The Bengal-class Strike Carrier was a type of strike carrier used by the Terran Confederation in the mid 27-th century. The first example of this type, and arguably, the most famous example, was the T.C.S. Tiger's Claw. It was included in Joan's Fighting Spacecraft Vega Sector Supplement for 2654.092.

Contents 1 About 2 Physical Description 3 Specifications - Bengal Class Carrier 3.1 Hull 3.2 Performance 3.3 Shields 3.4 Armor 3.5 Armament 3.6 List of Notable Bengal-class Strike Carriers 3.7 References 3.8 Namesake 3.9 External links

AboutEdit

The design of the Bengal was authorized by the Confederation prior to 2619, to fulfill the need for a heavy space carrier. The assignment to build the Bengals was won by Trojan Four Spaceyards. The pilot vessel of the Bengal-class, TCS Bengal, entered service in 2619.^[1] The first operational Flight IIA Bengal, T.C.S. Tiger's Claw, was commissioned in 2644.^[2] Following the launch of the Tiger's Claw the Bengal design was modified once again, reducing the overall length to 690 meters and the mass by several tonnes. The TCS Kipling, launched in 2645, reflected these changes. The Bengals would remain in production until 2657. All of the Bengal classification had a designator of "CVS" for Fleet Strike Carrier.

The Bengal-class was a fast, heavily armored and surprisingly well armed carrier with eighteen launch tubes, two small side-mounted bays and a single forward bay for launch and recovery of spacecraft. Its air wing of 104^[2] fighters was not as large as the later Confederation-class, but was well stocked with combat starfighters of all types, and its launch tubes allow it to sortie all its fighters in twelve minutes. The craft was also capable of flying without escorts, being an all-purpose vessel. This made them ideal for long-term deep space strikes against the Kilrathi. They served the Terran Confederation until 2668 or later.

The Bengal-class carried a crew of 750.

Physical Description Edit

Bengal-class ships were roughly seven hundred meters long. The main hull resembled a thin rectangle, with irregular towers jutting up and down from its the midsection. Flat, stubby delta wings grew from the rear of the ship, and two small pods (possibly weapon pods) extended from below the vessel.

Fighters were launched and recovered from a runway structure atop the bow. This runway opened directly into the hanger bay.

Specifications - Bengal Class Carrier Edit

HullEdit

Length: 700 meters

Mass: 80,000 tons

PerformanceEdit

Maximum Velocity: 130 kps

Cruise Velocity: 100 kps

Acceleration: Poor

Maximum Yaw: 1 dps

Maximum Pitch: 1 dps

Maximum Roll: 1 dps

ShieldsEdit

Fore Shield: 21 cm equivalent

Aft Shield: 21 cm equivalent

ArmorEdit

Forward: 24 cm

Left: 25 cm

Right: 25 cm

Rear: 20 cm

ArmamentEdit

• 8x Dual Laser Turrets
• 20x Dual Laser Batteries

List of Notable Bengal-class Strike CarriersEdit

• TCS Beacontree
• TCS Bengal
• TCS Eagle's Talon
• TCS Exeter (lost 2654)
• TCS Kipling^[2]
• TCS Kyoto
• TCS Tiger's Claw CV-07 (lost 2656)
• TCS Trafalgar (lost 2654)^[3]
• TCS Wolfhound^[4]
• TCS Vanguard

ReferencesEdit

1. ↑ Terran Confederation Handbook, page 34.
2. ↑ ^{2.0 2.1 2.2} Claw Marks, page 45.
3. ↑ Wing Commander Academy, Episode 6: "Chain of Command".
4. ↑ End Run, page

• Wing Commander I
• Claw Marks Manual, Wing Commander I,
• Wing Commander CIC

NamesakeEdit

• A Bengal is a type of cat and tiger, named for a region in India.

External linksEdit

• WCpedia: Bengal strike carrier