Giant Ray
| Ray Police Cruiser | |
|---|---|
| |
| Size (metres, W×H×L) | 245 x 83 x 268 |
| Cargo capacity | 15 TC |
| Cargo bay extension | Unknown |
| Maximum speed | 0.325 LM |
| Manoeuvrability | Roll: 0.28 Pitch: 0.12 |
| Energy banks | 14 |
| Energy recharge rate | Unknown |
| Gun mounts | 2 Fore, 2 Aft 1 Dorsal, 1 Ventral |
| Missile slots | Unknown |
| Shield boosters available | Available |
| Military shields available | Available |
| Hyperspace capable | Yes |
| OXP or standard | OXP |
| Available to player | No |
| Base price | Unknown |
Origins
Like great lumbering predators, the Giant Rays trawl the outermost regions of Communist systems and inter planetary space, seeking out Thargoids and other enemies of the State that exist in the trackless regions of Witchspace. These great vessels have their origins with the much smaller Ray Mark I multi-role fighters. Once the Rays had been proven in battle and the various branches of the Communist State civil defense had been issued with them, the military petitioned the State to begin research into a larger command vessel for their new military fleet. Something that, like the Ray, would be economical, efficient, yet also a large and visible image of the strength of the Communist industrial and military machine. Needless to say many Communist leaders were swayed by these arguements and the same minds that envisioned the Ray reconvened and turned out the slightly unimaginatively named Giant Ray.
Tactical Advantage
Such immense vessels rarely have the speed or manoeuvrability to effectively use conventional laser weapons, so instead the Giant Ray was built mounting a formidable array of Twin Plasma Cannon turrets. Two turrets were placed in the vessel's forward arc and two in the aft, while a ventral and dorsal turret took the job of defending not just the flanks and the vulnerable back and belly of the beast, but could also traverse to lend fire to the turrets fore and aft. With such an armament, the Giant Ray can easily fight similar sized vessels with some degree of confidence especially when it has a squadron of Military Rays protecting it from much swifter enemy fighters.
