BLACKNOVA
Overview
As part of the final Magistracy attempt to bolster their Fleet during the Reunification War, the Canopians attempted to produce a fast raiding ship to prey upon the vulnerable supply lines of the SLDF and the Marik House troops assaulting their worlds. Codenamed Project BLACKNOVA, this effort would have resulted in an entirely new class of WarShips . . . but it was started too late and only managed to divert essential resources from existing Magistracy production lines.
Only one ship, the prototype that would eventually be christened SLS Blacknova, would ever see service. And that ship, captured intact when the yards constructing it were taken by the Star League only served the enemies of the Canopians.
The prototype, as yet unnamed by the Canopian military, was erroneously christened Blacknova after a lengthy communication informed SLDF High Command of the capture of the almost (97%) complete ship, as well as the name of the clandestine Canopian ship-building program.
Desperate (at the time) for additional ships, the SLDF completed the construction and in 2582 SLS Blacknova entered service by the order of First Lord Ian Cameron.
Capabilities
Designed first and foremost as a raider, the Blacknova was a fast and robust vessel. Massing 450,000 tons (30,000 tons lighter than the standard SLDF Baron-class), it was both tougher (in terms of armor and structure) and fleeter of foot (in both acceleration and maneuverability) than the older SLDF vessel.
Indeed, a quintet of transit drives at the rear of the WarShp provided for a safe thrust of 2.5-g's (!!) and a maximum acceleration of 4-g's (!!!). Matched only by the Rim Worlds Pinto and the brand new SLDF Kimagure classes, the Blacknova was warmly welcomed to the Fleet where it was expected that the pure thrust available would result in an almost unstoppable WarShip.
Those expectations were . . . overstated in reality, however.
Few commanders were able to use the ship's thrust to the fullest extent . . . and the sheer lack of other vessels of a similar speed (except for handful of the brand new Kimagures) led SLDF naval commanders to assign the Blacknova to the same missions as existing Baron and Vincent class vessels.
These were missions that the new ship was neither designed nor armed adequately for.
As a result, by the end of the Reunification War, the Blacknova was relegated to the Reserve and mothballed.
But back to the ship itself. Unusual for a destroyer (especially one of such small size), the Blacknova mounted two docking collars for DropShips. This somewhat offset the somewhat limited fuel, provisions, and cargo stowage capacity, but SLDF officers (used to the far greater quantities available aboard most former Terran Hegemony vessels) were disappointed in the little ship's ability to function on extended cruises without support.
While the 539 tons of standard armor provided excellent protection, and a dozen fighters (plus four small craft) gave the ship excellent power projection, it was the eclectic mixed armament battery that truly doomed this vessel.
Originally planned with a far more homogenous battery, the tide of the War forced Magistracy engineers to use what they had on hand (rather than what had been planned) to outfit the little destroyer.
The resulting hodge-podge of weaponry left many SLDF officers shaking their heads in disbelief.
All eight firing arcs included two Large Lasers and three Medium Lasers to provide additional defense against hostile aerospace fighters and small craft. In addition, each mounted a rather . . . unusual . . . array of capital scale weapons.
The Nose arc included a Medium Naval PPC, a 55cm Naval Laser, a Killer Whale capital missile launcher (with a magazine containing 25 missiles), and two Class 25 Naval Autocannons (with a combined magazine containing 100 bursts of fire).
The Fore-Quarters featured a Light Naval PPC, a White Shark capital missile launcher (with 25 missiles stored), and a Class 10 Naval Autocannon (with 50 bursts of fire).
The Broadsides were each outfitted with a 55cm Naval Laser and a Class 30 Naval Autocannon (50 bursts each).
The Stern-Quarters were equipped with a Medium Naval PPC, a Class 20 Naval Autocannon (with 50 bursts), and a Killer Whale capital missile launcher (with 25 missiles each port and starboard).
Finally, the Stern was provided with a Light Naval PPC, a White Shark capital missile launcher (25 missiles), and two Barracuda capital missile launchers (50 missiles total).
On the positive side, the Canopians included sufficient cooling systems and power generation capacity that the Blacknova was able to fire every weapon mounted simultaneously.
For crew health and morale, the design also included a pair of contra-rotating 95-meter diameter grav decks, as well as accommodations for a Marine Rifle Platoon of 28 officers and men, plus space for 31 passengers. This was in addition to the 211 officers and men assigned to the destroyer.
Fuel, water, life support, and provisions were provided to allow for a 180 day cruise (provided the ship accelerated at no more than 1-g) in addition to 22,500 tons of available cargo space in the main and secondary holds.
Clandestine Service
Although assigned to the Fleet Reserves in mothballs following the Reunification War, Blacknova was quietly restored to service in 2683. But not by the SLDF Naval Command.
Instead, the WarShip reentered service as part of the Star League Marine Corps Special Operations Command. Consisting primarily of CAAN (Combined Armor, Air, and Naval) Regiments, many outside of the SLDF forgot about the Special Operations Command and its elite troopers. Needing a fast response ship (and getting no answers from the SLDF Naval Command), the Marines instead decided to think outside of the box.
Upon finding Blacknova listed in the rolls of the Inactive Reserve, the Marines quietly had the ship reactivated. Assigned a pair of Intruder-class Assault DropShips, the fast WarShip and her DropShips were soon delivering Special Operations teams across the entire Inner Sphere and Periphery to where they were needed most.
Never 'officially' recognized as part of the SLDF Fleet, Blacknova nonetheless served with distinction until the Amaris Coup. From then until the Liberation of Terra, the little WarShip was in the thick of battles, always skirting the edges to deliver her skilled covert operatives to whatever battlefields that they needed to be.
Almost consigned (once again) to the Reserve in the aftermath of the Liberation, the ship was spared that fate and departed on the Exodus with General Kerensky . . . never to be heard from again.
At least so far.
AeroTech 2 Vessel Technical Readout
VALIDATED
Class/Model/Name: Blacknova
Tech: Inner Sphere / 2582
Vessel Type: WarShip
Rules: Level 2, Standard design
Rules Set: AeroTech2
Mass: 450,000 tons
K-F Drive System: (Unknown)
Length: 571 meters
Sail Diameter: 1,005 meters
Power Plant: Standard
Safe Thrust: 5
Maximum Thrust: 8
Armor Type: Standard
Armament:
3 Medium NPPC
3 NL55
2 NAC/25
3 Killer Whale
16 Large Laser
24 Medium Laser
3 Light NPPC
2 NAC/10
3 White Shark
2 NAC/30
2 NAC/20
2 Barracuda
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Class/Model/Name: Blacknova
Mass: 450,000 tons
Equipment: Mass
Power Plant, Drive & Control: 135,000.00
Thrust: Safe Thrust: 5
Maximum Thrust: 8
Kearny-Fuchida Hyperdrive: Compact (Integrity = 10) 203,625.00
Jump Sail: (Integrity = 4) 52.00
Structural Integrity: 60 27,000.00
Total Heat Sinks: 1,850 Single 1,286.00
Fuel & Fuel Pumps: 7,257.00
Bridge, Controls, Radar, Computer & Attitude Thrusters: 1,125.00
Fire Control Computers: .00
Food & Water: (180 days supply) 243.00
Armor Type: Standard (252 total armor pts) 539.00
Capital Scale Armor Pts
Location: L / R
Fore: 52
Fore-Left/Right: 40/40
Aft-Left/Right: 40/40
Aft: 40
Cargo:
Bay 1: Fighters (12) with 6 doors 1,800.00
Small Craft (4) 800.00
Bay 2: Cargo (1) with 2 doors 22,500.00
DropShip Capacity: 2 Docking Hardpoints 2,000.00
Grav Decks #1 - 2: (95-meter diameter) 100.00
Escape Pods: 46 (7 tons each) 322.00
Crew and Passengers:
28 Officers (28 minimum) 280.00
107 Crew (107 minimum) 749.00
32 Gunners (32 minimum) 224.00
1 1st Class Passengers 10.00
23 2nd Class Passengers 161.00
7 Steerage Passengers 35.00
28 Marines 140.00
44 Bay Personnel .00
Weapons and Equipment Loc SRV MRV LRV ERV Heat Mass
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1 Medium NPPC Nose 9 9 9 9 135 1,800.00
1 NL55 Nose 6 6 6 6 85 1,100.00
2 NAC/25(100 rounds) Nose 50 50 50 -- 170 6,060.00
1 Killer Whale(25 msls) Nose 4 4 4 4 20 1,400.00
2 Large Laser Nose 2(16) 2(16) -- -- 16 10.00
3 Medium Laser Nose 2(15) -- -- -- 9 3.00
1 Light NPPC FL/R 7 7 7 -- 210 2,800.00
1 NAC/10(50 rounds) FL/R 10 10 10 -- 60 4,020.00
1 White Shark(25 msls) FL/R 3 3 3 3 30 2,240.00
2 Large Laser FL/R 2(16) 2(16) -- -- 32 20.00
3 Medium Laser FL/R 2(15) -- -- -- 18 6.00
1 NL55 L/RBS 6 6 6 6 170 2,200.00
1 NAC/30(50 rounds) L/RBS 30 30 30 -- 200 7,080.00
2 Large Laser L/RBS 2(16) 2(16) -- -- 32 20.00
3 Medium Laser L/RBS 2(15) -- -- -- 18 6.00
1 Medium NPPC AL/R 9 9 9 9 270 3,600.00
1 NAC/20(50 rounds) AL/R 20 20 20 -- 120 5,040.00
1 Killer Whale(25 msls) AL/R 4 4 4 4 40 2,800.00
2 Large Laser AL/R 2(16) 2(16) -- -- 32 20.00
3 Medium Laser AL/R 2(15) -- -- -- 18 6.00
1 Light NPPC Aft 7 7 7 -- 105 1,400.00
1 White Shark(25 msls) Aft 3 3 3 3 15 1,120.00
2 Barracuda(50 msls) Aft 4 4 4 4 20 1,680.00
2 Large Laser Aft 2(16) 2(16) -- -- 16 10.00
3 Medium Laser Aft 2(15) -- -- -- 9 3.00
44 Bay Personnel Quarters 308.00
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TOTALS: Heat: 1,850 450,000.00
Tons Left: .00
Calculated Factors:
Total Cost: 3,531,630,512 C-Bills
Battle Value: 96,150
Cost per BV: 36,730.43
Weapon Value: 30,982 (Ratio = .32)
Damage Factors: SRV = 2,609; MRV = 2,475; LRV = 1,882; ERV = 739
Maintenance: Maintenance Point Value (MPV) = 314,321
(60,209 Structure, 168,862 Life Support, 85,250 Weapons)
Support Points (SP) = 191,432 (61% of MPV)
BattleForce2: Not applicable
EDIT: Modified (7/04/2015; 10.04 pm Central) to add standard scale weapons.
