Hotaka-class battleship (FT)

Background and Design
In 180, the Akagi-class battleship was introduced by the Imperial Navy, combining firepower, armour, and operational range to create one of the best warships in the Human Sphere. The unprecedented power of the Akagi-class triggered an arms race between the three Southern hyperpowers, and the Akagi-class had also become an enduring symbol of the Empire's military might and resurgence.

A project to develop a successor warship for the Akagi-class began under the Imperial Navy Tactical Warfare Development Centre in 225. Early research and development resulted in the development of the Akagi II upgrade package for the Akagi-class, which was rolled out in 226 during and after the Second Hyperpower War. During and after the war, research determined that attack craft technology and weaponry had developed to such a stage that they were once again a major threat to capital ships. The Tactical Development Centre's research therefore focused on integrating the combat power of the battleship with the attack craft-carrying capabilities of a carrier, partly inspired by the battlecarriers of the United Front.

The Akagi-class could already technically act as a carrier, and is able to carry a single wing of fighters, mainly for reconnaissance purposes, though they were also capable of flying combat patrol if needed. This small force was judged to be insufficient the defend against the attack craft-heavy space tactics of the Interstellar Union and the Hierarchy, forcing Akagi-class vessels to work with other carriers for proper fighter support. This attempt to combine carrier capabilities without the diminishing warships' line combatant capabilities had already been carried out before in the design of the Takashio-class destroyer, which heavily modified the reliable Asashio-class destroyer hull into a fast escort carrier still capable of ship-to-ship combat.