Corporate Bulk Cruiser

ARMAMENT:
14 Turrets of Twin Mounted, 88mm Mass Drivers
8 Turrets of Twin 145 mm (Approx. 6 Inch) Stabilized Cannons
3 Turrets of Twin 18 Inch Stabilized Cannons
Numerous Ship to Ship Guided Torpedos
32 Snub Fighters in Dorsal Bays.
Up To 72 Combat A.P.U.s
Undisclosed Battle Satellite Capacity
VARIANTS/REFITS:
Unknown. The Corporate Bulk Cruisers were not encountered in sufficient numbers during the corporate Insurrections to note significant variations, and very few survived the war.

COMPLIMENT:
Up to 550 Crew and Passengers(300 officers and gunnery personnel operating in 4 shifts), 64 Pilots, 96 Air Support Crewmen, 3 Platoons of Corporate Security Personnel.
The Crew accommodations on the Bulk Cruiser class of ships are far more spacious than is typical for a warship. Crewman get assigned a shared state room with one other crewmember. Each stateroom has it's own lavatory and shower. The overall layout of the State rooms are like dormitory blocks. Each block has it's own small kitchenette for the preparation of small meals and snacks, with a larger cafeteria on each deck to serve the entire deck. The officers quarters are larger with independent private lavatories. There is also a separate Officers mess, recreation room, and small weight room. The serviceable flight bays or accommodations for separate craft such as Shuttles, launches, and Fighters are not as spacious as on dedicated carriers of the E.O.C. but are fully capable of repairs and refits. The Bulk Cruiser also maintains a compliment of about two dozen Utility A.P.U.s for repairs, maintenance, and cargo operations, and 72 or more Combat A.P.U.s for close quarters, ship to ship combat and boarding operations. Unlike smaller craft in use by the Corporations, even the vaunted assault frigates, the Bulk Cruisers have powerful suites of comm and control and electronic warfare electronics - making them the center-point for any task force they are assigned.

HISTORY:
Unlike many other Corporate Warships, which are repurposed Freighters, or armed civilian craft, the Bulk Cruiser is a true warship. Though conceived and built for war, the design is not without failings. While the Bulk Cruiser does indeed mount serious firepower compared to other corporate fleet vessels, it is far less armored and durable than its E.O.C. counterparts. This is partly due to the fact that, as with so many Corporate Vessels, the Cruiser was designed as a multi-role combat vessel, acting not only as a Capital ship of the line, but as a carrier for attack craft and support troops. Additionally, the Bulk Cruiser was intended to replace the Galleon class cruisers, which were slow and lacked maneuverability - agility was a key point in it's design. The Bulk Cruiser is fast for it's size, and agile, which when combined with its ability to deliver a solid punch to an enemy ship makes it a considerable threat on the field of battle. The Bulk Cruiser is easily able to out manuever other vessels in its size and weight class. Unfortunately, the Bulk cruiser's anti-fighter defenses are somewhat thin, with large areas unprotected, or with minimal protection. Much of the Anti-Fighter defense capability was centered around the bridge and flight bays, but this left the main engines relatively unprotected. The Bulk cruiser was vulnerable to fighter attacks, which could easily criple her and strip her of her speed and maneuverability.
During the Corporate Insurrections Bulk Cruisers were present in the corporate fleets at many of the larger battles of the early two thirds of the war. They more than proved their ability as warships, and some E.O.C. captains even envied them. These ships were often the focus of sustained attacks as some of the most dangerous vessels in the corporate fleets. As the final third of the war began, fewer and fewer of these ships were seen. It is believed that the destruction of the shipyards that manufactured them, combined with dwindling resources, saw the end of their production. Very few of these cruisers survived the war, some in corporate service still with greatly reduced armaments, others in hiding. The designs and specifications were lost with the destruction of the primary manufacturing yards, and the lives of the designers lost with them, and so no new Bulk Cruisers will ever be built - despite the likelihood of demand for them.