Directorate Officer
[youtube]https://youtu.be/jtIK0BuYm0U[/youtube]
OUT OF CHARACTER INFORMATION
Intent: To provide Lucerne Labs with a Star Wars equivalent of the Battlestar Galactica Raptor
Image Source: Star Citizen's Anvil Terrapin intro video
Canon Link: N/A
Primary Source: N/A
Manufacturer: Lucerne Labs
Affiliation: Directorate, Silver Jedi, Galactic Alliance, closed market
Model: Squall-class Patrol Boat
Production: Minor
Material: Durasteel frame, Chimera Composite plating, Transparisteel canopy, standard starship components
Classification: Multipurpose utility craft
Length: 16 meters
Width: 10 meters
Height: 4 meters
Armament: Very Low
1 Double Ion Cannon
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Defenses: High
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Squadron Count: Low: 8
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Maneuverability Rating: Average (Moderate when engines are used as maneuvering thrusters)
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Speed Rating: Average ( Low when engines are used as maneuvering thrusters )
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Hyperdrive Class: Very Fast: x0.6
STANDARD FEATURES
Standard Communications Array
Standard Deflector Shield Generator
Standard Hyperdrive
Standard Ion Engines
Standard Life Support Systems
Standard Navigational Systems
Standard Repulsorlift Engines
Standard Sensor Arra
Standard Starfighter Weapons: Ion Cannons
Standard Targeting Systems
Can Enter Atmosphere and Land
Can carry 20 passengers and 10 metric tons of cargo (Shuttle configuration) OR Enhanced Electronics Suite (Electronic Warfare Configuration)(ANq-51 sensor array computer , S-87 sensor suite, miniaturized missile transmitter deactivator , Miradyne 4-x Phantom Sensor Jammer, Mimic Sensor Decoy Launcher (four decoys), Mark Six sensor beacon launcher (4 beacons), and OCC-SI module).
Biolux Organoform Circuitry
Calor-series Bio-Computer
Modular Auxiliary Systems Turret
Hull-Cutter Ring
Modular: Squalls can be outfitted to act as assault shuttles or alternatively as small electronic warfare craft, allowing them to bring more utility to the fight than many starfighters.
Advanced Engines: Squalls have their ion engines mounted on servos, which allows them to act as maneuvering thrusters as needed, making the ship's more maneuverable than their blocky size would suggest. The ship's hyperdrive is also a scaled down version of the Acclamator assault ship's, making them exceptionally fast at superluminal speeds.
Weak Armament: Squalls are very lightly armed, only having a turreted double ion cannon. While this enables Squalls to disable and potentially board enemy ships, it also means that it has ability to directly and permanently damage other starships.
As Streamlined as a Rock: Squalls are about as atmospherically maneuverable as a rock at high speeds due to their bulky hull design. This makes relatively poor traditional combatants in the atmosphere, unless it's a low speeds typically encountered just over the ground or in tight confines.
Technical Descriptions
Flight Control Systems: The Squall uses fairly typical flight control systems for its size, with comprehensive controls easily accessible from the pilot's swiveling chair. There are a handful of refinement's to the design though that arrived from experience from the Vortex II. An inertial compensator has been integrated into the ship's sensor suite. This allows the field to expand or contract automatically based on stimuli, whether it's a tumultous asteroid or a dovin basal. Like the interceptor, it also features a pair of linked Calor-series Bio-computers that function as an integrated droid brain for the craft. These computers can act as a co-pilot, using their parallel-processing power to calculate hyperspace jumps, tune various subsystems for optimal performance, and act as secondary gunners, particularly for the turreted MAST and the double ion cannon. These bio-computers do have an auto-pilot function that allows them to autonomously fly the craft, though their skill is not as great as most organic pilots. Interesting enough, the computers' flying styles mimic that of the pilot that has used their craft the most, meaning that while their performance is not great, they are not predictable flyers either. Because of that, Squalls are sometimes remotely piloted from ground stations or capital ships.
Sublight Engines: The Squall uses a quartet of stubby ion engines originally designed for use on space tugs and mounts them on rotating servos, much like the ion engines on the old New Republic Defender. This allows the engines to rotate to better increase the ship's maneuverability, though doing so decreases the ship's speed. This mode is commonly used when navigating through difficult terrain, such as the asteroid belts that many smugglers like to use in order to lose their pursuers. This engine design also allows Squalls to precisely dock with other vessels with a minimal amount of piloting skill.
Hyperdrive: The Squall uses a miniaturized version of the Acclamator Assault Ship's hyperdrive fitted with enhanced cooling systems, which allows Squalls to quickly and reliably transverse vast arrays of space. This allows the ships to rapidly respond to deep space incursions or act as forward scouts, especially when equipped with its advanced electronics suite.
Hull: The Squall uses a fairly boxy hull that maximizes internal volume but almost ensures poor atmospheric performance. The ship uses a heavy duty durasteel frame covered in Chimera Composite armor panels. This provides the ship with average physical protection.
Shields: The Squall mostly relies on heavy duty shields for its defense rather than its hull armor, allowing it to better endure enemy fire in prolonged engagements. It's not uncommon to see the ship's crew painstakingly allocate shield energy to different arcs in order to better survive enemy attacks.
Weapons: The Squall's only conventional armament is a turreted double ion cannon located underneath its chin. This allows the patrol boat to potentially disable targets in preparation for boarding or inspection. While not a weapon in the conventional dogfighting sense, the Squall also carries a hull-cutter ring, allowing the boat's passengers to board other ships.
Miscellaneous Systems: Squalls do not carry chaff or flares like many previous Lucerne Labs craft, but instead each boat carries a single Modular Auxiliary Systems Turret on its ventral side just behind the double ion cannon turret. Most Squalls typically carry tractor beam projectors, allowing them to act as search and rescue craft for EVA pilots and cargo or to better grapple targets that they are attempting to board. However, it's not unheard to see Squalls equipped with sensor jammers or directional particle shields to better survive battlefields.
Payload: The Squall's hull design is designed to maximize the ship's internal volume, allowing it carry a relatively large payload for its size. Many Squalls see use as small troop transports and shuttles, much like the earlier Svelte-class Shuttle. A Squall is equally comfortable ferrying a pair of squads groundside through a battlefield just as much as it is capable of acting as a fast packet to quickly deliver small amounts of priority cargo across a sector. With some work though, this cargo bay can retrofitted to carry an extensive electronics bay with technicians to run this sophisticated equipment.
The heart of this configuration is a ANq-51 sensor array computer coupled to a S-87 sensor suite, which provides the Squall with exceptionally long range and good sensor resolution comparable to that of many small corvettes, which in turn effectively allows the to act as a scout ship. In combat, these improved sensors can aid friendly starfighters in burning through sensor jamming, especially in conjunction with the embedded OCC-SI module. The electronics bay also includes a miniaturized missile transmitter deactivator as well as a Miradyne 4-x Phantom Sensor Jammer. It also includes a single Mimic Sensor Decoy Launcher with four decoys and a Mark Six sensor beacon launcher with four beacons. In combat, these sensors and countermeasures typically are not powerful enough to affect or replace those of capital ships, but instead are most often used to augment those of friendly fighters and warheads while simultaneously degrading those of enemy fighters and munitions.
