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Berkomo
Unit
type: dock ship/transport The Berkomo is a ubiquitous dock ship commonly used by the Atlantic Federation naval units as a means to transport mobile suits to combat zones. While slow and ungainly as well as lightly armored for its size, the ship has an extremely low overall displacement, allowing it to move in shallow waters, and even beach itself on smooth shores. To assist with landing operations, the entire forward section of the Berkomo's hull is totally hollow and open to the air, allowing mobile suits to be loaded and unloaded via cranes at a port. The bow can split open to permit disembarking to shore and amphibious landings, and can also be safely flooded at sea to dispatch marine mobile suits directly into the water. The rear deck supports a landing pad for helicopters, although it is plenty large to allow a flying mobile suit to land, and a small elevator is provided to allow shunting of embarked units to or from the main hold. While it is not intended for combat, the Berkomo is armed for defensive purposes with a pair of vulcan guns and missile launchers on sponsons near the stern. Berkomo-class ships formed the main line of a number of Atlantic Federation counterattacks against ZAFT-held bases in South Africa during the Earth Liberation Army's campaigns, and could be frequently encountered on trans-Atlantic patrol routes with embarked Daughseat III mobile suits as part of maritime interdiction and antisubmarine warfare operations. Since the collapse of the Federation, the class has proliferated around the world, and more than a few are unlicensed copies manufacutred at private shipyards. A Berkomo can commonly be spotted providing escort for civilian convoys in the South Pacific, and are also routinely employed for naval recovery operations. |
