The STRC Wolf's Lair

Dear sirs,

It is with great pride and pleasure that I now present to you the latest addition to our fleet: the Calamari built Strike Carrier. After learning that Wolfshead squadron has been assigned to testing this new ship class we have named it the 'Wolfs Lair'. The ship will officially begin her maiden voyage at a ceremony next week and we hope you will all be able to attend.

In the following I will attempt to give a brief technical description of the Wolfs Lair as well as pointing out what tactical considerations has influenced certain design features. Please refer to the minutes from the High Command meeting when the ship was commissioned for further details (see ref. [1]).

Due to limited resources and constant shortage of personnel the Alliance has always relied more on starfighters than large starships in stellar warfare. This has proven to be a correct way of battling the much larger Imperial fleet, which has been slow in adapting itself to our hit-and-fade tactics.

One area of concern has been the lack of specialized starfighter carriers, specifically designed to carry Alliance starfighters. Our Nebulon B frigates have long performed the role of carriers, but their limited hangar capacity and rather outdated design was a main reason for the proposal of a new starship class, put forward at a meeting immediately following the battle of Hoth (ref. [1]).

The initial specifications was as follows:

A compact, sturdy, frame with a total length not exceeding that of a Nebulon B.

The capacity to carry no less than 24 Alliance starfighters, complete with ammunition, pilots, and maintenance personnel.

(After suggestions from general Madine) In addition to the fighters, to carry up to four troop/personnel transport/boarding ships and shuttles.

The ability to deploy ground troops (using transports and shuttles) and a 'normal' on board capacity of a full platoon of Alliance soldiers.

The ability to operate individually, without the need to re-supply, for at least a year at a time.

A sub light speed comparable to that of a Blockade Runner.

Adequate armament and shielding. The ship should have good missile defense, offensive capabilities will consist of deployment of the starfighters.

The ability to operate with a minimal crew.

We have been able to meet, and in some cases exceed, the above requirements.

In the following, I will go through different features of the ship, hopefully without boring you with technical details.

Transports and shuttles are normally stored in the hangar, while starfighters have a dedicated storage area in the front of the ship. Elevators are normally used to lower the fighters down to the hangar deck, where they are armed and fueled before a launch.

In an emergency launching can be done at a rate of one flight (four starfighters, launching in pairs from both hangar openings) every 40 seconds.

The two way hangar makes it possible to have crafts landing and taking off simultaneously with little or no risk of collisions. There has been concerns about hot-headed pilots actually flying through the hangar, but we judge that to be highly unlikely due to the great risk of doing such a foolhardy thing.

The strike carrier is also equipped with adequate pilot quarters, complete with a briefing room and flight simulator facilities. Pilot and crew quarters are located under the primary bridge (in the ex-secondary bridge).

After suggestions from general Madine, the strike carrier is also able to deploy troops and commando units. In order for the troops to be able to stay on board for longer periods of time, ample training facilities have been added, both for weapons practice and physical excercise.

Although not so heavily armed in terms of turbolaser turrets as an escort frigate, we assume that the added ion cannon will be able to slow down larger warships enough for the strike carrier to escape. We also assume that with an onboard capacity of almost three full starfighter squadrons, any such attack will cost the attacker dearly. Besides, the strike carrier has not been designed for an offensive role, at least not when operating alone.

We are also testing a new propulsion technology on this the first model. It is not very effective, but gives such low particle and energy emission that the ship is practically invisible to most sensors when running the 'silent engines'. We hope this might be helpful when traveling through contested areas of space, or when trying to make a planetary drop without being detected.

The bridge is located on the side of the ship, all around view is provided by large view screens. There is also a CIC located in the middle of the ship, fully equipped with command consoles, etc, as the primary bridge location is somewhat vulnerable. Our initial designs had a secondary bridge placed in various locations on the hull, but after suggestions from admiral Ackbar it has now been transformed to crew quarters. It has been shown [ref. 2] that having a large view port, such as the one on the Wolfs Lair, present in the crew quarters greatly enhances the quality of crew accommodations. Also the crew resistance to "space sickness", depression and anxiety due to prolonged space travels, is greatly enhanced.

We hope that the ship will be able to fulfill its intended role with flying colors, and wish the Wolfs Lair a victorious journey.

May the Force be with you!