The Yamato class battleship is an older warship class which precedes the founding of the Consortium of Civilized Worlds. When first commissioned by the Human Alliance Forces Navy, the Yamato was one of the heaviest armed warships in the Three Galaxies. They replaced the Agamemnon class and were considered vastly more capable than the older Human Alliance battleship class. Construction of these battleships was continued by the Consortium. Large numbers of these battleships were built, far larger in number than the Agamemnon class, and they acted as the primary backbone and command ships of the Consortium Armed Forces when it was just forming and many of the ships of this class fought with distinction in the intervening years.

These battleships were heavily involved in the war the Consortium fought against the Kreeghor Empire where they proved to be the equal of anything in the Kreeghor arsenal. It is unlikely that the Consortium fleets would have done as well if not for these battleships. Even during the war, the Yamato class was already considered to be aging and there was pressure to replace the Yamato class battleship.

Few battleship classes have been built in as large numbers as the Yamato class and these ships are still extremely plentiful even though some have been scrapped. The Human Alliance has large numbers of these battleships in active service and in inactive reserve forces. The Consortium does not have any of these battleships on active duty but they have a huge number in inactive reserve fleets. A number of smaller nations and Independent Defense Forces also operate these older battleships and these battleships are the most common battleships in the hands of mercenaries. None are known to be in the hands of pirates.

The Human Alliance first planned to replace the Yamato class battleship with a fast battlecruiser class but due to cost concerns, it has been decided to upgrade the older battleships instead. These upgrades include the replacing the heavy energy batteries, point defense systems, missile batteries, and sensor systems. These ship are planned to retain the original drives and armor unmodified due to difficulty in upgrading and due to cost concerns. There is some debate if the shields will be upgraded although the first upgraded battleship retains its original shields.

In appearance, these battleships are wedge shaped and are similar in basic appearance to the later Consortium Protector class battleship with the lines of the Protector clearly able be seen to have evolved from the Human Alliances battleship class. The Yamato class battleships are slightly wider for their length than Protector battleships are and do not have the sharply pointed bow that marks the Consortium battleship class.

These ships primary weaponry are six 40 centimeter particle beams mounted on two turrets and the ships secondary main battery is two turrets with a single 18 centimeter particle beam each. These particle beams are not quite as powerful as the energy weapons on the Protector and are slightly shorter ranged. Still, any smaller warship which finds itself under the main energy weapon battery of the Yamato will likely find itself in trouble. As secondary weapons, these battleships mount eight 12 centimeter lasers.

Point defense battery are twelve rail guns, twelve laser cannons, and twelve mini-missile batteries. At the time of the development of the Yamato class, gravity rail guns were still experimental and electromagnetic rail guns were fitted. A similar style of mixing energy weapons, rail guns, and mini-missiles were retained on the new Consortium Protector class battleship.

Heavy missile array is four capital missile batteries and eight long range missile batteries. While the Yamato carries the same number of batteries as the Consortium Protector class, these batteries have smaller number of launchers each and the older Human Alliance battleship class can only fire about two thirds as large a volley as the Protector. Long range launchers have similar limitations. Payload on the capital missile launchers is only about a third that of the Protector although payload of long range missiles is about eighty percent that of a Protector.

The Human Alliance battleship has the ability to travel at three and a half light years per hour compared to six light years per hour for the Protector. Acceleration in normal space is also about twenty percent less on the Yamato class compared to the newer Consortium battleship. The battleship does use an anti-matter power plant although the reactor cannot operate as long between refueling. Variable shields are about eighty percent as strong on the Yamato and the older battleship is also less well armored. Even so, the Yamato class is quite tough. Sensor systems are not quite the equal of those of the Protector and the Human Alliance design requires a slightly larger crew than the newer Consortium design.

Fighter compliment is slightly smaller than the Protector class with no heavy fighters embarked. An effort has been made to replace older fighters in most of the battleships operated by the Human Alliance but a number still operate older fighters or a mix of old and new fighter types. Mothball battleships, both in Human Alliance and Consortium service, are much more likely to carry older fighter types in their hangers.

There has also been an effort to replace the older armored vehicles and assault craft although many troops prefer the older Kramer hover tank over the newer Phalanx hover tank. The Lynx wheeled design is also often preferred over the Wolfen Maniple design by many troops. Because the Yamato carries less troops and vehicles, the Human Alliance battleship can drop its troops normally slightly faster. It normally takes from four to six trips to drop off all of the embarked rroops.

Yamato class battleships in the service of the Consortium Armed Forces or in mothballs and in service in the Human Alliance Forces Navy are named after famous warships (Both Ocean and Space) not including carriers. Generally these are battleships or their equivalent for the time period. Examples include Yamato, Bismark, Victory, Arizona, and Aurora.

Starship design uses modified starship speeds and weapon ranges. See Revised Starship Rules for Phase World for more details.

Model Type: SB-43
Vehicle Type: Battleship
Crew: 1,680 (180 Officers, 1,500 enlisted)
Troops: 2,000 (Includes 250 Power Armor Crews, 100 fighter pilots / crews, 32 shuttle pilots / crews, and 400 tank / armored vehicle crews.)

Vehicles: Ship not in the C.A.F. or H.F.N. fleets may have totally different types of vehicles as ships compliment but numbers will be about the same for the various classes of vehicles. Compliments can also be a mix between old and new compliments.
Old Compliment:
Power Armors & Robots:

250

HAFA-PA-06 Steel Grunt Power Armor

Fighter Compliment:

	12	SF-9 Vixen Light Starfighters
	12	SF-6A Osprey Medium Starfighters (Attack)
	12	SF-6I Osprey Medium Starfighters (Interceptor)
	4	SF-12 Puma Heavy Starfighters

Assault Shuttles:

4

AS-4 Assault Shuttles

Tanks & Other Vehicles:

	40	HAFA-MBT-12 Kramer Main Battle Tanks
	20	HAFA-AMV-133-LRM Sentry Missile Vehicle (Long Range)
	20	HAFA-AMV-133-MRM Sentry Missile Vehicle (Medium Range)
	50	HAFA-APC113 Lynx Armored Personnel Carrier (Wheeled)

New / Modern Compliment:
Power Armors & Robots:

	40	SH-CCW100 Silver Hawk Power Armors
	150	CAF-PA-10 Ground Pounder Power Armors
	50	CAF-AR-20 Bombard Infantry Robots
	4	BR-CCW2000 Battleram Robots

Fighter Compliment:

	12	SF-69 CAF Scorpion Star Interceptor
	12	BIF-67 Katana Star fighters
	12	SF-101 Black Eagle Star fighters

Assault Shuttles:

4

SAS-12 CAF Assault Shuttles

Tanks & Other Vehicles:

	40	MBT-35 Phalanx Main Battle Tanks
	50	IFV-100 Maniple Infantry Fighting Vehicle

M.D.C. By Location:

	40 cm Main Particle Beam Batteries (2, 3 particle beams each):	4,000 each
	18 cm Secondary Particle Beam Batteries (2):	1,000 each
	12 cm Heavy Laser Cannons (8):	750 each
	Point Defense Electromagnetic Rail Gun Turrets (12):	150 each
	Double Barrel Point Defense Laser Turrets (12):	150 each
	Cruise Missile Batteries (4):	800 each
	Long Range Missile Batteries (8):	500 each
	Mini-Missile Launchers (12):	100 each
	Outer Hull (40 ft/ 12.2 m Area):	200
	Inner Hull (40 ft/ 12.2 m Area):	120
	[1] Bridge:	50,000
	[1] Auxiliary Bridge:	50,000
	Hanger Bay:	60,000
	[2] Main Engines (4):	25,000 each
	[3] Main Body:	200,000
	[4] Variable Force Field:	12,000 a side (72,000 Total)

Notes:
[1] In reality this is how much damage needs to be done for a weapon to hit the bridge through the ships armor. This ship also has an auxiliary bridge. Even if both bridges are taken out, the ship can still be piloted from engineering but ship is -3 to dodge and all weapon systems will be at local control. Weapon hits near the bridge that do not penetrate the ships integrity can injure crew members on or near the bridge.
[2] Destroying the main engines means that ship F.T.L. systems are destroyed and maximum sublight speed is reduced by half.
[3] Depleting the M.D.C. of the main body will put the battleship out of commission. All internal systems will shut down, including life support and internal gravity. The ship itself will be an unsalvageable floating wreck.
[4] Shields positions can be varied and all could be combined in one shield. Shields regenerate at the rate of 5% (3,600 M.D.C.) per melee round.

Speed:
Driving on the Ground: Not Possible.
Sublight: Has a special sublight engine that allows the ship to travel up to 60 percent of the speed of light. Star Ship can accelerate/decelerate at the rate of 0.75 percent of light per melee.
Atmospheric Propulsion: Maximum speed is 350 mph (563 kph), can enter an atmosphere and can leave but is not designed for atmospheric flight
Stardrive: Uses a Gravitonic Drive system that allows the ship to reach a maximum of 3.5 lightyears per hour.
Maximum Range: Effectively Unlimited by either Drive system. Carries about four years worth of supplies on board.

Statistical Data:
Length: 3,600 feet (1,097 meters)
Height: 550 feet (167.6 meters)
Width: 850 feet (259.1 meters)
Weight: 14 Million Tons (12.7 million Metric Tons)
Power System: Anti-Matter with a 25 year life span. The ship normally only goes 7 years between refueling and refitting.
Cargo: Cargo holds are scattered about the ship that allows for carrying up to 400,000 tons (362,900 metric tons) of cargo in addition to standard compliment of supplies and ammunition. Each enlisted crew member has a small locker for personal items and uniforms. Ships officers have more space for personal items. Most of the ships spaces are taken up by extra ammunition, armor, troops, weapons, engine, and other equipment.
Market Cost: Ship would cost about 40 billion credits to manufacture in present time in the Three Galaxies. Ships are no longer being produced. When available, these ships sell for 100+ billion credits because of the rarity of battleships. Cost does not include embarked craft.

WEAPON SYSTEMS:

1. Two (2) 40 cm Main Particle Beam Batteries (6 Particle Beams Total): Mounted along the sides of the hull are two mounts with three 40 cm particle beams on each mount. While these weapons are not quite as powerful as the 40 inch laser batteries on the Protector, they are quite powerful and capable of taking out huge targets. Each battery can fire at up to three different targets or can be combined on one target. These cannons are capable of firing forward to aft and anywhere along the side of the ship. The cannons are also capable of 45 degrees up or down. When these weapons are massed, they are capable of taking out cruisers in two blasts. The weapon system cannot be used to engage targets while traveling at FTL velocities.
   Maximum Effective Range: 70,000 miles (112,650 km)in space and 70 miles (112.7 km) in an atmosphere
   Mega Damage: 1D6x1,000 MDC each Particle Beam. All three in a battery can be combined to inflict 3D6x1,000 MDC.
   Rate of Fire: Maximum of three (3) times per melee per particle beam (Battleship has 6 cannons so ship can fire a total of 24 single shots from the main battery per melee round.)
   Payload: Effectively Unlimited.
2. Two (2) 18 cm Secondary Particle beam batteries: These 18 cm particle beams are mounted in the forward area of the ship. Batteries can be fired up to 120 degrees toward the rear on either side (can only fire one cannon at a target at that angle but can spin to be able to bring both batteries to bear) and can fire at a 30 degree angle up or down. The weapon system cannot be used to engage targets while traveling at FTL velocities.
   Maximum Effective Range: 70,000 miles (112,650 km)in space and 70 miles (112.7 km) in an atmosphere.
   Mega Damage: 3D6x100 MDC each (6D6x100 MDC for both)
   Rate of Fire: Maximum of three (3) times per melee per particle beam.
   Payload: Effectively Unlimited.
3. Eight (8) 12 cm Heavy Laser Cannons: Laser cannons are used against frigates and as against heavily reinforced targets. Four are located on either side of ship. Weapon has standard minuses to hit fighters and small targets. The barrels can be can be rotated 180 degrees in all directions. Only two can be fired as one volley. The weapon system cannot be used to engage targets while traveling at FTL velocities.
   Maximum Effective Range: 16 miles (25.8 km) through atmosphere and 16,000 miles (25,800 km) in space.
   Mega Damage: 2D6x100 MDC each or 4D6x100 for Two.
   Rate of Fire: Maximum of Two (2) times per melee each laser cannon.
   Payload: Effectively Unlimited.
4. Twelve (12) Electromagnetic Point Defense Rail Guns: Unlike most of the rail guns used on Phase World Starships, these are standard electromagnetic rail guns. Each Rail Gun is in a Turret that can rotate 360 and has a 180 arc of fire. The rail gun still fires projectiles at incredible velocities compared to rail guns on Rifts Earth and projectiles come out of launchers at a significant fraction of the speed of light.. It is used as an anti-Starfighter and missile weapon and against targets that are impervious to energy. The weapon system cannot be used to engage targets while traveling at FTL velocities.
   Maximum Effective Range: 16 miles (26 km) through atmosphere and 800 miles (1,290 km) in space.
   Mega-Damage: 80 round burst does 3D6x10 M.D.
   Rate of Fire: Equal to the combined hand to hand attacks of the Gunner (usually 4 or 5).
   Payload: 16,000 Rounds (200 Bursts) each cannon.
5. Twelve (12) 2 cm Point Defense Lasers in Double Mounts: Used as anti-Starfighter and missile weapon. Each laser turret can rotate 360 and has a 180 arc of fire. The weapon system cannot be used to engage targets while traveling at FTL velocities.
   Maximum Effective Range: 2.5 miles (4 km) miles through atmosphere and 250 miles (40.2 km) in space.
   Mega-Damage: 2D6x10 M.D.
   Rate of Fire: Equal to the combined hand to hand attacks of the Gunner (usually 4 or 5).
   Payload: Effectively Unlimited
6. Four (4) Cruise Missile Batteries: Missile has a top speed of Mach 25 in an atmosphere and in space has an acceleration of 10% of light per turn (far faster than any starship). Whether weapons can be shot down is calculated from the speed of target, launching starship, and missile. When drive goes dead, missile will still cruise unless preset to self destruct or receives a destruct code but has very low odds of hitting star ships (Great for hitting bases and planets because target does not move and missile when dead at -25% to detect.) See Modified starship rules for more details, Cruise missiles have minuses to hit small targets but are all considered smart missiles. Batteries can launch on multiple targets each at the same time. Batteries have a lower number of actual launchers than the modern CAF cruise missile batteries and each launcher is slightly larger in size.
   Maximum Effective Range: Cruise Missile range is 8,000 miles (12,875 km) in an atmosphere and 4,000,000 miles (6,437,376 km/ 21.5 light seconds) in space
   Mega-Damage & Properties: See Phase World Missile Tablea for details (Anti-Matter inflicts 4D6x100 MDC).
   Rate of Fire: One at a time or in volleys of 2, 8, 16, or 24 per launcher, per melee round, for a maximum of 96 missiles per melee. Launchers are reloaded on the same melee and can be fired again on the next.
   Payload: 96 total, 24 cruise missiles per launcher. Ship has 8 reload of missiles (768 cruise missiles reloads total)
7. Eight (8) Long Range Missile Launchers: Missile has a top speed of Mach 20 in an atmosphere and in space has an acceleration of 8% of light per turn (faster than any starship). Whether weapons can be shot down is calculated from the speed of target, launcher, and missile. When drive goes dead, missile will still cruise unless set to self destruct but has very low odds of hitting star ships (Great for hitting bases and planets because target does not move and missile when dead at -25% to detect.) Long range missiles do not have minuses to hit small targets unlike cruise missiles and are all considered smart missiles. Batteries can launch on multiple targets each at the same time. Batteries have a lower number of actual launchers than the modern CAF long range missile batteries and each launcher is slightly larger in size.
   Maximum Effective Range: Long Range Missile range is 3,400 miles (5,470 km) in an atmosphere and 1,800,000 miles (2,89700 km/9.7 light seconds) in space.
   Mega-Damage & Properties: See Phase World Missile Tablea for details (Fusion inflicts 2D4x100 MDC).
   Rate of Fire: One at a time or in volleys of 2, 8, 16, or 24 per launcher, per melee attack.
   Payload: 1,920 total, 240 long range missiles per launcher.
8. Twelve (12) Mini-Missile launchers: These are missile turrets used for point defense against enemy fighters and missiles. Missile has a top speed of Mach 10 in an atmosphere and in space has an acceleration of 2% of light per turn (slightly faster than any starship except if it is exceeding it maximum safe acceleration). Batteries can launch on multiple targets each at the same time.
   Maximum Effective Range: Mini Missile range is 2 miles (3.2 km) in an atmosphere and 100 miles (161 km) in space
   Mega-Damage: Varies with mini-missile type (See Phase World Missile Tablea for details.)
   Rate of Fire: Can fire missiles one at a time or in volleys of four (4) or eight (8) mini-missiles.
   Payload: 128 per launcher for a total of 1,536 mini-missiles. Cargo hold has an additional 4,608 mini-missile. Reloading launchers from cargo hold takes 1D6 minutes.

[ Phase World TM, Naruni TM, Kreeghor TM, and CAF TM are trademarks owned by Kevin Siembieda and Palladium Books Inc. ]
[ Rifts® is a registered trademark owned by Kevin Siembieda and Palladium Books Inc.]

Image drawn and copyrighted by "DevilDalek".
More "DevilDalek" artwork at DeviantArt

By Kitsune (E-Mail Kitsune).

Copyright © 1998 & 2011, Kitsune. All rights reserved.