The Oberth Space Destroyers were the first warships ever designed by humanity for use outside of Earth's atmosphere. Designs for the Oberth destroyers began in the year 2000, shortly after the mysterious ASS-1 crash-landed on Earth. The sudden arrival of the extraterrestrial visitor caused widespread panic among the major military powers of the United Nations, and analysts and designers scrambled to come up with defenses against a possible invasion from space. The Oberth destroyers were intended to become Earth's first line of defense against an attack by alien forces. Although the ships represented the most advanced technology available to humanity at the dawn of the new millenium, they were quickly overshadowed and made obsolete by the wonders of overtechnology discovered within the broken hull of the ASS-1.
The designers of the Oberth destroyers created an impressive warship design despite their lack of experience in interstellar warfare. The main armament of the ships consisted of three missile launchers, each containing 6 long-range nuclear missiles (18 total) for use in ship-to-ship combat. The original design for the Oberth also included four front-mounted heavy rail cannons for additional punch, although these were later replaced with beam cannons as overtechnology discoveries made energy weapons practical. The destroyers were also equipped with advanced (for the time) sensors and communications systems, although the UN Spacy lacked FTL sensor and communications technology until years after Space War I.
The first space destroyer to be completed was the Oberth, which was commissioned and put into service in March of 2005. This was quickly followed by the Goddard in June of 2005 and the Tsiolkovsky in September of 2005. However, during initial performance trials the Tsiolkovsky was hijacked by terrorists calling themselves the Anti-United Nations Military Organization. The AUNMO used the Tsiolkovsky to attack a UN spaceship convoy returning from the newly established early warning base on Mars. The terrorist ship quickly overwhelmed and wiped out the unarmed space fleet, and all colonists and UN military personnel aboard were killed. Shortly thereafter the Tsiolkovsky was engaged by the Goddard under the command of Captain Bruno J. Global, and after an extended cat-and-mouse engagement the Tsiolkovsky was destroyed with all hands aboard. This battle represented the first use of overtechnology reaction weaponry in actual combat by humanity.
Following the Tsiolkovsky incident inquiries and investigations stalled the Oberth production program for several years, but in February of 2009 mass production of the space destroyers resumed with the commissioning of the Miranda and Akishima. Between 2009 and 2010 125 destroyers were built and commissioned, and all were in active service when the Bodolza Fleet commenced its final assault on Earth in February of 2010. Unfortunately the Oberth destroyers proved to be no match for the Zentraedi military might, and many were crippled or destroyed. The last surviving Oberth Destroyers where repaired and refitted to be added to the much needed fleet, by 2036 the oberth is still in use for patrols and customs duties. The UN Spacy operates about 70 Oberth class ships now.
RPG STATS
Vehicle Class: Oberth-class Space Destroyer
Type: Extra-atmosphere Escort/Destroyer
Government: United Nations Government (Earth)
Manufacturer: ORTEC Company
Crew: 460 (22 Officers, 438 Crew)
Notable Ships of Class:
- UNSS Oberth (launched March 2005, first space warship in human history)
- UNSS Goddard (launched June 2005, commanded by Captain Bruno J. Grobal. Destroyed Tsiolkovsky in first space battle utilizing reflex weaponry)
- UNSS Tsiolkovsky (launched September 2005, hijacked by Anti-UN terrorists during trials. Destroyed by Goddard)
- UNSS Miranda (launched 2009, destroyed by Zentraedi in first battle of Space War One)
- UNSS Akishima (launched 2009, destroyed by Zentraedi in first battle of Space War One)
SPEEDS:
Speed:
The engines can generate enough thrust to propel the destroyer at speeds equivalent to Mach One (670 mph/1072 kmph) in a planetary atmosphere. Note that the Oberth destroyers have neither sublight engines nor a space fold drive.
Planet bound:
Can land on a planet in an emergency but will NOT be able to take off again.
Maximum Range:
Unlimited (estimated 15 year life span with regular maintenance)
STATISTICAL DATA:
Length: 710 ft (215 m)
Width: 320 ft (97 m)
Height: 191 ft (58 m)
Weight: 72,000 tons (standard)
Fold System: None
Sublight Drive: None
Gravity Control System: None
Main Engine:
ORTEC Thermonuclear Rocket Engine x2
Auxiliary Engine:
ORTEC Rocket Motor Cluster x2, retro rockets x6, numerous vernier engines
Radar System: Advanced Search and Targeting Radar
WEAPON SYSTEMS:
2. HEAVY BEAM CANNONS (4): The Oberth destroyers were also armed with reflex weapon technology recovered from the wreck of the ASS-1. Four forward-mounted beam cannons were added to the design midway through the development process to greatly increase their effectiveness in anti-spaceship warfare (or so the designers hoped). The cannons are fixed forward and can only fire at targets directly in front of the ship.1. HEAVY MISSILE LAUNCHERS (18): The main armament of the Oberth space destroyers consisted of 18 heavy missile launchers, each containing an ICBM-like missile intended for anti-spaceship combat. Each launcher contains a single guided nuclear missile that fires upward and then homes in on its designated target (similar to ICBM launchers on nuclear submarines).
- PRIMARY PURPOSE: Anti-Warship
- RANGE: 2,000 miles (3,184 km)
- SPEED: Mach 2+ (1340 mph/2140 kmph) in an atmosphere.
- BLAST RADIUS: 2,000 feet (610 m)
- RATE OF FIRE: If necessary, all 18 missiles can be fired at the same time
- PRIMARY PURPOSE: Assault
- SECONDARY PURPOSE: Anti-Warship
- RANGE: 80 miles (106 km) in space; half in in atmosphere
SYSTEMS OF NOTE:
- LIFE SUPPORT SYSTEMS: The Oberth destroyers have sufficient life support to provide breathable air and comfortable temperatures for 500 people for up to 12 months (air is recycled). The system cannot reliably support more than 500 people for more than a few days time (besides, there is very little room in Oberth hulls for extra passengers). The ship has enough food and water onboard to support the crew for up to 6 months (can be extended to 9 months with rationing). Because of their limited stockpiles of food, water and air Obetrh destroyers rarely venture beyond the orbit of Mars.
- LONG-RANGE LASER/SATELLITE RELAY COMMUNICATIONS: Oberthdestroyers have impressive communications arrays for their time. The communication system has a direct range of 900 miles (1,440 km), which can be boosted indefinitely by using satellites or other spacecraft to relay communications.
- LONG-RANGE RADAR: The radar array of the Oberth can track and identify up to 200 craft simultaneously. The radar system has a 1,000 mile/1,600 km range.
MECHA COMPLEMENT:
NONE! The Oberth destroyers have a small shuttle bay containing two shuttles for ferrying supplies and passengers between ships. If necessary, this bay can hold up to three variable fighters, but the bay would be crowded almost beyond capacity at this proint. The VFs would have to land and take off in gerwalk mode and cannot convert into any other mode while inside the hangar.
