Tender
VT-class Tenders are designed to carry significant numbers of bigcraft, typically battle riders into combat.
- Tenders and Carriers form 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:
- 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)
Description (Specifications)
Battle Tender: A battle tender is a ship designed to carry battle riders into battle. [1]
Subcraft Carriers are important and might one day disrupt the dominance of big gun battleships as they once did in the navies of maritime Terra, reversing the trend again. They transport a variety of smallcraft and bigcraft to the battlefield, where they perform combat support missions attacking skirmisher secondaries, disrupting missile flights, and decreasing the effectiveness of big gun battle wagons. As technology progresses, better miniaturized antishipping weaponry may lead to the fall of those same big gun battle wagons.
- Various battle rider and jump tender strategies have already begun to innovate and experiment with a carrier strong future.
- The "V" classification code is a holdover from pre-spaceflight (and pre-Anglic) Terran naval history. When wet-navy ships were first used as floating bases for aircraft, said ships were classified as "aViation" (from English, with the same meaning as in Anglic) or "Voler" (from French for "to fly") by some of their larger navies at the time.
- Arguably it could now be used for "Vessel" (as in "carries other Vessels") or "Void" (since the system of a carrier and its smallcraft, when deployed, extends through the space between them). However, most naval officers in charge of classification who have expressed an opinion on this have preferred to cite historical precedent as justification.
Image Repository
- A World class Battle Tender laden down with five Nolikian class Battle Riders.
- A Bullfrog class Fighter Tender in deep space deploying small spheroid subcraft.
Strategy & Tactics (Doctrine)
Subcraft Carriers are not intended to enagage in direct ship-to-ship combat with the forward line of warships. rather they deploy their subcraft as combat multipliers meant to help the heavy spinal mount warships deploy in the most advantageous positions and they are meant to disrupt the maneuver of the enemy's fleet combat elements.
Supraclass Roles
Subcraft Carriers typically serve as Tenders:
Tenders typically serve the following roles:
Largecraft & Bigcraft:
| VT-class Tender Supraclass Archetypes | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Archetype | Type Code | ||
| Attack Boat Tender | VTB | ||
| Battle Tender | VTB | ||
| Battlerider Carrier | VTB | ||
| Command Tender | VTC | ||
| Commercial Tender | TV | ||
| Communication Tender | XT | ||
| Cruiser Tender | VT | ||
| Defense Tender | VTD | ||
| Destroyer Tender | VT | ||
| Escort Tender | VTE | ||
| Fast Tender | VTF | ||
| Fighter Tender | VT | ||
| Fleet Tender | VTF | ||
| Frontier Tender | VTF | ||
| Heavy Tender | VTH | ||
| Interdiction Tender | VTD | ||
| Jump Carrier | TV | ||
| Jump Shuttle | TV | ||
| Light Tender | VTL | ||
| Medium Tender | VTM | ||
| Mercantile Tender | TV | ||
| Military Tender | VT | ||
| Repair Tender | VT | ||
| Ship Tender | VT | ||
| Ship Transporter | TV | ||
| Strike Tender | VTB | ||
| Superheavy Tender | VTS | ||
| System Defense Boat Tender | VTD | ||
| Tender (Militarized) | VT (Namesake) | ||
| Ultraheavy Tender | VTU | ||
| Very Light Tender | VTE | ||
| Xboat Tender | XT | ||
Size-Class Roles for Tender Vessels
- Utility Craft (U) (1 to 99 tons)
- Escort Tender (VTE) (100 to 2,499 tons)
- Light Tender (VTL) (2,500 to 99,999 tons)
- Medium Tender (VTM) (100,000 to 249,999 tons)
- Heavy Tender (VTH) (250,000 to 499,999 tons)
- Superheavy Tender (VTS) (500,000 to 999,999 tons)
- Ultraheavy Tender (VTU) (1,000,000 or more tons)
Military Subcraft
Military subcraft (...both smallcraft and bigcraft) are carried by nearly all of these vessels:
- Battle Rider (BR)
- Combat Barge (WBG)
- Combat Transport Smallcraft (UI)
- Fighters (F)
- Militarized Utility Craft (UQ)
Supraclass Archetypal Roles
These vessels typically serve the following archetypal roles:
| VT-class Tender Supraclass Archtypes | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Archetype | Type Code | Exemplar | Remarks |
| Subcraft Carrier | V | Lurenti class Battle Carrier | V-class vessels represent a school of thought using larger vessels to deploy smaller ones, or subcraft. The Subcraft Carrier supraclass includes both carriers and tenders. Carriers carry smallcraft fighters and tenders carry bigcraft battle riders. |
| Tender | VT (Namesake) | World class Battle Tender | Tenders carry bigcraft, which is to say subcraft that are 100 tons or larger in displacement. These subcraft are significantly larger, more powerful, and longer-legged than the smallcraft fighters carried by traditional carriers. This gives significantly more strategic options than a fighter-equipped carrier, but not always better striking power within a fighter's range envelope. The Battle Rider is the prototypical bigcraft carried by Battle Tenders and entire schools of naval strategy have arisen concerning their usage and deployment. [2]
|
| Battle Tender | VTB | World class Battle Tender | 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.
|
| Command Tender | VTC | S-1a class Space Command Battle Tender | Command Tenders perform flagship roles, coordinating large numbers of courier vessels, scout vessels, and line combatants, as the center of a battle fleet. This role is ordinarily taken by a fleet's premier battleships.
|
| Defense Tender | VTD | Arachnae class System Defense Boat Tender | Defense Tenders are a specialized form of battle tenders that forward deploy SDBs instead of battle riders. The use of defense tenders can strategically deny fleets access to gas giants or other fuel sources and thus deny enemy battle battle fleets strategic mobility and flexibility.
|
| Escort Tender | VTE | Fagad Avalar class Tender | An Escort Tender or Very Light Tender is a size-displacement category which includes vessels that weigh between 100 to 2,499 tons. While not very useful for larger fleet formations, they are great in an escort role, putting out a sensor picket, protecting against other fighters, or for strikes against lightly defended targets. They can also be built relatively quickly, staffed quickly, and quickly deploy into action. Many fleets operate escort tenders because of their usefulness within their identified roles.
|
| Fleet Tender | VTF | Bulwark class Fleet Tender | Fleet Tenders are built to operate as part of a fleet, not independently. Their subcraft provide tactical and strategic support to a line a battlefleet a CruRon or a BatRon. Their fighters provide sensor pickets, an expanded sensor net, either in a tactical or strategic sense, provide missile shields intercepting enemy munitions, or provide strike assets damaging enemy capital ships. They are dependent on other capital ships and auxiliary elements such as tankers or combat support ships.
A Fleet Tender is a generic name used for all tenders who carry combat oriented non-starships (vessels of 100+ tons). For any given ship tonnage, a ship which is not burdened with jump drives and jump fuel can be better armed and armored than a ship which must carry those jump drives. The concept of fleet tenders takes advantage of this fact. A fleet tender is a large jump drive equipped ship which carries several big craft, each of which is well-armed, well-armored, and usually fitted with high acceleration maneuver drives. They are usually produced with dispersed structure hulls in order to allow simultaneous launch of all craft carried as the ship arrives in a system. Since the tender cannot skim gas giants for refueling, the ships it carries must contain sufficient fuel tankage to refuel the tender in a reasonable time; often they must be streamlined to allow them to gather fuel from oceans if there is no gas giant in the system they move to. Riders tend to be streamlined, and can perform refueling operations quite nicely.
|
| Heavy Tender | VTH | Rita class Fleet Tender | A Heavy Tender is a size-displacement category which includes vessels that weigh between 250,000 to 499,999 tons. Heavies are very large craft, as big as many cruisers and battleships and capable of carrying a large, powerful load of subcraft, enough battle riders to seriously threaten most battle fleets.
|
| Militarized Ship Transporter | VTJ | WP-768 class Jump Shuttle | Militarized Ship Transporters operate like tenders specialized to carry any kind of vessel, from bigcraft to largecraft and anything in-between. Some work as jump shuttles and attach to other non-jump-capable vessels while others latch onto other vessels and create a truly enormous jump bubble. They are not always the most economic option, but when needed, there is no other substitute. They are also known as Jump Shuttles or Combat Support Tenders among other terms.
|
| Light Tender | VTL | Bullfrog class Fighter Tender | A Light Tender is a size-displacement category which includes vessels that weigh between 2,500 to 99,999 tons. Light vessels can be impressive craft, just under 100k in tonnage, which is more than large enough to threaten merchant vessels, smaller system defense fleets, and many lesser targets including smaller world-states.
|
| Medium Tender | VTM | Bulwark class Fleet Tender | A Medium Tender is a size-displacement category which includes vessels that weigh between 100,000 to 249,999 tons. Medium vessels are large vessels, cruiser-sized, and are general considered capital ships, serious combatants. They require serious resources, logistical support, and large crews, but they project power across interstellar distances when used correctly in ways that no escort or destroyer can match.
|
| Superheavy Tender | VTS | Stisahsheql class Battle Carrier | A Superheavy Tender is a size-displacement category which includes vessels that weigh between 500,000 to 999,999 tons. Superheavies are incredibly large vessels, bigger than the resources of the typical pocket empire or world-state can construct. They take years to build, requiring huge costs, massive expenditures of resources, and massive crews. They are rarely available in other than very small runs, but they have massive combat power.
|
| Ultraheavy Tender | VTU | Nianemiev class Battle Carrier | An Ultraheavy Tender is a size-displacement category which includes vessels that weigh 1,000,000 or more tons. Ultraheavies are not for the thrifty... Only the largest of supra-polities can afford them, and they are almost always specialized for very specific roles, typically as flag ships for the largest fleets.
|
| Commercial Tender & Ship Transporter | TV | Mariner class Frame Carrier | Ship Transporters or commercial tenders are similar to carriers and tenders, but instead of military subcraft, they carry civilian subcraft. The concept is similar to the battle rider concept, except in a civilian application. The class also includes various kinds of jump ships or jump trains, specialized to carry variable cargos, or as jump shuttles.
|
| NOTES: There is semantic overlap between many of the classes and codes. Some codes organize by mission or capability, others by size and tonnage, and yet others by other characteristics. | |||
History & Background (Dossier)
In the 57th century, travel between the stars has long been an accepted fact of life. Starships with powerful jump drives form the basis of interstellar commerce, and the warships that protect that commerce. [3]
But jump drives are bulky and take up volume that could be fitted with defensive systems or offensive weaponry. A specialized vessel, optimized for large fleet actions, gained popularity during the Second Imperium and came toc ompletely dominate the fleets of the Third Imperium. These vessels had no jump drives, had nothing in fact not directly related to producing the most effective line-of-battle combatant possible. [4]
They were carried from star to star by huge jump tenders, vessels with little or no combat ability of their own which would release their deadly cargo before the battle started and withdraw to a safe distance. These warships became the very symbol of large fleet actions. Because the warships were carried from star to star, they were called Battle Riders. [5]
Selected Variant Types & Classes
Military Ship - Warship - Tender:
Military Ship - Warship - Tender:
Military Ship - Warship - Tender:
Military Ship - Warship - Tender:
Military Ship - Warship - Tender:
Military Ship - Warship - Tender:
Military Ship - Warship - Tender:
Military Ship - Warship - Tender:
Military Ship - Warship - Tender:
Military Ship - Warship - Tender:
Military Ship - Warship - Tender:
Ship Summary List
Some of the most commonly used vessels in this role or these roles include:
| 10 Representative Tenders (VT) Classes | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
| 8 Representative Battle Tender (VTB) Classes | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
| 0 Representative Command Tender (VTC) Classes | |
|---|---|
| No results |
| 0 Representative Defense / Interdiction Tender (VTD) Classes | |
|---|---|
| No results |
| 0 Representative Escort Tender (VTE) Classes | |
|---|---|
| No results |
| 0 Representative Fleet Tender (VTF) Classes | |
|---|---|
| No results |
| 1 Representative Heavy Tender (VTH) Classes | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
| 0 Representative Militarized Jump Shuttle (VTJ) Classes | |
|---|---|
| No results |
| 1 Representative Light Tender (VTL) Classes | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
| 0 Representative Medium Tender (VTM) Classes | |
|---|---|
| No results |
| 0 Representative Superheavy Tender (VTS) Classes | |
|---|---|
| No results |
| 0 Representative Ultraheavy Tender (VTU) Classes | |
|---|---|
| No results |
| 0 Representative Commercial Tender / Ship Transporter (TV) Classes | |
|---|---|
| No results |
| 0 Representative Communication Tender (XT) Classes | |
|---|---|
| No results |
References & Contributors (Sources)
|
This article is missing content for one or more detailed sections. Additional details are required to complete the article. You can help the Traveller Wiki by expanding it. |
- This article is an amalgamation of many different materials published since 1977.
- TBD
- Traveller Wiki Editorial Team
- Author & Contributor: Lord (Marquis) and Master of Sophontology Maksim-Smelchak of the Ministry of Science
- ↑ Marc Miller. Fighting Ships of the Shattered Imperium (Game Designers Workshop, 1990), 5.
- ↑ Information provided to the library by Maksim-Smelchak
- ↑ Frank Chadwick. Battle Rider (Game Designers Workshop, 1993), 2.
- ↑ Frank Chadwick. Battle Rider (Game Designers Workshop, 1993), 2.
- ↑ Frank Chadwick. Battle Rider (Game Designers Workshop, 1993), 2.