The Asuka-class Supply Carrier, also referred to as the Supply Carrier Asuka Class[4] or as the Asuka Class Fast Combat Tender,[5] is a carrier class of Earth Federation Cosmo Navy, derived from the earlier Dreadnought-class Vanguard Starship.
Named after its lead ship Asuka and originally classified as the Modified Dreadnought Asuka-class Supply Carrier,[6] also referred to as the Modified Dreadnought-class Supply Carrier or Modified Dreadnought-class,[6] it is currently in mass production alongside the Hyuga-class under the Fourth Defense Plan. An assault ship variant of the class, the Asuka Class Amphibious Assault Ship,[5] is being produced alongside the supply carrier line.
Armaments and technical specifications[]
The Asuka's composite engine nozzle
The Asuka-class Supply Carrier shares many external characteristics with the Dreadnought-class from which it is derived, but it includes a flight deck and a rear bridge on the conning tower. The design of the wave-motion engine's shaft has been modified from the Dreadnought's conventional round nozzle to a narrow composite nozzle located underneath the flight deck.[7][8]
The Asuka was first conceived as a high-speed combat supply carrier for a fleet capable of long voyages, and can carry large spacecrafts up to 40 meters in length thanks to its hull's larger storage space.[1] For mass production, it was decided that Asuka-class would be built to primarily function as an amphibious assault ship on a trial basis, and it thus lost this characteristic. Two types of Asuka-class vessels were thus planned, one meant to serve as Supply Carriers and another meant to serve as Amphibious Assault Ships.[6]
Asuka-class carriers can carry Cosmo Pythons or Cosmo Tiger II fighters, with the number of units changing depending on the mission the ship is tasked with.[6]
Screen depicting the Asuka enhancing Yamato's Wave-motion Engine's output via Wave-motion Resonance
Wave-motion Energy technology[]
The Asuka-class Supply Carrier is equipped with a Wave-motion Resonance Waveguide Device, which serves as a Wave-motion Energy control device. This system replaces the Dreadnought-class's Wave-motion Gun and is capable of managing the Wave-motion Resonance phenomenon. It allows the carrier to resupply other ships that are outfitted with Wave-motion Engines with energy.[1][9]
Additionally, this system is primarily used to control the class's Type 4 Wave Barrier Rounds. These projectiles can deploy a short-term Wave-motion Shield.[1]
History[]
Conception and launch of the Asuka[]
The lead ship of the class, the Asuka, was originally classified as a Modified Dreadnought-class Supply Carrier. It was developed from the incomplete hull of a Dreadnought-class Vanguard Starship after the scrapping of the time fault, which had rendered all unmanned vessels of the class unusable.[1]
The Asuka (left) first takes off together with its fleet
The Asuka was intended to symbolize Earth's Fourth Defense Plan, a new military policy aimed at projecting a more peaceful foreign image.[1] It launched on October 2, 2205, on a peace mission to the Salezar system as part of the 65th Escort Corps.[8] During this mission, the ship participated in the Iscandar Incident.[10] After returning to Earth, the ship's captain, Commander Yuki Mori, and the crew were replaced.[11]
Entering mass-production[]
The two types of Asuka-class Supply Carrier
After the conclusion of the Iscandar Incident, the Asuka-class Supply Carrier officially entered mass production under the Asuka-class' Mass Production Plan. Initially, an Amphibious Assault Ship class was intended to be commissioned; however, the decision was made to incorporate it into the Asuka-class design. This resulted in internal modifications to the mass-produced ships within the class and led to the creation of two distinct types of Asuka-class vessels: the Supply Carrier type and the Amphibious Assault Ship type.[6][11]
The supply carriers were assigned odd numbers and featured yellow details, while the amphibious assault ships were designated with even numbers and painted in dark gray. Between 2205 and 2207, at least six ships of the Asuka-class were produced.[6][11]
Defense Against Dezariam[]
For this topic in more detail, see Dezariam Invasion of Earth.
The Asuka fleet attempts to stop the Ground Reverse
During the Invasion of the Ground Reverse, in October 2207, multiple Asuka-class Supply Carriers assembled into the Asuka fleet, and were instructed to fire their Wave Barrier Rounds in an attempt to intercept the incoming Dezarian space fortress Ground Reverse. The rounds were deployed and synchronized to further increase the size of their Wave-motion Shield, with its strength bolstered even further by the Asuka-class ships' combined resonance. However, the fortress pierced through the shield and continued unhindered towards Earth.[11]
The Asuka was then instructed to extract the members of the former 65th Escort Squadron and join the Special Task Force under the Director.[11][12] However, due to the capture of various ships that were meant to be part of the unit, the task force split up and Asuka was sent back to the Dezariam-occupied Earth to lead a planet-based resistance.[13][14]
Ships in the class[]
Prototype[]
Supply Carrier type[]
Amphibious Assault Ship type[]
References[]
- ↑ 1.00 1.01 1.02 1.03 1.04 1.05 1.06 1.07 1.08 1.09 1.10 1.11 1.12 1.13 1.14 1.15 1.16 1.17 1.18 starblazers-yamato.net MECHANIC Space Battleship Yamato 2205 entry for the Asuka
- ↑ 2.00 2.01 2.02 2.03 2.04 2.05 2.06 2.07 2.08 2.09 2.10 2.11 2.12 2.13 2.14 starblazers-yamato.net MECHANIC Be Forever Yamato: REBEL 3199 entry for the Asuka-class Supply Carrier
- ↑ Galactic War is About to Begin! Assemble the Yamato Fleet!!
- ↑ Be Forever Yamato: REBEL 3199 latest production materials released [Mecha design]
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 Asuka class 1/1000 Bandai DX set
- ↑ 6.0 6.1 6.2 6.3 6.4 6.5 starblazers-yamato.net MECHANIC Be Forever Yamato: REBEL 3199 chapter 1 entry for the Asuka-class Supply Carrier (archived on Cosmo DNA)
- ↑ 7.0 7.1 "Galactic War is About to Begin! Assemble the Yamato Fleet!!"
- ↑ 8.0 8.1 "Yamato, a New Departure!!"
- ↑ "Emergency Order! Yamato, Shoot Iscandar!!"
- ↑ "Save Iscandar! Rebellion of the Young Heroes!!"
- ↑ 11.0 11.1 11.2 11.3 11.4 "Begin the Secret Operation! Head for the New Yamato!"
- ↑ "Fire the Starting Gun! The New Battleship Yamato Comes to Life!"
- ↑ "Fierce Clash! Destroy the Invisible Battleship!"
- ↑ "Alphon Infiltrates! Get Back Sasha!"
- ↑ 15.0 15.1 15.2 15.3 15.4 15.5 Bandai 1/1000 Earth Defense Force Asuka-class DX plastic model
Japanese language information[]
- アスカ級補給母艦 Asuka-kyū hokyū bokan (Asuka-class Supply Carrier)
- 補給空母アスカ級 Hokyū kūbo Asuka-kyū (Supply Carrier Asuka Class)
- ドレッドノート改アスカ級補給母艦 Doreddonōto aratame Asuka-kyū hokyū bokan (Modified Dreadnought Asuka-class Supply Carrier)
- ドレッドノート改級 Doreddonōto aratame-kyū (Modified Dreadnought-class)