“A Monitor is the principal type of defensive fighting ship (favoring armor over firepower).” —Traveller5 Starships 69.
Monitors are mentioned sporadically in Traveller canon, beginning with the 50,000-ton Empress Troyhune planetoid monitor in CT Fighting Ships (1981). But hard information is fairly scant and few designs have been published. Most of the following information has been culled from T20 Fighting Ships (2003) and MgT Sector Fleet (2009), the two best sources so far.
Monitors are multikiloton system defense craft without jump capability, intended to take on and destroy incoming heavy units. Monitors are simply too large to be effective piracy deterrents: they defend against invasions by another world or polity. System defense forces use monitors to defend high population worlds, while the Navy primarily uses monitors to defend its bases and depots.
Monitors have many of the same fundamental advantages of battle riders: without jump drives or the accompanying fuel storage, they are able to devote more space to weapons and defenses. While a battle rider is primarily offensive in focus, a monitor is primarily defensive, usually constructed with a reinforced hull and heavy armor, making it extremely difficult to destroy. And while battle riders generally have high acceleration, enabling them to clear their riders quickly and engage the enemy, monitors tend to have relatively low acceleration, as they rarely move far from the world or installation they are defending.
Monitors tend to be built for extended, independent operation, whereas battle riders are more dependent on support from battle tenders. Most importantly, battle riders are limited in size to allow tenders to carry them from system to system, while monitors have no such size constraints
In general, planetary governments custom-build monitors in system at whatever size desired using whatever materials and technologies are available, with no real pattern or average model for these craft. Monitors tend to be constructed more cheaply and to lower specifications than battle riders. Planetoid hulls are sometimes used, as they are relatively inexpensive and surprisingly effective.
The Imperial Navy does not build planetoid monitors and instead uses more standardized designs. The largest are designated Battle Monitors and although smaller than a typical battleship have similar combat capability.
The following standard monitor designs represent models probably too old for regular use by the Imperial Navy, but appropriate for many system defense forces in Magyar sector.
Light Monitor. 7,500 tons (standard hull), 3g, no jump capability, TL-13, Computer-Core 80/fib. 148 tons fuel. 84 crew. 75 hardpoints. One 95-ton shuttle. 1 tons cargo. MCr4,317.
Monitor. 15,000 tons (standard hull), 3g, no jump capability, TL-13, Computer-Core 80/fib. 256 tons fuel. 121 crew. 150 hardpoints. One 95-ton shuttle. 289 tons cargo. MCr6,970.
Heavy Monitor. 30,000 tons (standard hull), 3g, no jump capability, TL-13, Computer-Core 80/fib. 508 tons fuel. 238 crew. 300 hardpoints. Two 95-ton shuttles. 508 tons cargo. MCr13,760.
Light Monitor
The term Light Monitor is assigned to any sublight combat vessel larger than a gunboat but not capable of taking on a light cruiser.
Hull Points 3,300
Crew Captain, Officer x7, Pilot x3, Engineer x6, Maintenance x5, Medic, Gunner x57, Administrator x3, Shuttle Pilot
Maintenance Cost MCr0.36 per month
Purchase Cost MCr4,317
| TL13 | Tons | Costs (MCr) | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hull | 7,500 tons, Standard | - | 375 |
| Reinforced | - | 188 | |
| Armor | Crystaliron, Armor:13 | 1,219 | 366 |
| Radiation Shielding | - | 188 | |
| M-Drive | Thrust 3 | 225 | 450 |
| Power Plant | Fusion (TL12), Power 5,430 | 362 | 362 |
| Fuel Tanks | 16 weeks operation | 148 | - |
| Bridge | 60 | 38 | |
| Computer | Core 80/fib | - | 143 |
| Sensors | Improved (Distributed Arrays) | 9 | 13 |
| Countermeasures Suite | 2 | 4 | |
| Enhanced Signal Processing | 2 | 8 | |
| Weapons | Spinal - particle (TL13) | 2,975 | 1,440 |
| Medium Bay (missile) x15 | 1,500 | 375 | |
| Triple Turret (beam laser) x15 | 15 | 38 | |
| Triple Turret (sandcaster) x15 | 15 | 26 | |
| Point Defense Battery (Type II) | 20 | 10 | |
| Ammunition | Missile Storage (2,560 missiles) | 213 | - |
| Sandcaster Barrels (240 barrels) | 12 | - | |
| Screens | Meson Screen x5 | 50 | 100 |
| Nuclear Damper x5 | 50 | 50 | |
| Armored Bulkheads | Power Plant | 36 | 7 |
| Maneuver Drive | 23 | 5 | |
| Fuel | 15 | 3 | |
| Bridge | 6 | 1 | |
| Meson Screen | 5 | 1 | |
| Nuclear Damper | 5 | 1 | |
| Sensors | 1 | - | |
| Craft | Full Hangar | 190 | 38 |
| Shuttle (95 tons) | - | 15 | |
| Systems | Fuel Scoop | - | 1 |
| Fuel Processor (140 tons) | 7 | 0.5 | |
| Medical Bay x2 | 8 | 4 | |
| Briefing Room x2 | 8 | 1 | |
| Repair Drones | 75 | 15 | |
| Staterooms | Standard x47 | 188 | 24 |
| High x1 | 6 | 1 | |
| Software | Maneuver/0 | - | - |
| Intellect | - | 1 | |
| Evade/3 | - | 3 | |
| Fire Control/5 | - | 10 | |
| Auto Repair/2 | - | 10 | |
| Library | - | - | |
| Common Areas | 49 | 5 | |
| Cargo | 1 | - |
Monitor
Monitors large enough to mount meson spinals can generally take on light cruisers or smaller vessels.
Hull Points 6,600
Crew Captain, Officer x10, Pilot x3, Engineer x10, Maintenance x10, Medic, Gunner x79, Administrator x5, Shuttle Pilot
Maintenance Cost MCr0.581 per month
Purchase Cost MCr6,970
| TL13 | Tons | Costs (MCr) | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hull | 15,000 tons, Standard | - | 750 |
| Reinforced | - | 375 | |
| Armor | Crystaliron, Armor:13 | 2,438 | 731 |
| Radiation Shielding | - | 375 | |
| M-Drive | Thrust 3 | 450 | 900 |
| Power Plant | Fusion (TL12), Power 9,500 | 633 | 633 |
| Fuel Tanks | 16 weeks operation | 256 | - |
| Bridge | 60 | 75 | |
| Computer | Core 80/fib | - | 143 |
| Sensors | Improved (Distributed Arrays) | 9 | 13 |
| Countermeasures Suite | 2 | 4 | |
| Enhanced Signal Processing | 2 | 8 | |
| Weapons | Spinal - meson | 7,500 | 2,000 |
| Large Bay (missile) x4 | 2,000 | 500 | |
| Triple Turret (beam laser) x30 | 30 | 75 | |
| Triple Turret (sandcaster) x25 | 25 | 44 | |
| Point Defense Battery (Type II) x2 | 40 | 20 | |
| Ammunition | Missile Storage (4,320 missiles) | 360 | - |
| Sandcaster Barrels (480 barrels) | 24 | - | |
| Screens | Meson Screen x5 | 50 | 100 |
| Nuclear Damper x5 | 50 | 50 | |
| Armored Bulkheads | Power Plant | 63 | 13 |
| Maneuver Drive | 45 | 9 | |
| Fuel | 26 | 5 | |
| Bridge | 6 | 1 | |
| Meson Screen | 5 | 1 | |
| Nuclear Damper | 5 | 1 | |
| Sensors | 1 | - | |
| Craft | Docking Bay | 105 | 26 |
| Shuttle (95 tons) | - | 15 | |
| Systems | Fuel Scoop | - | 1 |
| Fuel Processor (260 tons) | 13 | 1 | |
| Medical Bay x2 | 8 | 4 | |
| Briefing Room x3 | 12 | 2 | |
| Repair Drones | 150 | 30 | |
| Staterooms | Standard x67 | 268 | 34 |
| High x1 | 6 | 1 | |
| Software | Maneuver/0 | - | - |
| Intellect | - | 1 | |
| Evade/3 | - | 3 | |
| Fire Control/5 | - | 10 | |
| Auto Repair/2 | - | 10 | |
| Library | - | - | |
| Common Areas | 69 | 7 | |
| Cargo | 289 | - |
Heavy Monitor
Heavy monitors are generally equivalent in combat to a heavy cruiser, though they are much smaller.
Hull Points 16,500
Crew Captain, Officer x21, Pilot x3, Engineer x21, Maintenance x20, Medic x2, Gunner x158, Administrator x10, Shuttle Pilot x2
Maintenance Cost MCr1.147 per month
Purchase Cost MCr13,760
| TL13 | Tons | Costs (MCr) | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hull | 30,000 tons, Standard | - | 1,500 |
| Reinforced | - | 750 | |
| Armor | Crystaliron, Armor:13 | 4,875 | 1,463 |
| Radiation Shielding | - | 750 | |
| M-Drive | Thrust 3 | 900 | 1,800 |
| Power Plant | Fusion (TL12), Power 18,950 | 1,263 | 1,263 |
| Fuel Tanks | 16 weeks operation | 508 | - |
| Bridge | 60 | 150 | |
| Computer | Core 80/fib | - | 143 |
| Sensors | Improved (Distributed Arrays) | 9 | 13 |
| Countermeasures Suite | 2 | 4 | |
| Enhanced Signal Processing | 2 | 8 | |
| Weapons | Spinal - meson | 15,000 | 4,000 |
| Large Bay (missile) x8 | 4,000 | 1,000 | |
| Triple Turret (beam laser) x60 | 60 | 150 | |
| Triple Turret (sandcaster) x50 | 50 | 88 | |
| Point Defense Battery (Type II) x4 | 80 | 40 | |
| Ammunition | Missile Storage (8,640 missiles) | 720 | - |
| Sandcaster Barrels (1,440 barrels) | 72 | - | |
| Screens | Meson Screen x10 | 100 | 200 |
| Nuclear Damper x10 | 100 | 100 | |
| Armored Bulkheads | Power Plant | 126 | 25 |
| Maneuver Drive | 90 | 18 | |
| Fuel | 51 | 10 | |
| Bridge | 6 | 1 | |
| Meson Screen | 10 | 2 | |
| Nuclear Damper | 10 | 2 | |
| Sensors | 1 | - | |
| Craft | Full Hangar | 380 | 76 |
| Shuttle (95 tons) x2 | - | 30 | |
| Systems | Fuel Scoop | - | 1 |
| Fuel Processor (500 tons) | 25 | 1.25 | |
| Medical Bay x3 | 12 | 6 | |
| Briefing Room x4 | 16 | 2 | |
| Repair Drones | 300 | 60 | |
| Staterooms | Standard x131 | 524 | 66 |
| High x1 | 6 | 1 | |
| Software | Maneuver/0 | - | - |
| Intellect | - | 1 | |
| Evade/3 | - | 3 | |
| Fire Control/5 | - | 10 | |
| Auto Repair/2 | - | 10 | |
| Library | - | - | |
| Common Areas | 133 | 13 | |
| Cargo | 508 | - |
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