Approved Starship Inimica-class Heavy Gunship

[Ayden Cater]

Image Credit: Here
Intent: To create a gunship suited for the bomber role as opposed to a fighter-bomber hybrid a la the Y-wing.
Manufacturer: Fondor Shipyards
Model: Inimica-class Heavy Gunship
Affiliation: Omega Protectorate / Omega Pyre
Modularity: No
Production: Mass Production
Material: Durasteel
Description: The Inimica-class heavy gunship is designed to be a dedicated bombing platform targeted at attacking large targets such as capital ships and fortified positions, as well as cities. The Omega Protectorate commissioned this ship to be used specifically at assaulting hardened positions where a squadron of standard bombers would simply be shot down. While not as agile as most mainstay fighters, it can certainly hold its own, propelled by a pair of ion engines. It has heavy shielding and armor to help it reach its target, but requires a lot of power to maintain its speed, thus needing two ionization reactors to handle its power needs.

Most notably it has a unique setup for the rocket launchers on its dorsal surface. These launchers propel the rockets up, then out towards their targets. It also possesses a pair of turreted missile launchers. Rather than fire a single missile at a time, this configuration offers the chance for a barrage of missiles to quickly clear the battlefield of enemies. However, this mandates the use of four crew members at all times unlike the standard two of most ships its size; one pilot, one co-pilot/systems officer and two dedicated weapons officers to handle the turreted weaponry and the warhead payloads. The pilot serves as the mission and ship commander.

It is not designed for protracted solo missions; in an emergency it has two bunks, a hyperdrive and enough supplies for a week but does require a mothership or resupply eventually. It is best deployed from a capital ship in-theatre with escort into its target, which it will then tear to pieces with its heavy armament on straight-line bombing runs. It is not intended to be the most populous ship on the battlefield, instead preferring the awe-inspiring, terror-inducing reputation of a gunship that ends battles.

Classification: Gunship
Role: Heavy bomber, gunship, assault craft
Height: 10.2 meters
Width: 18.3 meters
Length: 38.9 meters
Power Core Generator/Reactor: Two Micro-Ionization Reactors
Hyperdrive Rating: Class 3.0
Minimum Crew: 1
Optimal Crew: 4
Armaments:

• Two Heavy Laser Cannons
• One Composite Beam Turret
• Two 9-tube Rocket Launcher Turrets
• Two 4-tube Rocket Launchers
• Two Concussion missile Launchers

Non-Combative Attachments:

• Communications Array
• Encryption Network
• Heavy Deflector Shield Generator
• Standard Life Support Systems
• Standard Navigational Systems
• Standard Sensor Array
• Standard Targeting Systems

Passenger Capacity: 0
Cargo Capacity: 20 metric tons
Consumables: 1 week
Sublight Speed and Maneuverability: Class 4

 

[Ashin Varanin]

I love the concept, but...can this thing really drop 50 warheads in a single bombing run?

 

[Sirella Valkner]

That's ALOT of missiles.... right now it all seems a bit much to me. I mean if I'm reading this right you can launch 50 various types of missiles and rockets in a single volley. To put things into perspective, that is over half the missiles of a victory-class star destroyer... and they are, well alot of them are, more powerful warheads than the Victory-class. Otherwise you have a nice description, and Speed/Crew/Everything else seems to be right for a ship that size. But yeah remember in the rogue Squadron book when the stations like 100 torpedo/missiles disabled a Star Destroyer, second volley primed to kill it? That's where I'm coming from when looking at this.

Edit: Oops sorry Ashin beat me to it.

 

[Qae Shena]

Compare to the GAT-12j variant Skipray Blastboat which carries a standard load of 30 warheads, or even the highly dubious but still technologically relevant Missile Boat that carried 80. Let's use the GAT-12j comparison; this ship is larger, wider, far more technologically advanced and I am making the basic assumption that by now a missile could be dropped slightly in size compared to the 800-years-ago size for the same type of yields.

If you're still uncomfortable with that comparison I've removed one of the proton torpedo launchers, which should alleviate your fears.

 

[Sirella Valkner]

If you read the essential guide to warfare technology is ever changing to compete with eachother and thus stays stagnate. Missiles and anti-missile technology was literally the example they used in the book. Basically as missiles got better so did missile defense so while they could make missiles smaller in order to counter the countermeasures they had to add systems to the missiles making them larger again. Thus why yes technology is changing all the time its stagnated in the galaxy.

Now my issue wasn't with the payload itself but rather the ability to fire off the entire payload at once. I talked it over with another Staffer and he kind of set me straight on this issue. It would horrible strategy wise to fire them all off in a big missile clump because a premature detonation (say from point defense fire) would be able to destroy large chunks of the said group leaving the bomber ponderous with little defense. So now that I've talked it over I'm okay with it as it is here.

 

[Ashin Varanin]

I've been read in on that discussion.

Approved.

 

[Ayden Cater]

Ready for re-review

 

[Fabula Caromed]

For reference, the previous Inimica had:

• x2 heavy dual-laser turrets (2 lasers x2 dual x2 heavy = 8 lasers)
• x2 4-shot warheads (2 warheads)
• x2 9-shot warheads (2 x2 ammo = 4 warheads)
• x1 12-shot warhead (1 x3 ammo = 3 warheads)
• x1 bomb bay

After the revision, the current Inimica conforms to Factory standards by having:

• x2 dual laser cannons (2 lasers x 2 dual = 4 lasers)
• x2 4-shot warheads (2 warheads)
• x2 9-shot warheads (2 warheads x 2 ammo = 4 warheads)
• x1 composite beam laser cannon (assumed heavy laser cannon, 1 laser x 2 heavy = 2 lasers)

This totals at 6 lasers, 6 warheads, which is exactly as much firepower as a regulation gunship is allowed. Furthermore, the Inimica dropped its bomb bay entirely. As such, this ship is now within Factory standards, and is re-approved by Omega request. Additionally, I'd like to thank Omega Pyre for offering to rework this ship of its own volition, as they were not required to retrofit it for current factory standards.

Approved.