Okhotsk

Armament

Unit type: naval carrier/command ship
Dimensions: length 292 meters, width 127 meters
Armament: 16 x 60mm GN vulcan gun; 2 x 2-barrel 60mm GN vulcan gun
Powerplant: 2 x argon-cooled nuclear reactor, output rated at 104000 kW; 2 x GN drive, output theoretically unlimited based on remaining particle supply
Performance: cruising speed 35 knots; maximum speed 43 knots
Propulsion: 3 x GN hydrojet system
Hangar capacity: 32 mobile suits
Catapults: 4

After the formation of the Earth Union in UC 221, further development of GN drive-powered military units became a joint directive of the former research staffs of both the Earth Sphere Alliance and Human Reform League. One of the first topics addressed would be the formation of a new "GN Navy", as the League had little blue-water capability to begin with, while the Alliance's surface combatants were aging badly - the crushing loss of an entire carrier battle group in UC 216 to a handful of terrorist-operated mobile suits was proof enough for any skeptic. By utilizing the particle-pushing ability of a GN drive, the Union was able to create a series of naval vessels that could propel themselves using particle-charged water in a hydrojet engine, and entirely new Earth Union surface fleets were patrolling the seas by UC 224.

The Okhotsk is a large-scale fleet combatant and mobile suit transport, typically either deployed singly or in pairs as the main support vessel(s) of an Earth Union flotilla. As with most Union ships, the Okhotsk utilizes multiple GN drives to provide for both motive force, electrical power, and energy supply to its weapons, while a conventional nuclear reactor drip-feeds the GN drives with additional power to maintain a constant particle supply. The carrier's hull shape, with many oblique angles and little reflective surfaces, makes it significantly harder to spot on sensors at longer ranges than a comparably-sized vessel. As a dedicated mobile suit transport and support craft, the Okhotsk is overtly designed around fielding mobile suits, with two large hangars composing most of its twin hulls. A landing pad and catapult, complete with an old-style elevator, are attached to the top of each hull, while a second set of catapults and landing pads occupy the open space above the middle hull. Launching and recovery of mobile suits can be accomplished with great rapidity, allowing units with low particle levels to be quickly "topped off" and sent back into engagements.

As it is primarily intended for use in a support role, the Okhotsk's armaments are specifically provided for self-defense. The exterior deck edges are lined with single GN vulcan guns, while the two "arch" masts around the center sprout a pair of twin-turret versions for improved firepower and tracking ability, as well as providing excellent coverage for defending the bridge and command center.

Aside from its obvious role as a mobile suit carrier, the Okhotsk is provided with the relevant facilites for command and control of a battlefield, including a well-equipped command center below the bridge. It also possesses the best sensor and detection suites currently available outside of a fixed position, enabling a high degree of situational awareness to unit commanders.