Blaster Artillery

[Seggybop]

I was reading through the Essential Guide to Weapons and Technology and came across something I thought was interesting.

A weapons platform known as 'Blaster Artillery' which resembles a giant metal blimp and whose nose is a turbolaser emitter as big as an AT-AT's head and said to be as strong as one from an ISD. Also armed with "two [dual-barreled] turbolaser cannons" and a "quad heavy laser cannon."

I have seen that Lord Wong has some information about it on the page, but he claims it's an LTL. In order to survive from 30km away that would probably be likely except the gun itself is huge...

What do you think of this machine? How can such a thing even fire its primary weapon and survive the effect, anyway?

[Darth Garden Gnome]

What do you think of this machine? How can such a thing even fire its primary weapon and survive the effect, anyway?

Probably the same way the SPHA-T does, however that is. And that my friend, is canon.

[Sea Skimmer]

A directed energy blast would not send to much back towards the firing unit, and even a flak burst would send only a fraction of its energy in the firing units direction. In any case the artillery piece also has two meters of armor and shields, it would be quite fine.

I doubt it has 180 megaton firepower though, more likely its armed with something like the guns of the Republic LHD's, 6 megatons or so.

[Seggybop]

I doubt it has 180 megaton firepower though, more likely its armed with something like the guns of the Republic LHD's, 6 megatons or so.

If the power is so small, then why is the emitter so large?

[Howedar]

A piece of equipment on the battlefield must be more heavily built and robust than a similar piece in the vacuum of space.

[Coalition]

I'm must curious about one thing for blaster artillery. They are line of sight weapons.

If you have a target on the other side of a mountain ridge, the turbolaser artillery in SW2: AotC will have to blast a path through the mountain in order to fire upon the target.

Also, if you have enemy troops under cover (like a rolling field), a turbolaser artillery wll have to sweep the ground. Maybe that was why there were 36 artillery units on an Acclamator, while 48 AT-TE vehicles. Every 4 AT-TEs got artillery support, with another 12 per 1000 clones (assuming 4000 clones for support on the Acclamator and the artillery itself), leaving another 12 artillery available to the overall commander.

So wouldn't there be some kinetic artillery left in the SW galaxy? Even lobbing the missile warheads from the LAAT's would be useful (and very darn accurate).

Unless the turbolaser tube could also be used as a magnetic accelerator to fire the rounds ballistically.

Thoughts? . . .none here, obviously

[Patrick Ogaard]

I'm must curious about one thing for blaster artillery. They are line of sight weapons.

If you have a target on the other side of a mountain ridge, the turbolaser artillery in SW2: AotC will have to blast a path through the mountain in order to fire upon the target.

Also, if you have enemy troops under cover (like a rolling field), a turbolaser artillery wll have to sweep the ground. Maybe that was why there were 36 artillery units on an Acclamator, while 48 AT-TE vehicles. Every 4 AT-TEs got artillery support, with another 12 per 1000 clones (assuming 4000 clones for support on the Acclamator and the artillery itself), leaving another 12 artillery available to the overall commander.

So wouldn't there be some kinetic artillery left in the SW galaxy? Even lobbing the missile warheads from the LAAT's would be useful (and very darn accurate).

Unless the turbolaser tube could also be used as a magnetic accelerator to fire the rounds ballistically.

Thoughts? . . .none here, obviously

The AT-TE units themselves come equipped with a ballistic weapon, that being the dorsal cannon. How far those guns can elevate is another question, though.

The LAAT also comes equipped with two big missile launchers (as noted), so that missiles capable of engaging targets outside line of sight could have been deployed, if available at all.

[white_rabbit]

The AT-TE units themselves come equipped with a ballistic weapon, that being the dorsal cannon. How far those guns can elevate is another question, though.

Can they fire indirect rounds though ?

And is there anything mentioned about them having a warhead or something ?

or are they just KE weapons ?

[Ender]

The AT-TE units themselves come equipped with a ballistic weapon, that being the dorsal cannon. How far those guns can elevate is another question, though.

Can they fire indirect rounds though ?

And is there anything mentioned about them having a warhead or something ?

or are they just KE weapons ?

You do know that the shells they are putting together for the DDX are guided kinetic weapons, right? A chip just shifts some of the weight around inside the shell or something, and it adjusts the flight path of the shell.

[Sea Skimmer]

The AT-TE units themselves come equipped with a ballistic weapon, that being the dorsal cannon. How far those guns can elevate is another question, though.

Can they fire indirect rounds though ?

And is there anything mentioned about them having a warhead or something ?

or are they just KE weapons ?

The weapon is a mass driver missile launcher. ICS indicates variable yield, but doesn't tm mention any indirect capability, though give the show elevation that would be a targeting/ammunition matter.

[Grand Admiral Thrawn]

It's slow, overpowered, hugely expensive and has a horrible RoF

[white_rabbit]

The AT-TE units themselves come equipped with a ballistic weapon, that being the dorsal cannon. How far those guns can elevate is another question, though.

Can they fire indirect rounds though ?

And is there anything mentioned about them having a warhead or something ?

or are they just KE weapons ?

You do know that the shells they are putting together for the DDX are guided kinetic weapons, right? A chip just shifts some of the weight around inside the shell or something, and it adjusts the flight path of the shell.

For rail-guns ? which was what Im talking about...

It's slow, overpowered, hugely expensive and has a horrible RoF

I thought it was able to move at 60kmph ?

[Sea Skimmer]

The AT-TE units themselves come equipped with a ballistic weapon, that being the dorsal cannon. How far those guns can elevate is another question, though.

Can they fire indirect rounds though ?

And is there anything mentioned about them having a warhead or something ?

or are they just KE weapons ?

You do know that the shells they are putting together for the DDX are guided kinetic weapons, right? A chip just shifts some of the weight around inside the shell or something, and it adjusts the flight path of the shell.

Actually the planned rounds for DDX's 155 AGS and the 127mm ERGM round use pop out fins for maneuvering. It also has a DPICM warhead.An INS system with GPS update provides guidance.

The existing 155 Copperhead round also uses pop out fins with semi active laser guidance. A number of European and Russian guided shells also use them.

[Master of Ossus]

I'm must curious about one thing for blaster artillery. They are line of sight weapons.

If you have a target on the other side of a mountain ridge, the turbolaser artillery in SW2: AotC will have to blast a path through the mountain in order to fire upon the target.

Also, if you have enemy troops under cover (like a rolling field), a turbolaser artillery wll have to sweep the ground. Maybe that was why there were 36 artillery units on an Acclamator, while 48 AT-TE vehicles. Every 4 AT-TEs got artillery support, with another 12 per 1000 clones (assuming 4000 clones for support on the Acclamator and the artillery itself), leaving another 12 artillery available to the overall commander.

So wouldn't there be some kinetic artillery left in the SW galaxy? Even lobbing the missile warheads from the LAAT's would be useful (and very darn accurate).

Unless the turbolaser tube could also be used as a magnetic accelerator to fire the rounds ballistically.

Thoughts? . . .none here, obviously

You wouldn't need a mountain. Blaster Artillery of the kind we were talking about is moved using repulsorlifts. There's no problem, there.

[Sea Skimmer]

or are they just KE weapons ?

You do know that the shells they are putting together for the DDX are guided kinetic weapons, right? A chip just shifts some of the weight around inside the shell or something, and it adjusts the flight path of the shell.

For rail-guns ? which was what Im talking about...

[/quote]

That doesnt matter. You still have ballistic trajectories with a railgun.