Database and Lore

The Phalanx Class Marine Assault Carrier

“The Phalanx is the might of the marine corps. It can kick ass and get our boots on the ground!” A random marine’s comments about the UHN Gladiator. The Phalanx is considered to be the most significant human-made attack transport vessel to be utilized in the UHN. Its purpose was all too clear, and it proved to be more than adequate by the dawning of 2350. Unfortunately, even with the introduction, the vessel is simply not built in large enough numbers. Regardless, many consider the vessel as a prime warship in getting troops and marines onto the surface of the planet. Design The Phalanx class was designed as a straight-up replacement to the venerable Fu Yi class Military Transport. While many couldn’t condemn the older transports, they were built at a time when the UHN was still in its infancy. Marines commented that the Fu Yi class was adequate but suffered in being too light of a vessel. Its combat capability was limited, and it could only house so much personnel and equipment. The central container box could hold up to four vehicles at best. The marine corps of the UHN was fully aware of the limitations of the Fu Yi class. Many commented that it wasn’t a bad craft, but the marines knew that they needed something more. Therefore, with looming threats of the Nova Hamidou Pirates and expanding colonial worlds, the UHN decided to put forth the design specifications of a new attack transport. Unlike past vessels that evolved from prior vessels, the Phalanx was nothing like the Fu Yi class. It was designed almost similar to the box transports, but the Phalanx was outfitted with two sets of extendable wings. The front left side consisted of a large open ramp and side-mounted doors to deploy troops and equipment. The starboard bow section would be allocated to the main bridge. The mid and rear starboard dorsal section would be allocated to the fighter/bomber hangar bay. On the other side would be the power module compartments. The vessel also carried enough room to house two shuttles. This transport ship would then have a centripetal engine module array to serve as a place for the crew to operate in space. The ships were more than well designed for atmospheric flight and landing. The Phalanx was part of a massive move to upgrade the marine corps as a whole. This would include being able to carry the large Mobile Military Assault Construction Crawlers or MMACCs, for short. These new enormous vehicles could serve as forwarding command posts, repair, refuel, and build military bases while carrying a viable amount of firepower to protect the marine forces. The carrier would hover at a low altitude during a landing operation and drop the MMACC before landing a distance away to deploy marines and vehicles. At the same time, the Phalanx’s armament was significantly improved over the Fu Yi. This included the use of AIO turrets, a dual light railgun, autocannons, and a bow dorsal VLS launcher array. In space or on the ground, the vessels could unleash the payload of missiles onto targets and dramatically increase their anti- missile defenses. The internal compartment carried enough room to house hundreds to almost 4,000 marines, depending on the type of mission involved. Over twenty UHN marine vehicles could also be housed along with a squadron of fighters and two B-110 stingray bomber/gunships. There was no doubt that the design was heralded as that of the marine version of the Magellan Battleships. While the transports lacked as much firepower as the UHN battleships, it didn’t matter. It was still a dramatic improvement over the past transports of the UHN. Unlike the Fu Yi class, the Phalanx used brand new components and parts. The UHN pressed for an order for 20, and the politicians agreed to have 18 built-in total. History The first vessel was commissioned in 2323. The UHN Phalanx was immediately well-liked. The marine corps often commented that “The vessel identifies the marine corps. It can do everything and will never complain about it either.” It is often quite well mentioned that the marines didn’t have a proper vessel of their own until the Phalanx was finally built. Even with such a means of transport, the Phalanx was still often paired up with the aging Fu Yi class. This was to help ensure that the new carriers could be built into great enough numbers to replace them ultimately. The first two years were used to help ensure that any issues with the design were properly dealt with before full-scale production would begin. Technically, there were no real issues with the design. In fact, the only real issue the vessel had was the fact that the MMACCs had production delays due to mechanical problems. Despite having such a vessel, the Phalanx enjoyed a mostly quiet career for the first 15 years. Some training exercises were conducted, which showed that the carriers were more than capable of doing their jobs. The landing doors were more than large enough to allow various marine vehicles to enter and disembark. Aircraft could be easily deployed from the side launch tubes and retrieved from the top of the deck. It was even possible for the Phalanx to hover and recover aircraft from the air. For many of the marines, the Phalanx could do anything and everything. Recruitment marine posters were more than commonplace in depicting the elegant design of the transport vessel flying through a planetary atmosphere. The slogan of “Redder than Blood. Blood for Life” had been more than spoken for the type of ship. The only true complaints that the Phalanx ever had were simply down to the number built. For the UWA, eighteen carriers were still not enough to really handle full-scale invasions. If the ground forces were too large, then there wouldn’t be enough carriers for the marines to properly seize a location from hostile forces. The marine corps simply didn’t have enough ships to go around. However, with the marines, it was all they were going to get. Constant pressure was put in to have more carriers built, but the politicians and other UHN staff would have none of it. The UHN was more focused on battleship production than anything else, but it was slated that the new Qing class transports would help supplement the carrier in the upcoming years of 2349 to 2350. *Spoilers for Gabatrix: Minerva* The Phalanx class was kept in reserve status during the Itrean encounter. It was intensely debated about when to use them in combat. Some UHN officials argued for having the carriers ready to help support planetary defenses or logistics, but it was more than evident that they would have struggled in combatting Itrean battleships. The UHN’s assumptions of having more battleships quickly overruled the need for more carriers. There was a debate on using the carriers to help launch a counterattack on retaking Cipra. However, with the lack of warships, the UHN pushed away any potential ideas. The Phalanx, instead, would be used to remain in orbit of Luna to serve as standby defense vessels for any possible invasions in the Sol sector. The MMACCs on the Martian, Earth, and Luna grounds would be kept in ready condition for the inevitable battles to come.  *Spoilers for Gabatrix: The Cipra Campaign* It would take almost one full year for the UHN and T’rintar clan alliance to begin establishing the planned upcoming Operation Desert Shrike. The entire process of retaking Cipra was not going to be an easy one. The T’rintar clan was more than eager to engage the Aksren clan that had long but taken the planet, but the UHN would have to bear the ground front. The Itrean clan was already inundated with having to confront the Aksren in space, where most of their forces were allocated. Only a handful of Itrean volunteers were shoveled over to the UHN marines to provide assistance on the ground. It was almost solely the UHN marines’ responsibility to retake the capital of Cipra for themselves. The marines had already undergone large- scale fleet training in Exercise Awakening Hawk. This was handled on the desert side of planet Aphadus. While it was under the wishes to have all the Phalanx carriers be a part of it, the UHN decided to have a vast majority of the vessels undergo complete maintenance overhauls. This was to ensure that all the ships were under full operational capability. Great care had to be made to avoid attracting too much attention and giving away the idea that the UHN was preparing for a full-scale assault on Cipra. Only one carrier, the UHN Cereberus, was used for the two weeks to help train each set of ship's pilots and navigators. This was all done and away from the simulated engagement zones. However, it was shown that the carriers were in need to undergo an essential overhaul during 2350. More prior work had been diverted to the battleships, causing the carriers to lose some of their operational statuses during the year that humanity encountered the Itreans. Sixteen of the eighteen Phalanxes were chosen to be made a part of Operation Desert Shrike. They would carry a sizeable percentage of the trained marines to prepare for the landing operation for Cipra. This would include sixteen of the twenty MMACCs that were in the inventory of the UHN. It was believed that even with some possible losses, enough marines and vehicles would reach New Hong Kong and retake the capital with proper UHN and T’rintar orbital ground support. Sadly, the assault had proven to be an almost complete disaster for the UHN marine corps. The Aksren clan had already anticipated that an upcoming ground invasion was going to happen. The Empress of Itsis had her finest guard forces and additional ground defenses wipe out all but two of the sixteen carriers. This single catastrophic loss was devastating to the Phalanx class Carrier alone. The numerous loss of equipment, personnel, and effort in making the vessels was felt in this one moment. With that said, the UHN Legion and Gladiator still managed to reach the planet’s surface. Protected under the dense dust storm, the two ships were kept hidden from further heavy attacks. However, the Gladiator had crashed and crushed the MMACC underneath it. The Legion also sustained moderate damage, although still getting its MMACC deployed before landing. Heavy casualties were registered from both Phalanxes. Amazingly, despite the horrific losses, the ground forces still managed to get a sizeable enough force to help lead to the capital of Cipra. The Aksren forces were eventually forced to surrender the planet, and the allied fleets chased off the Aksren fleet. The carriers were left in the desert as massive efforts were made to save the Gladiator from being buried in the heavy dust storm. The Legion was the first to be taken off the planet within a couple of days. It is currently being repaired to be made fully operational. It would take the Gladiator a full two weeks, but repair technicians and salvage crews would get the ship operational enough to have it ferried over to Deimos. It is believed that both vessels will be capable of returning to full operation within three months. Despite the victory, it was a costly one for the class vessel and the marine corps. Some had even dubbed the assault carriers the “Devastated Phalanxes.” Their legacy will be solely noted for the heroic effort in retaking Cipra. Only four ships of the class are now available in the UHN inventory as they focus their attention on building the new Qing class transport. The Qing was not designed to replace the Phalanx but to help supplement it and replace the older Fu Yi class. This puts a massive amount of strain on the marines in having viable assault craft to move their troops and equipment around. Cipra was both an incredible victory and one that had left the marines in the worst of situations. For now, the carriers have been moved to Mars to help serve as reserve combat transports. They’re too valuable to leave the planet unless it’s absolutely necessary.