TDF class profiles

Corvette
The Corvettes serve mostly as primary patrol craft, with an maximal endurance of one month, while mostly the departures only last for one or two weeks during peacetime, while they usually have a supply ship around in wartime. Corvettes patrol the more secure, inner systems of the Alliance territory and hunt down smugglers and weakly armed pirates without fighters. The Mercury for example carries a flight of five fighters occasionally, and the two light PACs and the Mass Driver turrets as well are enough to threat every non military pirate ship and unfortified smuggler/ pirate station. However, if the enemy is ready to defend himself, the Corvette is rather underarmed. In wartime the Corvette is used for quick wolf-pack strikes, either out of jumps or from gas planets or asteroid fields.

→ 1 flight (5 fighters)
→ excellent maneuverability
→ excellent speed
→ COG*: Lt. Colonel
→ CO**: Major


Frigate
Frigates of the first type also serve as patrol units in areas where pirates use fighters during peacetime, but their primary role is to intercept everything what is non- capital size, including fighters, bombers, shuttles and gunboats - and missiles of course. Frigates are the primary escort units deployed by the TDF. Frigates have a better endurance than the corvettes, with a range of two months, while pecetime leaves last three or four weeks. During wartime these ships also have a group tender. The second variant fullfills almost every task concerning electronic warfare, no matter if offensive or defensive.

→ 1 or 2 flights (5-10 fighters)
→ COG: Colonel
→ CO: Lt. Colonel


Destroyer
Normal destroyers like the Blizzard serve mostly as escort ship, guarding convoys, installations or jump nodes and patrols in more dangerous areas. Their endurance is much bigger than that of the smaller ships, but still relatively small, with leaves of three months possible, while the normal departures usually last just one month. Their armament and armor is good, in fact they are better armed than the Endurance- Patrol Cruisers of the TDF. Otherwise the Blizzards are called when the firepower of a Corvette Group is not enough. The armor is strong enought to resist impacts which would destroy any smaller ship, or impacts which would be perilous to a Cruiser, however this comes at the cost of the relatively short range and relatively slow acceleration.

→ 1 or 1,5 squadron(s) (20-30 fighters)
→ COG: Lt. General
→ CO: Colonel


Tactical destroyer
Tactical destroyers are used for precision strikes, wolf pack strikes and other agressive actions, this requires superior speed and enormous firepower. Surprisingly the Aegis does not sacrifice armor nor range to gain this, however these compact ships have probably the highest price per mass- unit within the TDF, when it comes to a single ship class. The maximum endurance is four months, while the usual missions last one or two months and only half a squadron of fighters forms the ships Air Group, so that not every Aegis DD has its own CAG.

→ half a squadron (10 pilots)
→ COG: Lt. General
→ CO: Colonel


Cruiser
Cruisers usually do long range patrols and deep strike missions, but also escort duties and tactical support. While the normal Cruisers (C) usually have one squadron, the Patrol Cruisers (CP) have two squadrons or even three. The Endurance has a range of eight months and usually does missions of four months. Cruisers are built simpler than the most other ships and lack good maneuverbility, and the armor is rather average, while the Endurances internal structure is still one of the sturdiest within the TDF, letting most of them survive, even if the armor is completely gone, and also allow quite good acceleration.

→ 1 or 2 squadrons
→ COG: Lt. General
→ CO: Colonel


Battlecruiser
BCs and BCGs are mostly defensive units, lacking speed and maneuverability, while offering firepower and enormous sturdiness. The Battlecruiser have the biggest firepower within the TDF in the short – mid range. Battlecruisers are usually used to guard installations, jump nodes, important convoys (priority escort), carriers. Lancers carry 2 or 3 squadrons and have an endurance of almost a year and stay out for usually four months, they also serve as support ships for smaller units like corvettes and frigates in longer missions. The Terran Reserve Forces  use most BCs and BCGs, usually three or four per inhabitated system.

→ 2 or 3 squadrons
→ CO: Lt. General


Tender/ Support Carrier
These modified Lancer hulls are used to support other TDF ships in combat situations, no matter if replacing fighters, fuel, water, or any other gear/ cargo. Due to the relatively small armament the Tenders are usually guarded by one Blizzard and one Tornado.

→ 3 ready squadrons, additional fighters and pilots as resupply
→ CO: Lt. General


Strike Carrier
Strike Carriers are the only combat carriers of the TDF, used for precision strikes, SpecOps, deep strike and assault. Armed with weaponary similar to Juggernauts the Daggerboard subclass ships pack a respectable offensive punch, which is backed up by two giantic plasma mortars, which wreak havoc on mid range. These modified Guardian II Assault Ships are only used by TDF special forces.

→ 3,5 squadrons
→ CO: Lt. General/ General


Fleet Carrier
Fleet Carriers like the Leviathan keep out of every direct combat, they serve as mobile base for fighters and bombers and also as mobile command centre for the single fleets. If used in an offensive maneuver, carriers are in the centre of a formation and they fall back, if enemies come in range. Carriers have a maximum space endurance of 1 year, while they stay out for not more than 6 months on one turn.

→ 10 squadrons
→ CO: Rear Admiral


Dreadnought
Dreadnoughts are the "Turret-Battleships" of the TDF, built during the last Threach war. Attack, no matter if anti- planet, anti- vehicle nor anti- stationary is the primary task of the Overlord.  Maneuverability and acceleration are rather average or even low, 3 squads are on board to cover the DN. Built to reach the threach homeworld, the Overlord has a space endurance of 2 years, with standard leaves not lasting longer than 3 months.

→ 3 Squadrons
→ CO: Rear Admiral


Juggernaut
The Juggernaut is a modern type of battleship, built for precision strikes, deep strike missions and almost every other kind of attack mission, and therefore the Nephilim class accelerates fast, and has an average maneuverability. The concept is similar to the Aegis Tactical Destroyer, but is also including formidable armor, a maximum space endurance of 2 years (average 3 or 6 month- missions) and 3 squadrons of fighters.

→ 3 Squadrons
→ CO: General/ Commodore







Speed: Aegis > Nephilim, Mercury > Daggerboard > Thunderstorm, Tornado > Endurance > Blizzard > Overlord > Leviathan > Lancer

Maneuverability: Mercury > Thunderstorm, Tornado > Blizzard > Aegis, Nephilim > Daggerboard > Overlord, Endurance > Lancer > Leviathan

Weapons range: Nephilim > Aegis > Lancer BCG > Daggerboard, Overlord > Blizzard, Endurance, Lancer BC > Mercury > Tornado > Thunderstorm

Firepower anti Fighter/ short range: Tornado/ Thunderstorm > Overlord > Nephilim, Daggerboard >Leviathan, Mercury > Lancer > Endurance > Blizzard

Firepower medium range: Lancer > Overlord > Nephilim, Daggerboard > Aegis > Blizzard > Endurance > Mercury > Leviathan

Firepower long range: Nephilim > Aegis > Overlord > Daggerboard > Lancer BCG > Lancer BC > Blizzard, Endurance > Tornado/ Thunderstorm > Mercury


space endurance: Time that a Unit (a ship) can spend in space without the need to resupply, refuel, or return to a TDF base/ Tender. Another limiting factor are the crew support facilities (sports, entertainment, whatever is neccesary to make a long leave as pleasant as possible).

patrol: System surveillance, especially asteroid belts, gas planets and unstable jump points, limited to one system.

long range patrol: Surveillance of more than one system, especially in the border zones.

escort: Guarding a ship or a group of ships, with normally inactive weapons.

priority escort: Defensive mission for a ship (or a group of ships), even in a non hostile territory, with activated armament.

Guard: Defensive mission for a location, installation or jump node.

strike: Attack against everything in a target area, spaceborne or planetside, mobile or stationary.

deep strike: Attack against any target (or a target area) behind enemy lines or in unknown territory.

wolf pack strike: attack by a group of TDF ships, like Corvettes or Tactical Destroyers

precision strike: Attack against a known or speculative target, while ignoring secondary targets.

assault: Attack on a target with Marines or Special Forces, on a spaceborne object or planetside.

SpecOps (special operations) :

electronic warfare: Electronic support, countermeasures, attack, surveillance, decoy and jamming.

tactical support: Fire support, refueling, target coordination, flank security.

patrol cruiser (CP): was the original cruiser concept, while the normal cruisers were called destroyers in earlier days.

* COG: Commanding Officer of Group
** CO: Commanding Officer