Tharkad (WarShip class)
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- This article is about the WarShip. For the planetary system, see Tharkad.
| |
| Tharkad | |
| Production information | |
| Manufacturer | Bolson-Tamar Shipyards[1] |
| Introduced | 2685 |
| Production Year | 2690[2] |
| Use | Battlecruiser |
| Tech Base | Inner Sphere |
| Cost | 20,341,685,416 C-Bills |
| Technical specifications | |
| Mass | 900,000 tons |
| Length | 975 meters |
| Sail Diameter | 1,490 meters |
| Fuel | 3,952 tons |
| Burn Rate | 9.77 |
| Safe Thrust | 1.5 g |
| Top Thrust | 2.5 g |
| Sail Integrity | 5 |
| KF Drive Integrity | 18 |
| LF Battery | Yes |
| Armament |
|
| Armor | 983.5 tons Ferro-Carbide |
| DropShip Capacity | 6 |
| Crew | 362[1]
Bay Personel: 112 |
| Grav Decks | 2 x 95 meters diameter |
| Escape Pods/Life Boats | 30/35 |
| Heat Sinks | 7,000 single |
| Structural Integrity | 80 |
| BV (1.0) | 205,482[citation needed] |
| BV (2.0) | 192,174[1] |
Description[edit]
The first in a line of new WarShips for the Lyran Commonwealth during the Star League era, the Tharkad-class battlecruiser was easily a match for the vast majority of its Avatar, Aegis, and Sovetskii Soyuz cruiser-sized contemporaries, and was only really outclassed by the Texas and McKenna-class battleships. Carrying a vast array of weaponry, moderately heavy armor, and possessing above-average speed, the Tharkad helped enforce Lyran will across the nation while reducing the nation's reliance on Terran Hegemony vessels. The Tharkad's emergence set off a late Star League arms race that spawned the likes of the Black Lion and other similar classes.[1]
Unfortunately for the Lyran navy, only 28 were produced between its introduction in 2690 and the destruction of the Bolson-Tamar Shipyards at the beginning of the First Succession War.[1] In 2765 the Lyran Commonwealth was already operating eleven Tharkads, with a single Tharkad forming the heart of each of six Lyran navy patrol squadrons and another Tharkad positioned in each of the static fleets located at Tharkad and each state capital;[3] each Tharkad was commonly escorted by one or more Commonwealth-class light cruisers and corvettes including the homegrown Mako as reconnaissance and state capitol fleet protection.[3][4] The last functioning Tharkad was believed lost in 2853 until its reemergence in 3067 in a Word of Blake flotilla.[1][5]
Armament[edit]
The Tharkad is armed primarily with a wide variety of naval-grade autocannons and lasers, providing a selection of weapons to properly respond to an enemy threat without needlessly wasting firepower on smaller targets. The vessel also carries a number of Medium and Heavy Naval PPCs and four massive Heavy Naval Gauss Cannons, making the Tharkad a threat to heavier WarShips as well. Unusual for its era, the Tharkad carries a significant number of conventional weapons to fight off aerospace fighters. WarShips of the time usually relied on their attending DropShips to provide screens against enemy fighters. Although the practice is commonplace on modern WarShips, conventional weapons were often seen as a waste of tonnage on vessels deployed during the Age of War and the Star League. Outside of the ship's strong armor and prolific firepower, this ability to fend for itself was likely one of the reasons that the LCS Invincible was one of the last functional WarShips in the Inner Sphere until the Clan Invasion.[5]
Cargo[edit]
- Bay 1: Aerospace Fighters (36), 6 doors
- Bay 2: Small Craft (8), 2 doors
- Bay 3: Cargo (53,914.5 tons), 1 door
See Also[edit]
Gallery[edit]
References[edit]
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 1.5 Technical Readout: 3075, p. 288
- ↑ MUL online date for the Tharkad (WarShip class)
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 Field Report 2765: LCAF, p. 5: "The Vacuum Fleet"
- ↑ Field Report 2765: LCAF, p. 23: "Commonwealth (Light Cruiser)"
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 Jihad Hot Spots: 3070, pp. 143-144, and Blake Ascending, pp. 303-304