SGCS Ranger

Ranger-class Starship

Type: Medium long-range hyperspace capable support ship
Technology base: Earth/Asgard
Nations: United States Navy/Marine Corps, United States Air Force, Royal Navy/Air Force, Russian Space Service, Royal Canadian/Australian Air Force, Tok'ra, Free Jaffa Nation, Genii Confederacy.
Naval Classification: Multi-role Transport
Hull: Trinium, carbon composites, trinium/steel alloy.
Decks: Six plus main cargo deck.
Dimensions:
~Length: 160m
~Width: 80m
~Height: 48m
Displacement: 4,800 tons (empty, 1 gee)
~Maximum Takeoff Weight: 20,000 tons (standard version); 38,000 tons (amphibious assault version).
Crew: 15
~Maximum Personnel: 1,500
~Troops: 800
~Craft: 10 Tel'tacs (or 24 Puddlejumpers, or 16 F-302s, or 8 Dropships). Usual airwing is a mix: 4 Tel'tacs, 2 Dropships, 8 Puddlejumpers, and 8 F-302s.
~Vehicles: Up to 20 Humvees, 16 Bradley fighting vehicles, 12 APTs, 6 M1A1 Abrams tanks, and 10 utility trucks (variable mix).
Powerplant: Mk. III Naquadah Reactor
Engines:
~Three ion-based sublight drives
~Two hyperspace window generators
~Antigravity Wave Generators
Weapons:
(Standard Version)
4 x Mk. II 20mm Point Defense Railguns x 10,000 rounds each
(Amphbious Assault Version) Includes:
4 x M102 105mm Cannons x 100 rounds each
6 x 25mm GAU-12 Gatling guns x 3,000 rounds each
(Escort Carrier Version) Includes:
2 x MK-44 Guided Missile Round Packs (GMRP) for space-modified RIM-116 Rolling Airframe Missiles (20 rounds each)
(Apis-subclass)
4 Class 3 Staff Cannons
6 Class 2 Staff Cannons
1 Energy Bomb Launcher
Defenses:
~Asgard shields
~Reactive Armor
~Sensor Decoy Launchers
~Cloak (optional)
Other Technology:
~Asgard Transporters
~Gou'ald Rings
~Advanced Subspace Communications Transceiver Array (Command ship version)


Technical and Historical Notes:

Big, boxy, heavily armored, powerful, and endlessly adaptable, the Ranger-class starship was built by the first dedicated starship construction firm on Earth, Star Works Inc. Though this company remains top secret, it has already made a substantial profit by providing Earth and her allies with a starship that simply refuses to become obselete.

Fulfilling a 2004 top secret request for a long-range support ship for Earth's future spacefleet, the fledgling corporation (previously employed creating spare engine parts for the Space Shuttle program) went through a crash course to devise the X-330. A large, unelegant craft, the Ranger nevertheless was easy to build, and with it's interchangable modules and simple construction, was easily altered to fit several different roles.

The standard Ranger can haul an entire Marine Expeditionary Unit, plus their equipment and vehicles, to any world within 5,000 lightyears in only a few days. It's tough, double-hulled construction makes it rugged enough to survive rough landings, asteroid collisions, and direct enemy weapons fire with little loss of performance. It's powerful, Mk. III naquada reactor lets it take punishment that even late-model Gou'ald motherships would have trouble surviving. And, it's variable-gravity cargo bays grant it a far greater cargo capacity than comparable Gou'ald vessels.

The Ranger can serve as a simple cargo vessel (able to carry thousands of tons of food, medicine, replacement parts, weapons and other supplies), an amphibious assault transport, an escort carrier, a fleet command ship, a hospital ship, a survey vessel, an evacuation transport-Even a tender vessel, when equipped with docking modules. It can keep up with a Daedalus-class starship in normal space and hyperspace travel, though takes much longer to achieve orbit and land. The Ranger's only true flaw is it's inability to carry large numbers of missiles or heavy energy weapons. However, this is not part of her role, and therefore is less a flaw than a mere limitation.

The Free Jaffa, originally wary of using Taur'i technology, have become one of the biggest users of the Ranger (which they call the Apis, the Gou'ald word for bull). Converted to carry Deathgliders, it can carry 24 of these fighters and gives the Free Jaffa far greater air support than standard motherships. The Tok'ra prefer it to Ha'tak-class motherships, and frequently upgrade their Rangers with Tok'ra-style interfaces and
corridors.

With it's armor, Asgard technology, and weapons removed, it has been pressed into service as a civilian cargo freighter for the Free Jaffa, and a few like this have also been sold to a few peoples in the Pegasus Galaxy.

Star Works hopes to come out with a next-generation version of the Ranger in the next few years. However, current Ranger demand and production is showing no signs of slowing down. The class itself is expected to remain in service for several decades to come, and the design... Who knows?