USC Fleet Composition

(Naval Fleet) 5 Faction Fleets
2 Invasion Fleets (might have a structure equivalent to a Faction Fleet)
1 Defense Fleet (might have a structure equivalent to a Faction Fleet)
1 Reserve Fleet (might have a structure equivalent to a Naval Fleet)
1 Allied Nations Fleet (might have a structure equivalent to a Naval Fleet)

(also called a Sovereignity Fleet in some Factions) 2+ Sector Fleets (depending on Faction)

3+ Regional Fleets (depending on Sector)

(also Called a Provincial Fleet in some Regions) 3+ System Fleets (depending on Region)

2+ Battle Fleets

(also called Planetary Fleet in some Systems) 2-3 Task Groups

1 Battleship (serves as Flagship)
2 Cruisers
2-3 Destroyers
2 Special Ops Frigates
2 additional DESRON's (Destroyer Squadrons) or CRUDESRON's (Cruiser Destroyer Squadron)
(battleship and cruiser forces not listed)

1 Battlecruiser (serves as Flagship)
1-2 Cruisers
2-3 Destroyers
2 Special Ops Frigates
1-2 additional Destroyer Squadrons
(cruiser forces not listed)

1 Carrier (serves as Flagship)
1-2 Cruisers
2-3 Destroyers
2 Special Ops Frigates
1 additional Destroyer Squadron
(carrier forces not listed)

1 Dock Landing Carrier (serves as Flagship)
2 Planetary Assault Landing Carriers
1-2 Cruisers (optional)
2-3 Destroyers
2-4 Special Ops Frigates
1-2 additional Destroyer Squadrons
6 Heavy Interface Transports/ Dropships (assigned to on dock landing carrier)
(landing carrier forces not listed)

(CRUDESRON) 1-2 Cruisers (one serves as flagship)
3-6 Destroyers
1-2 Frigate Squadrons (optional)

(COMDESRON) 3-6 Destroyers, one acting as flagship
1-2 Frigate Squadrons (optional)

(DESRON) 3-6 Destroyers, one acting as flagship
1-2 Frigate Squadrons (optional)

(FREERON) 1-3 Missile Frigates
1-3 Assault Frigates
1-2 Marine Frigates
1-3 Corvette Squadrons

(one per Group) 1 Fast Combat Support Ship
1 Tanker/ Ammunition (serves as Flagship and Stationary support)
2-6 Tanker/ Cargo (serve as shuttle Support)
2-3 Rapair/ Salvage
1-2 Patrol Craft Tender
1-2 Carrier Logistics Support

(CORON; up to 10 Squadrons per Carrier) 1-3 Gunship Wings
1-3 Missile Corvette Wings
1-2 Minelayer Corvette Wings
1-2 Bomber Wings

(up to 25 Squadrons per Carrier) 3-6 Scout Wings
4-8 Interceptor Wings
4-8 Multi Purpose Fighter Wings
2-4 Bomber Wings
2-3 Aerospace Surveillance Wings (ie. AWACS)
1 Tanker/ Support Wing (ie. Refuelers)

3 Corvettes

There are thre main types of corvettes in the USC: Assault Corvettes (also called Gun Ships in some navies), Missile Corvettes (sometimes called Torpedo Corvettes) and Infiltration Corvettes (also called Marine Commando Corvettes or Boarding Corvettes).

These ships have at least two larger Turrets and quite a few smaller Turrets and are highliy optimised for gun combat. The primary role is the defense against Fighters, Bombers and other Corvettes. Some configurations might be used against frigates or destroyers but only as a corvette wing of three vessels agains one light cap ship.

These ships have missile racks upon missile racks and only point defense turrets to protect against other missile attacks. Their primary role is to stop destroyers and frigates doing their work.

These vessels are stealth ships capable of navigating close to the enemies cap ships in order to set out marine boarding comando units to take over the enemy ship.

3 Bomber Craft

Bombers are heavy fightercraft or light corvettes equipped for planetary or station bombardment. Most of these vessels not only feature smartbomb shafts but also torpedo and missile launchers, making them equally useful against heavy capships. Featuring virtually no self defensiv capabilities a bomber wing is often accompanied by one or more interceptor wings.

5 Scout Craft

Scouts are very light long range patrol craft used for forward observation and reconnaissance. SInce most of these craft are build for speed, the usually lack armor and firepower. Scout ships are among the fastest fighter craft in the USC.

5 Interceptor Craft

Interceptors are fast and heavily armed but lightly armored fighter craft used to intercept incoming fighters, bombers and scouts. Most have a two crew cocpit with a remote controlled rear facing turret for „unlocking“ enemy target computers by destroying the respective craft.

5 Fighter Craft

A standard Fighter is normally slower but more heavily armored than an interceptor but very versatile in deployment and loadout. The primary role is to attack slow but large targets like cap ships, stations, etc.

5 Aerospace Fighter Craft

Aerospace Fighters are delta wing aircraft capable of reaching an orbit. Most are launched from an orbital platform and retrieved by orbital tenders. These craft are optimized for atmospheric performance.

(one per landing carrier), Division-sized Force 12 Main Battle Grav Tanks (ground force)
20-40 Light Armored Grav Carriers (ground)
45 Landing Craft/ Drop Ships (orbit to ground force)
15 Heavy Artillery Grav Tanks (ground force)
30 Artillery Grav Tanks (ground force)
15 Autonomous Missile Tanks (ground force)
15 Anti-Armor Missile Tanks (ground force)
6 Light Scout Walkers (ground force)
12 Light Assault Walkers (ground force)
24 Heavy Assault Walkers (ground force)
12 medium Flak-Missile Walkers (ground force)
12 Aerospace Gunships (aerospace)
6 Aerospace Utility Transports (aerospace)
15 Aerospace Transports (aerospace)
40 Exo-Tank Aerospace Transports (aerospace)
25 Aerospace Heavy Lift Carry-All Transports (aerospace)
20 Aerospace Fighters (aerospace)
5 Aerospace Tanker/ Support ( (ie. Refuelers; aerospace)
4 Base Camp Supply Carriers (logistics)
1 Command Equipment Unit (logistics)
6 Large Wheel Loaders (logistics)
4 Cargo Handling Walkers (logistics)
6 Tracked Earth Movers (logistics)
2 Large Wheeled Dump Trucks (logistics)
4 Light All Terrain Trucks (logistics)
30 Water Tank Containers (logistics)
100 High Mobillity Ground Vehicles (logistics)
50 Medium All Terrain Trucks (logistics)
2000 Exo-Tank Marine Troops (one infantry regiment)
2500 Infantry Troops (one infantry regiment)

(not necessarily USC related but relevant for RiftRoamers' setting and focus)

From a contemporary point of view, space gun combat does not seem to be efficient at all. Missiles would most likely replace any Guns on any type of warship, due to the fact that vessels tend to move fast in space and that missiles are maneuverable weapons. This however didn't quite turn out correctly. With the event of energy shields, the tactical advantage of missiles was easily equalized. Only energy beam weapons were able to sustain increasing damage on shields to overload them - crack them - in oder to blow the hull afterwards. For this reason technical advancements in space gun combat led to highly developed and efficient guns found on most starships these days. Today however not only energy weapons are available but also mass drivers, projectile weapons, rail guns, particle accelerators, plasma beam weapons and more.

USC Fleets focus 60% on Naval Gun Combat and 40% on missile combat, though smaller ships tend to have more energy gun turrets and only dedicated vessels employing significant missile capabilities.

Carriers can launch between one and four complete fighter wings simultaneously.
Carriers are considered to be cruisers.

Destroyers and Frigates are quite similar ship types with the role of the destroyer being a combination of the more specialized frigates and an ancient principle or design philosophy:
To out-gun every faster ship and to out-run every stronger ship.

Frigates are the smallest independently operating vessels, they usually have a similar specialization as corvettes, but are larger. Frigates might be called Light Destroyer or Destroyer Escorts in some Fleets.
Frigates are considered to be Capital Ships in the USC which can differ in other navies.
This differs from older Alien Encounters and RiftRoamers canon! Frigates used to be non capital ship in all RDS

Destroyers combine missile frigates, combat frigates and carrier frigates in one ship. Destroyers are usually larger than frigates but do not need to be in order to be designated as destroyers. A heavy frigate might be larger than a light destroyer, if Frigates are part of the respective fleet.

• A single USC Aerospace fighter has approximately the same combat performance as a pair of US-F35 vectored thrust fighters, two Eurofighters or two SU35 fighters.
• A single USC Space Fighter (note: aerospace = orbit and airspace, space = beyond orbit) is not easily comparable to an aircraft.
• A USC fighter wing is usually a group of five patrol craft which are at least launched simultaneously from a carrier. Some heavier or larger craft are grouped into wings of three craft.
• The USC does not have a rigid fleet structure. Though Regional Fleets form Sector Fleets, which form Faction Fleets, which in turn form the USC Navy, the number of vessels and employed personnel is based on requirements of the locale and role in the forces and not on a fixed number or fleets of rigid size.
• The largest USC Fleet ist the 1st Fleet stationed in the Solaris System. The second largest Fleet is the 5th Fleet stationed at Tau Ceti and Epsilon Eridani with more than 80% located at Tau Ceti.
• The USC calls Flotillas Squadrons unlike most other military forces which form Squadrons from CapShips and Flotillas from Patrol Ships. The USC does call smaller groups of Corvettes a Corvette Wing.
• The term Task Group will usually be more specified into Strike Group, Defense Group, Assault Group, etc.
• Corvette-sized vessels are frequently referred to as cruisers if their role within the force assumes an independent duty and the duty assumes actions similar to those defined for cruisers.

The term cruiser is also employed if the vessel engages in wide area search patterns in order to perform it's primary task such as an SAR Vessel.

The term is also employed if there is no well defined destination for each journey - e.g. when standard duty requires the ship to leave the patrol territory. In these cases the vessel is used for power projection into territories not directly assigned to the respective fleet the vessel is registered with. These roles are assigned to anti piracy vessels or customs cutters.

by mirc