Naga Type: Destroyer Producer: Mitchell Vehicles In class: 102 at its height In service: 2645 Mass: 560,000 Sail Integrity: 4 Thrust: 3/5 Fuel: 2000 tons Structural Integrity: 70 Armor: 672 tons of standard armor (49+7 fwd, 40+7 aft, 45+7 rest) Docking Collars: 0 Fighters: 0 Small Craft: 4 Crew: 227 Lifeboats: 10 Escape Pods: 10 Grav Decks: 1 70 meter Cargo: 73,916 Bay 1: Small Craft (4) 2 doors Bay 2: Cargo (38,961) 2 doors Bay 3: Cargo (35,000) 2 doors Other equipment none Weapons: Heatsinks: 2268 (enough) Forward 1 Killer Whale Launcher 4 Light Naval PPCs 4 Light Naval Gauss Rifles Fore Left/Fore Right 4 Light Naval PPCs 2 Light Naval Gauss Rifles Left Broadside/Right Broadside 2 Light Naval PPCs 2 Light Naval Gauss Rifles Aft Left/Aft Right 1 Killer Whale Launcher Aft 4 Light Naval PPCs Ammo 100 tons of Naval Gauss ammo 30 Killer Whale Overview: In 2642 it became apparent that the SLDF's venerable Essex class destroyers had begun to finally reach the end of their effective service life. The old ships had been in service for a little over two hundred years now and were showing their age, no longer able to compete very well against their rivals in the member states, and frequently down for maintenance on their increasingly tempermental propulsion system. Though it would be possible to overhaul the ships to increase their service life, it was instead decided to replace the entire class of some two hundred ships. After taking bids from a number of different contractors, the SLDF ultimately approved the somewhat radical Mitchell Vehicles design, and the first Naga class destroyers began entering service two years later. Capabilities: The Naga was the first warship to make heavy use of naval gauss weapons (first used by the SLDF on the Whirlwind) for its primary armament. Twelve light naval gauss cannons make up the ship's main guns, supported by twenty light naval ppcs. Though formidable, this weapon's load is described by many to be the ship's greatest weakness. One problem was that such a large battery of naval gauss rifles and naval ppcs required an enormous amount of power from the ship's reactors, and the power distribution system could not always keep up with the demand in heavy combat. Unlike the problems that were had with the Cameron and Baron, the Naga's power distribution problems were more annoying than dangerous, with some computer monitors and lights cutting out for a couple of seconds, or other similar minor occurences (there was one notable incident where during a particularly savage fight the crew deck lost all power for about three minutes. Though there were no permanent effects, this did neccessitate the re-setting of eighty-seven small digital clocks in the crew berths. After that, crewmen serving on Nagas knew to use battery powered clocks whenever possible). Another bone of contention with the Naga's armament was its cost. Naval Gauss weapons were massively expensive, and it could be argued that they provided very little bang for that cost when compared to other naval weapons. The SLDF didn't really have much to counter that line of thought. Most fans of the Naga would only say that eventually naval gauss technology would be on a par with other naval weaponry, and then the Naga would be on the cutting edge [editors note: and a little over four hundred years later we're still waiting for that to happen]. Others pointed out that the Naga's weaponry was "good enough" as it is, and that any efforts to try to improve it would prove more trouble than it would be worth. All problems with the Naga's main guns aside, the ship's biggest real flaw was its lack of anti-fighter defense. Unlike other destroyers of its time like the Lola III, or either Essex, the Naga lacked fighter cover, relying on a trio of Killer Whale missile tubes for anti-fighter work. During its time in service, most Nagas were lost to fighter attacks. All in all, though the Naga was an adequate destroyer, it wasn't all that it could be. Ships like the Lola III could do its job just as well, and cost less to build. This would ultimately lead to its downfall. Deployment: The Naga's problems led to its premature demise. The budget problems of the mid 27th century prevented any efforts to put money into modifying or replacing the Naga, not while the SLDF was busy cranking out Lola IIIs by the bucketful. By the end of the century, however, it was decided that its time was over. The SLDF, high on recent budget increases that gave them room to play around, halted construction of the Naga and went looking for a replacement. Ironically they nearly stumbled into another Cameron-like boondoggle when the Carson class destroyer, which was first in line to replace the Naga, proved to be too slow to fill the role, and the Baron, which followed, turned out to have a number of serious design problems with its computer system. Though they eventually found a winner in the new Essex class destroyer, the royal mess made in the meanwhile seemed to have helped convince First Lord Jonathan Cameron that automated drone warships (the Caspars) were the way to go. This led to nearly thirty years of stagnation in the main fleet while the First Lord sank most of the SLDF's budget into his pet project, and helped make the Amaris Coup the bloody mess it was by creating a force of powerful ships that actually could be siezed by a power hungry madman. The one hundred and two Nagas in service, in the meanwhile, continued to serve in limited roles, primarily low threat escort and training duties. The SLDF didn't actually begin removing Nagas from service until 2734, and by the periphery uprising there were still about twenty in service, with the rest in mothballs or sold to the member states. Of these remaining ships in the SLDF, only one survived the war against the Usurper to accompany the Exodus. Likewise, none of the Nagas in service with the great houses survived the first succession war. Variants: One of the ideas put forward to upgrade the Naga in the late 27th century was to replace all twelve light naval gauss rifles with eighteen heavy naval ppcs. Though this modification was structurally possible, the idea fell appart when it was determined that the ship's power distribution system, barely adequate for the current arsenal, simply couldn't handle that load without a major and costly redesign. There are some indications, however, that clan Wolf will adopt this weapons load for their refitted Naga. When the SLDF transfered several Nagas to the great houses, they first made sure to remove each ship's light naval gauss rifles, which were Hegemony technology through and through. This spawned half a dozen different versions of the Naga as each house replaced the gauss weapons with naval autocannons or missiles. The most common of these mounted twelve naval autocannon 20s, using the ammo bays for the gauss weapons to store ammo. This was somewhat dangerous, however, as these bays were not designed to accomodate explosive ammunition and as a result were inadequately protected against explosions. Notable Vessels The most famous and longest lived Naga class destroyer, the Amelia, was the second ship in the class, launched in 2645 two months after the Naga, and served with the SLDF right up to the Exodus. During her over one hundred and thirty years in service, the ship earned a reputation for almost lunatic bravery. Even after being under the command of twenty different captains and manned by as many different crews, the Amelia always seemed to draw crewmen willing to plunge into a fight against the enemy no matter what the situation, the odds, or some alledge common sense, would suggest. Despite this, the Amelia always seemed to get out of even the most deadly situation alive, though not alway victorious. Much like the Combine destroyer Ayanami, the ship seemed to be blessed with immortality, a blessing that carried it through the Amaris Coup, the Exodus, and the Pentagon civil war. Though mothballed after the war and pretty much forgotten, the ship was recently the subject of a rather vicious fight between a small clan Wolf unit and a band of Goliath Scorpion seekers, both of whom had stumbled on the ship at the exact same time. The Wolves were victorious and have since decided to bring the ship into service, though there are indications that the Amelia will need a serious overhal before it is ready. Whether or not the Amelia will somehow continue her tradition of attracting the suicidally brave to her remains to be seen.