Exocarrier

Overview
Before the Pirate Clans War broke out, ExoCarriers were regarded as an important supporting element for the battle line; by the time the Neosapien War began, they effectively were the battle line. ExoCarriers themselves are nothing but floating airfields. Most ExoCarriers were armed with laser cannons and fusion torpedoes with later models acquiring cloaking technology from the Pirate Clans after the Exofleet – Pirate Clans Alliance. Their armor protection was mediocre for their size and comparable to that of an Exocruiser. Their power was with their E-frame Squads, which varied depending on the class of the ExoCarrier. In addition to the offense prowess the ExoCarriers had with their E-Frame Squads, they also served as their main line of defense; especially against E-Frame and Space Fighter attacks. For the type of deep space fighting associated with the ExoCarriers, they were also equipped with complements of Jumptroop Units, as well as various types of transport shuttles. The ExoCarriers, especially the fleet’s flagship, were the hub and nerve center for the ExoFleet while on deployment.

ExoCarrier Task Forces
Since ExoCarriers were a relatively new and untried weapons system, there was much uncertainty on how they should best be employed. There was a definite split in tactics in the ExoFleet of how the ExoCarrier Task Forces should operate. One group of thought was the ExoCarriers were so powerful that they could be utilized at the dagger point of an assault and win with their superior firepower and be defended by their mere armor as their size would make them impenetrable to significant hull damage. The other school of thought was to use E-Frames at the point of attack while using the entire task force for support, leaving the other ships in the Task Force to protect the ExoCarriers while the E-Frames draw the main focus of the opposition’s fire. The ExoCarrier Task Force was made up mostly of Exodestroyers, Exofrigates, and Exocruisers which provided most of the fleet’s fire power in addition to being screening vessels to protect the ExoCarriers from direct fire in the middle of the formation.

Combat History
These ships also had a fairly good grade of weapons batteries as they are seen fighting in a similar manner to past battleships; either ship versus ship combat or orbital bombardment. This style of combat, favored by Matthew Marcus of the Resolute, was proven partially ineffective during the Pirate Clans War during the Battle of Enceladus.

During the Neosapien War it was discovered that E-frame attacks were capable of infliction severe damage oncapital ships and ground installations. A new type of exocarrier was designed so the Jumptroops and E-frames could create a [lodgement]. The Exocruisers, Exofrigates, and Exodestroyers would engage the opposing ships while the ground assault would only be faced with the infantry and E-frames. The first exocarrier of this type was the Arnhem.

The use of broadsides to deliver energy salvos against a target was not effective against a smaller target. In addition to E-frame attacks, the Fourth Battle of Venus saw the decimation of the Neosapien fleet by the use of a fusion torpedo barrage.

The only major use of a ship versus ship fusillade was seen during the Third Battle of Venus when the Resolute II destroyed the Olympus Mons II.