Weapons in the Re-imagined Series

An article from Science in the Re-imagined Series

Artificial gravity Computer technology Elements and substances Life sciences Naturalistic science fiction Navigation Propulsion Weapons

For easy reference Battlestar Wiki also uses the term "Kinetic Energy Weapon" and its acronym "KEW" to describe some of the weapons uses in the series. However these are not actual terms from within the series.

A kinetic energy weapon (KEW) is a weapon that causes damage as a result of the kinetic energy (motion) imparted to a projectile. This includes firearms firing solid bullets first and foremost but may also include guns firing explosive shells.

Battlestar armament

Small craft armament

Viper and Cylon Raider

Autocannon illustration

• The Viper Mk II is equipped with two wing-mounted KEWs.
• The Viper Mk VII is equipped with two KEWs in the wings and a third in the vertical stabiliser (Scattered).
• The Cylon Raider is equipped with two KEWs under the wings close to the fuselage (possibly plus two more of lesser caliber, see below) (Act of Contrition).
• Both Colonial and Cylon KEWs are belt-fed (Kobol's Last Gleaming, Part I).

These are most likely autocannon systems, with at least some models utilising belt-fed ammunition (Kobol's Last Gleaming, Part I). The show's KEW are similar those found in real life in that they use chemical propellant to fire relatively small caliber projectiles from a single barrel at a high rate. The shells themselves can be solid, relying on their high velocities to impact and "shred" the target vehicle or fused to explode on impact. However, Viper ammunition shown on screen are also large enough to be explosive-filled and fused; they are also visually identical to real life 20 mm autocannon rounds (Epiphanies). The size of the Mk VII's guns and the profile of the rounds in motion suggest a smaller caliber than those of the Mk II, although the two have been described to share the same ammunition (Epiphanies); the two guns also appear to differ in their rate of fire.

Viper guns appear to be aimed entirely by the pilot during combat without the aid of any heads-up information being displayed. However, for such a weapon to be effective, the guns themselves would be harmonised (aligned for accuracy of and desired rate of fire) and the aiming system given a suitable period of deflection (the effective ability to follow, or "lead" a target into its line of fire).

The Cylon Raiders carry at least two KEWs of similar caliber to those of the Mk II Vipers. However, there are also two smaller barrels visible on their underside, making for two barrels of different sizes per side. It is possible that these are smaller caliber KEWs. Whereas the larger caliber KEW would be firing explosive rounds, smaller caliber KEWs would be firing slugs. This is a combination common to fighters of the Second World War and the short-lived jet-powered gunfighters of the 1950s. The scene in which Kara Thrace loads the captured Cylon Raider in "Kobol's Last Gleaming, Part I" would seem to support the four gunned Raider hypothesis, as the rounds she is loading are way too small for the larger, more prominent barrels' bores, but about right for the smaller barrels. Furthermore, in "Epiphanies", Viper ammunition is shown to be a typical autocannon round in the 30mm neighbourhood, and a much closer match for the Raiders' larger barrels (though ironically, they looked a little large for the Vipers' gun barrels).