Planetae-class

The Planetae-class carriers are a class of carriers used by the Navy of the Empire of Earth. The first of its class, ESS Mercury, was first laid down in 2430 and was commissioned 4 years later. The Planetae-class was originally designed as an expansion of the previous class. However, it was realised that the changes intended would make it an entirely different class, so the design was revised and new additions were made to the design. When it came to settling on a name for the class, the Navy settled on going with the theme of naming it after planets in the Empire, which has also resulted in the class not suffering from budget restraints, as many of the more developed planets have sponsored a ship of the class to carry their planet's name. The Navy then settled on the Planetae-class with Planetae being the Latin name for planets.   The class have, since its first introduction into the Navy, participated in several exercises, but they have yet to see active combat. They are also the first carrier in the Navy to be designed from the ground up, after the design changes, to be equipped with the F-23 Nightingale.    The class itself was built with the idea that carriers are not built to tank hits from other capital ships, but the Planetae-class excels in not being where the fire is due to its high speed, which have also resulted in the class earning the nickname "The Racing Bricks".   As a carrier, the class is relatively lightly armoured, with the thickest parts of the armour being around the reactors and the bow of the ship. Likewise, the carriers are designed to carry a small detachment of marines, mainly intended to act as a last line of defence in case of boarding, but can be used to support other landing forces.   Over the years, the ships of the Planetae-class have acted as flagships for patrol groups, and they have become popular among younger officers because of the agility and versatility of the class.