Paradisa Class Helicopter Carrier

Class overview
Name:	Paradisa Class Helicopter Carrier
Builders:	Blacksword-Miller Shipyards
Operators:	Blackhelm Confederacy
In service:	1992-Present
General characteristics
Type:	Helicopter carrier
Displacement:	17,950 tons (standard); 20,500 tons (full load)
Length:	640 ft
Beam:	85 ft
Draught:	45 ft
Propulsion:	2 shaft steam turbines, 4 pressure fire boilers, 100,000 hp
Speed:	31 knots
Range:	14,000 nm at 12 knots
Crew:	850
Sensors and processing systems:	Type 96 3D radar Type 477 navigational Radar Type 653 bow sonar Astra-4 satcom 2 × Type 103 Aircraft Control Radar
Electronic warfare & decoys:	DLF decoy Electronic Support Measures Surface Ship Torpedo Defence (SSTD)
Armament:	2 × Sacellanus block launchers (12 missiles each) retractable below deck 2 × Kashtan CIWS 1x 155mm cannon 1 × VLS launcher for anti submarine missiles (36 missiles) 10× 553 mm torpedo tubes (2 × 5)
Aircraft carried:	18 x helicopters

The Paradise-class helicopter carriers were developed explicitly to protect the Mare Ferum and Confederate submarine bastions in the Sinus Salacia and Sinus Neptunus. The design is very unusual in that it combines features of a cruiser, notably the large forward battery, and that of a carrier into one hull. All aircraft on the Paradisa class vessels are stored internally, and are raised to the deck by means of two elevators. The deck contains five landing spaces.

Design

The vessel was designed with requirements to combat various Western submarine fleets and deny them operational abilities withint he Mare Ferum. In combat the ship is meant to use its helicopters to create a screen 34-48 miles around the carrier. These helicopters would use sonobuoys and dipping sonar to find enemy submarines. Once detected, the submarines would be engaged by either the helicopters (using torpedoes) or the ship itself. The ship would also use its powerful sonar to help guide other ASW ships towards targets as well. One of the biggest drawbacks of the vessel is the relatively cramped living conditions below decks. Despite these complaints, however, the vessel does her job admirably, and represents one of the Confederacy's first lines of defense in eastern Astyria.

Armament

On top of the helicopters, the vessel also has a 36 cell VLS launcher, torpedo tubes, and as previously mentioned a large 155mm cannon which can be used both in a shore bombardment, anti-shipping, or more commonly to fire ASW projectiles. For defense, the ship also has two retractable twelve cell Seacellanus block launchers and a pair of Kasthan CIWS system, one at the bow and the other at the stern of the vessel.

Sensors

Radar

• Type 96 3D radar
• Type 477 navigational Radar
• 2 × Type 103 Aircraft Control Radar

Sonar

• Type 653 bow sonar

Propulsion

Paradisa class carriers are the first ships of the Blackhelm Confederate Navy to use azimuth thrusters. The thrusters are powered by electricity from five 16-cylinder Griffincrest 16V32 diesel alternators, and can be oriented in any angle. This propulsion technology gives the ships significant manoeuvering capabilities, as well as freeing up space normally reserved for propeller shafts.

Ships

• Paradisa
• Divinitia
• Virerica
• Cathentaea