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Description
Working title: Facial Hair and Headbands.

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The smallest class of craft considered to be a true "warship" in their own right, and unlikely pose much of a threat to capital ships, gunboats tend to be the realm of police, customs organisation and third-tier "system defence forces" in need of a cheap unit capable of dealing with the local riff-raff but unlikely to require jump capability. Since most gunboats are also small enough to make planet-fall under their own power, they are also well suited to governments unable to afford extensive orbital infrastructure.

In full, first-rate navies, gunboat squadrons tend to serve a fast responders, stationed around system extremities to deal with situations not requiring larger vessels, or that those larger vessels may not be able to reach in time. They are also one of the preferred training grounds for freshly minted officers, whom will move on as quickly as possible to bigger and better things, or those personnel command requires to be put away out of trouble. Some, however, choose to make a career out of their small steeds, though these are generally considered to be a bit... different.

Pictured is an Orca class gunboat wearing the colours of the 116th Titan Interceptors, stationed to said moon on Sol's outskirts. Built into the fast responder role, the Orca puts an emphasis on speed and firepower over endurance. The twin 700mm lasers are weapons more generally associated with the secondary armament of frigates and destroyers, which are supplemented by twin torpedo launchers. The ship also mounts twin ventral and dorsal point defence emplacements. With good crews, and flight of Orcas are generally capable of dealing with the garden variety or pirate, or of keeping larger quarry busy long enough for more powerful units to respond.

The Orca is powered by a two-stage fusion venturi, the first, smaller axial stage being used for cruising, with the larger venturi throat reserved for combat maneuvers. While giving the ship an exceptional acceleration, the system is a power-hog, and it is not unusual to see Orcas returning to base under tow, their inexperienced crews having held maximum combat power for a few seconds too long.
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I dunno, I just felt like doing something generically "scifi". Blame Pacific Rim (or, at least, its soundtrack)... I do. Admittedly not exactly my finiest hour pose wise, but anyway...

For the record, the gunboat is based loosely on the design for a destroyer I intend to use elsewhere.

Description
Working title: Facial Hair and Headbands.

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The smallest class of craft considered to be a true "warship" in their own right, and unlikely pose much of a threat to capital ships, gunboats tend to be the realm of police, customs organisation and third-tier "system defence forces" in need of a cheap unit capable of dealing with the local riff-raff but unlikely to require jump capability. Since most gunboats are also small enough to make planet-fall under their own power, they are also well suited to governments unable to afford extensive orbital infrastructure.

In full, first-rate navies, gunboat squadrons tend to serve a fast responders, stationed around system extremities to deal with situations not requiring larger vessels, or that those larger vessels may not be able to reach in time. They are also one of the preferred training grounds for freshly minted officers, whom will move on as quickly as possible to bigger and better things, or those personnel command requires to be put away out of trouble. Some, however, choose to make a career out of their small steeds, though these are generally considered to be a bit... different.

Pictured is an Orca class gunboat wearing the colours of the 116th Titan Interceptors, stationed to said moon on Sol's outskirts. Built into the fast responder role, the Orca puts an emphasis on speed and firepower over endurance. The twin 700mm lasers are weapons more generally associated with the secondary armament of frigates and destroyers, which are supplemented by twin torpedo launchers. The ship also mounts twin ventral and dorsal point defence emplacements. With good crews, and flight of Orcas are generally capable of dealing with the garden variety or pirate, or of keeping larger quarry busy long enough for more powerful units to respond.

The Orca is powered by a two-stage fusion venturi, the first, smaller axial stage being used for cruising, with the larger venturi throat reserved for combat maneuvers. While giving the ship an exceptional acceleration, the system is a power-hog, and it is not unusual to see Orcas returning to base under tow, their inexperienced crews having held maximum combat power for a few seconds too long.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

I dunno, I just felt like doing something generically "scifi". Blame Pacific Rim (or, at least, its soundtrack)... I do. Admittedly not exactly my finiest hour pose wise, but anyway...

For the record, the gunboat is based loosely on the design for a destroyer I intend to use elsewhere.