpublished, non-canon fan design. TBD Senator class Battle Tender VTB 11 20,000 2 2 High Senate No. Unpublished, non-canon fan design. TBD Sorority class Fleet Tender VTS 12 700,000 3 3 Sorority of Hygiea No. Unpublished, non-canon fan design. VTS-0RU33 Sshkih class Carrier VTL 11 8,000 2 1 Sath Alliance No. Unpublished, non-canon fan design. VTL-08U12 Stanter class Defense Escort Carrier VD 9 2,000 0 6 Uffan Strategic Space Forces No. Unpublished, non-canon fan design. VD-TBD Swarm Master class Fleet Tender VTD 10 14,840 1 6 The Biumvirate No. Unpublished, non-canon fan design. VTD-0AP61 Vati class Support Carrier VL 9 3,000 1 1 Descarothe Hegemony No. Unpublished, non-canon fan design. TBD Wind class Strike Carrier VB 15 75,000 3 6 Third Imperium Yes. Published, canon starship design. TBD Wind class Strike Carrier VK 15 75,000 3 6 Third Imperium Yes. Published, canon starship design. TBD

0 Representative Heavy Carrier (VA) Classes
No results

4 Representative Escort Tender (VE) Classes

Class Mission Code TL Tons Jump G Origin Canon Quick ship profile Class Mission Code TL Tons Jump G Origin Canon Quick ship profile Bengal class Carrier VE 10 1,000 1 2 Bain Defense Squadron No. Unpublished, non-canon fan design. CV-KP21 Fer-de-lance class Destroyer Escort VE 15 1,000 4 6 Third Imperium Yes VE-KU64 Hyperion class Escort Carrier VE 9 1,000 1 1 Nist Military Forces No. Unpublished, non-canon fan design. VE-KS11 Sakhai class Assault Carrier VE 12 2,000 3 3 Aslan Hierate Yes. Published, canon starship design. VE-VS33

6 Representative Light Carrier (VL) Classes

Class Mission Code TL Tons Jump G Origin Canon Quick ship profile Class Mission Code TL Tons Jump G Origin Canon Quick ship profile Garin class Light Carrier VL 10 10,000 1 5 Firstworlds No. Unpublished, non-canon fan design. VL-TBD Garin class Light Carrier VL 10 10,000 1 5 Firstworlds No. Unpublished, non-canon fan design. VL-TBD Garin class Light Carrier VL 10 10,000 1 5 Firstworlds No. Unpublished, non-canon fan design. VL-TBD Hangar class Light Fleet Carrier VL 12 6,000 2 2 Nexus Fleet Forces No. Unpublished, non-canon fan design. TBD Hybrid Zeno class Light Carrier VL 11 3,600 2 2 Lon Mardos Defense Forces No. Unpublished, non-canon fan design. VL-03U22 Vati class Support Carrier VL 9 3,000 1 1 Descarothe Hegemony No. Unpublished, non-canon fan design. TBD

0 Representative Strike Carrier (VS) Classes
No results

14 Representative Tenders (VT) Classes

Class Mission Code TL Tons Jump G Origin Canon Quick ship profile Class Mission Code TL Tons Jump G Origin Canon Quick ship profile Confederate class Scout Station VTE 7 1,000 0 1 Third Imperium No. Unpublished, non-canon fan design. VTE-TBD Karna class Fleet Tender VTH 11 20,000 2 2 Regency of Muirimi No. Further developed by a fan. VTH-0MU34 Lurenti class Battle Carrier VTB 15 300,000 4 2 Third Imperium Yes. Published, canon starship design. VTB-0MS24 Merant class Fleet Tender VTB 10 12,000 1 1 Rimward Federation No. Unpublished, non-canon fan design. TBD Merant class Fleet Tender VTB 10 12,000 1 1 Rimward Federation No. Unpublished, non-canon fan design. TBD Mie class Fleet Tender VTB 13 10,000 4 4 Taakas Yh'Drak No. Unpublished, non-canon fan design. TBD Senator class Battle Tender VTB 11 20,000 2 2 High Senate No. Unpublished, non-canon fan design. TBD Senator class Battle Tender VTB 11 20,000 2 2 High Senate No. Unpublished, non-canon fan design. TBD Senator class Battle Tender VTB 11 20,000 2 2 High Senate No. Unpublished, non-canon fan design. TBD Senator class Battle Tender VTB 11 20,000 2 2 High Senate No. Unpublished, non-canon fan design. TBD Senator class Battle Tender VTB 11 20,000 2 2 High Senate No. Unpublished, non-canon fan design. TBD Sorority class Fleet Tender VTS 12 700,000 3 3 Sorority of Hygiea No. Unpublished, non-canon fan design. VTS-0RU33 Sshkih class Carrier VTL 11 8,000 2 1 Sath Alliance No. Unpublished, non-canon fan design. VTL-08U12 Swarm Master class Fleet Tender VTD 10 14,840 1 6 The Biumvirate No. Unpublished, non-canon fan design. VTD-0AP61

References & Contributors (Sources)

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This list of sources was used by the Traveller Wiki Editorial Team and individual contributors to compose this article. Copyrighted material is used under license from Mongoose Publishing or by permission of the author. The page history lists all of the contributions.

• John Harshman, Marc Miller, Loren Wiseman. Library Data (A-M) (Game Designers Workshop, 1981), TBD. (Classic Traveller Supplement 8)
• Timothy B. Brown. Fighting Ships (Game Designers Workshop, 1981), 34-36. (Classic Traveller Supplement 9)
• Marc Miller. Fighting Ships of the Shattered Imperium (Game Designers Workshop, 1990), 54-64.
• HIWG Papers
• Citation Missing - Fighting Ships
• Traveller Wiki Editorial Team
• Author & Contributor: Lord (Marquis) and Master of Sophontology Maksim-Smelchak of the Ministry of Science