Civitas Americae
25-12-2005, 22:53
OOC: Yes, I realize that this rather understates the problems one will encounter using this.
M81 Order of St. Lazarus anti-satellite railway gun
Designed to increase Civitas Americae’s anti-satellite capability, and to provide a mobile anti-ballistic missile defense, the “Lazarus gun” is the largest railway gun yet constructed by Civitas Americae.
Though designed by Westenhalt Explosives, the M81 is actually a fairly sane design. The gun itself is fairly straightforward. The 1200mm L\150 ETC cannon is capable of placing a 1,000 kilogram shell into orbit a thousand miles above the Earth, or a 2,300 kilogram shell into a four hundred mile high orbit. The real difficulty for Westenhalt lay in figuring out how to make this weapon mobile.
Measuring 750 feet long, and weighing sixty million pounds, the railway car is articulated by necessity. Since the gun is incapable of any but minor horizontal traverse, the railway car is able to traverse if power is provided, either from the locomotive or overhead powerlines. Doing this is neither quick nor easy, taking an hour to do a 180 degree traverse and an additional hour to properly secure the gun (though the muzzle brake is able to slow down the rate at which the recoil energy is received, it still remains a fantastic 60,000 tons). Generally, unless it is an emergency, it is simpler to build a circular length of track and run the gun along it until is situated properly.
Five types of shells are provided by Westenhalt Explosives for use with the M81. Two are lightweight shells for high orbital use, and two are heavier shells. One of each set is filled with tungsten balls (2,500 and 6,000 respectively) to create a large shotgun-style blast, while the other holds a nuclear warhead (200 kiloton and 300 kilotons respectively). The fifth takes advantage of the orbital capability of the gun, and is capable of making atmospheric reentry anywhere on the planet before detonating a 150 kiloton nuclear warhead.
Because of the problems inherent to using it as a railway gun, the M81 is also available as a ship mounted weapon, requiring the ship to point in the desired heading. This version is known as the M81B.
Price: $400 million
Weight: 3,000 tons
Length: 750 feet
M81 Order of St. Lazarus anti-satellite railway gun
Designed to increase Civitas Americae’s anti-satellite capability, and to provide a mobile anti-ballistic missile defense, the “Lazarus gun” is the largest railway gun yet constructed by Civitas Americae.
Though designed by Westenhalt Explosives, the M81 is actually a fairly sane design. The gun itself is fairly straightforward. The 1200mm L\150 ETC cannon is capable of placing a 1,000 kilogram shell into orbit a thousand miles above the Earth, or a 2,300 kilogram shell into a four hundred mile high orbit. The real difficulty for Westenhalt lay in figuring out how to make this weapon mobile.
Measuring 750 feet long, and weighing sixty million pounds, the railway car is articulated by necessity. Since the gun is incapable of any but minor horizontal traverse, the railway car is able to traverse if power is provided, either from the locomotive or overhead powerlines. Doing this is neither quick nor easy, taking an hour to do a 180 degree traverse and an additional hour to properly secure the gun (though the muzzle brake is able to slow down the rate at which the recoil energy is received, it still remains a fantastic 60,000 tons). Generally, unless it is an emergency, it is simpler to build a circular length of track and run the gun along it until is situated properly.
Five types of shells are provided by Westenhalt Explosives for use with the M81. Two are lightweight shells for high orbital use, and two are heavier shells. One of each set is filled with tungsten balls (2,500 and 6,000 respectively) to create a large shotgun-style blast, while the other holds a nuclear warhead (200 kiloton and 300 kilotons respectively). The fifth takes advantage of the orbital capability of the gun, and is capable of making atmospheric reentry anywhere on the planet before detonating a 150 kiloton nuclear warhead.
Because of the problems inherent to using it as a railway gun, the M81 is also available as a ship mounted weapon, requiring the ship to point in the desired heading. This version is known as the M81B.
Price: $400 million
Weight: 3,000 tons
Length: 750 feet