TNV Combat Shuttle

Description

The standard shuttle in the TNV fleet omits the term combat from its name because all TNV vessels are meant for combat. It has very light armor and only moderate shields, but its engines are sufficient to make it capable of long range jumps if at a much slower rate than more powerful vessels. Shuttles have a broad back with a large rear cargo door and a more angular nose with two seats in the cockpit and four more seats in the back along with equipment and weapon storage. Not nearly as maneuverable as a fighter, they are still dangerous to other small craft and, with careful piloting, some mid-sized vessels. No one ever got onto a TNV shuttle thinking it was a death wish.

Specifications

Length: 22 m
Height: 6 m
Width: 12 m
Crew: 1-2
Max Crew Capacity: 6

Powerplant

Primary

Temporal distortion amplified fusion reactor

Secondry

Reserve battery and fuel cell

Engines

Sublight

Fusion thrust impulse engine

Long Range

Space-fold dimensional crossing

Sensors

Standard multi-spectral passive sensors

Enhanced gravity sensors

Standard analytical scanners

Basic combat targeting scanners and computer - separate dedicated system

Defensive Systems

Light Armor

The hull is lightly armored and consists of a bi-layer system with a kinetic absorption layer below to protect from kinetic weapons and a energy reflective exterior layer to disperse energy weapons. Like most small TNV craft, armor is an afterthought as most weapons they use will destroy armor and makes shields their primary defense.

Defensive Shields

Moderately good against both kinetic and energy weapons. Shuttles are combat worthy but are generally not expected to move without fighter support.

Cloaking Device

This is standard on most small TNV systems including shuttles. This nearly eliminated a shuttle's visual and sensor readings, but it cannot hide its mass and all of its engine thrust from being detected.

Navigational Deflector

A small, dedicated deflector meant to protect the shuttle from micrometeorites and harmful radiation in flight.

Offensive Systems

Particle Beams

The shuttle has two mounted front and one rear emitter. The bread and better weapon of most small craft, particle beams straddle the line between a full mass driver and a dedicated photon weapon. They use highly charged, focused, and accelerate gas streams as a feed stock and converts them into proton and neutron beam weapons. Generally good and ruining deflector shields and still has some ability to eat armor.

25 mm Gauss Cannon

Two forward mounted tri-barrel cannons. Ammunition comes from a matter-energy converter and thus ties reloading the weapon to the reactor output although there is a reasonable size magazine. Capable of firing singe and three shot bursts, this is a precision weapon during high density composite slugs. Not as effective against most shields, they are capable of causing extensive armor damage.