Re-imagined Galactica
Overview
Battlestar Galactica is the most famous warship in the Colonial fleet. Built in time to participate in the Cylon War she remained the only military vessel not to be ungraded with the new integrated defence systems developed by Dr. Gaius Baltar and his team. Because of this, she became the only battlestar to survive the renewed Cylon attack on the 12 colonies, some 40 years after the end of the first war.
Fleet Details
Designation: Warship, Battlestar Class
Deployment: Formerly an element of 75th Battlestar Group
Current Status: Undergoing decommissioning and hand-over to civilian authorities at the time of the 2nd Cylon attack on the 12 colonies.
History
Galactica was one of the first five battlestars to be laid down by the Colonials, the others being the Columbia , Rycon, Atlantia, and Pegasus (Zoic). As such, she is some 50 years old (Mini Series). Following the outbreak of Cylon hostilities, seven more battlestars were laid down: Pacifica , Triton, Acropolis, Solaria, Promotheus, Argo and Poseidon - giving the Colonials one battlestar funded by each of the twelve colonies (Zoic). The Galactica was first captained by Commander Dash (Mini-Series).
These vessels were all designed with non-integrated systems, a result of the fact that the Cylons demonstrated an ability early-on in the war to override or subvert networked command and control systems (Mini-Series). Instead, the battlestar depended on its sheer bulk and defensive / offensive capabilities to ward of any threats to itself or the colonies.
Once introduced into service, the battlestars proved themselve fully capable of providing the mainstay of defence against the Cylons, eventually reducing a war to that of one of attrition, with neither side gaining any significant advantage.
Following the armistice with the Cylons, and their withdrawal from Colonial space, the Galactica and her sister ships continued to serve the 12 colonies in a wide variety of roles. Over time, with newer, more advanced battlestar classes entering service, the original 12 were slowly retired from front-line service, although the Galactica, given her distinguished war record, remained operational until shortly before the 2nd Cylon attack on the colonies.
With her active career drawing to a close, a decision was taken to retire the Galactica and decommission her from service. However, rather than scrapping her, it was decided that she should be turned into a combination of living museum to the original Cylon War and an educational centre (mini series), with her conversion being overseen by her final Commander, William Adama (Mini-Series).
At the time of her formal decommissioning ceremony, Galactica had been stripped of all but one of her operational Viper squadrons, all her munitions had been removed, and her starboard landing pod converted into a pressurised museum housing (among other things) a full squadron of 20 Mark II Vipers (mini series).
With the unexpected resumption of hostilities on the part of the Cylons, Galatica quickly proved her worthiness as a warship was far from over as she withstood a direct hit from a tactical nuclear weapon, and then took on a flotilla of some 3 Cylon basetars after re-arming herself at the Ragnar Anchorage, providing an umbrella of fire cover under which the surviving people of the 12 colonies were able to escape the Cylons on some 60 civilian vessels.
Since the exodus of the Colonials from their overrun homeworlds, Galactica has become both protector and provider for the fleet. She has provided direct fire-cover for the fleet during Cylon attacks no fewer than 240 times (33, Act of Contrition); she is providing much of the fleet with recycled water (Water) and she is the primary source of medical care, with groups of civilians routinely being brought aboard for check-ups, etc. (Litmus). She has also undertaken internal policing duties within the fleet (Water, Bastille Day).
Despite her meagre offensive capabilities in terms of available fighters, lack of pilots, no marine assault force, etc., - the Galactica has also been able to successfully go on the offensive against the Cylons (The Hand of God), capturing a fuel mining and processing plant in the process.
Core Technical Data
Dimensions
- Length: 4,500ft (Zoic)
- Beam: 1,200ft (estimate)
Propulsion
- Two FTL engines and drive coils
- 6 sublight engines (33)
- 40 manoeuvring engines in 10 "packs" of 4 apiece)
Defensive Armament
- 24 primary railgun turrets (mounting 2 guns apiece)
- 504 point-defence guns (mounting 2 guns apiece)
- 5 Raptor reconnaissance vehicles
Offensive Armament
- 60 Vipers (mixed Mk II and MK VII) with kinetic energy weapons (KEWs) and optional missile / munitions pod racks (3 squadrons)
- 20 Mark VIIs are lost en-route to Caprica while under the command of Jackson "Ripper" Spencer, the Galactica's CAG, when they were disable by the Cylon infiltration virus and subsequently destroyed
- At least 11 Vipers are launched during the first attack on the Galactica, one of which is destroyed
- 39 Vipers are launched at the Battle of Ragnar Anchorage, of which 5 are destroyed and one is severely damaged (piloted by Lee Adama).
Crew
- Crew: approx. 2,000 (essential personnel only)
- Officers: TBA
- Enlisted: TBA
Notes
- Many of the figures given above reflect the fact that the Galactica was bein decommissioned from active service, and therefore was not operating with a full complement of crew or fighters. The specifications for a fully operational Battlestar are significantly different in terms of personnel and armaments.
Original Series Galactica
This section requires information
--Colonial Archivist 20:10, 4 Jan 2005 (EST)