Prevoygrad Class (naval)

From Nova

Current revision as of 15:10, 14 March 2008

Similar to the IJN Yamato class battleships, the Prevoygrad class battleships are the only battleships left in active Prevanian service.

Weaponry

Main Battery

The main weaponry consists of 6 46 cm (18,1 inch) naval guns mounted in 2 three-gun turrets. Each gun is 23 m long of which about 15 m protrudes from the turret. Each turret weighs about 3000 metric tonnes.

Each gun weighs about 150,000 kg. They fire projectiles weighing from 900 to 1,400 kg at a maximum speed of 850 m/s up to 45 km. The maximum firing rate for each gun on a Prevoygrad-class battleship is three rounds per minute.

The turrets are "three-gun", not "triple", because each barrel can be elevated independently; they can also be fired independently. The ship could fire any combination of its guns, including a broadside of all nine.

The guns can be elevated from −5° to +45°, moving at up to 15° per second. The turrets can be rotated about 270° at about 15° per second and can even be fired back beyond the beam, which is sometimes called "over the shoulder".

Unusually, both turrets face foreward, with none to the stern. This is so that personnel can operate on the rear deck during battle and it frees up space for VLTs for tomahawk missiles.

Secondary Battery

The secondary battery of the ship consists of 16 12 cm (4.7 inch) guns in 8 twin mounts, four each to port and starboard.

Originally for AA defence, they are now mainly used for shore bombardment and against small surface targets.

Phalanx CIWS

During their modernization in the 1990s each Prevoygrad-class battleship was equipped with two Phalanx CIWS mounts, which sat both sides of the bridge.

Bonaparte Anti-Missile LASER Defence Battery

Installed during their refits in 2007, the 4 LASERs sit on raised platforms fore and aft, in front of the armoured citadel. They draw their power from two tanks of deutrium fluoride situated behind the magazines for the main battery. They are designed to be able to shoot down any aerial threat before it damages the ship.

Missiles

During a 1980s modernisation, the aft 46 cm turret was removed (a highly contraversial move) to allow space for a variety of missiles.

Tomahawk land attack missile

In place of the former Y turret is a vertical launch system comprising of 4 launch positions, each with a 6-missile revolver-style magazine underneath that can launch a missile and load one of the empty tubes simultaniously.

There are also 8 armoured box launchers behind the bridge, where the funnels were originally located.

Armour

A 100 mm core of the original steel armour remains troughout the ship, the excess being made up in Chobham armour, which is lighter and therefore more can be carried.

Furthermore, five layers of shear-thickening-fluid impregnated kevlar is behind all sections of armour to help spread impacts and reduce splintering.

The side belt is 500 mm thick and is inclined by 20 degrees. It extends to the bottom of the hull, gradually tapering off to just 150 mm.

The main deck is protected by 250 mm and the next deck down by 100 mm.

The largest quantity of armour is on the main and LASER defence turrets - 650 mm. The armoured citadel also carries 500 mm of armour.

There are also bulges below the waterline to improve anti-torpedo and -mine protection.

Power

For power, 3 SSTAR nuclear reactors provide a total of 300 MW. Each is connected to two turbines. The electricity generated is then used throughout the ship for a variety of purposes, in particular the propusion pods and the LASERs.

Propulsion

Four Azimuth thrusters provide both propulsion and steering, eliminating the need for a rudder.