Database and Lore

The Qing Class Military Transport

*Spoilers if you haven’t read Gabatrix: The Cipra Campaign* "The first vessel of the class goes to one of us that isn’t even from our worlds. May she venture to the stars as Gabatrix did. May she serve as the ideal captain of our rebuilding navy.” Admiral Hazer at the UHN Lifen’s Commissioning Ceremony.            The Qing Class Military Transport serves as a new burgeoning desire for the UHN in need of filling the void for the UHN Marine Corps dwindled fleets. Its introduction was badly needed, with others saying it was almost introduced too late. Regardless, the class of military transports are destined to fill the core of the UHN logistics networks.    Design            By the time of 2347, the UHN marine forces had two prime ships that they utilized: The Phalanx Assault Carriers and the Fu Yi Transports. Both of the vessels were considered adequate for service. However, the Fu Yi class were nearly phased out of commission due to their extreme age and lack of spare parts. UHN command debated about the need for a successor for the Fu Yi since the Phalanx class could perfectly perform the same roles as the smaller transports.            The Phalanx was considered a remarkable design by the UHN since it could fulfill its roles very well. However, arguments often pointed out that the Phalanx was too perfect. At times, the UHN rarely wanted to place the ships in harm’s way since so much in resources were put into their construction. They were kept mostly at home and rarely put on deployment. Most fleet admirals were too afraid to send them on simple logistics missions since they were considered “too highly valued.”            It was, ultimately, the threat of the Itreans that pushed the UHN into looking for a new class of military transport. The simple fact was that the Phalanx class would now be pressed into too many roles, where the threat of losing them would be detrimental to ground assault missions. Ironically, this would be revealed all too well in Operation Desert Shrike, with almost the complete decimation of the assault carriers.            However, the decision to design the Qing class Military Transport was made before such an action occurred. Its role was to take on aggressive logistics missions for the UHN, serving as an armored transport ship while carrying good firepower to defend itself. It would adequately replace the Fu Yi yet be simple. It would be powerful but not over sophisticated. It would be easy to build but not overly expensive. The Qing is no battleship but returns to the armored box transport lineage of the UHN’s past.            The Qing class is a dramatic improvement over the Fu Yi class. It carries a bigger and better habitat ring and engine module for the crew. Its armor and hull plating are far thicker and stronger. Unlike the Fu Yi’s horseshoe design that carried a container in the center, the armored lander of the Qing is one giant rectangular box built with compartments, engines, and weapons. It can hold up to five times as much cargo or more. This allows the ship to be more modular, being able to carry vehicles, submersibles, crawlers, or any future vehicles that UHN Marine Corps design. While the Qing lacks the ability to deploy planetary aircraft in the air, it could still ship them to planets if need be. There is even enough room in the massive storage bay to house shuttles.            The Qing’s weapon systems are a drastic improvement over the Fu Yi, carrying six AIO turrets and one dual light railgun battery, including any potential weapons that can be deployed from the forward loading bay. The turrets are aligned so that the ship can use its guns to provide forward support fire prior to a landing. While it isn’t the complete intention of the UHN to make the Qings a gunship, the ships can still be used as light warships. With the T’rintar clan alliance in full effect, the UHN readily agreed to begin mass-producing the Qings in early 2350.    History            Despite the orders placed for building the Qings, the first one to be commissioned wasn’t until late 2350, with five others expected to be commissioned at the beginning of 2351. The UHN Lifen would take the history of not only being the first ship of its class but also having the first Itrean captain to serve onboard a UHN commissioned ship as a UHN officer.            Ironically, it was Desert Shrike that may drastically slow down the commissioning for more batches of Qing transports. However, with the higher demand for the Phalanx class and critical loss of them simultaneously, many of the shipyards will begin mass-producing the carriers to replace their lost numbers. In the meantime, it is expected that the Qing will still perform a role for the UHN Marine Corps. With a nearly decimated fleet, the marines are determined to make sure that the Qings survive. Indeed, their construction and sturdy frames may play a vital role in the future of the war. However, with their safety placed on protecting them, fleet admirals are hard-pressed to ensure that they aren’t lost. Regardless, early trial runs have proven the Qing to be a versatile ship and often underestimated. Only time will tell if the Fu Yi’s successor can live up to its true intentions.