Vinond-class helicopter carrier/light aircraft carrier
The Vinond class was among the prime examples of the great strides taken in the modernization efforts of the Royal Illedaric Navy in the post-Communist period, apart from the extensive refit of its two
Varda-class aircraft carriers conducted in the early 2000s (NB: this rendition and some lore elements have long been obsoleted). This type was the product of a RIlN program for a through-deck, aviation-oriented cruiser that could be built in reasonable quantity to replace its Cold War-vintage cruisers—and in the long term, the Varda-class carriers. It was manufactured by the private Berrgra & Louthiv shipbuilding company, which was the winner of the highly competitive program in 2005, over the country's state shipbuilder and their 185-meter, 11,500-ton entry.
These vessels were designed to have greater versatility and economical operations over their intended predecessors, capable of the roles of flotilla or task force leader, over-the-horizon air defense, surface attack, and anti-submarine warfare, force projection, convoy escort, airborne special operations, amphibious air support, anti-piracy, and humanitarian aid and disaster assistance. While primarily designed with rotary-wing aviation in mind, they are fully capable from the outset of hosting and deploying the RIlN's V/STOL combat aircraft, namely the F.43 Skyblade multi-role fighter (inspired by the Hawker/BAe P.1214, with forward-swept wings), and the older IAP-14G "Fable-D" fighter and IAP-15V "Fable-F" strike aircraft (both inspired by the Convair 201, with delta wings).
Its weapons and electronics systems also signified the strides taken to further move forward from the RIlN's legacy, Communist-era systems, as a key power in the Collective Security Initiative Force, the military wing of the Organization for Global Protection (which served to stave off major political and military influence of terrestrial powers upon Terragrandia following Earth's discovery of the Terragrandia portals in the late 1940s and the subsequent spillover of the Cold War on the latter planet).
The quasi-integrated mast contained medium-range radar sets for air and surface search and target acquisition as well as ECM and ESM antennas, topped by a Series 184 long-range surface-search radar. The main mast located between the two smokestacks housed the NRS-24 long-range air search and surveillance radar, and a mast full of additional communications and ECM/ECCM sensors. The SERA-H sonar suite was used, comprised of the A and B components in the bow, and the C component in the stern as a variable-depth system.
Three 8-cell VLS blocks housed the Vinonds' missile armament, which can use the Pattern 8 medium-range and Type 48 short-range missiles, and the Pattern 5D anti-submarine rockets; a common loadout would be 12 Pattern 8, 16 Type 48, and 8 Pattern 5 missiles, or 32 Type 48 and 8 Pattern 5 missiles. Short-range air defense was provided by 2 37 mm Frostblade CIWS (with a 550-round per minute cyclic rate of fire per barrel) and a 20-cell pack for Type 48 missiles. For close-in defense against small surface craft, 4 28 mm Type 38 remote-controlled gun mounts (with backup manual operation) were placed in sponsons. A triple 350 mm torpedo tube was placed on either side, capable of firing counter-torpedo rounds.
Its standard ASW aviation component consisted of 4 IAP-19K and 8 H.31U ASW helicopters, plus 2 or 3 H.31R SAR helicopters, although in normal, peacetime conditions only half of the combat choppers is usually deployed. Older types such as the Ka-27 Helix were known to operate on the ships in the early 2010s prior to such units' retirement during that decade. Between 4 and 8 jump jets could be carried in loadouts requiring such assets.
Named after Illedar's provinces, two units were initially constructed, Vinond and Grag Vareg. The class was initially considered as cruisers, before being reclassified as aircraft carriers (with the pennant numbers being changed accordingly). They were a workhorse in patrolling the nation's waters, as well as being deployed in major HADR operations in Terragrandia and Earth, and in CSIF-mandated security and military operations.
The second series, named Avaldaro and Tharmat (the batch was referred to unofficially as the Avaldaro [sub]class) were put into service in 2016 and 2018, respectively. Batch II's notable features included a 10 meter-long hull extension, a ski-ramp, an additional Type 48 missile launcher on the port side amidship, precision-guided missile launchers on all Type 38 RCWS mountings, anti-torpedo countermeasures, and newer sensors. As the debate to replace the Vardas began, in what pundits have described as the most convoluted episode in Illedar's defense legislation, the decision was made to replace the older carriers with the 2 Vinond Batch IIs and a newer sole carrier type, Karsha III; the latter, fraught with delays, is set to enter service in 2023.
Vessels:
Batch I
• Vinond (C-084, redesignated A-103 in 2010) – laid down 2006/02, launched 2007/11, commissioned 2009/04, active 2021
• Grag Vareg (A-104) – laid down 2007/07, launched 2009/01, commissioned 2010/06, active 2021
Batch II
• Avaldaro (A-105) – laid down 2013/04, launched 2014/09, commissioned 2016/10, active 2021
• Tharmat (A-106) – laid down 2014/12, launched 2016/08, commissioned 2018/07, active 2021
Specifications (Batch I):
Dimensions
Length: 190.7 m overall
Beam: 30 m main deck, 37 m overall
Draft: 7.62 m standard
Displacement: 12,600 tons standard, 19,000 tons maximum
Propulsion
Configuration: combined gas and gas
Powerplant: 2× 20,000 kW gas turbines and 2× 30,000 kW gas turbines
Shafts: 2× 6-bladed variable-pitch screws, 1× retractable bow thruster
Performance
Top speed: 28 kts
Range: 9,000 nmi at 15 kts
Endurance: 42 days
Complement: 425 (varies with air wing)
Armament
• 2×2 37 mm Frostblade close-in weapon systems
• 4× 28 mm Type 38 remote-controlled automatic guns
• 1×3 M100B 8-cell missile launchers, compatible with:
· Pattern 8C medium-range surface-to-air missile (1/cell)
· Type 48 Series 3 Terrorblade short-range surface-to-air missile (4/cell)
· Pattern 5D anti-submarine rocket (1/cell)
• 1× M103 missile launcher (20× Type 48 Series 3 Terrorblade missiles)
• 2×3 Type 33 350 mm torpedo tubes
Key sensors
Search
• 1× NRS-24 air-search radar
• 1× Series 184 surface-search radar
• 1× EF-6 4-panel air-search and missile acquisition radar
• 1× EN-4 4-panel surface- and low-level air-search radar
Fire control
• 2× NRA-16 fire control radars
Navigation
• 1× Series 188 navigation radar
• 2× NRK-14 navigation radars
Electronic warfare
• 1× Cenyt 6-panel ECM set
• 1× TH2010-C 6-piece ESM set
• 2× Bloodhound ECM sets
• 4× Moonbow countermeasures launchers
Sonar
• 1× SERA-H A bow-mounted sonar
• 1× SERA-H B bow-mounted sonar
• 1× SERA-H C towed-array sonar
Aircraft (as of 2009)
Anti-submarine (peacetime)
• 2× IAP-19K heavy ASW helicopters
• 4× H.31U medium ASW helicopters
• 2× H.31R medium SAR helicopters
Anti-submarine (full military)
• 4× IAP-19K heavy ASW helicopters
• 8× H.31U medium ASW helicopters
• 2–3× H.31R medium SAR helicopters
Fixed-wing air defence
• 6× F.43C-2 V/STOL fighters
• 2× Mi-8MRO-3 AEW helicopters
• 2× H.31U medium ASW helicopters
• 2× H.31R medium SAR helicopters
Fixed-wing strike
• 6–8× IAP-14A5 V/STOL attack aircraft
• 2× H.31U medium ASW helicopters
• 2× H.31R medium SAR helicopters
Boats
• 1× 12 m captain's boat
• 1× 10 m rigid-hulled inflatable boat
• 3× 6.5 m rigid-hulled inflatable boats
cheers – wb21
