Colonial Beserker Class Escortstar

Name: Beserker
Craft: Colonial Beserker Class Escortstar
Type: escort
Scale: capital
Length: 842.2 x 214.9 x 117.9 meters
Skill: capital ship pilot
Crew: 1,396
Passengers: 250 & 180 troops
Cargo Capacity: 44,000 tons
Consumables: 22 months
Jumpdrive: x410.67 (red line jump)
Nav Computer: yes
Maneuverability: 2D
Space: 6
Hull: 6D
Armor: 1D+1
Sensors

• Passive: 80/3D
• Scan: 160/4D
• Search: 240/5D
• Focus: 8/6D

Weapons

• Heavy Point Defense System

Fire Arc: all
Crew: 1
Scale: starfighter
Skill: starship gunnery
Fire Control: 2D+2
Space Range: 1-10/20/40
Damage: 4D

• 10 Heavy Assault Railguns

Fire Arc: 5 port, 5 starboard
Crew: 5
Scale: capital
Skill: capital ship
Fire Control: 2D+2
Space Range: 2-13/50/100
Damage: 4D+2

• 12 Heavy Missile Launchers

Fire Arc: 2 forward, 5 port, 5 starboard
Crew: 5
Scale: capital
Skill: capital ship gunnery
Fire Control: 2D+2
Space Range: 2-35/70/140
Damage: 5D+1

Compliment: 6 raptors, 6 other

Description: The first Cylon war demonstrated two shortcomings of the Colonial fleet: namely, the need for a close-support escort for the Battlestars, and the need for a long-range vessel capable of protection-of-shipping missions. Both Cylon and Colonial forces demonstrated time and again that strikes against the enemy’s economic infrastructure could have a disproportionate affect on the battlefield.

As a result, a large number of vessels were built or converted to fulfill the escort role, with a huge disparity in capability, armaments, expense, and logistics- disparities that led to a large amount of wasted time, energy, and critically, money.

Learning from this mistake, and in an era of ever-tightening defense budgets, the Admiralty drew up specifications for a new, standardized escort vessel that could be constructed both quickly and cheaply with minimal impact on the logistics chain.

Rigorous standardization ensured that these new vessels would be able to draw on existing parts and ammunition stocks, and that Colonial crews would already be familiar with most of the systems aboard ship, reducing training time and expenses.

The result was the Berzerker class- cheap to build, and comparatively cheap to operate. The class is designed primarily for close fire support and focuses on an anti-fighter mission- with heavy anti-fighter batteries designed to disrupt and destroy coordinated attacks by small craft.

Criticism of the design came from several fronts, primarily in that (because they are intended for a supporting role) both their armor and secondary battery are smaller and lighter than would be found on a Battlestar or other ship of the line and in that their numerous anti-fighter mountings were manned, rather than automated resulting in higher operating costs. Further complaints arose when it became clear that the design is poorly suited to autonomous or independent operation in areas of high threat areas.

In short, the critics were complaining that they had bought and paid for a dedicated escort, when what they really wanted was a “Battlestaron-the-cheap.” The Admiralty response consisted essentially of “you get what you pay for”.

None of these vessels are known to have survived the Second Cylon War, though reports indicate that the class fared fairly well in the early fighting. Though the vessels themselves were as vulnerable to the CNP as any, individual turret crews were able to operate in local control (selecting targets manually) even as the vessels themselves drifted. Practical experience demonstrated that the increased manpower and operating costs were well justified- though few survived to acknowledge this vindication.

Source: Battlestar Galactica: Thin Blue Line (pages 110-111)