Warship Classifications

Human militaries, while varying greatly in their missions and objectives, tend to operate similar classifications of ships. These are generally based on those used by the United Leagues of Earth since the 24th Century. The smallest of these are patrol craft, which are not true warships, but rather are armed, intra-system vessels intended for policing, search-and-rescue, and short-range escort duty. Logistical ships, such as tugs and fleet tenders, are ubiquitous among human militaries, but are not classified as warships.

Warships

Corvettes

Corvettes are small, fast military or private security vessels intended primarily for convoy protection, minsweeping, minelaying, and interception roles. They are not intended for frontline combat roles in wartime, but can in some cases be used as screening vessels for larger ships, or as commerce raiders. They generally remain within a single star system, but some are equipped with jump drives, including specialised patrol corvettes commonly paired with patrol craft for long-range search and rescue or border security duties. Corvettes generally have a crew complement of a dozen or fewer.

Frigates

Frigates are medium-sized, often multirole warships that form the backbone of most Human navies. They are commonly employed in counter-piracy and border security duties, and in wartime serve as screens for larger warships, and are sometimes used to raid enemy shipping. In addition to general-purpose frigates, there are specialised variants such as the assault frigate, which carries a large marine compliment for assaulting space stations and disabled ships. Frigates tend to have crew complements ranging from 20-40.

Destroyers

Destroyers are a mid-point between frigates and cruisers. They perform many of the same duties as frigates, but are closer in size to cruisers, and more capable of independent and long-range operations, and of engaging enemy warships in pitched battle. Due to their increased cost compared to frigates, they are generally only employed in significant numbers by larger militaries. Their crew complements range from 40-100.

Cruisers

Cruisers are the principle capital ships used in Human navies, forming the core of larger battlegroups. They are heavily armed and moderately armoured, intended primarily for frontline combat and force-projection. They are rarely deployed on their own, generally travelling with multiple frigates and destroyers to serve as screens, and commonly with one or more fleet tenders for logistical support. Modern cruisers have crew complements ranging from 80-300.

Battleships

Battleships are the largest of all human warships, intended to seize and maintain space superiority by the destruction of enemy fleets. They carry large, often antimatter-based power plants, allowing them to wield extremely powerful weapons and defences, including heavy armour. Only the wealthiest states field battleships at all, and their crews number several hundred at least.

Other Military Vessels

Spaceplanes

Spaceplanes are relatively small aerospace vessels designed for operations both in the vacuum of space and within planetary atmospheres. They can take the form of fighters, transports, bombers, multirole craft, or, rarely, interceptors. They are commonly remotely controlled, and some are even fully automated, as prohibitions on automated spaceships do not apply to most spaceplanes. They are most often stationed aboard assault carriers, transports, or fleet carriers for use in planetary operations, but some are capable of independent, or even interstellar, operations. Their crew complements range from 1-20.[br

Patrol Craft

Also known as cutters, patrol craft are armed, intra-system vessels intended for policing, search-and-rescue, and short-range escort duty. They are only lightly armed and armoured, often entirely lacking missiles and shields, and relying on corvettes or frigates to deal with any serious threats they encounter. These vessels are often under the control of a state's orbital guard, rather than their navy, though they may be placed under naval command in times of war. Their crew compliments range from 4-8.

Arsenal Ships

Arsenal ships are, ideally, relatively inexpensive vessels capable of carrying a large armament, typically in the form of missiles. They were experimented with in the early 26th Century before the star states of the Outer Systems had fully established their navies, but were quickly abandoned by most militaries due to their lack of sufficient defence systems and excessive costs. Today, the only arsenal ships seen are improvised conversions, typically employed by pirates. Crew complements could range anywhere from half a dozen to several hundred.

Strike Ships

Strike ships are an evolution of the arsenal ship concept, initially developed by Orizont to counter Tavastia's laser-oriented doctrines as cheaply as possible. They forgo many traditional features of warships, being built entirely around missiles for offense, and armour for defence. They are intended to overwhelm enemy defences with sheer volume of missile fire, while sustaining enemy laser and particle beam fire with heavy ablative armour and radiation shielding. They are slow, and lack any effective defence against enemy missiles, and as such rely on friendly ships to protect them against incoming projectiles. Their crew complements are typically around 50-60.

Fleet Tenders

Fleet tenders are large logistical ships that accompany larger fleets. They carry necessary fuel, ammunition, and other supplies to allow fleets to operate for long periods of time without stopping at port for resupply. They are generally vulnerable, with minimal armaments or defences, and rely on their fleets for protection. They can also be used as transport ships, including to support planetary assaults or invasions. Their crew complements generally range from 50-200.

Assault Carriers

Assault carriers are large military vessels designed primarily for planetary invasions. They carry minimal weaponry, relying on other vessels for protection. They generally carry large numbers of spaceplanes for deployment into planetary atmospheres, as well as several thousand ground personnel, many vehicles, prefabricated facilities, and other equipment. They generally have crew complements exceeding 2000, as well as up to 50,000 ground personnel.

Transport Ships

While Assault Carriers can sometimes be sufficient to establish a beachhead on hostile worlds, they rarely carry a large enough complement to carry out a successful planetary invasion on their own. As such, dedicated troop transports must be used to cheaply transport large numbers of soldiers, vehicles, supplies, and other equipment across interstellar distances. These ships will at most carry point-defence weapons and deflectors, and will always need to be escorted by warships. Their crews number around 100, while they carry up to 100,000 soldiers each, or less if carrying large numbers of vehicles or aircraft.

Fleet Carriers

In past centuries, fleet carriers were large vessels capable of carrying corvette- or frigate-sized warships long distances, and deploying them for battle or other operations. Prior to the Groombridge Tragedy, there also existed a sub-class of drone carriers, which are no longer used due to a combination of legal restrictions on autonomous vessels, and electronic countermeasures making remote-controlled drones untenable. Due to advances in engine technology, the old design morphed from spacecraft carrier into logistical hub, and modern fleet carriers more closely resemble mobile space stations than regular ships. They are used as forward operating bases for large-scale fleet or expeditionary ground operations, and typically have crew sizes well in excess of 1,000.