Colossus-class aircraft carrier

Colossus-class

Class overview
Builders:	Fleet Carrier Alliance
Operators:	Royal Gristo-Serkonan Navy
Preceded by:	Venture-class aircraft carrier
Cost:	GSC 1.21 trillion (USC 7.6 billion)
Built:	2
In commission:	2023 - present
Planned:	2
Completed:	2
Active:	2
General characteristics
Type:	Aircraft carrier
Displacement:	65,000 tonnes
Length:	284 metres
Beam:	62 metres
Draught:	8.4 metres
Installed power:	x2 MAME MGT-1105 gas turbine engines x2 MAME MVE-6687 diesel engines
Propulsion:	Full electric propulsion x4 MAME 20MW induction motors x2 propeller shafts
Speed:	32 knots
Range:	19,000 km
Complement:	110 officers 569 crew
Sensors and processing systems:	T-2C Fleet-Shield Combat Management System HIS AN/VT1-35 multi-function radar HIS AN/VT2-37 surface search radar HIS AN/VTQ-21 undersea warfare combat system HIS FCS-114 fire control system T-2C MSSR VT1000i IFF system T-2C NA-443 EO/IR System T-2C CERBERUS Data Link System T-2C CERBERUS Air-MOD11 DLS T-2C CERBERUS Maritime-MOD12 DLS HIS AN/VT3-45 hull mounted sonar HIS AN/VT8-98 towed array sonar system T-2C OVERWATCH integrated platform management system
Electronic warfare & decoys:	T-2C PANOPLY Mark 2 electronic warfare support measures T-2C PICADOR Mark 2 acoustic decoys T-2C MATADOR Mark 2 RF & IR decoys
Armament:	x2 Mark 35 CIWS x2 Mark 55 CIWS Missile Launchers x4 Mark 17 30mm autocannons Various miniguns
Aircraft carried:	x1 Carrier Air Wing of 40 aircraft with a surge capacity of 65 x36 F-508 Whirlwind STOVL aircraft x2 AW101 Merlin light helicopters x2 HH-148 Cyclone medium helicopters
Aviation facilities:	Large flight deck with 12º ski jump Hangar deck - 155 m x 34 m x 7 m Two aircraft lifts - 27 m x 15 m - 54,500 kg max load

The Colossus-class aircraft carriers of the Royal Gristo-Serkonan Navy consists of two vessels. The lead ship of her class, RGSS Colossus, was named on 8 July 2019 and was commissioned in 14 August 2023. Her sister ship, the RGSS Mammut, was commissioned on 13 December 2023. They form the central components of the Gristo-Serkonan Naval Carrier Strike Groups with the Kanesatake-class light aircraft carriers.

After the decommissioning of the last of the three Arthuristan-designed Venture-class aircraft carriers in 2006, the navy lacked sufficient platforms for its naval aviation assets, now only provided by Oniare-class amphibious assault ships, commissioned in 2007. Plans for the construction of the two new carriers were announced in 2005 under the Next Generation Fleet Carrier Program, though the plans were cancelled in light of the overall downsizing of the armed forces in 2010 and the order for carriers were downsized to two light carriers.

The Fleet Carrier Program was subsequently revived by the administration of Chancellor Kaniehtí:io Fox at the cost of GSC 1.21 trillion (USC 7.6 billion) for the two carriers. Following cost delays and restructuring of the Gristo-Serkonan naval shipbuilding, contracts were signed in 9 October 2018 with the Fleet Carrier Alliance, a partnership formed between Laval Shipbuilding, T-2 Communications, Marklin-Ashton Marine Engineering, the National Office of Defence, and Henley Integrated Systems. A week later, the government published the 2018 Strategic Defence Review, confirming that there will be two carriers available for the navy.

With a displacement of 65,000 tonnes, the Colossus-class are the largest capital ships in service with the Royal Gristo-Serkonan Navy. Its Carrier Air Wing consists of 40 aircraft (36 STOVL aircraft, 4 rotary wing) and is capable of surge capacity to 65 aircraft. Initially conceived to be a CATOBAR carrier, the rising costs of designing the CATOBAR system led to the changing of the design to a STOVL carrier configuration.

Background

Initial design studies for what was then the replacement for the Venture-class carriers were conducted in the mid-1990's. In 1999, companies were invited to tender for the assessment phase of the project. The plans languished in the initial stages due to the political deadlock from 2003 to 2006 and was subsequently shelved indefinitely and a new plan was instead brought forward for two light carriers in 2010 after the downsizing of the military was announced. The two light carriers, named the Kanesatake-class entered service in 2015.

In 2017, the Fleet Carrier Program was announced by Chancellor Stuart Lewis with plans to construct a fleet carrier. A year later, the Gristo-Serkonan government signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the Aigios Defence to acquire the new Whirlwind STOVL fighters. The new aircraft carrier program was super-charged by the new administration of Chancellor Kaniehtí:io Fox, announcing that the government will build two fleet carriers.

General Characteristics

The ship's company is 679, capable of fitting in 1000 when the air crew is added. The ships have a displacement of 65,000 tonnes on delivery, though the design able reach over 75,000 tonnes as the ships are upgraded through their lifetime. The ships' length is 284 metres, a beam of 62 metres, and a draft of 8.4 metres and has a range of 19,000 kilometres. Nuclear propulsion was initially considered, though it was rejected due to high cost and manpower required in favour of full electric propulsion consisting of two MGT-1105 gas turbine engines, two MVE-6687 diesel engines, and four 20MW induction motors all provided by Marklin-Ashton Marine Engineering.

Under the flight deck are a further nine decks. The hangar deck measures 155 by 33.5 metres (509 by 110 ft) with a height of 6.7 to 10 metres. To transfer aircraft from the hangar to the flight deck, the ships have two large lifts, each of which is capable of lifting two Whirlwind STOVL aircraft from the hangar to the flight deck in sixty seconds. The ships' only self-defence weapons are currently fitted with two Mark 35 CIWS, two Mark 55 CIWS Missile Launchers, four Mark 17 30mm autocannons, and various miniguns to counter threats.

Systems

The ship's sensor systems consists of an AN/VT1-35 multi-function radar, the AN/VT2-37 surface search radar, AN/VTQ-21 undersea warfare combat system, AN/VT3-45 hull mounted sonar, AN/VT8-98 towed array sonar system, all provided by Henley Integrated Systems. Other sensors include are the FCS-114 fire control systems, MSSR VT1000i IFF system, and the NA-443 EO/IR sensors from Henley Integrated Systems and T-2 Communications.

Carrier air group

A Colossus-class carrier is capable of operating a maximum of 40 aircraft under normal circumstances, able to operate 65 in extreme circumstances. The ships have a sortie generation rate of up to 110 per day. As the RGSN intends to operate two carriers at once for each geographic Maritime Forces, two carrier air groups are formed to meet this requirement. The carriers' flight deck can be marked out for the operation of 10 medium helicopters at once, allowing the airlift of 250 troops from the carriers. Two HH-218 Cyclones and 2 AW101 Merlins form the Support Flight Unit of the carrier air group, tasked with ASW and AEW operations. Thirty-six F-508 Whirlwind STOVL fighter/bombers form the Fighter Wings of the carrier air group, divided into three squadrons.

Fixed-wing aircraft

Main article: Aigios/Arthuristan Dynamics Whirlwind

Rotary-wing aircraft

Main article: HH-148 Cyclone

Main article: AW101 Merlin

Construction

The building of the carriers were confirmed in 5 June 2018. The building was undertaken by two companies across six shipyards with final integration and assembly occurring in Cavignac Shipyards.

• Henley Marine Systems-Laval Shipbuilding:
  • Cavignac (Sponsons, Mast and Centre Blocks 1 and 2)
  • Garafraxa (Superstructure and Centre Block 3)
  • Harns (Centre Blocks 4 and 5)
  • Hitra (Lower Blocks 1 and 2)
• Chantier Vouzon
  • Vouzon (Lower Block 3)
  • Verkun (Lower Blocks 4 and 5)

Name	Pennant	Builders	Ordered	Laid Down	Launched (floated)	Commissioned	Status
RGSS Colossus	CVF-200	Fleet Carrier Alliance, Cavignac Shipyards	8 July 2019	4 December 2019	10 January 2022	14 December 2023	Active in service
RGSS Mammut	CVF-201			6 January 2020	10 March 2023	13 February 2024	Active in service