Water Assault Ship/Pyron-class

[Jak Sandrow]

http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-cDHwX1e874Y/UQ7HTJ7Kc-I/AAAAAAAABs4/YkAjh_A2vdc/s1600/georgehull-4fac9b2210b054a.jpg
[Note: This is concept art.]

Intent: To create a low-observable non-space artillery platform
Development Thread: If deemed necessary
Manufacturer: Kuat Drive Yards
Model: WASP battleship
Affiliation: Lords of the Fringe
Modularity: None
Production: Minor
Material: Regular ship components (durasteel, plasteel, etc)
Description:
The WASP battleship was designed specifically for water-infused worlds such as Naboo, New Alderaan, or Kamino. The ship can be deployed as an off-shore bombardment platform, or can be used as a command center for on-surface commanders. While it may not be the most efficient ship for the job, it is definitely the most versatile.

The ship's unique configuration has several benefits. First, locomotion. The front fins and rear tail hydroplane, allowing the main portion of the body to remain out of the water. When it is needed to be moved, however, the ship does something very interesting... 'Slapping' the water with its fins, it hurls itself forward, moving at a good clip. The ship lands on its belly and raises itself back on its fins. Needless to say, it is completely waterproofed and well-armored. However, it is built for the water, not the air. It will not fly. Well... it'll fly down.
Second, passive cloaking. The ship's configuration prevents scanners from getting a precise lock, making it seem like the ship is far smaller than it really is. However, this also prevents communication lock from other ships, making it very difficult to communicate ship-to-ship. More often than not, a courier ship or a geostationary communications ship is required for long-term communication. This presents a fatal weakness in the ship's design. Without adequate communication, it's anyone's guess as to where one is supposed to be at any given moment. This can prove very fatal.... as this ship cannot withstand orbital bombardment.
Third, deployment. The ship can unfold and refold from a large 'hunk of metal', making deployment simple; just toss the ship over the side. Once it lands, it will unfold and reform into a ship.
One great weakness for this ship is the fact it has no shields. At all. This is to prevent any shielding detection. The armor of the ship is enough to withstand a broadside or two, but long-term? Extremely fragile. And, not to mention orbital bombardments. It only takes one heavy turbolaser to the middle, and this ship is gone.
This is where the ship's mobility and communications come into play. The comm ship relays exactly when and where the enemy ship is bombarding, and the WASP can hop away like some kind of water bug (at 250 km/h), preventing the odds of being hit. However, again, knock out the comm ship, and it's dead in the water.

The function of this ship is to provide long-range support for the ground forces inland. While the projectiles seem unruly and horribly inaccurate, tests proved that it was surprisingly precise. In fact, it was amazingly precise, coming within meters of the target from a shot kilometers away.
This fact allowed certain design luxuries, such as a torque spinner to create better lift, a turret function to promote better accuracy, and a hatchway function to allow the turret to be retracted.

This ship is meant to bombard coastal (or slightly inland) targets with rapidity and precision, move on to avoid target fixation, then bombard more.

Role: Artillery Platform / Reserve water command center
Height: 70 m
Length: 500 m
Width: 500 m
Minimum Crew: 2 (requires exceptional dexterity and reflexes, or the Force)
Optimal Crew: 50
Propulsion: Repulsorlift, hydroplane
Top Speed: 250 km/h (see above)
Armaments: 4 banks of high-velocity long-range explosives, 10 point-defence turbolasers, 2 long-range proton cannons
Passenger Capacity: 300, 0 if cargo carrier
Cargo Capacity: 0 m3, 5000 m3 if cargo carrier
Misc. Equipment: None

 

[Valiens Nantaris]

@[member="Jak Sandrow"]

A fascinating concept. I’ve not seen any naval warships on the site so far.

However…there needs to be changes.

• 50 crew for a 500 metre warship? That’s longer than a modern aircraft carrier, which has hundreds of crew. Similar spaceships have ten times your number of crew. You’re going to have to make the minimum at least a hundred and the optimum at least 600. This is a larger ship than any EVER built on Earth.
• The width and length are the same, indicating this is basically a flat square. That’s not what the picture looks like. And besides, a square ship is pointless in water, literally! It’d go nowhere. I suggest the width be about 150-200m.
• The method of propulsion is…not practical. Water is difficult to move through, especially in rough seas, and this raising and lowering action is just asking for the ship to sink. If you want to make it a hovership you can…but I don’t suggest it. Just make it normal propulsion.
• How does the configuration help cloak it? This thing is half a kilometre long! That’s like saying the Empire State’s sleek design makes it harder to detect. If you want to have stealth you’ll need an actual explanation.
• How does this ship ‘unfold’? Are the crew inside it when this happens? How does it stop from sinking when it unfolds? No, this just doesn’t work.
• “4 banks of high-velocity long-range explosives” What does this mean? Explain more.
• Turbolasers aren’t point defence by their very nature they’re slow, heavy weapons. If you mean quad lasers or the like, specify that.
• You mention cargo carrier, but that’s not mentioned anywhere else. Scrap this. Also, a ship this size will always have cargo space, and need it.
• For something like this I’m going to want a dev thread taking all these changes into account.

So on second thoughts, this is denied. If you wish to put in the work, do the dev thread and second chance this with the above changes and another judge will examine it.