Polaris (DropShip Class)

This article is about the DropShip. For the submarine, see Polaris (Individual Triton-class Naval Vessel).

Polaris
Production information
Manufacturer	Alshain Naval Yards
Production Year	3100
Use	Ground Assault and Support Heavy Vehicle and Battle Armor Transport
Type	Military Spheroid
Tech Base	Clan Advanced
Technical specifications
Mass	6,000 tons
Structural Integrity	15
Length	115 meters
Width	115 meters
Height	96 meters
Drive System	Fusion Engine
Safe Thrust	3
Max Thrust	5
Fuel (tons)	160
Fuel (days)	1400
Armament	4x Cruise Missile 50 3x Ultra AC/20 14x Gauss rifle 5x ER Large Laser 39x Large Pulse Laser 30x AMS
Armor	Ferro-Aluminum Armor
Crew	3 officers 5 enlisted/non-rated 13 gunners 220 bay personnel
Escape Pods/Life Boats	0/35
Heat Sinks	175 Double Heat Sinks
BV (2.0)	14,615

Description

The Polaris is a Clan ground-based fire support/transport DropShip which was produced in limited numbers during Second Combine-Dominion War. A specialized design, it was conceived by Clan Ghost Bear for their war against Draconis Combine and their Clan allies, Clan Nova Cat.

Design History

Designed as an artillery vessel with a vehicle and battle armor carrier capacity, the Polaris was most noted for its missile-based artillery batteries, which became notorious during the battle of Irece. It was during this campaign beginning in June 3100, when Rasalhague's galaxies landed their Polaris DropShips and were used to bombard Nova Cat's capital city of New Barcella into rubble. In this campaign they gained a negative reputation.

Only twenty of these ships were produced, further production being deemed unnecessary. This was due to the lack of a need for an artillery fire support vessel and their lift capacity limited to heavy tanks and battlesuit infantry Supernova. These ships were only used in the Second Combine-Dominion War, with majority of the ships assigned to the Omega Galaxy and Star worth of the ships assigned to Beta Galaxy.

Three Polaris were lost during the conflict, with only a few of these ships being retained in active service with Clan Ghost Bear after the year 3100. After the war, Beta Galaxy would retain these remaining active ships of the Class, while Omega Galaxy would lose their ships and disperse some to Alpha Galaxy and Galaxies associated with the former KungsArmé. Twelve of these ships were mothballed and would not see service again until 3144, when they were used as part of effort to absorb Vega Protectorate into the Dominion.

Weapons and Equipment

In its role as a Fire Support Vessel, the ship's weaponry is geared to project artillery at considerable distances. In this role, the Polaris mounts four Class-50 Cruise Missile in its nose with forty rounds of ammunition to supply the launchers. Protecting the ship's hull aside from a large array of anti-missile systems is 30 tons of ferro-aluminum armor.

Rounding the ship's regular weaponry:

• Nose: Three Class-20 Ultra Autocannons, an array of five ER Large Lasers, four Large Pulse Lasers and five Anti-Missile Systems.
• Front & Aft Left/Right: All include three Gauss Rifles, Four Large Pulse Lasers and five Anti-Missile Systems.
• Aft: Three Large Pulse Lasers, two Gauss Rifles, and five Anti-Missile Systems.

Cargo

• Bay 1: Heavy Vehicles - 20 Units (4 Doors)
• Bay 2: Battle Armor Point - 10 Points (2 Doors)
• Bay 3: Cargo Space - 217 Tons (1 Door)

Related Designs

• Fortress-class Assault DropShip - The Polaris was loosely based on this DropShip due to its role as mobile artillery battery.

Notes

The Polaris stats were adjusted after its publication, this included changing of the two Cruise Missile 120 to the quad of four Cruise Missile 50s.

The Master Unit List for the Polaris also corrects the introduction year to 3100 versus the original PDF listing it as introduced in 3099.

Bibliography

• Field Manual: 3145
• Historical: Wars of the Republic Era