For Combat Support I was thinking a very generic "helps the RC Navy get more bangs for their bucks" - so a ship which by whatever means the naval architect decides, makes operations more efficient, or enables cheaper operations to be performed. Not specifically focussed on ground combat (like USS Tarawa, HMS Ocean) per se, just a nice ship a Task Force Commander would like to have around 'cos everything goes a bit smoother with it there.
There are a range of modern ships and designs which encompass the ideas of the RC Combat Support Ship: The Danish Absalon Class, Canadian Joint Support Ship, and the Swedish Combat Support Ship. All are multi-role to some extent - some ship troops and are reasonably armed, others ship troops, fuel and supplies. So ships like that would be what the RC Naval command are thinking of - but who knows what crazy ideas might come across their datapads?
--- On Sat, 27/11/10, roger <> wrote:
From: roger <>
Subject: [Traveller_TNE] combat support ships and wilds support ships
To:
Date: Saturday, 27 November, 2010, 21:20
to me combat support ships would fall into four classes: The first is the merchant ship that hauls the bullets and beans from the Coalition to forward supply depots. The second is what I believe the US Navy calls an AOR, this ship would bring the bullets and beans from the supply depots to a rendezvous with the ships that need the supplies. Third is a depot ship, during WW2 the US navy used these to shorten the turnaround for its submarines. These ships would have repair facilities supplies and R&R facilities. The fourth is either a troop transport like the US navy's Tarawa class with its Harriers, and Apache helicopters (orbit to ground fighters and attack speeders?). Or an anti-ship-ship. A ship with a huge mason gun or particle accelerator and a lot of missiles (both anti ship and anti ground).
The Wilds Support Ship: Here I can picture a Coalition version of USS Hope. Or maybe a ship or ship transportable +400 D Ton pod. The pod could carry a medical facility, school, or a small but instant class C starport. In this last case the ship would be a pod carrier. If an epidemic sprung up it could carry a medical facility pod to the location of the epidemic. To support a bootstrap mission a pod with a school for both children and adults who would learn advanced techniques in anything from agriculture to engineering.
This is a interesting idea. It might be the basis of another contest.
Set up the specs you think would be needed and Jain's Astro Architects stand ready with sharp pencils to design to the best of their ability.
Roger