Starfleet Class Escort Carrier

Duchy-class Escort Carrier

The Duchy-class Escort Carrier is a versatile multi-role warship that serves as both a space superiority platform and a mobile hospital.

Physical Dimensions

• Length: 320–350 meters
• Beam: 55–65 meters
• Displacement: 60,000 – 85,000 tons

Capacity

• Dropship Capacity: 20 Duchy-class combat dropship/gunships
• Hospital Capacity: Up to 400–500 patient beds when configured for casualty care (full surgical, ICU, and medical facilities)

Crew

• 1,400–1,800 Navy personnel (including air wing) — all with dedicated berthing

Armament

Main Battery

• 6–8 × 36 MJ energy turrets (Light Cruiser equivalent)

Point Defense

• Large array of 120 kJ and 60 kJ turrets optimized for anti-drone, anti-missile, and anti-small craft defense

Defenses

• Strong energy shielding and layered armor (superior to most cruisers but below battleship level)

Hangar Layout

Battlestar-style side launch bays with maintenance areas along the sides of central launch lanes. Allows simultaneous maintenance on dropships while others are launching or recovering.

Role

The Duchy-class Escort Carrier functions primarily as a space superiority and fleet defense platform, providing anti-drone coverage and limited Marine support at the Battalion to Regiment scale.

Its secondary role as a hospital ship allows it to rapidly convert internal space to support up to 400–500 patients with full surgical and ICU capabilities during heavy combat operations. It is the workhorse of the Navy — more numerous and flexible than the massive Fleet Carriers.

Starfleet Class Escort Carrier
Basis	Original Design
Armor	20,000 Hitpoints
Shield System	Mark 60 Mod 0 Aegis Shield System (20,000 Hitpoints / 4,000 Regen per Minute)
Computer Cores	3
Sublight Acceleration	30 G
FTL Speed	20 c
Complement	Up to 50 gunships (full service, maintenance, and re-arming capability)
Armament (All Mod 0)
Mark 10 Mod 0 PDC	20 twin turrets (DPM per gun: 79.92 → Per turret: 159.84 → Total DPM: 3,197)
Mark 15 Mod 0 Heavy PDC	20 twin turrets (DPM per gun: 120 → Per turret: 240 → Total DPM: 4,800)
Mark 50 Mod 0 Ion Gun	8 twin turrets (DPM per gun: 375 → Per turret: 750 → Total DPM: 6,000)
Total Point Defense / Interceptor DPM ≈ 13,997

The Starfleet Class Escort Carrier is a dedicated fleet support vessel designed to deploy and sustain large numbers of gunships in prolonged operations. Capable of servicing up to 50 gunships with full maintenance, re-arming, and crew support facilities, it acts as a mobile forward base for strike and interceptor wings. Its own armament provides robust self-defense and fleet screening capability, allowing it to protect its vulnerable complement while contributing meaningful point-defense and medium-range firepower to the battle line. Starfleets excel in carrier task forces, rapid-strike groups, and extended campaigns where sustained gunship operations are critical to victory.