The Type-C "Armstrong-Class" Heavy Cruiser was the first of the modern generation of Terran Protectorate starships developed during the boom times following their victory in the first war. These cruisers are the backbone of the Stellar Navy and have earned a reputation for being both powerful and flexible.
They are the largest ship capable of long-range, independent operations, and nearly a quarter operate in just that fashion. While in fleet operations they function as escorts for carriers and battleships, as well as having considerable strike capabilities in their own right, but it is operating solo where they really shine. Their most successful missions to date have centered on exploration, first contact and anti-piracy. They are built to handle virtually any situation alone, a strength that just multiplies their effectiveness in fleet operations.
First and foremost, however, the Armstrongs are space combat vessels. A powerful mass driver built into the lower bow of the vessel is its primary weapon, capable of firing a deadly, 2-ton projectile at speeds so fast that most enemies mistake it for an energy weapon. Inside the depleted uranium projectile is a half-ounce of anti-matter in a magnetic bottle. On impact, the magnetic field dies, and the anti-matter and the surrounding material of the projectile connect with several megatons of explosive force that disintegrates the projectile into millions of dense, high-speed fragments.
In addition to the main cannon, the ships have four powerful particle beam cannons, two pairs of anti-ship missile launch tubes, and nine rail gun turrets for defense against fighters and broadsiding enemy ships at close quarters.
Virtually every officer that rises to command a carrier or battleship has experience commanding an Armstrong. Armstrong-class cruisers are named for famous explorers, including astronauts. Some examples include the Neil Armstrong, the Magellan and the Marco Polo. There are several variants of the Armstrong, including hospital and communications configurations.

Stats

Model: CA Type-C Heavy Cruiser, Armstrong Class
Fleet: Terran Protectorate

Height: 239.5 feet (73 m)
Length: 749 feet (228.3 m)
Width: 162 feet (49.3 m)

Sublight Speed: 20% light speed
Maximum FTL: 1 Light year per day

Officers: 40, plus 5 flight officers (shuttle pilots)
Crew: 490
Troops: 40 marines (security)

Armaments
1 x 2,000 lbs. Gauss-Propelled Mass Driver
4 x Long-range anti-ship missile launchers
2 x Dual barreled Heavy Particle Beam Cannons
9 x 120mm twin-mounted Electromagnetic Acceleration Auto Cannon Turrets (a.k.a. rail guns).

Defenses: 1.5 foot thick Chobham Electromagnetic Reactive Self-Sealing Armor over a nanotube carbon fiber weave, augmented by a 5-nanometer thick neutronium coating over strategic areas.

Auxillary Vehicles: 1 captain's launch, 3 short-range "Hopper" shuttles.

Avionics: Digital Navigational Telescope, Mass Detectors, Spectrographic Light Analysis and Electromagnetic Field Detectors make up the long-range sensors. Short-range sensors include LADAR, Radar, and Infrared Field Surveyors.