While named for a medium-sized mosasaur, the Kourisodon Electronics Warfare Cruiser is arguably a variant of the Varanus Heavy Cruiser. The Kourisodon’s hull is comprised of a Varanus hull extended by a third module, adding about 50% to the vessel’s length, mass and volume. The rear tail-fluke radiator has been appreciably enlarged to cope with extra heat load of the additional systems. The Kourisodon is large enough be called a battlecruiser by most metrics. However, its main role is an electronic warfare platform.
The rear module sports the same four engines as the Varanus; two larger and Rolls-Royce Derwent FD12000s and two small Safran SF-M2340s. The drives struggle to move the increased mass, reducing the Kourisodon to a sedate 7.8mc acceleration. Likewise, manoeuvrability rates only to 88 MEUs.
This loss of manoeuvrability is not significant, however, given the Kourisodon’s role, which represents an interesting direction in mind-set for the GTSR. Four primary masts stand on the dorsal hull, and a line of secondary masts runs down the spine of the ship to the tail-fluke. An additional line runs on the underside of the tail. These masts are linked to the Kourisodon’s electronic warfare and communications suites. Three electronic warfare suites can tie into each of the Kourisodon’s three communications arrays. The primary communications array is powerful, with range and output estimated about four times a typical shipboard array, while the secondary arrays are more typical range and power. With these systems working in tandem, the Kourisodon can project two jamming beams. Typical practise is to use the primary communications array and one secondary array for jamming beams while retaining the use of the other secondary array and one ECM suite for itself. However, it has the capability, at the cost of effectively jamming its own communications, to project a third jamming beam. Two beams are sufficient to jam a typical cruiser’s fire control suites; three will effectively jam most capital ships, save the largest.
Alternatively, the paired ECM and communications arrays can produce two to three ECM bubbles. In combination with the Kourisodon’s large and powerful sensor array, the ECM bubbles are a counter-measure against cloaked ships. By flooding an area with broad-spectrum emissions to overwhelm the cloaking devices ability to match or mirror emissions, cloaked ships are more easily spotted: by looking for the areas where emissions are lower or the blank spot in the ECM bubble. The theory is similar to how cloaked ships are detected in atmosphere. In atmosphere, the physical presence of a cloaked ship cannot avoid heating the atmosphere or deflecting the air by its passage. While these effects can be masked by the cloaking field itself, outside of it, the effects can be detected. An ECM bubble substitutes the broad-band emissions for atmosphere. It is by no means as effective, but it significantly increases the chances of catching a cloaked ship – though as always, higher technology also has an effect.
As such, the Kourisodon is primarily a support vessel. Its weapons payload is geared to allowing the cruiser to remain at maximum engagement range, keeping away from the bulk of the fighting. The primary weapons are two huge particle beam turrets, identical to those found on the Varanus Komodoensis, giving the Kourisodon and respectable 1252TXq output over firepower over a 600 000km accuracy envelope – this neatly matches the maximum effective range the jamming beams can reach when powered by the secondary communications arrays
Secondary weapons, however, are restricted only to point-defence weapons. Like the Varanus, the Kourisodon mounts four 240TXq-output LZ-3300 heavy lazer cannons in the rear, and ten additional point-defence blisters. In the Kourisodon’s case, these are all outfitted with light particle beams, producing a net output of 1600TXq.
Despite the relative safety of its engagement range, the nuisance value of its jamming beams marks the Kourisodon as a high priority target and the vessel carries heavy armour and shielding. Both shields and armour are rated to 2400TXq, granting the Kourisodon almost twice the protection of the Varanus.
Due to their standardised components and low production cost, Kourisodons are expected to become a common sight in GTSR fleets, either acting as local command ships or as support vessels in small numbers. Likely the largest bottleneck will be producing the ex-Soviet Remnant particle beams. Initial indicators appear to be that the factories that produced those weapons have undergone rapid expansion. The GTSR appears to be far more willing to produce these highly expensive weapon systems than the Soviet Remnant was, and deploy them more widely.
The Kourisodon genus carries only one species, Kourisodon puntledgensis. From GTSR naming conventions, the cruiser’s lack of a corresponding species name further suggests that no variants of the Kourisodon are planned.
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Range: Grand Terran Sovereign Republic
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