Bríomhar-class aircraft carrier

Class overview
Name:	Bríomhar-class
Operators:	Royal Ossorian Navy
Preceded by:	Doshásta-class
Succeeded by:	Dochreidte-class
In commission:	1947 - 1977
Planned:	6
Completed:	6
Retired:	6
General characteristics
Type:	Aircraft carrier
Displacement:	45,000 t standard
Length:	295 meters
Beam:	41 meters
Draught:	11 meters
Propulsion:	12 × boilers 4 × geared turbines 4 × screws
Speed:	32 kts
Range:	10,000 nm at 16 kts
Complement:	3,600
Sensors and processing systems:	Type 10-CR early-warning radar Type 11-CA fire-control radar
Armament:	As built 16 × 120 mm/45 caliber dual-purpose guns (8×2) 64 × 40 mm/55 caliber anti-aircraft guns (16×4)
Armor:	Belt: 100 mm Deck: 90 mm Bulkhead: 100 mm
Aircraft carried:	96

The Bríomhar-class was a class of four aircraft carriers built for Royal Ossorian Navy starting in 1944. The class comprised of the ships Bríomhar, Diaganta, Dúthrachtach, Láidir, Iontaofa, and Cróga.

Design

General characteristics

The Bríomhar-class ships had an overall length of 295 m, a beam of 41 m, and a draught of 11 m. She displaced 45,000 t at standard load. Each of the ship's four sets of geared steam turbines drove one 4-bladed propeller and were powered by 12 boilers and were rated at 212,000 shaft horsepower. This gave the Bríomhar-class a speed of approximately 32 knots. She had a range of approximately 10,000 nautical miles at 16 knots.

Flight deck and hangar

The Bríomhar-class ships had a flight deck which was 295 m long. The class was fitted with an enclosed hangar and was outfitted with arrestor gear and two compressed steam catapults. The flight deck was armored, but the hangar armor was eliminated during the design stage. Originally built as straight-deck carriers, the class was refitted with angled flight decks in the 1950s, the first Ossorian carriers to be fitted with this deck arrangement. Two elevators allowed aircraft to be transferred between the hangar and the flight deck. The ships' aircraft capacity was 96 aircraft divided into eight squadrons. The ships' crew totaled 3,600 officers and ratings.

Armament

Like its predecessors in the Misniúil-class and the Doshásta-class, the Bríomhar-class was outfitted with an extremely heavy anti-aircraft battery to compliment its passive armor defenses. To this end, the Bríomhar-class ships were fitted with 16 120 mm dual-purpose guns arrayed in twin mounts around the perimeter of the flight deck, with each gun being provided with 150 rounds. The ships were further armed with an anti-aircraft battery of 64 40 mm anti-aircraft guns in quadruple mounts also positioned around the perimeter of the flight deck.

Ships

Ship	Translation	Hull Number	Builder	Laid down	Launched	Commissioned	Fate
Bríomhar	"Spirited"	IAF 43	HRM Dockyard, Cléire	1944	1945	1947
Diaganta	"Devout"	IAF 44	HRM Dockyard, Cléire	1944	1945	1947
Dúthrachtach	"Earnest"	IAF 45	HRM Dockyard, Cléire	1945	1946	1948
Láidir	"Vigorous"	IAF 46	HRM Dockyard, Cléire	1945	1946	1948
Iontaofa	"Dependable"	IAF 47	HRM Dockyard, Cléire	1946	1947	1949
Cróga	"Courageous"	IAF 48	HRM Dockyard, Cléire	1946	1947	1949