Planetary superlasers

Galvatron · Post by **Galvatron** » 2002-12-29 11:18pm

Think Arecibo. IIRC, the original Death Star's superlaser was the biggest, most powerful version ever deployed on a mobile platform. It stands to reason that planetary defenses, the kind which can shrug off multiple BDZ-level bombardments, would have comparable defensive weaponry capable of doing to orbiting warships what the DS2 did to the rebel cruisers in ROTJ.

Darth Garden Gnome · Post by **Darth Garden Gnome** » 2002-12-29 11:25pm

That would be an utter watse of resources. If you can shrug off multiple BDZs, then why would you want one giant gun to kill one ship at a time, take an hour to recharge, then fire again, then repeat?

Instead a network of planetary ion cannons and turbolasers would be far more effecient, cover a far larger area, could focus on more ships at oncce, and would probably save energy.

That aside, I would suppose itspossiblebut nobody in the right mind would employ it.

Galvatron · Post by **Galvatron** » 2002-12-30 12:06am

Darth Garden Gnome wrote:That would be an utter watse of resources. If you can shrug off multiple BDZs, then why would you want one giant gun to kill one ship at a time, take an hour to recharge, then fire again, then repeat?

Who said it would take an hour? You're imposing the limits of the original Death Star on this hypothetical planetary superlaser, but why? It doesn't need to be planet-shatteringly powerful, just powerful enough to vaporize a giant warship (e.g. SSD) in one shot. Hell, for all we know, a planetary superlaser would be more like the Grand Cannon from Macross/Robotech and therefore capable of vaporizing entire fleets in one shot.

Darth Garden Gnome · Post by **Darth Garden Gnome** » 2002-12-30 12:13am

Hmmmm, I supose I was a bit hasty in my generelization (when I hear 'superlaser' I think DS). Still it would be unnecesary in my opinion. When the DSII was firing ship busting blasts, it took about a minute to charge up. By then a network of ions/TLs would've vaporized the enemy. Even if we assume there is more than one, they still would only target fewer ships at a time, while a ion/TL network would be constantly on the verge of buckling multiple ships shields. Plus they would have to wait and charge up for every ship, even smaller escort frigates (Carracks), TLs would be down on them in seconds.

And no, SW lasers do not work in such a manner, it would target craft one at a time, not 'wide-beam.' Although I suppose it could pass through multiple ships in a row...

Seggybop · Post by **Seggybop** » 2002-12-30 12:21am

Isn't a standard Planetary Turbolaser emplacement about the size of Arecibo? It has a 25m barrel, but I think that the emitters on planetary weapons are bigger but not as powerful for some reason judging but other atmospheric-fired turbolaser weapons.

Anyway, I think the problem with such a weapon firing from a planet is that the atmosphere could be superheated because even an extremely minute fraction of energy from the beam leaking away would be a gigantic amount of energy. Something of that type.

Post by **Sea Skimmer** » 2002-12-30 12:41am

Vaporizing ships in orbit with one shot would be less important then being able to cope with multiple targets, and having interlocking and redundant arcs of fire. The same resources invested in normal planetary turbolasers which are already fucking huge would work better.

Slartibartfast · Post by **Slartibartfast** » 2002-12-30 03:09am

Here's my genius tactic to attack Earth and not take a single hit from the Grand Cannon:

Attack the planet from the other side. Nyah.

Andras · Post by **Andras** » 2002-12-30 12:34pm

FWIW, there were 3 Grand Cannon emplacements, Alaska, Brazil, Australia. Only Alaska was functioning though.

But, would you commit the DS to attack a planet with it's own superlaser it can shootback with? Say there are 2-3 with 360 coverage.

Hmm, there's a tough nut to crack, a planet with full shields and superlaser defenses. No BDZs and a threat to a DS. You'd have to infiltrate commandos to take down the various installations.

HemlockGrey · Post by **HemlockGrey** » 2002-12-30 01:22pm

But, would you commit the DS to attack a planet with it's own superlaser it can shootback with? Say there are 2-3 with 360 coverage

Um, yes? It'll still take a couple of shots to crack the DS, whilst the DS can blast the planet with one shot.

Post by **Ghost Rider** » 2002-12-30 01:50pm

The problem is that you're talking about enourmous coverage and Slarti is right( and before some Macross fanboy rants about three, like the any stationary defense the enemy just has to know the arc of the weapon)

The weapons coverage would have to be huge(we are talking something that each would have to cover enourmous arcs of fire just to insure no real holes and then some) and honestly you'd be better off with a much more mobile defense system.

God Emperor · Post by **God Emperor** » 2002-12-30 03:03pm

How does it have 360 coverage, from the picture it looked pretty sunken into the ground.

Galvatron · Post by **Galvatron** » 2002-12-30 04:47pm

God Emperor wrote:How does it have 360 coverage, from the picture it looked pretty sunken into the ground.

Hell, it doesn't have to be sunken into the ground. For all we know, a planetary superlaser could be a giant, movable dish reminiscient of the shield generator on Endor.

Post by **Darth Wong** » 2002-12-30 05:40pm

A superlaser would be quite huge even on the surface of a planet. If they have the resources to build one, they would be better off putting it in orbit, outside of the shield where they won't have to drop the shield to fire.

His Divine Shadow · Post by **His Divine Shadow** » 2002-12-30 05:44pm

Darth Wong wrote:A superlaser would be quite huge even on the surface of a planet. If they have the resources to build one, they would be better off putting it in orbit, outside of the shield where they won't have to drop the shield to fire.

Not to mention the problem of firing such a weapon inside the atmosphere...

Galvatron · Post by **Galvatron** » 2002-12-30 05:45pm

Darth Wong wrote:A superlaser would be quite huge even on the surface of a planet. If they have the resources to build one, they would be better off putting it in orbit, outside of the shield where they won't have to drop the shield to fire.

Aren't planetary shields capable of being opened in select areas? That's how it's described in the ROTJ novelization.

His Divine Shadow · Post by **His Divine Shadow** » 2002-12-30 05:46pm

A pretty simple superlaser can be constructed though, but not anything like the Eclipse or DS superlaser.

Take an ordinary hypermatter reactor, like what they use in ISD, or several smaller ones, put them in the centre, then add a large compound laser technology and supporting systems, make it say a sphere and you'd have a mini-DS that can channel maybe most of the aviable power an ISD has into a single weapon.
That should be good enough I think.

His Divine Shadow · Post by **His Divine Shadow** » 2002-12-30 05:48pm

Oh yeah, about superlasers on smaller scales:
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Pg. 117: Terrik's latest weapon is a mystery to all but the smuggler and his top officers. Rumored to have been purchased from the Hutts, the device takes up a huge section of the Star Destroyer's central axis and runs almost the length of the vessel. Charging the weapon takes several minutes, but firing will-reputedly-destroy anything in its path up to a lighty-year away. Many of the engineers who worked on connecting the weapon to the ship and ensuring that it works frequently whisper the word "Darksaber" but Booster Terrik merely says, "What secret weapon?"
========================
-New Jedi Order Sourcebook

An imp deuce can support a small SL system, and it's no push over either.