Approved Ranged Weapon Atalanta II-type Mass Driver Cannon

[Ethanael Halscott]

Atalanta II​

OUT OF CHARACTER INFORMATION

• Intent: Commonwealth-era modernization of the Atalanta-type Mass Driver Cannon, updating ammunition families and fire-control/safety systems while retaining the original twin-barrel 127mm mass-driver identity
• Image Source: N/A
• Canon Link: N/A
• Permissions: N/A
• Primary Source: Atalanta

PRODUCTION INFORMATION

• Manufacturer: Primo Victorian Enterprises
• Affiliation:Imperial Commonwealth of Dosuun
• Market Status: Closed-Market
• Model: VMD-SCCA2 "Atalanta II"
• Modularity: Yes
• Production: Minor
• Material: Durasteel; reinforced trilamnium; reinforced duraplast liner; crystalamnium; mass driver components; ionization/EM components; gauss/coil components

TECHNICAL SPECIFICATIONS

• Classification: Rail/Coil/Gauss Mass Driver Cannon (kinetic/slug system with optional ion-sheath interface)
• Size: Large
• Weight: Heavy
• Ammunition Type: Depleted Baradium, 127mm Kinetic Projectiles
• (K-127 series; modular family loads)
  
  • Core Loads:
    
    • K-127A Penetrator Rod (Standard Issue)
    • K-127B Fragmentation Breaker (delayed/proximity fracture)
    • K-127D Delayed Breach Rod (post-penetration rupture charge)
    • K-127I Ion-Sheath Kinetic Slug (brief shield destabilization + impact ion shock)
  • Alternative Loads:
    
    • K-127H Hypervelocity Kinetic Projectile (HVP-analog)
    • K-127P Proximity Airburst Fragmentation (AA/anti-missile corridor denial)
    • K-127S Sub-Caliber Sabot Dart (precision deep penetrator)
    • K-127C Canister / Close-In Corridor Denial (last-ditch anti-boarding/light craft)
    • K-127L Illumination / Sensor Beacon Round (ISR flare + EM/grav reference marker)
• Ammunition Capacity: Very Large
• Effective Range: Average
• Rate of Fire: High
• Damage Output: High
• Recoil: Average

SPECIAL FEATURES

• Twin Barrel Design
• Gauss/Coil firing mechanisms with electromagnetic rail acceleration
• Automated Reload Assistance Program
• Rangefinder / built-in sensors (updated with corridor prediction + mass-vector analysis)
• Target tracking, lock-on/lead solution assistance (heuristic-assisted; non-guided shells)
• Fast Track Mounting Capable (rapid emplacement compatibility across hardpoints)
• Heuristic data processing (reduces error, improves lead solutions, supports ammo switching logic)
• Internal temperature / rail integrity monitoring
• Emergency failsafe / containment & controlled shutdown
• Selectable Ion-Sheath Interface (activates ion envelope only for K-127I; avoids constant "ambient ion wash")
• Power regulation node (stabilizes draw, protects rails from surge events; preserves legacy generator architecture where present)

STRENGTHS

• Modular Ammunition Flexibility: The K-127 family gives the battery credible options for penetration, corridor denial, interception, and ISR marking without turning the weapon into a guided super-system.
• Kinetic-First Reliability: Primary lethality comes from mass/velocity; less vulnerable to ion storms/ECM than pure energy batteries.
• High Sustained Output: Twin barrels + reload assistance enable sustained defensive fire patterns in intended engagement corridors.
• Selective Ion Utility (Not Overbearing): Ion effects are payload-tied (K-127I) and brief—useful for shield disruption but not ship-wide shutdown.

WEAKNESSES

• Range-Band Dependency: Effectiveness degrades at short and long ranges; shells can miss, be evaded, or (worst case) create friendly risk outside controlled corridors.
• Poor vs Agile Small Craft at Distance: Starfighters/combat shuttles can evade—especially outside the optimal envelope; proximity/canister loads are short-range and situational.
• Fixed/Anchored Doctrine: Requires fortified mounts, power infrastructure, and trained crews; not a mobile battlefield gun.
• Logistics Burden: Specialty rounds (HVP/proximity/beacon/canister) are doctrine-restricted and require careful magazine planning.

DESCRIPTION
The Atalanta began life as a smaller-caliber mass driver cannon conceptually inspired by naval gun design principles—built to deliver repeatable kinetic punishment at standard engagement ranges rather than chase extreme-range bombardment. The Commonwealth refit standard ("Atalanta-II") preserves the twin-barrel 127mm identity, but modernizes what matters most: shell families, fire-control discipline, rail survivability, and safety logic.

Legacy depleted-baradium loads are phased out in favor of modular K-127 projectile families—ranging from the K-127A penetrator for hull work, to fragmentation and delayed-breach variants for denial and internal damage, to an optional ion-sheath round that briefly destabilizes shielding at the moment of impact.

The modernization also introduces a "naval gunship" supplemental suite (hypervelocity darts, proximity airburst, sabot penetrators, canister close-in defense, and illumination/beacon rounds) that mirrors contemporary multi-role gun logic: the Atalanta does not become smarter than physics—it becomes better prepared, firing the right projectile for the corridor it controls. As with earlier mass driver doctrine, predictable vectors and committed formations are punished; maneuverable craft and targets outside the optimal band remain the system's enduring counterplay.

 

[MANIAC]

Ethanael Halscott

Very cool sub again.

Approved.