Battlestar

Overview

Battlestars are a heavy class of human-controlled Colonial craft, that combine the functions of aircraft carrier and battle cruiser.

The first five battlestars were laid down shortly before the start of the first Cylon War and saw action in the early years of the war (mini series). Seven further battlestars were constructed during the war (Zoic), leading to a total fleet size of 12, one battlestar representing each of the colony worlds (mini series).

All the original battlestar vessels deliberately avoided the use of highly-integrated or networked computer systems, as the Cylons were able to infiltrate and subvert such systems, disabling Colonial defensive capabilities (mini series).

Following the end of the war, the battlestars remained in service, and their numbers increased. However, later vessels did include networked systems (mini series), and while the term "battlestar" was used to describe these newer vessels, it is unclear as to whether they were the same overall size and form as the original battlestars. Several of the original 12 vessels were also upgraded (mini series), with the exception of the battlestar Galactica, which retained its original command and control systems at the insistence of Commander William Adama

Possibly as a result of her "original" condition, the Galactica was selected to become a living museum / educational centre once decommissioned (mini series). Following the surprise attack by the Cylons on the Colonials, the Galactica was the only battlestar capable of mounting a real defence against the attack, but was initially hampered by the lack of any defensive munitions on-board.

Battlestars are space-going leviathans. Some 4,500ft (Zoic) to 5,800ft (fan estimate) in length, they combine the role of a modern airacraft carrier with that of a battle cruiser. Housing some 120-160 "Viper" space superiority fighters (fan estimate), a fully-armed battlestar is capable of a wide range of offensive actions, while her defensive armaments ensure she is fully capable of both protecting herself from attack, and of engaging an enemy at close quarters. Despite their massive size, battlestars are extremely manoeuvrable (mini series - docking at Ragnar Anchorage) and, in the right circumstances, partially atmosphere-capable (mini series - docking at Ragnar Anchorage). Their FTL systems are capable of incredibly-accurate jumps, capable of placing them precisely in synchronous orbit above potential targets (mini series)and of placing them in the midst of debris fields, such as an asteroid belt, without risk of a devastating impact (The Hand of God).

Battlestars are intended to operate for long periods without resupply - their water purification capabilities alone mean that, barring an emergency or unforeseen event, they don't need to re-tank with water for several years (Water). They also appear capable of undertaking large-scale repairs following battle damage (mini series), and may well have manufacturing / fabrication facilities on-board (Litmus).

Technical Specifications

Dimensions

• Length: approx 4,500ft (Zoic)

Propulsion

• 2 x FTL engines and drive coils (Zoic)
• 6 x sublight engines (observed)
• 40 x manoeuvring engines (10 "packs" of 4 apiece) (Zoic)

Aramaments - Defensive

• 24 x primary railgun turrets (mounting 2 guns apiece)
• 504 x point-defence turrets (mounting 2 guns apiece) (approx)

Armaments - Offensive

• 6-8 squadrons of Mark VII "Viper" atmosphere-capable space superiority fighters
• 6-8 "Raptor" Raptor reconnaissance/assault vehicles.

Crew

• 5,000-6,000 (estimate)
• Officers: (TBA)
• Enlisted: (TBA)
• Flight Crew: 2,500 (approx)

NOTES

• Viper squadrons comprise 20 vehicles apiece, generally supported by a single Raptor.
• The Raptors can also be used to deploy Colonial Marine detachments to the surface of planets or to storm other vessels. Raptors are equipped with a docking collar and accessway in their undersides for this latter role (Bastille Day)
• Viper operations are overseen by the CAG - Commander Air Group, the most senior pilot aboard a battlestar.

Layout

The original battlerstar design common to Galactica and her sister ships can be broken down into two main sections:

• Main Hull
• Hanger Pods

Main Hull

This comprises the bulk of a battlestar, and can itself be divided into three sections:

• "Alligator heaed", containing the primary living space for the crew, recreational facilities, mess halls, shipboard operations centres (such as the CIC and Situation Room; water storage tanks
• Midships area: containing the pod retraction mechanisms, crossways linking the hange pods for the transfer of equipment, Vipers, personnel, etc. All the necessary hoists for such transfers; main munitions stors and distribution mechnanisms to "local" munitions stores for main and secondary batteries; fabrication facilities; etc.
• Stern section: sublight engines, FTL drive coils, etc. Note that 4 sublight engines are mounted in distinctive pods of their own, with 2 more mounted between the four pods, in the stern of the battlestar. The FTL drive coils appear to be mounted beteen the drive pods and between the hull-mounted sublight engines and the midships section of a battlestar.

The main hull houses all of a battlestar's offensive railguns, and also has a number of point-defensive batteries mounted around it.

The manoeuvring thruster packs are located in the port / starboard bows of the "alligator head" (4 thrusters apiece), and on the poert / starboard extremities of the four sublight engine pods (2 "packs" of 4 thrusters per pod).

Hanger Pods

These are mounted on either side of the hull and contain a battlestar's offensive Viper force. During normal operations, they are extended away from the main hull. During FTL jumps, the pods are retracted against the hull, to provide a small cross-section dor the battlestar during the jump itself.

• Each hanger pods in approximately 2,000ft in length and has a maximum beam of some 360ft
• Each pod comprises two main decks for flight operations: the upper landing bay, which extends the full length of the pod; and the lower launch bays, which provide some 80 launch tubes per pod
• The landing bay serves as a recovery area for incoming Vipers and Raptors, approaches are made from the stern. The preferred approach is a slow run into the hanger, prior to making a vertical landing on a defined landing area. However, in emergencies, "rolling" combat landings can be made, Vipers and Raptors approaching at speed and making a running landing on their undercarriage
• The forward end of the landing bay also serves as a launch area for Raptors and shuttles
• Each hanger bay is large enough to accept a variety of other Colonial vessels, up to ans including vessels classified as "heavy" (such as Colonial Heavy 798.
• Docking collars are located through the upper sections of the landing bay in order to provide a pressurised connection between an docked vessel and the battlestar
• Pods additionally contain a number of a battlestar's point-defence railguns - one turret being mounted above each Viper launch tube, and others being set along the length of the pod itself
• The lower hanger / launch bays in the pods are used as general dispersal areas for Vipers. There is potentially one hanger bay area per squadron of Vipers, giving each pod 4 bays apiece. The hanger bays are used for general maintenance of Vipers / Raptors and for re-arming operations, etc.
• Viper launch operations are overseen by a senior LSO, with a launch sepervisor directly responsible for each launch tube.

Other facilities within the pods include fuel storage areas for the Vipers / Raptors (and potentially for refeulling large vessels docked within the landing bays); munitions sotres for Viper weeaponry; munitions stores for the point-defence railguns; parts stores for maintaining Vipers and Raptors, etc.

List of Known Battlestars

• Battlestar Atlantia (Act of Contrition)
• Battlestar Galactica
• Battlestar Pegasus (mini series)
• Battlestar Rycon (Zoic)
• Battlestar Columbia (Zoic)
• Battlestar Pacifica (Zoic)
• Battlestar Acopolis (Zoic)
• Battlestar Solaris (Zoic)
• Battlestar Triton (Zoic)
• Battlestar Prometheus (Zoic)
• Battlestar Argo (Zoic)
• Battlestar Poseidon (Zoic)

Re-imagined Series definition: technology enabling travel across distances faster than the speed of light would permit, see: FTL

Re-imagined Series definition: the senior pilot on a battlestar

Re-imagined Series definition: the senior pilot on a battlestar

Original Series definition: a Cylon outpost (TOS: "Lost Planet of the Gods, Part I")

Re-imagined Series definition: the process of using the FTL engines to make an near-instantaneous apparent faster-than-light transport of a ship from one point in space to another

Re-imagined Series definition: officer responsible for flight operations of either a battlestar or battlestar group

Re-imagined Series definition: nerve center or "bridge" of a battlestar, see: Combat Information Center