The following material is an adaptation of mecha from Mobile Suit Zeta Gundam. Please feel free to use, copy, and distribute it as you see fit. All I ask is that you give proper credit to me and do not claim that it is your own work. Comments and suggestions are welcome.

ARGAMA CLASS

ASSAULT CRUISER

RPG Stats by NEWTYPE ALPHA
Background info provided by The Mecha Domain

BACKGROUND

With the increasingly aggressive tactics of the Titans Elite Forces throughout the Earth Sphere, spacenoid descent quickly became widespread throughout the space colonies. While some quietly griped out their new standard of oppression, others took a more active role, organizing rallies and subversive action against their malevolent overlords whenever possible. Further titans efforts to quell such behavior only precipitated its expansion in practice, and it wasn't too long before radical political parties began militarizing and uniting under a common enemy. The Anti-Earth Union Group came to encompass the most ambitious of them all, not to mention the most resourceful as their ranks began secretly constructing military weapons of their own based on all original designs. The first warships inducted into the AEUG fleet were little more than modified transport ships and mercenary vessels, but it wasn't long before a number of Federation crews began mutinying and donating their ships for AEUG operations. This gave them some military strength, but the AEUG knew perfectly well their fleet could not operate without a some form of flagship.

The assault cruiser Argama was designed expressly form this purpose. Designed and built in total secret in the AEUG-controlled Sweetwater colony, this warship represented the cutting edge of warship design for its day, and could even match a number of later designs of the Second Neo-Zeon war. The new ship was primarily designed around a large armored mobile suit hangar, with one large plasma rocket motor for propulsion and a pair of large mega particle cannons giving the ship tremendous firepower. A series of secondary beam cannons were added, as well as the ship's most prominent feature: the twin launch catapults for mobile suit deployment, an innovative if not complicated system that increased mobile suit launch time and reduced landing accidents.

Argama was first deployed in March UC 0087 to steal the prototype RX-178 Gundam Mark II from the Titans. With this first mission, the Gripps War was set into motion and the AEUG began full-scale combat against the Titans for the first time. The Argama was first assigned to Henken Bekkener, but he eventually moved on to the Radish after Bright Noa assumed command of the Argama in May UC 0087. As the standing flagship of the fleet, the Argama participated in every major AEUG operation of the war, from the failed attack on Jaburo to providing cover fire for Karaba's attack on Mount Kilimanjaro in late UC 0087, and even on to the Battle of Gripps itself where the war came to a climactic end.

After the Argama was deployed into combat, three additional ships were constructed and deployed to pursue additional theatres of operation elsewhere within the Earth Sphere. Each of these vessels was usually accompanied by a single Irish class heavy cruiser and at least two Salamis class medium cruisers. When operating within colonial space, these "Neighborhood Fleets" as they were sometimes called, could move quickly and effectively to counteract Titans aggression at a moment's notice, and could even be mobilized for short offensive campaigns and preemptive strikes. Because of the high profile and versatile design of the ship, at least one Argama class was present at every significant military operation of the Gripps War.

RPG STATS

Vehicle Type: Assault Cruiser

Class: Argama

Government: Anti-Earth Union Group
Manufacturer: A.E.U.G. (Anaheim Electronics)
Crew: 410

 

Ships of Argama Class:

  • CGA-06 Argama
  • CGA-07 Pegasus-III
  • CGA-09 Haruna
  • CGA-10 Kiev
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    MDC BY LOCATION: 

    (1) Main Body                                   2,500
(2) Main Engine		                          980
(2) Secondary Engine Pods (2)                     950 each
    Main Cannon (4)	                          250 each
    Mega Particle Cannon (2)	                  300 each
    M.P.C. Gunports (2)	   	               	  550 each
(3) Launch Catapults (2)                 	  950 each
    Point defense gun turrets (10)                 50 each
    Anti-ship missile tubes (4)                    40 each
(4) Main Bridge     	                          400
    NOTES:
    1. Depleting the MDC of the main body will put the cruiser out of commission. All internal systems will shut down, including life support and internal gravity. The ship itself will be an unsalvageable floating wreck.
    2. Depleting the MDC of the main engines will force the ship to rely on secondary thrusters for propulsion. The ship can still maneuver, but will be incapable of long range travel until the main engine is repaired. Destroying one of the engine pods will impair maneuvering (-5 to dodge, -5 on initiative for each pod). Destroying both primary and secondary engines will leave the ship adrift in space.
    3. Depleting more than 1/2 MDC of the launch catapult will knock out two of the anti-ship missile launchers and shut down all launch and recovery operations for the catapult. The ship can still launch and recover mobile suits from the other catapult if it is operational.
    4. Destroying the main bridge will instantly kill the command staff and deprive the ship of all forms of long range communications, radar and targeting. The range and targeting capabilities of the secondary systems are equal to that of an RGM-79R GM-II. The ship can still operate, but is at -3 on initiative, -3 to strike, and number of attacks per melee of the weapon systems are reduced by half. Destroying the main sensory array on top of the bridge will have the same effect, but the command staff will not be killed instantly.

    SPEEDS:

    Speed (Main engines): 22.5 kilometers per second (Earth-moon transit=30 hours)
    Planet bound: Designed for extended operation in planetary gravity via Minovsky craft system. Can land and take off again under its own power, and is fully capable of reaching orbital velocities under its own power and without booster assistance.

    Maximum Range: Estimated 20 year lifespan

    STATISTICAL DATA:

    Length: 323 m
    Width: 110 m
    Height: 97 m
    Weight: 53,800 tons

    Main engine: Anaheim GR-420 Plasma Rocket Motor
    Auxiliary Engine:  Minovsky-Ionesko vertical lift system

    Sensor System: TORA high resolution radar tracking cluster

                               Siren-10-Alpha Minovsky tracking system

    WEAPON SYSTEMS:

    1. MAIN CANNON (2): Each of these single barreled mega particle cannons is powered by its own internal fusion reactor and a power bleed from the ship's main engines. Between the two, this cannon is easily one of the most powerful weapons ever mounted on a warship, with firepower and range unmatched by almost anything else in either the Titans or the Axis fleet. One blast from a cannon is fully capable of crippling or even destroying a Salamis class cruiser. The cannons are protected behind armor plates when not in use, and when deployed have a 180 degree firing arc in every direction in that side of the ship.

    2. MEGA PARTICLE CANNONS (4): The four large cannons around the ship's flanks provide the best arc of fire for heated battles or defensive maneuvers. Though not as powerful as the larger main cannons, each can cause a fair amount of damage either on their own or in a barrage with the other cannons or main cannons. The cannons are mainly used for bombardment or support fire in combat, and can even shoot down enemy mobile suits that approach too close to the ship.

    3. POINT DEFENSE TURRETS (10): Located behind armored panels when not in use, the ships point defense turrets are the only direct defense against hostile fighters and mobile suits that may directly threaten the cruiser. Like the gun turrets of the original Pegasus class, each of the guns is controlled by a specially trained gunner, usually enlisted crewmen or mechanics. (Trained crewmen and newtypes +3 to strike)

    4. ANTI-SHIP MISSILE LAUNCHERS  (6): As a backup for the mega particle cannons, the Argama class is equipped with six anti-ship missile launchers to fire torpedo-like heavy missiles against enemy vessels. The missiles can be loaded with atmosphere-penetrating warheads for orbital bombardment or armor piercing warheads for use against enemy vessels.

    STANDARD EQUIPMENT FOR THE ARGAMA CLASS:

    MECHA COMPLEMENT:

  • Mobile Suits: 8

  • Sub-flight hovercraft: 8

  • ST-45 Transport Shuttle: 4

  • Type-74 Hover Truck: 2

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    REFERENCES USED IN THIS DESIGN