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Owner |
Courata Imperium |
| Class |
Capital Ship |
| Availability |
Rare Variant |
| In Service |
1788 |
| Out of Service |
1834 |
| Source |
Silhouettes in the Shadows |
| Author |
Tyrel Lohr |
| Last Updated |
February 20, 2005 |
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| Description: |
This super tanker conversion was originally designed and built by House Kharkal, the territorial lords of Darnahiel. After the development of fusion drives, the Courata were left with a glut of antiquated starships. Among the classes cast off as a result of the revolution was the Lofuran Super Tanker.
Military planners in the employ of the Kharkals determined that these aging super tankers would make excellent carrier units. Carrier strength in the Courata fleets had been sorely lacking up to that point. Most new construction focused on dreadnoughts and other large, first-line battleships. What carriers existed were of light or escort classes, and none were capable of deploying more than three flights of fighters.
The conversion of the Lofuran Super Tanker called for the removal of the hydrogen/helium fuel storage pods mounted on the ship’s midsection. These pods were gutted and replaced with hangar facilities. A total of four separate flight decks were installed on the new ship, each capable of maintaining two flights of fighters.
The first successful supercarrier demonstration took place in 1789 during as part of a war game battle simulation. The supercarrier was able to sortie its fighter wings quickly, quicker than originally anticipated. Once in space, the supercarrier’s fighters shear numbers acted to neutralize enemy fighter units and tie up valuable secondary weapons, ensuring a Kharkal victory in the simulation. So impressed was Lord Kharkal with the new design that he christened it “Rom Kharkal”, meaning ‘great Kharkal’.
Nine additional Lofuran Super Tankers were converted into Rom Kharkal Supercarriers before funding evaporated. Other Courata houses later emulated the plans for the carrier, fielding their own supercarriers. Much to the chagrin of these other houses, the supercarrier’s eponymous class name continued to be its standard designation.
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| Related Entries: |
| No Related Entries |
| Design Notes: |
| No Design Notes Available |
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Questions, comments, or suggestions? Please contact
Tyrel Lohr at contact@tyrellohr.com.
All original content © 2024, Tyrel Lohr.
All other materials are owned by their respective authors.
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