Dreadnought (WarShip class)
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- This article is about the WarShip class. For the eponymous first ship of that class, see Dreadnought (Individual Dreadnought-class WarShip).
| |
| Dreadnought | |
| Production information | |
| Manufacturer | Terran Alliance |
| Introduced | 2300 |
| Production Year | 2300[1] |
| Use | Battleship |
| Tech Base | Inner Sphere |
| Technical specifications | |
| Mass | 960,000 tons |
| Length | 890 meters |
| Sail Diameter | 1,050 meters |
| Fuel | 5,000 tons |
| Burn Rate | 39.52 |
| Safe Thrust | 1.5 g |
| Top Thrust | 2.5 g |
| Sail Integrity | 5 |
| KF Drive Integrity | 19 |
| LF Battery | No |
| Armament |
|
| Armor | 1,147.5 tons standard |
| DropShip Capacity | 0 |
| Crew | 762[2]
Bay Personnel: 128 |
| Grav Decks | 2 x 150 meters diameter |
| Escape Pods/Life Boats | 60/60 |
| Heat Sinks | 2,048 single |
| Structural Integrity | 60 |
| BV (2.0) | 104,949[2] |
Description[edit]
The first true WarShip to be produced, the Dreadnought was originally considered to be a plaything of Admiral James McKenna. The TAS Dreadnought, launched in 2300, was the first of seven ships in this class and served as McKenna's flagship until he transferred his flag to the Black Lion. In 2315, McKenna disabused the warring parties of the Terran Alliance that these ships were mere showpieces when he staged several firepower demonstrations involving destroying uninhabited islands on Terra from orbit, and paved the way for the birth of the Terran Hegemony.[2][3]
The Dreadnought class would serve for just over 300 years before being formally retired in 2602; during these intervening three centuries, no Dreadnought was lost in combat, although two Dreadnoughts were lost as a result of navigational accidents during the Age of War and a third was scrapped after a series of engineering mishaps. While the Dreadnought class was superseded in service by the Farragut and Monsoon classes, three of the four surviving Dreadnoughts remained as reserve vessels within the Star League Navy. Unlike many later vessels, each Dreadnought mounted an array of fighter-scale weapons, making them capable of repulsing a fighter escort even without dedicating any of the cargo or small craft bays to carrying fighter support.[2]
The Reunification War was the final campaign for the Dreadnought class, and three of the four surviving vessels were scrapped or gifted to museums after the war; the last vessel to remain in service was also the first, the SLS Dreadnought.[2] An exhibit piece at the Luna Air, Space and Stars Museum, the "Grand Old Queen" freed numerous civilian vessels from the horrors of Stefan Amaris before succumbing to a Republican fleet above Wyatt.[4]
Armament[edit]
The Dreadnought class was intended to operate independently and was armed entirely with naval and fighter grade autocannons, making the class capable of fearsome displays of firepower but also causing them to require frequent resupply, even with the spacious cargo bays on each vessel. The larger NAC/20s were mounted fore, aft and within the broadsides, with the lighter NAC/10s mounted in the fore and aft side arcs. The lighter AC/5s and AC/2s were mounted evenly around the ship, making it difficult for attacking light craft to find an easy avenue of approach.[2]
Cargo[edit]
- Bay 1: Small Craft (12), 2 doors
- Bay 2: Small Craft (12), 2 doors
- Bay 3: Cargo (132,316.5 tons), 4 doors
- Bay 4: Cargo (40,000 tons), 2 doors