Unit type: space-use standard cruiser
Operator: Earth Federation
Dimensions: overall length 288 meters; overall width 68.5 meters;
overall height 61.3 meters
Weight: 12100 tons
Construction: ?
Propulsion: rocket engine
Equipment and design features:
Salamis re-entry capsule
Fixed armaments: 6 x mega particle cannon turret; 6 x 2-barrel
90mm antiaircraft machinegun; 2 x 6-tube missile launcher; 8 x missile
launcher
Improved Type
Propulsion: rocket engine, 4 x secondary rocket engine
Fixed armaments: 3 x 2-barrel primary mega particle
cannon turret; 7 x secondary mega particle cannon turret; 4 x antiaircraft
laser turret; 3 x 2-barrel 90mm antiaircraft machinegun turret; 2 x
15-tube missile launcher; 8 x missile launcher
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Developed under the Earth Federation's
"70's Rearmament Program" the Salamis-class cruiser forms half
of the EFSF's navy along with the Magellan-class battleship.
For all intents and purposes, the Salamis is simply a scaled
down Magellan. It arms six single-barreled mega particle cannons, three
forward and three aft, as its main battery. Antiaircraft machineguns placed
around the bridge provide cover from nosy enemy craft who may try and
attack the warship's command deck. Eight large missile launchers are mounted
in the forward hull for long-range attacks, and additional, smaller missile
pods are also placed on rotatable servos behind the forward main guns.
Propulsion is provided by a single, large rocket engine. As with most
standard Federation ships, it vaguely resembles a naval warship in the
general layout of its hull. A re-entry capsule is mounted on the bottom
of its hull.
Despite this relatively sturdy armament, the majority of
the EF Space Force was caught by surprise at Lourm by the audacity and
fierce fighting of Zeon's MS-06C Zaku II mobile suits. While technically
superior to Zeon's Musai-class light cruisers, they are were simply not
prepared to face an attack of that size and caliber with the outwardly-appearing
inexperienced Zakus.
In order to combat the poor performance of the Salamis-class
ships at Lourm, a new breed of Salamis-class ship is in production at
the EF's main shipyards. This superior ship possesses a number of improvements
over the original: the initial six mega particle cannons have been upped
to seven by the addition of a fourth aft turret. Three larger, double-barreled
cannons are mounted around the bridge to improve their broadsiding capabilities.
The original six antiaircraft machineguns have been shortened to three,
with the forward pair being replaced with four high-powered laser turrets,
infinitely more effective than conventional ballistics. The eight forward-mounted
missile launchers have remained intact, while the six-tube missile pods
have been dramatically replaced with much larger, fifteen-tube models.
Four secondary engines are also mounted around the single original, giving
the Salamis backup capability if the main engine is disabled, and also
giving it a more bulky and armored appearance. It still equips the same
re-entry capsule under its bottom. Alltogether a superior ship, EF strategists
plan on having every original Salamis phased out and replaced by this
new model before the end of the year.
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