Grand Admiral, First Order Central Command
Image Source: This Guy
Affiliation: The One Sith
Manufacturer: The One Sith
Model: Darr Itah-class Battlecruiser
Modularity: N/A
Production: Limited
Material: Quadanium/Durasteel Hull, Turadium Internal Structure at vital areas, Matrix-Trimantium Armor, AR-03 Damage Component, Duraplast(to reinforce key systems from ion attacks), Agrinum, Dallorian Alloy. Transparisteel and Glasteel where appropriate.
Classification: Command/Assault Battlecrusier
Length: 3000 meters
Width: 1625 meters
Height: 960 meters
Armament: Rating 20/16/8 (FWD/BROADSIDE/AFT)
8 x 240mm/83 Mark 74 Hypervelocity Cannon Turrets
4 x ACS-804 Binary Fusion Ion Cannons
30 x Dual Long Range Heavy Turbolaser Turrets
30 x Dual Long Range Heavy Ion Cannon Turrets
30 x Heavy Dual Turbolaser Turrets
30 x Quad Turbolaser Turrets
30 x Heavy Dual Ion Cannon Turrets
30 x Quad Ion Cannon Turrets
40 x Mk 50 Mod 1 'Mauler' Turbolaser Turrets
30 x Large Tractor/Pressor Beam Projectors
30 x Advanced Mass Drivers
40 x Helliod Missile Launcher System*
20 x Fast Mount Turbolasers*
30 x Mark 26 'HARM' Guided Missile Weapon System*
40 x Quad Laser Cannon Turrets*
40 x Flak Cannons*
40 x Antimissile Octets*
30 x Point Defense Cannons*
Defenses: Rating 12
Point Defense: 20
Armor: 8
Shields: 10
ECM/ECCM: 14
- Four small combat hangers in the mid-section of the ship (fwd port, fwd stbd, aft port, aft stbd) with capacity for 12 strike craft each (48 total). Because of the limited size of these hangers, typically these are elite fighters with veteran pilots, and are dedicated almost entirely to escort duties in battle.
- Standard large central dorsal bay with usual assortment of shuttles, landers, boats, launches and etc.
Special Features:
Redundant Compartmentalized Molecular Shielding
Redundant Compartmentalized Particle Shielding
Advanced Mass Drivers
'Bastion' Advanced Fighter/Missile Defense System: Combines the capabilities of standard Battle Analysis Computer, ANQ 3.6 Tracking Computer, Multi-Freq TAT, Target-Aggressor Attack Resolution Software, Combat Multi-view Display, A-HUDT, and more).
Ion Shielding (Cap Drains, Duraplast coating key components, Socketguards, Combat Deionizer, etc.)
Fleet Command and Control Suite
Standard Encrypted Comms Suite
Advanced Sensor Suite (HSI's, AS's, DER's, EPR's, LFI's, etc.)
Advanced Maneuverability and Propulsion System (detailed below)
Directional Interdiction Field Generators (x4)
Advanced Precision Navigation Computer
Predator Interdiction Drive
Speed Rating: 18
Hyperdrive Class: 'Baelor' Hyperdrive System
Hyperdrive Rating: 0.6
Minimum Crew: 68,900
Optimum Crew: 129,000
Passenger Capacity: ~27,000 guests and troops
Cargo Capacity: Literally Astronomical
Consumables: Roughly 3 years
Strengths:
Depth of and amount of Firepower - Starting with the main battery of 6 massive HVC turrets, to the large array of long range weaponry, dual heavy turrets, and extensive point defense suite, the Darr Itah-class is true battlecruiser in every sense of the word and is likely one of the most heavily armed ships in the galaxy.
Quick and Maneuverable... for a Battlecruiser - The innovative tail section gives the ship unprecedented speed for its size, and it maneuvers as well as a vessel half as large. Concentrating that many vernier thrusters in one spot has its weaknesses, of course.
Very effective defense system -The 'Bastion' Combat System is every inch a modern combat system that gives the ship incredible versatility against strike craft and projectile weapons.
Impressive Survivability - Whatever the issues with the ship, it is designed to be able to walk away from a fight, albeit that might not be very quickly or with any weapons operational. The frame of the ship is tough and designed to last, even if the systems contained within might not be up to par. Big ships are expensive, and it's easier to repair even a badly damaged one than churn out a new one.
Limited endurance in long engagements. Also maintenance intensive, but I don't figure that counts for much -A heavy reliance on projectile based weapons and other cost-saving measures means that compared to most Destroyers, the -class simply cannot stay in the fight for very long. This has further implications indicated below.
Fragile compared to other similarly-sized ships. - The use of distributed shield generators, all-or-nothing armor, and other similar cost-and-mass saving measures mean that while the Darr Itah-class enters a fight with no significant disadvantage over a similar-sized opponent, that can quickly change as hits are taken. Damage that is capable of penetrating the armor will almost certainly inflict structural damage (as opposed to still having to fight through several thick layers of plating) and rapidly diminish the ability of the ship to fight at full capacity. This is further true with the complex nature of the rail system for the HVC turrets, as the distributed shields are taken offline, etc.
Small hanger for its size. - You take what you can get when you're making the first true Battlecruiser in the galaxy. Four squadrons is downright paltry, but what're you gonna do?
Not exactly fast – Maneuverability is one thing, speed in a straight line is something else. The Darr Itah-class is simply too big and too massive to big outpace, well, basically anything.
Limited Firepower to the rear - It is a classic Star Destroyer design, after all.
Description: The Darr Itah-class is an attempt by the One Sith to make the first true Battlecruiser in the galaxy since the Gulag Plague. Taking its name from the old Rakatan for 'Emperor', 'Triumph over Death' and 'Conquest through Death' it is designed to be a physical symbol of the awesome, undiminished, and inevitable might of the One Sith. At 3000m long, it is one of the largest warships to see more than unique production, but it would be a mistake to assume that if follows the same design trend towards lumbering nigh-impregnable behemoths as seen with the Darkblade and the Immortals. The battles of Manaan and Prakith showed the folly of depending on armor and shields alone in a battle of maneuver, and the Darr Itah-class is the product of those painful lessons.
The ship had an unusually long and painful development process. Every aspect of the vessel required innovation and presented new problems. Technology trials were plagued with issues and even shock testing encountered a few hiccups in the manner of an unexpected pirate raid. But in the end, the ship is a creation worthy of the One Sith, and represents a new age in naval warfare.
The first major change is a step away from focusing long-range weaponry and instead having equivalent firepower at all ranges. While the ship does have a large battery of long-range turrets, it features more and more guns the closer in one gets. Anything going at the Darr Itah-class suffers under a steadily increasing hail of fire that includes Turbolasers, Ion Cannons, HVC's, and more. Further these weapons are almost all turret mounted in the traditional style, giving the ship relatively balanced arcs of fire. Like all the wedge-shaped Star Destroyers it is still vulnerable to attacks from the rear, but the forward arc is nothing short of devastating and it possess respectable broadsides.
The core of the long range firepower is centered around the massive 240mm/83 Mk 74 HVC Turrets, which circumvent many of the traditional issues with ship-mounted HVC's. A single gun is capable of presenting a withering hail of fire, while the six turrets present on the Darr Itah-class when fired in sequence are capable of providing literally unrelenting firepower on a target even at extreme ranges (until ammo runs out). The major issue with this is the necessity to lower particle shields while firing, which is partially dealt with by stepping away from traditional Imperial method of having a couple of large very power shield projectors, and instead having more of what could be considered a 'Mon Calamari' design with many smaller localized generators.
The Mk 74 turrets are mounted along centerline, and while all can fire forward they can present a max broadside of three weapons. Additionally the turrets are very large and prominent targets, and rather vulnerable to enemy fire.
The Mk74's are complemented by a set of four ACS-804 Binary Fusion Ion Cannons acquired via trade with ArmaTech Industries. The ten turrets provide an incredible amount of long-range firepower effective against both shields and armor, and are a fitting 'main battery' for the vessel.
Another feature of the ship is Advanced Mass Drivers. Taking inspiration from both the technology behind HVC's and the similar weapon on the old Pellaeon Mk II, these tubes are capable of firing Assault Concussion Missiles, Heavy Energy Torpedoes, MBLOR Missiles, large projectiles, small rocks and asteroids, or basically anything that can fit at high velocities. Typically used as launchers, they add extra range and punch to the already devastating Assault Concussion Missiles, with the added utility of being exceptional siege weapons.
A second weapon system gained via exchange with ArmaTech was the Helliod missile system. Arranged in four sets of ten vertical launchers along the sides of the central superstructure, the system provides exceptional versatility when it comes to engaging both large capital ships and deal with smaller strike craft (with a full volley of 160 conventional missiles). Utilized as regular missile launchers, the system is tied in with the Bastion system and provides a sort of 'Extended Range' point defense, able to intercept inbound fighters and missiles are nearly regular turbolaser range. When loaded with Assault Concussion Missiles, the warheads are too large and unwieldy to be used effectively by the Bastion system.
The ship is not particularly fast by any account, but features an unusually large suite of vernier thrusters and maneuvering drives (and a Predator Interdiction Drive for added utility). A significant amount of these are built on or around the large aft section, which tend to give the ship the appearance of having a rear wheel drive as it rotates around that axis. Effectively, the ship is as maneuverable over a short distance as a Light Star Destroyer, or even some heavier Assault Cruisers. The rear is however is light armored out of necessity and somewhat more vulnerable to fire, and if disabled makes the ship very unwieldy (in practical terms, speed drops to 20 and maneuverability to 19/20).
All these innovative features meant something had to give, and in the case of the Darr Itah that was armor and shielding. Every effort was made to cut weight, this manifested in a controversial "all-or-nothing" armor scheme. The central core of the ship, especially including the reactor, command and control facilities, HVC rails and magazines, power distribution, and so on utilize heavy Turadium Internal structure, with thick Trimantium-Matrix Plating, reinforced with AR-03 Damage Component. The wings and nose (consisting of quarters, magazines, supply storage, offices, barracks, etc, roughly 50% of the ship) by contrast have much lighter durasteel structure and very thin Trimantium armor (with much more limited Matrix plating and AR-03 component). The armor is also more heavily sloped than normal, something which will have little effect on turbolasers or energy torpedoes but could potentially help against kinetic weapons.
Shielding is provided by a suite of generators distributed across the ship in the Mon Calamari style. This allows for rerouting of power to heavily effected areas, though the overall integrity of the shield is perhaps inferior to the more conventional Star Destroyer style. A pair of backup generators are mounted in the usual method (atop the command bridge), but these have nowhere near the power capacity of a full system, and are typically kept offline and used only in emergencies. Additionally, a set of four small, directional interdiction field generators, similar to the ones present in the Shadow-class Corvette, are mounted to give the vessel both some limited utility as an interdictor and provide a backup missile defense system (the primary system is detailed below). Additionally the ship utilizes a scaled-up version of the Predator Interdiction Drive, capable of slowing all ships within short to medium range for a brief period of time. THis is most often used in concert with volleys of weapons fire (similar to how ISD's often use tractor beams) or with the Bastion system to better defend the ship.
The end result is that the core systems of the ship are extremely well protected, but the peripheral portions of the vessel are decidedly not (comparable perhaps to a Light Star Destroyer, or perhaps worse). Further, while every effort was made to keep critical systems in the well-protected core a significant number of smaller turrets and most of the defensive weaponry is mounted on the lightly armored section. While this has little effect on the opening stages of a battle, it was assessed that in extended engagements the Darr Itah-class will lose combat effectiveness at a much faster rate than other Star Destroyers, by at least 60% and possibly more. When this problem was presented to Admiral Tregessar, he reportedly replied "then win quickly.'
Internally the ship uses similar methods to those used on the Darkblades (hexagonal structural framing) to provide a massively reinforces internal structure. While this helps ensure that the battlecruiser won't collapse under a barrage, it doesn't really help protect vital systems. In other words, it helps survivability, but adds little to protecting the ability to fight at full capacity. The density of this material, however, means that space is at a premium, and the hanger sizes are much smaller than could be expected for a battlecruiser. The backup shield system is likewise designed primarily for the survivability of the vessel, and is not rated to stand up to a turbolaser barrage.
Far and away the most innovative system on the ship, however, is the Bastion Combat System. While the system is detailed separately, it builds off the traditional combat systems present the Darr Itah-class and utilizes a network of computers and algorithms to assign strike craft targets (tracked on the sensor suite) to the best available weapon, with seamless hand off as the target closes range. This starts at what is considered 'Extended Range' for point defense, with conventional concussion and interceptor missiles. It trades off at 'long' defensive ranges, to the fast-mount Turbolasers and the Mk 26 'HARM' Launchers, which hands over to laser turrets, flak guns, and finally antimissile octets at 'point blank' ranges. Compared to traditional manual targeting, this system is devastatingly effective. A proposal was pitched to include Crystal Gravfield Traps, but the cost would have proven prohibitively high. Thus despite all its advantages, the AFMD provides no better stealth detection than any conventional system.
Backing up the combat system is a more or less standard (though large) suite of Command and Control equipment, as is the norm on any Star Destroyer, and more advanced equipment dedicated to fleet coordination and reporting, as is present on basically every command-type vessel in the galaxy. Additionally there is a comprehensive EWAR suite, as one would expect on any large modern warship.
A notable weakness of the vessel is it's small hanger. While there is a large shuttle bay and the vessel can carry a sizable troop component a decision was made to save space on munitions, repair facilities, and the other requirements for a large fighter complement means that there are only four small combat hangers, each with one squadron.
The most serious flaw identified during the development process however, was the limited endurance of the ship. Several aspects, including the armoring scheme, reliance on missiles and HVC's for long range firepower, and necessity of munition-based defense systems, are unreplenishable in combat or otherwise limited. While the ship is a formidable force on the battlefield, it simply lacks the staying power of most Star Destroyers. Simply put, this is a ship designed to fight and win battles quickly, not outlast the enemy in a siege or extended engagement.
The disjointed nature of the project and occasionally haphazard manner in which the One Sith assign building projects resulted in two sub-classes of the overall class. While there is significant variation in the internal structure of the subclasses, there is no practical difference as far as performance on the battlefield. It does mean that detailed plans of a ship tend to only give you an idea of the layout of that particular vessel. At present nine hulls have been completed. The first five, laid at Kuat, are named after the greatest Sith Lords of ages past, these are the Revan, Nihilus, Bane, Vader and Kryat, collectively known as the 'Darth' or 'Dark Lord' subclass. The second group of four were laid at Bilbringi and are instead named in honor of the One Sith's might. These are the Relentless, Remorseless, Indomitable, and Implacable, collectively known as the 'Invincible' subclass.
Development Thread:
Initial Conception - 11 Posts
Initial Space Trials - 18 Posts
Re-conceptualization - 43 Posts
Planning and Budgetinghttp://starwarsrp.net/topic/83640-doing-the-right-thing/ - 30 Posts
Tech Exchange - For the ArmaTech stuff.
Intent: To take advantage of the fact that ships up to 3000m are okay now, and to make something that resembles a historical battlecruiser, with innovative features from ships that already exist (and some real-world junk)..
Who Can Use This: Designated One Sith personnel. Typically Sith Lords or Admirals. This is in every respect an 'Elite' ship and should be restricted as such.
Primary Source:
Pellaeon Mk II for the Advanced Mass Drivershttp://starwarsrp.net/topic/3235-pellaeon-class-mk-ii-star-destroyer/http://starwarsrp.net/topic/3235-pellaeon-class-mk-ii-star-destroyer/
