Narukami (WarShip class)
Sarna News
- This article is about destroyer. For the heavy tank, see Narukami (Combat Vehicle).
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| Narukami | |
| Production information | |
| Manufacturer | Draconis Combine |
| Introduced | 2380 (Block I) 2770 (Block II) |
| Production Year | 2380[1] |
| Use | Destroyer[2] |
| Tech Base | Inner Sphere |
| Technical specifications | |
| Mass | 670,000 tons |
| Length | 610 meters |
| Sail Diameter | 1,100 meters |
| Fuel | 4,000 tons |
| Burn Rate | 39.52 |
| Safe Thrust | 2.5 g |
| Top Thrust | 4 g |
| Sail Integrity | 5 |
| KF Drive Integrity | 15 |
| LF Battery | None |
| Armament |
Block I
Block II
|
| Armor | 667 tons Improved Ferro-Aluminum, (Block I) 500 tons Ferro-Carbide, (Block II) |
| DropShip Capacity | 3 |
| Crew | 245
Bay Personnel: 60 (Block I), 34 (Block II) |
| Grav Decks | 2 x 200 meters diameter |
| Escape Pods/Life Boats | 45/0 |
| Heat Sinks | 1,300 single |
| Structural Integrity | 50 |
| BV (2.0) | 130,988 (Block I)[2] 134,418 (Block II)[2] |
Description[edit]
The Narukami-class of destroyer was the first WarShip to be designed and manufactured domestically by the Draconis Combine and was produced in two distinct blocks. The original Block I entered service in 2380,[2] later than the home-designed WarShips of the other major Inner Sphere states, bar the Capellan Confederation,[3] but allowed the Combine to develop naval doctrines and tactics based around the use of small, powerful ships, reflecting the design and manufacturing capabilities of the Combine's industrial base at the time.[2]
Even without the advantages of ready construction facilities and well-developed tactics the Narukami was a dangerous, highly-effective ship, one that outperformed contemporaries such as the Lola I-class destroyers being manufactured by the Terran Hegemony, combining ample protection, high thrust, and considerable firepower. The limitations of the Narukami were almost directly a consequence of how powerful the design was. The maneuvering drive wasn't only capable of delivering high levels of thrust — it also pushed the hull of the Narukami beyond its structural limits, something that caused both stress fractures and engine failures. The Narukami also had a relatively small cargo bay, limiting its endurance.[2]
The Narukami was cheap to manufacture, but proved very expensive to maintain and operate; the cost of operating Narukamis during peacetime made it more palatable to mothball the class, with the Reunification War being the last major conflict in an eventful operating life. To fill the capability gap left by the absence of the Narukamis the Combine instead purchased secondhand WarShips such as Barons from the Terran Hegemony; while the former Terran WarShips underperformed in combat by comparison, they were cheaper to keep in service.[2] By 2765, most of the Block I Narukamis were in mothballs, and the remaining six were in service with the fleets based out of Pesht, where they could rely on having easy access to nearby shipyards to help keep them supplied and operational.[4]
With the various Great Houses expanding their militaries sharply after the Star League Council repealed the Council Edict of 2650, the Draconis Combine revisited the Narukami design, using advancements in armor technology to replace the improved ferro-aluminum of the original design with ferro-carbide, keeping the level of protection at the same level but reducing the weight of the armor solution by 25%. Those weight savings went into boosting the secondary weapon systems on the Narukami; the designers also redesigned the flight decks to support aerospace fighters, and the final Block II became the backbone of the resurgent Combine navy.[2]
The Narukami saw extensive service in the early Succession Wars, with the remainder surviving the devastating conflagration — but only in reserve. The Succession Wars nearly destroyed the Combine's industrial base, and the demanding support and maintenance requirements and the associated cost of operating the Narukami made it impossible for the DCA to keep the destroyers in service.[2]
After the Clans invaded the Inner Sphere, the Combine attempted to restore the few remaining Narukamis to active service. Still, the ships proved to be beyond saving, with both the maneuvering drives and jump cores past the point where they could be salvaged. By the beginning of the Jihad, the last venerable Narukamis had been scrapped.[2]
Weapons and Capacities[edit]
Both blocks of Narukami were heavily armed; in terms of capital weapons, each block mounted a pair of Heavy NPPCs in the nose and a pair of NAC/35s in each broadside. Combined into a single bay in each of the front and aft left and right arcs were a pair of NAC/20s and a single NAC/30. Where the two blocks differed were the secondary weapon suites; the Block I mounted ten Large Lasers aft and five in every other arc, along with ten medium lasers aft and five in every other arc except the nose.[2] The Block II Narukami stripped out the medium lasers from every arc, replacing each with a PPC, while a bank of five PPCs were installed in the nose in place of the large lasers.[2]
Cargo[edit]
Block I
- Bay 1: Small Craft (12), 6 Doors
- Bay 2: Cargo (53,483 tons), 2 Doors
Block II
- Bay 1: AeroSpace fighters (12) / Small Craft (2), 6 Doors
- Bay 2: Cargo (53,600 tons), 2 Doors