UNS San Francisco

Named after the city where the United Nations was formed, the UNS San Francisco was the first spaceborne warship to be commissioned into the organization. The first flagship of their navy, it was supposed to establish the standard that all other warships were measured against, but serious problems with its frame and components saw it quickly relegated to a second-line role.

Ordered as part of a five-ship group, the San Francisco was constructed at the High Altitude Luna Assembly Yards (HALAY), although many of its prefabrication parts came from Earth. It was ordered as both an experimental test ship and a policing vessel, where it stopped and searched ships traveling to wherever it was stationed at. In this guise, it may also be called upon to perform peacekeeping operations, either to bring both sides to the negotiation table or at least stop the spread of violence. Knowing that it would eventually be outclassed, it had a large cargo capacity to act as a resupply vessel towards the end of its lifespan.

Unfortunately, the final warship was found to be deeply flawed, earning the San Francisco a number of colorful, insulting nicknames. The budget allocated to it, although larger than that initially given for the succeeding ships, was simply not enough and led to compromises. It was already known that the ship would be undergunned and unarmored, but its framework was far too weak and required strengthening following its shakedown cruise. This did not resolve its problems, and the poor-quality of work haunted it throughout its lifespan. The solar-diesel equipment proved expensive to upkeep, and they were too small and provided too little electrical power to allow for future refits. It was an uncomfortable ride for the crew, due to its cramped interior and also because only a few of its rooms were designed to take advantage of thrust-gravity. On the bright side, its weapons range was formidable thanks to the BAE Mark 11 targeting system, and its endurance was considerably greater than expected. Intended as a class, the San Francisco only had a single half-sister, the UNS London, which held little in common with its predecessor.

The UNS San Francisco was formally commissioned in 2087, after a five-year-long construction period. In spite of its problems, it had a long if uneventful history. During its brief service as the UN flagship, it routinely ferried diplomats between Earth and Luna, and was the site of a China-American conference aimed at easing tensions between the two powers. After the UNS Moscow took over as head of the UN navy, it was transferred to border-patrol duties around Luna, and then to the Jovian Moons in 2114. The introduction of the more economical second-generation warships eventually saw the San Francisco disarmed and decommissioned, though it still served on in various civilian roles, such as an intra-moon transport and even a habitat construction vessel. It was eventually scrapped in the Point Ireland shipbreaking station in 2134.