Surigao

The Surigao class Destroyer Esort (DE) is the second oldest vessel in the UNIN Fleet (after the Berlin class cruiser), and the sister class of the Samar DE. Designed to be built from the same yard tooling, both sister classes are largely identical save for their active search sensors and processing systems. Intended for missile interception and point defense, the Surigao class is equipped with a fine resolution sensor suite which comes at the cost of limited detection range of larger ships. A total of 8 Surigao class ships were constructed until production ceased in February 2034, and 7 of the ships remain in service to the UNIN Fleet. The Surigao class has not undergone a modernization program, and no plans currently exist to design a successor. The Surigao class continues to play an important role in escorting survey & logistics ships, maintaining pickets, and carrying out extra-solar operations.

Development

See also: Samar Class Development

During development of the Samar class DE, it was decided to create a sister class by replacing the Raytheon UN/SGY-5 Overwatch Tracking Array with the Honeywell UN/SGS-4 Warbler Missile Warning Sensor. This was a minor enough change that both ship classes could be produced without any costly changes in shipyard tooling. In an unusual turn of events, six of these Surigao class variants would be commissioned before the lead-ship UNS Samar would be completed.

Operational History

Battle of Mars

See also: Battle of Mars, Samar Class Operational History

Surigao class ships were present in Task Group Phalanx during the battle of Mars, although none sustained damage in the conflict. With sensor coverage from the Warbler Missile Warning Sensor and Mosquito interceptor missiles, Phalanx succeeded in intercepting only 1 out of 12 Bowyer anti-ship missiles fired on the task group.

K2 Incident

On 20 February 2035 the jump tender UNS Galileo Galilei reported that it failed to make its scheduled contact with the survey ship UNS Klondike and its destroyer escort UNS Kagayan in the UNTJS 001 system. Investigation immediately revealed the debris of both ships in orbit around the 6th planet of the system, and broadcasts from their emergency beacons.

Analysis of the Kagayan’s ship data recorder indicates on the 3rd of January the Kagayan’s Warbler array picked up 4 unknown contacts (UN Reporting name: Hoplite) at close range massing 8,000 tons. Upon detection, the unidentified ships immediately activated their own targeting arrays and opened fire on the Kagayan with an unknown directed energy weapon, disabling the Kagayan in the first salvo. A second salvo destroyed the Klondike. Logs indicate survivors (including the CO of Kagayan) made it to life pods, however all transmissions from them ceased 30 minutes after launch.

All attempts at communicating with this extra-terrestrial intelligence (ETI) have received no response. Covert surveillance of the system by the UNS Aristarchus has reported no trace of the missing life pods, and the hostile ships remain in orbit around the planet. All traffic into UNTJS 001 has been restricted, pending pacification of the hostile ETI.

Batavia Incident

Following new protocols developed after the K2 Incident, the surveillance corvette UNS Eratosthenes began investigating the newly discovered Batavia system for ETI prior to geological survey by the UNS Boomtown. On 27 August 2036 the Eratosthenes began observation of the Earth-like 5th planet around Batavia-A, considered a top candidate for colonization.

After careful approach to low orbit (20,000 km), the Eratosthenes detected 36 small thermal contacts in orbit (UN reporting name Ratel) emitting weak active sensor signals. 5 seconds later the ship registered impacts from 5 separate 30 kiloton nuclear detonations, suffered major structural failure, and began launching life pods. The survey ship UNS Boomtown was able to successfully recover 15 crewmembers of the Eratosthenes, over half its complement.

The Surigao class DE UNS Caloocan was dispatched to the system to begin mine-sweeping operations. The Caloocan arrived in system on the 27th of October, and successfully engaged and destroyed 9 remaining mines with SIM-10 Mosquito-B missiles. Investigations into the Earth-like planet Batavia-A V have revealed no signs of indigenous life, the search for further indications of ETI in the system is still ongoing.

Tactical Analysis

The range of the Warbler Missile Warning sensor has proven to be too short for the ship's intended role of missile interception. While automated final defensive fire is possible, coordinated point defense is impossible due to crew response times, communications delays, and light lag. Even with sufficient detection, existing interceptor missile designs have low probabilities of successfully intercepting another missile. Despite these drawbacks, the Warbler continues to fill a niche no other ship in the fleet can fill, as demonstrated in the Batavia mine clearing operation.

With only a single belt of duranium armor, these vessels can be expected to withstand only light weapons fire before losing combat effectiveness. Any warhead rated strength 4 or above will fully penetrate the armor layer and cause internal damage to the ship.

The Surigao class may still prove effective against the Federation Moskva corvette. The Moskva's primary armament consists of "knife-fight" range Meson cannons, and its active sensor suite lacks the capacity to detect missiles in flight.

Ships in Class

Hull Number	Name	Laid Down	Commissioned	Construction Shipyard
DE-1	UNS Surigao	24th December 2030	11th March 2031	Valhalla Naval Yard
DE-2	UNS Ilocos	11th March 2031	28th May 2031	Valhalla Naval Yard
DE-3	UNS Abra	19th April 2031	6th July 2031	Victoria Naval Yard
DE-4	UNS Kagayan	10th June 2031	28th August 2031	BC Void Shipbuilding
DE-5	UNS Benguet	16th August 2031	4th November 2031	Valhalla Naval Yard
DE-6	UNS Quirono	25th September 2031	23rd January 2032	Victoria Naval Yard
DE-17	UNS Caloocan	29th November 2031	2nd August 2032	Valhalla Naval Yard
DE-18	UNS Taguig	20th February 2032	24th October 2032	Valhalla Naval Yard

Design Specifications

Surigao class Destroyer Escort    1,450 tons     152 Crew     176.5 BP      TCS 29  TH 80  EM 0
2758 km/s     Armour 1-11     Shields 0-0     Sensors 1/1/0/0     Damage Control Rating 1     PPV 5
Maint Life 7.6 Years     MSP 76    AFR 16%    IFR 0.2%    1YR 2    5YR 35    Max Repair 30 MSP
Magazine 35    

Pratt & Whitney 40000M-E100 Nuclear Pulse Engine (2)    Power 40    Fuel Use 100%    Signature 40    Armour 0    Exp 5%
Fuel Capacity 50,000 Litres    Range 62.1 billion km   (260 days at full power)

ATK SML-1 Mk. 1 Point Defense Launch Tube (R30) (5)    Missile Size 1    Rate of Fire 30
Honeywell UN/SGM-3 Aegis Missile Defense Control (D3-R50) (1)     Range 3.0m km    Resolution 1
MBDA SSM-6A Hornet Anti-Ship Missile (35)  Speed: 11,200 km/s   End: 13.3m    Range: 9m km   WH: 1    Size: 1    TH: 37 / 22 / 11

Honeywell UN/SGS-4 Warbler Missile Warning Sensor (D1.5-R50) (1)     GPS 30     Range 1.5m km    Resolution 1

Missile to hit chances are vs targets moving at 3000 km/s, 5000 km/s and 10,000 km/s

This design is classed as a Military Vessel for maintenance purposes