Military Starships Reference

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Military Starships Reference - r3

Introduction

This supplement explores a selection of military ship models of varying classes. Like its sister supplement, the Civilian Starships Reference, it will be revised and expanded and is intended to be both remixed and personalized.

Aether Galaxy Starship Codes

Starship codes follow the format:

[Prefix][Size][Role]-[Hyperdrive Grade]

Where each component has the following meaning:

Prefix

Indicates vessel ownership or classification domain.

  • (none) — Civilian vessel
  • W — Warship (military naval vessel)

Size Codes

Indicate the displacement class.

  • L — Light
  • M — Medium
  • H — Heavy

Civilian Roles

Primary function of civilian vessels.

  • C — Courier (speed-priority delivery)
  • T — Transport (passengers, general transit)
  • H — Hauler (cargo, freight, minerals)
  • I — Interceptor (law enforcement / paramilitary)
  • E — Explorer (survey, science, research)

  • U — Unmanned Drone (automated, no hyperdrive)

Military Roles

Primary mission profile of naval warships.

  • F — Frigate
  • D — Destroyer
  • C — Cruiser
  • B — Battleship
  • T — Troop Transport
  • H — Military Hauler / Fleet Supply
  • R — Reconnaissance
  • X — Titan (supercapital warship)
  • I — Interceptor (military)

  • U — Unmanned military drone

Hyperdrive Grade

Below are all hyperdrive grades used throughout the Aether Galaxy, listed in numerical order with their speed, cost, and usage notes.

Grade 0

  • Speed: None (system-bound)
  • Cost: n/a
  • Notes:
    • No hyperdrive installed
    • Used by shuttles, drones, local haulers, survey skiffs
    • Cannot leave the star system

Grade 1

  • Speed: 50 light-years per day
  • Cost: Cr25,000
  • Notes:
    • Ancient and inefficient
    • Near-extinct; museum or retrofitted vessels
    • Almost never seen in active service

Grade 2

  • Speed: 100 light-years per day
  • Cost: Cr50,000
  • Notes:
    • Minimal modern FTL capability
    • Used by budget transports and fringe colonies
    • Slow but serviceable

Grade 3

  • Speed: 200 light-years per day
  • Cost: Cr100,000
  • Notes:
    • Common across civilian fleets
    • Typical for freighters, transports, and passenger ships
    • Reliable and affordable

Grade 4

  • Speed: 400 light-years per day
  • Cost: Cr200,000
  • Notes:
    • Modern civilian standard
    • Used by long-range haulers, mid-tier explorers, and paramilitary
    • Often a best-value choice for corporate fleets

Grade 5

  • Speed: 800 light-years per day
  • Cost: Cr400,000
  • Notes:
    • Express-tier civilian hyperdrives
    • Used by couriers and some military vessels
    • Mark of a high-performance civilian ship

Grade 6

  • Speed: 1,600 light-years per day
  • Cost: Cr800,000
  • Notes:
    • Standard fast military drive
    • Used in recon craft, interceptors, and response ships
    • Balance of speed and reliability for warships

Grade 7

  • Speed: 3,200 light-years per day
  • Cost: Cr1,600,000
  • Notes:
    • Elite military hyperdrive
    • Restricted; requires high-clearance approval
    • Used by advanced recon vessels and high-command couriers

Grade 8

  • Speed: 6,400 light-years per day
  • Cost: Cr3,200,000
  • Notes:
    • Experimental prototype technology
    • Extremely rare; often black-budget or classified
    • Found only in the galaxy’s most advanced ships (e.g., WHX-8 Titans)

Example Structure

  • LT-4 — Light Transport, Grade-4 hyperdrive
  • LC-2 — Light Courier, Grade-2 hyperdrive
  • LE-0 — Light Explorer (system-bound)
  • WLF-5 — Light Frigate, naval, Grade-5 hyperdrive
  • WMR-5 — Medium Reconnaissance Warship
  • WHX-5 — Heavy Titan-class Warship

Zelenor Fleet Industries “Accipiter-class” Light Frigate (WLF-5)

Overview

The Accipiter-class WLF-5 is a fast, versatile warship designed for escort, reconnaissance, and rapid strike missions. It balances speed, firepower, and endurance, making it a staple of the modern Galactic Commonwealth’s fleet. Often deployed in system defense, anti-piracy patrols, and fleet support roles. The Accipter-class is also availble with a Grade 6 hyperdrive despite its more typical military drive in the original design.

Specifications

Class: Accipiter-class light frigate (WLF-5)
Manufacturer: Zelenor Fleet Industries
Hull Type: Military-grade starcraft
Price: Cr1,200,000 ± Cr150,000 (varies by refit, armament, and hyperdrive condition)
Hyperdrive Grade: 5 (800 light-years/day)
Sublight Performance: High (optimized for rapid intercepts and evasive maneuvers)
Armament:

  • Primary: Dual heavy blaster turrets (forward-mounted)
  • Secondary: 4x atomic missile pods (anti-ship/anti-fighter)
  • Defensive: Point-defense lasers, ECM suite

Cargo Capacity: Light (munitions, spare parts, small cargo)
Troop Capacity: 12 marines or 1 light vehicle
Crew: 10–15 (command, engineering, weapons, support)
Common Users: Galactic Commonwealth, mercenary squadrons, rapid-response fleets
Mission Profile: Escort, reconnaissance, anti-piracy, fleet skirmishing

Interior Layout (Typical Configuration)

  • Bridge — Command center, tactical stations
  • Crew Quarters — Compact bunks for officers/enlisted
  • Armory — Weapons, armor, and munitions storage
  • Medical Bay — Emergency trauma unit
  • Engineering — Hyperdrive, power core, and damage control
  • Weapons Control — Targeting systems and ordnance management
  • Hangar Bay — One light vehicle such as an IFV
  • Marine Berths — Space for a dozen armed marines
  • Common Area — Briefing space, minimal recreation

Operational Notes

  • Reliability: Built for sustained combat; requires frequent maintenance after engagements.
  • Range: Short-to-medium (optimized for system patrol and rapid deployment).
  • Crew Workload: High during combat; skeleton crew possible for transit.
  • Comfort: Spartan; prioritizes function over amenities.
  • Hyperspace Signature: Aggressive, detectable at long range.

[ WLF-5 Accipter-class — Upper Deck ]

[ BOW / FORWARD ]

┌───────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐
│                           BRIDGE                          │
│        Command • Navigation • Tactical • Comms            │
└───────────────────────────────┬───────────────────────────┘
                                │
┌───────────────────────────────┴───────────────────────────┐
│  OFFICER QUARTERS             │        CREW BERTHS        │
│  (Captain, XO)                │  (Enlisted, NCOs)         │
└───────────────────────────────┬───────────────────────────┘
                                │
┌───────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐
│                      WEAPONS CONTROL                      │
│              Targeting • Ordnance • Access Ladder         │
└───────────────────────────────┬───────────────────────────┘
                                │
┌───────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐
│                    MESS HALL / COMMONS                    │
│        Briefing • Rations • Hypernet Access               │
└───────────────────────────────┬───────────────────────────┘
                                │
┌───────────────────────────────┴───────────────────────────┐
│  HYGIENE / SANITATION         │          STORAGE          │
│  Showers • Heads • Ladder     │  Tools • Spares • Cargo   │
└───────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘

                     [ BOW / FORWARD ]

┌───────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐
│                           ARMORY                          │
│   Small Arms • Armor • Munitions • Supply Kits • Ladder   │
└───────────────────────────────┬───────────────────────────┘
                                │
┌───────────────────────────────┴───────────────────────────┐
│  MED BAY                      │        ENGINEERING        │
│  Trauma • Cryo                │  Hyper • Power • Damage   │
│                               │  Control                  │
└───────────────────────────────┬───────────────────────────┘
                                │
┌───────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐
│                HANGAR BAY / MARINE BERTHS                 │
│          Shuttle • Drop Pods • Marine Lockers             │
│                         Ladder                            │
└───────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘

No canon; only coherence.

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