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name
General Plans and Schematics
Type

Transport

Statistics
Price

35,820 credits (Military); 9,000 credits (Civilian)

Maintenance costs

1,500 credits (Military); 600 credits (Civilian)

Maximum weight

750 tons

Cargo capacity

250 tons

Fuel capacity

15 tons (600 hours)

Crew capacity

6

Passenger capacity

None

Armament
  • 6 turret-mounted 1 pound autocannons
    • 1000-round magazines each
  • 6 turret-mounted missile batteries
Carried vessels
  • 1 Standard 20-ton Shuttle

The Alliance Landing Ship for Tanks (ALST) was an Alliance military starship class. Due to their high rate of attrition ALSTs were built with minimal complexity and were lightly armed, making them easy pickings without support. This slow low-cost vehicle was primarily used during the Unification War, where it earned the nickname "A Large Slow Target."[1]

Overview[]

Besides carrying mechanized forces ALSTs are also commonly converted into medical evacuation vessels, with weaponry removed and the aft cargo hold converted into an operating theater for up to twenty-four patients and twelve medical personnel.[1]

ALSTs became famous for a number of beachhead landings, including the Battle of Serenity Valley where about a hundred landed simultaneously. At the conclusion of the war, the surviving 2,000 ALSTs of the original 8,000 produced were stripped of their advanced military equipment and auctioned off to civilian buyers.[1]

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Alliance ALSTs hovering over Serenity Valley after the defeat.

Details[]

At this point, we get into two ships small enough to be support craft on a Crete-class Carrier but large enough to operate independently. The first is A Large Slow Target, that is, the Alliance Landing Ship for Tanks, on pg. 51 of Six-Shooters & Spaceships. It's 750 tons, with no support craft or offensive weapons. The second is the Alliance Patrol and Enforcement Cutter, on pg. 58 of that same book. It's 390 tons, with no support craft, but it has 20 tons of missiles, mission specific. The downside is that, like an ASREV, these things are really cramped and can fly for a lot longer than anybody would want to be stuck in one, so they're usually based off a Tohoku-class cruiser or Crete-class Carrier.

Trivia[]

  • The Landing Ship, Tank was used to transport troops and vehicles directly onto a shore. After World War 2 ended they were sold for scrap or converted into other ship types. The Landing Ship, Tank was referred to as the "Long Slow Target" and "Large Slow Target".

Behind the scenes[]

A cut scene from the episode "Serenity" also shows drop ships being used to rescue the survivors of Serenity Valley.

Author of Six-Shooters & Spaceships, Lynn Blackson, attributed the role of 'Landing Ship for Tanks' to this landing vessel after visiting the actual LST-325, a WWII class transport, moored in Evansville, Indiana, which were used both as tank transports and med-evac vessels.

Appearances[]

Sources[]

Notes and references[]

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