Paradisa Class Helicopter Carrier
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| Class overview | |
|---|---|
| Name: | Paradisa Class Helicopter Carrier |
| Builders: | Blacksword-Miller Shipyards |
| Operators: |
 Blackhelm Confederacy |
| In service: | 1992-Present |
| General characteristics | |
| Type: | Helicopter carrier |
| Displacement: |
list error: <br /> list (help) 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: |
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| Electronic warfare & decoys: |
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| Armament: |
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| 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