Kainan Wolfe
Shadow of War
- Intent: To create a Heavy Torpedo for the Eternal Navy
- Image Source: Yi Wei @ArtStation
- Canon Link: N/A
- Primary Source: N/A
- Manufacturer: Karavin Concern
- Affiliation: Closed-Market | Confederacy of Independent Systems, Eternal Empire
- Model: Thanatos Heavy Torpedo Launcher
- Modularity: Yes - Warheads
Production: Mass-Produced
- Material: Fiberplast, Torpedo Components
- Classification: Capital-class Torpedo
- Size: Very Large
- Weight: Very Heavy
- Ammunition Type: 30 Meter Torpedoes
- Ammunition Capacity: One torpedo per launch tube
Reload Speed: Slow
- Effective Range: Battlefield
- Rate of Fire: Very Low
- Stopping Power: Very High
- Recoil: Low
- Modular Warhead System: Thanatos torpedoes are designed to feature an easily changed warhead, using specialized equipment, allowing the torpedoes to carry any kind of payload as long as it conforms to a standardized form factor
- Fiberplast Body: Due to their size making them vulnerable to interception, the bodies of Thanatos torpedoes are built out of fiberplast, making them slightly harder to detect and making it more difficult for targeting sensors to get an accurate lock on them
- Range: Thanatos torpedoes are large and fitted with an internal reactor capable of powering their ion engines for extended periods of time, making them capable of hitting targets over very long distances
- Stopping Power: The size of Thanatos torpedoes makes them capable of carrying a very large warhead, which can inflict considerable damage upon a target
- Fiberplast Body: Thanatos torpedoes are constructed out of fiberplast overlayed onto a metal frame, which makes them harder to detect and makes it more difficult for targeting sensors to get an accurate lock on them, increasing their odds of hitting a target
- Slow Reload: Loading a thirty meter-long torpedo into its launch tube is an unsurprisingly slow process, which drastically lowers the rate of fire of the launcher
- Big Fat Target: Each Thanatos torpedo is essentially a thirty meter-long missile which, while capable of delivering very powerful warheads, is also much less maneuverable and easier to intercept by defensive systems
- Fiberplast Body: Constructed out of fiberplast overlayed onto a metal frame, Thanatos torpedoes are not very durable against enemy fire and can not take much fire without suffering catastrophic damage
The KC-404 'Thanatos' Heavy Torpedo was originally conceived for the highly classified Fenris Project, who's aim was to develop several classes of medium-sized stealth cruisers which would operate in small task forces using wolfpack tactics to attack enemy supply lines and harass enemy fleets.
The decision was quickly reached to develop a new type of torpedo, rather than a more conventional projectile or turbolaser weapon, as a torpedo can be independently guided towards a target, allowing the stealth cruisers to re-engage their cloaking systems after firing.
Thanatos torpedoes are massive, thirty meter-long weapons capable of carrying a variety of large, powerful warheads which are designed to be modular and can be swapped before loading, utilizing specialized equipment. Because their size makes it easier for defensive systems to intercept them, they are constructed out of fiberplast, making it harder for targeting sensors to get an accurate lock on them. This comes with the downside of making Thanatos torpedoes more fragile.
Each torpedo has its own internal reactor, which powers an ion engine, giving Thanatos torpedoes the ability to engage targets at long ranges, allowing the ships that launch them to maintain a safe distance as far away from enemy return fire, as possible. Unfortunately, each launch tube takes a long time to reload, due to the weapon's size and weight, thus considerably lowering the rate of fire, compared to other, smaller missile launch systems.
