The Erebus class is a new class of escort missile frigate introduced in YE 43 as part of a new fleet expansion initiative in the New Dusk Conclave. Its spaceframe is also used as the basis of several other types of frigates.

Designed in YE 43 alongside the YE 43 Fleet Expansion Program, the Erebus class was designed to provide a flexible and low-cost fleet support vessel. While it did not replace the versatile NDC-SS1, it does provide the NDC with a smaller and more swiftly-manufacturable supplement.

The design of the Erebus was the result of many ship captains noting that the spinal armament of the SS1 required extremely accurate firing solutions and frequent ship maneuvering, and so it was designed to use missiles as its main armament, a choice intended to allow the Erebus to engage in fire support without leaving escort formations.

After the initial design phase was completed, it was discovered that the basic spaceframe of the Erebus-class was versatile enough to be used in several other applications, and a number of variant classes were designed.

The Erebus Class is a type of small missile frigate, barely large enough to be considered a proper warship rather than an overgrown shuttle. Its small size makes it an economical choice for providing fire support to a fleet with its 20-tube missile array which runs down the spine of the ship. In addition to its missile armament, the Erebus class has a formidable complement of point-defense weaponry to allow it to screen for larger warships.

The Erebus class is intended primarily for escort duties. While capable of independent operation, it is most often seen in fleets.

• Fleet Escort/Screening
• Fleet Fire Support

The Erebus class is long and narrow, with a hull that is taller than it is wide. It has 4 larger turrets on small outcroppings on the side of its hull, and numerous smaller point defense turrets. It has two winglets, a small hangar towards the rear of the ship on its upper surface, and a small fin on the underside.

The Erebus class frigate is a fast frigate-weight starship.

This section details statistics and performance information about the Erebus class Frigate

Crew: 8 operators are recommended ¹⁾, 5 are required. ²⁾

Supplemental MI Crew: 4³⁾ plus 20 maintenance drones.

Security and Air Wing: 20 ⁴⁾

Maximum Capacity: There are accommodations for 30 people, with cabins convertible for quad-occupancy. About 150 people can fit aboard in an emergency in the various spaces aboard the ship, but the ship would be extremely cramped.

• Length: 120 meters (393.7 feet)
• Width: 30 meters (Main hull) (98.4 feet), 48.5 meters (sensor booms) (159.1 feet)
• Height: 38.2 meters⁵⁾ (125.3 feet)
• Decks: 6 (5 meters each ⁶⁾ )
• Mass: 120,000 tons

• Wormhole Drive: 0.2ly/m with Tunnel Drive
• Sublight Engines: .395c

See Damage Rating (Version 3) for a guide to damage ratings to include.

• Hull Tier: Tier 10, Medium Armor
• Shield Tier: Tier 10

The interior of the Erebus class is cramped by most standards, but the living sections are comfortable.

The Erebus is designed with combat in mind. Much of the critical equipment is located towards the stern of the ship, and a great deal of its volume is dedicated towards its weapons package

The design of most of the Erebus' compartments are informed by the limited internal space of a ship of its size. As such, most spaces are designed to make the most efficient use of the limited space in the starship.

The Erebus' main armory is located on deck 5. It contains the equipment for the ship's security detail, including Revenant MKIIs and power armor weaponry for one fireteam.

The bridge of the Erebus class incorporates ARCO-S, but is typically arranged in a slightly oblong semicircle, with consoles located around the perimeter, the captain's console in the center, and the ship's Ghost Chamber towards the rear of the captain's console.

It is movable, and when the ship is not in a combat state it is located on deck 1, sharing space with the flight control center⁷⁾ located in deck 1's tower. During combat, a special lift will transfer the bridge itself down into deck 2, where it merges with the CIC, which is similarly arranged to the flight control center to account for the bridge's movement.

While there are many smaller storage alcoves throughout the starship, the Erebus' main hold is located to the fore of the ship. It takes up space on decks 5 and 6 has the capacity to hold 12 SSCC-Large with some room to spare. There is a cargo lift directly connected to the bay to allow loading from the ground.

The Erebus class has four double occupancy crew cabins, located on the left of decks 3-4. Each cabin is 5m by 3m, and contains two loft beds, with desks underneath, two closets, and a small couch.

The captain's quarters are located on the right of deck 3, and has the same footprint but is configured for single occupancy, and uses some of the saved space for a private bathroom.

The ship's security complement stays in separate barracks on deck 5, directly adjacent to the ship's armory.

The Erebus class has a number of modest crew facilities located centrally and amidships on decks 3-4. On deck 4 are the ship's wardroom and galley, which are directly connected.

The galley is composed of an automated kitchen and an eating area, and the Wardroom is a multifunction room with the capability of serving as either a crew lounge or a meeting room. It has several couches, a holographic display, and a large meeting table.

On Deck 5 is the ship's small exercise room, which has several treadmills, weightlifting equipment, and a sandbag.

Both decks house communal washrooms.

The Erebus class' engineering space is located to the rear of the ship on decks 3 and 4. This space has access to the ship's daedalus module for complex machining, and additionally serves as the nexus of the ship's network of maintenance tunnels.

The Erebus class' hangars are located to the rear of the ship, above the engines. The Hangar is kept in zero-gravity no matter the ship's environment, and the entrance to the hangar bay is kept protected from the vacuum of space and hostile environments by a chromatic hangar entrance.

The floor of the enclosed portion of the hangar bay on Deck 1 is positioned on a single axis pivot, which can allow the floor of the hangar bay to flip itself, exchanging the small craft clamped to the floor on Deck 1 for the small craft clamped to the 'ceiling' on deck 2 (Though in zero-gravity, the distinction between floor and ceiling has little meaning.)

This mechanism allows the Erebus to store two small craft in a relatively small space. The Erebus also has space for maintenance and basic machining on Deck 2, though not enough room to store another small craft.

The spaceframe of the Erebus class is composed of several layers; the Armor layer, the Backing layer, and the Structural Frame.

The Armor Layer of the Erebus class' spaceframe is composed of Madite-reinforced Osmanium panels. These panels are designed to be quickly removed for repair and replacement. From a distance, the panels are not visible, but close inspection of the hull will reveal a hexagon pattern formed by the edges of the armor panels.

The Backing Layer of the spaceframe is composed of honeycomb. The 'edges' of each cell are composed of thin walls of more Madite-reinforced Osmanium, and the 'filling' of each cell is foamed Madite-S. This layer provides the structure upon which the panels of the armor layer are affixed, forms a buffer between internal compartments and the armor layer, and self-sealing capabilities.

Finally, the Structural Frame is the skeleton of the starship, composed of solid Madite-reinforced Osmanium.

Like the Spectre class, the Erebus Class uses a King class as well as EVE cores to manage automated systems aboard the starship. As on the Spectre, the AIs are able to manifest avatars using volumetric projectors. Like all modern Conclave vessels, the Erebus class also integrates the Anima system, allowing starship operation via possession, and supports sentient decision making with various automated systems and MIs.

The emergency systems of the Erebus class are designed to allow vessels of the class to retain functionality even in the event of drastic damage. All internal compartments are environmentally sealed, and all internal doors are rated for vacuum, to allow rooms to remain survivable so long as they are not compromised. Additionally, each compartment additionally has emergency life support functions, such as air recycling, to allow for survival over extended periods.

In the event of gravity loss, all passageways and most rooms have handholds located on various surfaces to allow for zero-gravity navigation of the starship, and if the ship is damaged beyond saving, lifeboats are located amidships on deck 4.

The life support systems of the Erebus class are distributed across the ship, with units being located in between habitable decks. Like the units on the Spectre class, these units use few moving parts, instead relying on self-cleaning membranes and gravitic mechanisms, allowing for long periods of use without failure or replacement.

The Erebus class is propelled by one central class 5 and two auxiliary class 4 Vortex Plasma Thrusters. Additional gravitic drives are used for backup thrust and in-atmosphere operation capability. Finally, numerous small reaction-control thrusters dot the surface of the starship for precision maneuvering.

Like its larger and older sibling, the Spectre class , the Erebus class utilizes an Ancile shield system for all-around protection. Additonally, the Ancile provides stealth capabilities to the starship in a similar manner to the shroud system on the Spectre-class Stealth Cruiser.

• 1x 20 tube vertical Missile array: Tier 12
• 4x Cerberus cannon: Tier 10
• 10x Plasma Repeater Turret: Tier 7

The Erebus class has a small auxiliary craft complement, as its size restricts it from holding more than two.

The Erebus class typically carries a single Bolt shuttle, kept in the deck 4 portion of the hangar space.

The Erebus class typically carries a single Sparrowhawk Variable Frame, kept on standby in the deck 3 portion of the hangar space.

During the design phase of the Erebus class, a number of variant classes were developed. While each variant class is mostly identical, they differ in their weapons loadouts.

Designed to bring a disproportionate punch to the table, the Styx variant of the Erebus class allows fleets of primarily light tonnage to bring heavier weaponry to bear and enables them to pose a threat to light capital ships, at the expense of their point defenses and secondary weaponry. This makes them vulnerable to attack by fighters and more maneuverable starships and useful only when adequately protected.

• 1x Havoc cannon: Tier 13
• 8x Plasma Repeater Turret: Tier 7

Initially designed based on a request from the Duskerian Orbital Guard for a new starship that could be used in anti-piracy operations against smaller pirate and smuggler starships, the new variant was soon co-opted into mainline service. The Charon variant of the Erebus class focuses in more on point defense and combat against small ships, with its large array of turrets enabling it to lock down areas and engage large groups of smaller targets.

• 8x Cerberus cannon: Tier 10
• 10x Plasma Repeater Turret: Tier 7

Alex Hart created this article on 2021/03/28 13:36.

Approved by Wes