Admiral Ortega-class carrier (FT)

Design
Within the United Front Space Force's modern combat doctrine, carriers and aerospacecraft form the core of fleet operations during combat. Carrier-based aerospacecraft are considered the primary means of combating enemy formations, striking from beyond the range of enemy anti-ship weaponry. Most other vessels in the formation serving to protect and support the carriers and their aerospacecraft wings. This is unlike Imperial or Federation space combat doctrine, which focus on long-range ship-to-ship combat with fighters in support and defence of heavily-armed battleships and cruiser lines.

Almirante Ortega-class carriers are 775 meters long and are able to function as both carrier vessels as well as engaging in other combat roles. The ships resemble long rectangular boxes. Long-range sensor and command and control equipment are protected within two armoured prongs on the bow while the dorsal rear of the ship contains the typical Union low-set command superstructure with a horizontal conning tower. The command bridge is located in the middle of this conning tower, with the combat information centre buried within the armoured superstructure.

The entire front aft of the vessels is taken up by a spacious hangar bay, with six medium and two larger elevator landing pads on the dorsal surface, and one large "drop door" on the ventral surface. Fighters and bombers are deployed through the ventral hatch and recovered on the dorsal pads.

Aerospace wing
The Almirante Ortega-class carriers are capable of carrying a maximum of 95 aerospacecraft, though typically operate with an aerospace wing of 80 craft. The primary combat aerospacecraft carried are MarSur AdC-10 multirole fighters, of which 52 are carried. 12 Suvorov AdB-25 bombers are also carried for strike purposes.

In addition, the Almirante Ortega-class ships carry 12 MarSur AdT-32 dropships for troop landing and ship boarding purposes, and 4 COIN AdT-17 shuttles for personnel transportation.