Skipray Blastboat

[Rose]

Skipray Blastboat

Basic Information -

Size: 25 meters long
Manufacturer: Sienar Fleet Systems
Type: Defense and Patrol Blastboat
Weapon: 3 Ion Cannons; 2 Laser Cannons; Proton Torpedo Launcher; Concussion Missile Launcher
Affiliation: Galactic Empire and Private
Associations: Escort Frigate; IT-O


Developed by Sienar Fleet Systems, the GAT blastboat series was the Empire's preferred gunship for demanding point missions and patrol assignments. The 25-meter long craft boasted such impressive firepower and shield output that some armament registries listed the vessel as capital-class -- a designation usually reserved for vessels four times the size or larger. In addition to patrol duty, blastboats are dispatched for planetary defense and interdiction missions. A blastboat fills the gap between highly maneuverable starfighters and weapons-laden capital warships. Though not as agile as starfighters, they are nonetheless swift and capable of atmospheric entry and prolonged complex aerial maneuvers. The GAT is one of the smallest Imperial Navy vessels to be equipped with a hyperdrive, providing class two hyperspace performance. Its limited nav computer can store four sets of astrogation coordinates.

Though various models exist, the GAT-12h, 12i, and 12j Skipray are the most popular version of the craft. These represented power-boosted refinements over slower, less combat-oriented models. Despite its impressive performance, the Skipray's costs prevented more widespread use in the Imperial Navy. Sienar Fleet Systems eventually sold the vessel to the private market, and many Skiprays found a home in mercenary and paramilitary fleets. The Skipray has sleek lines conveying an aggressive impression of speed. Its tapered forward hull had a slim vertical profile, with short wings on port and starboard sides each supporting a Siep-Irol Omni-Vu sensor pylon. A large forward-swept stabilizer fin assembly rotated along a cylindrical sleeve. In flight configuration, the wing planes aligned vertically, deploying the mounted ion cannons above and below the main hull. When landing, the wings rotated horizontally, setting the cannons to starboard and port of the main cabin.

The Skipray Blastboat requires a crew of four: a single pilot, a copilot and sensor officer, and two gunners. It carried enough fuel and supplies for a month of standard operations. Powering the Skipray is a Sarylcorp ViX multi-flux reactor. The starship carries two capital ship-grade Mendarn Arms Dar-2 ion cannons, mounted on the tips of the dorsal stabilizer fins. Its nose-mounted weapons cluster features a mounted Dar-2 medium ion cannon bracketed by ordnance launchers -- a starboard proton torpedo tube and a port concussion missile launcher. On the ship's dorsal surface are twin turret-mounted Senko Systems 5000x2 "Tru-Lok" laser cannons.