Tharkad (WarShip class)
Sarna News
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| Tharkad | |
| Production information | |
| Manufacturer | Bolson-Tamar Shipyards |
| Introduced | 2690 |
| Use | Battlecruiser |
| Tech Base | Inner Sphere |
| Cost | 20,341,685,416 C-Bills |
| Technical specifications | |
| Mass | 900,000 tons |
| Length | 975 meters |
| Sail Diameter | 1490 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 | 4 x NL35s 4 x NL45s 11 x NL55s 15 x Medium NPPCs 8 x Heavy NPPCs 6 x NAC/20s 6 x NAC/25s 4 x NAC/30s 4 x NAC/35s 6 x Killer Whale Launchers 4 x Heavy N-Gauss Cannons 18 x LRM-20s 18 x LRM-10s 17 x Large Lasers 34 x Medium Lasers |
| Armor | Ferro-Carbide |
| DropShip Capacity | 6 |
| Crew | 474 |
| Grav Decks | 2 (95m) |
| Escape Pods/Life Boats | 30/35 |
| Heat Sinks | 7,000 |
| Structural Integrity | 80 |
| BV (1.0) | 205,482 |
| BV (2.0) | ??? |
Description
The first in a line of new WarShips for the Lyran Commonwealth during the Star League era, the Tharkad class Battlecruiser was easily the match for the vast majority of its contemporaries, only really outclassed by the Texas and McKenna Battleships. Carrying a vast array of weaponry, moderately heavy armor, and above average speed, the Tharkad helped enforce Lyran will across the nation. Unfortunately for the Lyran navy, barely more then 20 were produced between its introduction in 2690 and the destruction of the Bolson-Tamar Shipyards at the beginning of the First Succession War. The last functioning Tharkad was believed lost in 2853 until its reemergence in 3067.[1][2]
Armament
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 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 that 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.[3][2]
Cargo
44,914.5 tons
- Bay 1: 36 Fighters
- Bay 2: 8 Small Craft
- Bay 3: Cargo
Named Vessels
- Lyran Commonwealth
- LCS Tharkad (Destroyed)
- LCS (LAS) Invincible
- Combat losses, both in material and crew, whittled away at the number of functional Tharkads until finally one remained, the LCS Invincible. Dispatched in 2853 to help the forces defending Hesperus II from Kuritan invaders, the now near-decrepit Invincible was successful in breaking the DCMS blockade and ended the battle. The ship disappeared after jumping from Hesperus II and was thought lost to a misjump or jump drive failure, although even the most hopeful could hardly guess the Invincible's final fate.[1][2]
- In November of 3067 the member states of the second Star League gathered on the Lyran capital of Tharkad for the Fourth Star League Conference. On 5 December, above the icy blue skies of Tharkad the LCS Invincible reappeared, apparently found derelict by the Word of Blake and repaired to operational capacity, escorted by several other Blakist WarShips. When the Star League dissolved, thanks mostly to the withdrawal of the Capellan Confederation, Federated Suns, and Lyran Alliance itself, the Word of Blake unleashed the wrath of the Invincible on her class' namesake, detonating a nuclear reactor and sowing chaos across the capital.[1][2] The vessel stayed in orbit around Tharkad to defend the Blakist ground forces.[4]
- In January 3072, Archon Adam Steiner launched an assault that liberated Tharkad.[5] During that battle, the Invincible faced off against the LAS Yggdrasil. The Invincible was boarded and taken by Lyran forces, putting her back in Lyran hands for the first time in over 200 years.[6][7]
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 Jihad Hot Spots: 3070, p. 143 & Blake Ascending, p. 303
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 Technical Readout: 3075, p. 288
- ↑ Jihad Hot Spots: 3070, p. 144 & Blake Ascending, p. 304
- ↑ Jihad Turning Points: Tharkad, pp. 8-9, "Taking a Bullet"
- ↑ Jihad Hot Spots: 3076, p. 21, "Timeline of the Jihad"
- ↑ Jihad Hot Spots: 3072, pp. 70-71, "Reflections of Hell"
- ↑ Jihad Turning Points: Tharkad, pp. 10-11, "Homecoming"
- ↑ Jihad Hot Spots: Terra, p. 95, "Classified: Eyes Only - Top Secret"