V1.00@ÛArdennes Class DropshipCATû Ðý  ˆbF(]F gDDZDÇÙBã8Ž?DL2221332813— 3Nsph92122 n.a.˜: %& J ,TTT$3BlazeFire SweetshotZ Bright-Bloom4Johnston High SpeedG Dragon's FireP" NAIS Model 2bPWDefiance ThunderMImperator Code ReddbDoombud8BMcArthurð†RangeFinder Mk IIId3BlazeFire SweetshotZ Bright-Bloom4Johnston High SpeedG Dragon's FireP" NAIS Model 2bPWDefiance Thunder#MImperator Code Red bDoombud8kGuided Technologies 2nd Gen2BMcArthurð3BlazeFire SweetshotZ Bright-BloomG Dragon's Fire(" NAIS Model 2bPWDefiance Thunder#MImperator Code ReddbDoombudPkGuided Technologies 2nd GendBMcArthurð3BlazeFire SweetshotZ Bright-Bloom" NAIS Model 2bxMImperator Code ReddbDoombudPkGuided Technologies 2nd GenKBMcArthurð  !!""##$$ †ÐQ¾À' Officers (5 minimum)p@=x€‹Crew (0 minimum)p@=xà9Gunners (18 minimum) †1st Class Passengersp2nd Class PassengersPÃSteerage PassengersMarines'Marine Battle Armor Troopers/ElementalsZ ¡t;¤ Grav Deck #1 - 90m Dian@BèvHGrav Deck #2 - 110m Diad@BèvHGrav Deck #3 - 100m DiaÊš;ä TEnergy Storage Batteriesp€ðú h Life Boatsp€ðú h Escape PodsP‡ P‡ Lot Spare Parts (1.00%) `ãÂë €¨BattleMechs (1+1)`ãÂë ÀÆ-Fighters (1+1) ¡áõ =Light Vehicles (to 50T) (4+1)@Báõ =Heavy Vehicles (51-100T) (7+1) p@Ñ Infantry (motor) Platoons (28) †€Battle Armor Points/Squads (6)ÐÐ Cargoÿÿÿÿÿÿ Ä With the Civil War over the AFFS Procurement Department has one of the largest rebuilding projects ever. Replacing all the units lost in the Civil War will be a daunting challenge. With the completion of the Conquistador Class dropship the AFFS was one step closer to finally having the kind of dropships they needed for their Regimental Combat Teams. The Procurement Department decided to solocit bids for several Combined Arms Transports, or CAT's. Specifications for several different CAT's were layed down and several large companies put in bids for the new ships. Federated Boeing of Galax won the contract on two of the needed CAT's, the Alliance and what would be known as the Ardennes Combined Arms Transport. The Ardennes project was not started until all the devolopment problems with the Alliance had been ironed out. This saved the company million in redesigns and allowed the Ardennes to be complete without the difficulty of the Alliance. With the seperation of the Federated Suns and the Lyran Commonwealth again the AFFS lost is supplier of the Fortress dropship. The Ardennes is a little larger than the ship it was to replace, but what was added gave the vessel more flexability and survivability. The Ardennes did not go through the growing pains of its larger cousin, the Alliance. The design of the Ardennes benefitted from the many mistakes in designing the Alliance and went from paper to field in record time and with a minimum of design problems. Looking closely at the Fortress dropship designers noticed many areas where the Fortress was found lacking. Improving on these areas would be difficult and in the end the ship was almost 900 tons heavier than the Fortress. The layout of the Ardennes is very similiar to its cousin, but the Ardennes is taller to accommodate the added decks for the Aerofighters and BattleArmor troops. Like the Alliance the Aerofighter deck is located on the bottom most deck to allow the aerofighters to be loaded onto the ship while still planetside. The increase in size also allowed designers to load the ship out with more weaponry by almost 50% to protect its valuable cargo. The Ardennes will be a most welcome battalion transport to the RCT's of the Federated Suns and compliment the Alliance nicely.  Named Vessels: The first shipment of CAT dropships are to be delivered to the Ceti Hussars, Deneb Lt Cavalry and the FedSuns Armored Cavalry. Once those units are outfitted the Davion Guards and the Avalon Hussars are next. Each RCT is to get between two and five of these new ships.—Designed by Larry "Highball" Leslie Cargo: 12 BattleMechs (1 Comp) 12 Light Vehicles (1 Comp) 12 Motorized Infantry Platoons (1 Batt) 12 Battlearmor Squads (1 Comp) 2 Aerospace Fighters (1 Lance) Armament: 6 ER Large Laser 18 ER Medium Laser 6 ER PPC 8 Gauss Rifle 7 Rotary AC/5 5 Ultra AC/20 12 LB 10-X AC 12 LRM 15 w/Art 15 Streak SRM 4 18 AMS 1 Long Tom Artillery Federated-Boeing InterstellarGalax HayesMax B-4c Diamond WeaveAchernar-200 BroadbandCorean MiltiCalc-CGalax Type XVI (Unknown)[ none ]