House of Steel The Honorverse Companion - By David Weber Page 0,197
service in both the RMN and GSN as a dedicated “LAC killer.”
Faith-class system defense unit
Mass: 11,250 tons
Dimensions: 138 × 23 × 21 m
Acceleration: 409.3 G (4.014 kps²)
80% Accel: 327.5 G (3.211 kps²)
Broadside: 12M, 1L, 1AC
Chase: 1L, 1AC
Service Life: 1891–1907
The Faith-class unit’s formal designation in Grayson service was “system defense unit” rather than “light attack craft” because it was actually the primary sublight system defense platform for the primitive, pre-Alliance GSN and massed barely twelve percent as much as a contemporary Grayson cruiser. However, those units were widely regarded as LAC analogs by other navies, given their mission requirements.
The Faith class was divided into at least three distinct subtypes, but the weapons fit between them is nearly identical. The major changes between subtypes are in the sensors, electronic warfare packages, and fire control systems. Like many pre-Alliance GSN units, the Faith class were protected by point defense autocannon, as the smallest pre-Alliance Grayson beam installation was far too large and slow firing to be an effective missile defense system. The designs are crude compared to modern units, but the Faith class performed well in the final Masadan attack.
Fission power plants driving plasma accelerators for gravitic conversion were standard in these units, and the inability to refit more modern Manticoran gravitic radscreens into their powerplants was a major factor in their retirement. The GSN initially considered upgrading them to modern GRAVMAK fusion plants similar to those used in RMN LACs, but decided against it. The tradeoffs revealed in that study convinced the GSN to propose the combination of Grayson fission reactors with Manticoran shielding materials and screen generators that ultimately resulted in the Shrike’s powerplant, however.
Another significant presage of the Shrike design were the Faith’s spinal laser weapons. While most impeller drive warships mount their largest weapons in their chase batteries, the Faith-class mounts were unusually large compared to their broadside mounts, requiring a dedicated plasma accelerator to feed them from the fission pile. The Faith-class’ designers realized that the platform needed improved turn rates if its crews were going to survive to use these weapons and gave it larger maneuvering gyros and more wedge torque than previous designs. All of these features provided valuable experience for designing the Shrike around a single spinal beam.
Shrike-B-class light attack craft
(for specification, see RMN Shrike-B-class LAC)
Service Life: 1915–present
While involved heavily in the initial Shrike research and development, Grayson lagged behind Manticore by several years in operational LAC and carrier deployment. A number of early Shrikes were in service with Systems Command as research and development testbeds, but the first advanced LAC class in GSN service was its own Shrike-B variant. The differences between the models are minor and each can operate from the other’s carriers as necessary.
Katana-class light attack craft
Mass: 19,500 tons
Dimensions: 71 × 20 × 20 m
Acceleration: 640.4 G (6.28 kps²)
80% Accel: 512.3 G (5.024 kps²)
Forward: 5M/CM, 3PD
Aft: 6PD
Service Life: 1917–present
Originally designed as the Grayson answer to the Ferret-class, the Katana does everything Graysonwanted a Ferretto do without trying to fill the antiship role. The Graysons realized early on that the primacy of the LAC in the antiship role was time-limited and began looking for ways to create a space-superiority fighter with enhanced dogfighting capabilities. The cancellation of the RMN’s own Space Superiority LAC Program under the Janacek Administration made the Katana class the only functional space-superiority LAC in the Manticoran Alliance.
The Katana carries five high-speed launchers capable of launching either standard Mk31 counter-missiles or the Mk9 Viper anti-LAC missile. These off-bore launchers are capable of launching into virtually any open aspect, including directly aft.
With no provision to carry the larger shipkillers, magazine levels have been increased over even that of a Ferret. The Katana also carries a trio of heavy superdreadnought-grade point defense clusters forward, optimized for antimissile defense but powerful enough to be used against other LACs in close combat. Aft, they carry a standard ring of light point defense clusters like the Shrikes and Ferrets.
The Katanas are slightly smaller and substantially more maneuverable than any of the other Shrike variants, with improved electronic warfare capabilities as well as the new two-phase “buckler” bow wall. Their multipurpose launchers fire the Viper missile, which can be used in either counter-LAC or counter-missile mode. Used in the second mode, the Viper remains an extremely capable counter-missile, matching the antimissile performance of the cheaper dedicated Mark 31 counter-missile from which it was derived.
In addition to its dogfighting role, the GSN and RMN have recently begun to use the Katana to supplement fleet missile defense, especially