User:RelentlessRecusant/Atlantis-class dreadnought

Atlantis-class Dreadnought

The Atlantis-class dreadnought, colloquially known as the Atlantis-class supercruiser, was a heavy cruiser classification operated by the UNSC Navy during the Galactic Era. The most powerful warship constructed to date by mankind, the Atlantis-class dreadnought was built in response to the events of the Beyond Veil's Azure crisis, which demonstrated the lack of sufficiently powerful cruisers in the UNSC fleet.

Specifications
The Cyclops-class main battle cruiser was the most modern UNSC cruiser introduced as of the Galactic Era. Despite being only 800 meters long, it packed more firepower than the 1191-meter-long Marathon-class Cruiser, the former UNSC line cruiser during the Human-Covenant War. It was half again as long as the 485-meter-long UNSC Destroyer.

The primary advantage of the battle cruiser was its excessive weaponry; it was armed with two Mark IV Magnetic Accelerator Cannons, the advanced successor to the War-era MAC systems, and no less than one hundred and twenty SSM-42 Crossbow-class Missile Pods, the successor to the Archer-class missile pods, as well as six Mk. 72 heavy ship-to-ship torpedo tubes. This heavy weaponry, concentrated in a cruiser with a narrow cross-section, allowed for highly focused fire that sufficient to defeat nearly any vessel in the UNSC or Covenant navies. With oversized engine clusters, the Cyclops-class could join in the advances of smaller destroyers and frigates, fielding heavy firepower in naval assaults.

Twenty-four starfighters (two full squadrons), half a dozen unmanned drones, and twelve Mk. 16 Flurry-class Close-In Weapon Systems were carried as auxiliary armaments.

Doctrine
The Cyclops-class main battle cruisers, heavily armed as well as maneuverable, were multirole cruisers that fulfilled many roles within standard naval doctrine. Their firepower allowed the Cyclops-class to lead task forces of frigates and destroyers on pirate interdiction missions or long-distance patrols. Often, the mere sight of a battle cruiser would cause pirates or scavengers to scatter.

In larger naval engagements, the Cyclops-class cruisers were employed as assault cruisers; designed as "cruiser killers", the main battle cruisers were capable of overwhelming Covenant or UNSC cruisers, aggressively dealing "knock out" punches with its oversized arsenal of missiles and torpedoes as well as its twinned MAC system. Its firepower allowed the cruisers to outgun lighter enemy warships as well, such as destroyers and frigates.

Only in the largest battle groups, the battle cruisers could be employed as heavy escorts for higher-priority assets, such as the venerable Cydonia-class fleet carriers.

Ships of the Line
Cyclops-class main battle cruisers were named after a plethora of concepts, including mythological heroes.


 * UNSC Heracles (CAG-016)

Behind the Scenes

 * The Cyclops-class main battle cruiser classification was named after the Cyclops, a race of one-eyed giants in both Greek and Roman mythologies.