Salamis-Class Cruiser

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Salamis-class cruiser

Fast Facts

Ship type:

Cruiser

Class:

Salamis

Commissioned:

Universal Century 0070

Class Fate:

Production ceased UC 0093
Class service continued as Salamis Kai until at least UC 0153

General Characteristics

Displacement:

12,100 tons (0083 refit)

Length:

288 meters

Beam:

68.5 meters

Draft:

38 ft (11.6 m)

Height:

61.5 meters

Armament:
	Original	6×	mega particle cannon turrets
		6×	2-barrel machine gun turrets
		2×	6-tube missile launchers
		8×	internal missile launchers
	Vison Plan	6×	mega particle cannon turrets
		6×	2-barrel machine gun turrets
		2×	6-tube missile launchers
	0083 variant	3×	2-barrel mega particle cannon turrets
		7×	mega particle cannon turrets
		4×	laser turret turrets
		2×	15-tube missile launchers
		3×	90 mm anti-aircraft turrets
		8×	internal missile launchers
	Salamis Kai	2×	Dual-barrel mega particle cannon turrets
		5×	mega particle cannon turrets
		6×	2-barrel machine gun turrets
		4×	machine gun gun turrets
		8×	internal missile launchers

MS Capacity:
	Original	6	Externally Racked
	Vinsion Plan	3	In an internal Mobile Suit hangar
	0083 refit	2–4	Externally Racked
	Salamis Kai	4–6	In an internal Mobile Suit hangar

Ships of the line:
	Original	Salamis, Saffran, Madagascar, Cisco, Philadelphia
	0083 refit	Yulin, Nashville, Monterey, Madras
	Salamis Kai	Bosnia, Mont Blanc, Sichuan, Siviant II, Brunei, Lune, Astoria, Atlanta, Canberra, Cumberland, Exeter, Mogami, Portland, Prinz Eugen, Repulse, Sheffield, Strasbourg, Stykisholmur, Sussex, Trieste, Ulysses, York, Aoba, Brasilia, Danang, Dortmun, Dunkerque, Kashima, Panama II, Pasedena, Stockholm, Trent, Volgograd, Izmil

In the fictional Gundam universe, the Salamis-Class Cruiser is the workhorse ship of Earth Federal Space Force's naval fleet. It was introduced in UC 0060, and subsequently modernized as part of the "'70s Armament Reinforcement Plan". The ship's design was upgraded and improved on multiple occasions, resulting in many variants. Major redesigns of the ship included once after the One Year War and a second during the years between UC 0083 and UC 0088.

The Salamis-Class is named for the island of Salamis in Greece, the site of the Battle of Salamis in September, 480 BC.

1 The Original Salamis
2 The Vinson Plan
3 The 0083 Variant
4 The Salamis Kai
5 The Fate of the Salamis Cruiser
6 See also
7 External links

[edit] The Original Salamis

The first Salamis-Class Cruisers were launched around U.C. 0060 in conjunction with the Magellan-Class Battleships. As part of the Earth Federal Space Force's "'70s Armament Reinforcement Plan", which began in U.C. 0070, both designs were stripped of their older shell-firing guns and equipped with more powerful mega particle cannons, which the Salamis mounted in six main cannon turrets. Secondary armament consisted of six two-barrel machine gun turrets for anti-fighter (and later anti-mobile suit) defense, and two six-cell external missile launchers. The original Salamis-Class suffered heavy casualties during the One Year War due to the general superiority of the Zeons' combination of their Musai-Class Light Cruisers and their MS-06C Zaku II mobile suits. In particular, the nuclear-bazooka-armed C-Type Zaku II extracted a heavy toll against the Salamis-Class, as their thinly armored hulls were ill-suited to withstand nuclear weaponry. The Salamis had no hangar bay, and thus could not launch fighters or mobile suits of its own for defense, although some Salamis were modified to carry either fighters or MS on external racks as a temporary stopgap measure. Because of its lack of MS hangars and other reasons, the EFSF recalled the last remaining Salamis vessels to the asteroid base Luna II, where they remained until September U.C. 0079, when the Federation scientists finally launched their first mobile suits.

[edit] The Vinson Plan

Having realized the need for MS carrying capability on its space fleet, the Federation refurbished a number of Salamis-Class Cruisers and Magellan-Class Battleships at its Jaburo base under the Vinson Plan, which removed some of the internal missile launchers of both vessels to mount a hangar bay for mobile suits or mobile pods. The Vinson Plan Salamis could carry 3 mobile suits or as much as 16 mobile pods.

Once the refitted ships were launched from Jaburo to join the rest of the fleet, the remaining ships of the Federation's fleet were redeployed into combat zones with the new RGM-79 GM mobile suit and RB-79 Ball mobile pod for protection. Even with the Vinson Plan refits, many federal mobile suits, fighters and mobile pods had to be carried into battle in Columbus class transports. Although the Salamis class would suffer even more causalities throughout the remainder of the war, they proved to be more effective when used in conjunction with mobile suits, a lesson lost upon the architects of the 0083 variant redesign a few years later.

[edit] The 0083 Variant

Between UC 0080 and UC 0083, the Salamis-Class Cruiser underwent its first major redesign. Top members of the Federation Admiralty decided that the Salamis-Class was in need of a total overhaul, and Federation engineers were charged with re-designing the class. The Admiralty was interested in improving the three major problems of the original Salamis cruisers: insufficient firepower, the slow speed of the cruisers (the original Salamis class ships had only one engine), and a better point-defense system for protection against enemy mobile suits. Drawing on the blue prints of the Magellan-Class Battleships, engineers began the lengthy process of refitting the Salamis class.

The design of the Salamis-Class Cruiser 0083 Variant was heavily modified, with additional beam weaponry (including three double-barreled beam cannon turrets, a first for the Salamis class), AA/AMS defense, increased missile capability (the six-cell launchers were exchanged for larger 15-cell launchers, eight internal VLS cells, and larger engines. The overall length of this variant was reduced from 288 to 188 meters, a size reduction made possible by designing the ship from the start to use mega particle cannons, which allowed eliminating ammunition storage; reducing fuel bunkerage also contributed to the smaller size, as did the lack of any hangar facilities for Fighters or mobile suits. Many of the new Salamis refit units were lost during the Delaz Fleet's Operation Stardust in U.C. 0083.

The design philosophy of the Salamis-Class Cruiser 0083 Variant reflected conservative attitudes of the Federation Admiralty, who despite the key role of MS in the One Year War, went back to producing "big gun" designs with no MS hangars once the war had ended. However, Operation Stardust demonstrated that MS were around to stay, and the Salamis was again redesigned.

[edit] The Salamis Kai

At the end of Operation Stardust the Federation Admiralty decided to abandon the 0083 variant in favor of a new redesign of the vintage Salamis-Class Cruiser, one that would feature an integral MS hangar. During this second round of refits between UC 0083 and UC 0088, the Salamis-Class received the equipment fit that would serve it through the rest of its career. Federation engineers borrowed ideas and equipment from the Pegasus-Class Assault Carrier program (most notably the Albion), and the failed design of the 0083 refit, incorporating the best of both classes into this refit.

The vessels refitted under this plan received an all-new bow including MS hangars for four to six mobile suits (the new bow bore only a cursory similarity to the original bow). The catapult deck was mounted on the exterior of the ship, bearing a passing resemblance to the bow of a World War II aircraft carrier. The hangars and workspaces were placed inside the hull, so they could be continuously pressurized to a shirtsleeves environment. The addition of the hangars and topside catapult deck, however, did cost the Salamis Kai one main beam gun turret. Two additional twin-barrel beam gun turrets replacing the generally useless side sub-bridges. Anti-mobile-suit machine gun defenses were increased, as well. This version, known as the Salamis Kai-Class Cruiser, remained in continuous production from UC 0083 to UC 0093, and composed the bulk of the fleet through the end of the first Universal Century. These ships saw a great deal of action in both major fleets (AEUG and Titans/Earth Federation) during the Gryps War.

[edit] The Fate of the Salamis Cruiser

The Salamis-Class was first upstaged by the Alexandria-Class Heavy Cruiser during the Gryps War but still continued to play a major role as a major warship for the Earth Federation, AEUG, and the Titan task force. But the Salamis model would not be discontinued until U.C. 0093, in favor of the newer and greatly superior Clop-Class Cruisers. However, the Salamis Kai-Class Cruiser would continue to see service in the Earth Federation's Space Force fleet at least until U.C. 0153.