In commemoration of the famous Battlestar Galactica's decommissioning, the Caprica Inquiry is creating this article about the Jupiter class Battlestars and the Galactica specifically.
BACKGROUND:
The Jupiter class Battlestar can trace their design back to the 1942 design planning for the caprican next generation capital ship. The caprican military wished to create a next-generation warship capable of defeating any others in existence, especially the vast fleets of surplus vessels from the later imperial wars.
Over 20 designs were proposed, with design number four being the largest. Design number four was the later inspiration for the Jupiter class, having similar roles, armaments, compliments, and armor. The design was a significant departure from most carrier designs of the time, having a substantial amount of armor and ballistic weaponry. This is due to the improvements made to FTL accuracy in the years leading up to the designs proposal. While in the 19th century and the early years of the 20th, FTL jumps were wildly inaccurate and left vessels at extreme range from one another, newer FTL drives were capable of more precise jumps. It was not enough precision, as of the designs proposal, to jump directly into effective ballistic range, but it was close enough for the distance to be closed rapidly. Design four was made to account for this, having massive amounts of armor and ballistic weaponry to fight at close range alongside its normal complement of Fighters.
While the design had some interest, it was eventually discarded with design 11 being accepted and becoming the Cerberus class Supercarrier. There were several reasons for the designs rejection. The first was simply cost; the design was massive and had a unit cost half again the nex largest design's cost. That cost meant the caprican military could not procure the wished for hulls with the aproved budget. The design also carried significantly less Fighters than other designs. The final nail in the coffin was not a flaw in the design, but in caprican industry. The caprican military industrial complex could not provide the necessary amount of armor needed for the design in a realistic time frame, meaning the armor would have to be partially purchased from companies belonging to a different colony, an unacceptable requirement for the military and the military industrial complex.
At the start of the First Cylon War, however, the fears that the design was created to counter proved to be true. Not only did Caprica lose most of its Cerberus class Supercarriers to Cylon capture, it lost many to close range combat, something they were not designed for.
After the Cylons War began, the design was revisited and the idea of construction was considered.
The idea was finalized during the attempted creation of the Articles of Colonization. Needing something to sweeten the pot for the smaller colonies, Caprica promised to construct a Jupiter for each colonie's military, under colonial control to fight the Cylons of course, but it would be given back to the colonies when the Cylons were defeated and the joint colonial government was dissolved.
The design further evolved with several design features from the Piconian Artamis class, including flight pods.
The first three of the class were laid down only 8 months after the Cylns War began.
SIZE:
The Jupiter class was the largest and most massive ship of its time at 1440 meters lng and 12 million tons, over twice the mass of the Artemis class. At the time there were no construction facilities capable of building something of the size in one piece, so the class was constructed in pieces and then assembled at the Daedalus Shipyard.
The cost of the vessels were equally massive, the 12 vassles costing more than the pre-war yearly military procurement budgets of all of the colonies combined.
The procurement of many of the components of the vessels was extremely difficult as the Colonial industry had never constructed components of that scale before. For instance, an FTL drive could not be built big enough for the vessel with its flight pods extended, so the pods had to be made retractable in order for the FTL drive to work.
While the Jupiter class and the Galactica are not especially impressive now, during its time it was a herculean effort to construct the class, and the methods discovered while attempting that paved the way for the construction of even larger vessels like the Mercury class.
ARMOR:
The Jupiter class was equipped with 4 million tons of Steel-Titanium Alloy armor, the most advanced of its day. The class actually had two layers of armor, one external and one built into the ships.
The external armor was significantly lighter than the integrated armor, being only 1.5 million tons total, but it was easily replaceable and acted as a spaced armor system for minimizing nuclear and shaped charge warhead effectiveness. the layout was designed so that the external armor layer would take most minor damage and could be easily replaced, while the inner layer of armor would protect the vessel from any dangerous fire that penetrated the outermost layer. the majority of explosive charges and missiles would have already detonated upon the outer layer, leaving only inert materials to strike the inner layer, unless the outer layer has been damaged significantly. During the decommissioning preparations for the Galactica, the outer layer of armor was removed to be used for other vessels, but the inner layer was considered too difficult to remove, and it would need to be replaced by different plating in order to ensure the operation of the vessel, an expense considered too large for some extra armor material.
ARMAMENT:
When the Jupiter class was first commissioned, the ships were equipped with 48 Ares Munitions AM-35 762mm anti-ship cannons in 24 twin turrets. The AM-35's were supposed to be revolutionary, the first fully operational cannons using controlled plasma explosions to propel it munitions to their targets. The cannons were originally designed for the Titan class Heavy Gunships ordered by Scorpia. When the incomplete hulls were destroyed by the Cylons, the cannons had not been added and were still on the planet. It was decided in order to show cooperation and make use of the over two hundred of the cannons created to make the cannons the main armament of the Jupiter class. This proved to be a colossal mistake as the AM-35s had numerous problems; heat buildup from the plasma led to low combat endurance as Jupiters had to disengage from combat to ensure the cannons did not melt, and sometimes they would just explode as the plasma containment failed. While on paper, they could fire at the same speed as most other 86mm cannons, in practice, the fire rate had to be cut to half to turn the chance of the AM-35 exploding from a certainty to a possibility and allow for it to cool enough to be usable for more than a few salvos.
The AM-35 would be replaced with the Colonial Mark 1 762mm PPML (plasma-propelled munitions launcher), the first capital-grade cannon produced by the colonial military during the war. The Mark 1 managed to fix many of the problems of the AM-35, including the plasma explosions, though some still remained. The Mark 1 proved itself as a reliable system and was also equipped on several other classes during the war, such as the Demeter, Resilient, and Minerva classes, with some later production Artemis class ships being equipped with the Mark 1, though the inability of their reactors to power both the plasma for the cannons and its engine at the same time and the extreme difficulties in replacing their reactors meant older Artemises could not be refit with the PPML.
The Jupiter II refit added 16 additional Mark 1 PPMLs to the class in an attempt to increase the class's firepower. Due to ammunition limitations, power requirements, and heat management, the new cannons were not as effective as hoped, and some of the armor had to be removed to fit the new PPMLs, creating vulnerabilities in the Jupiters' protection.
During the 1970, the Colonial Navy refit the three remaining Jupiter class Battlestars to improve their capabilities. This included the removal of the Mark 1 PPMLs and their replacement with 24 Mark 9 762mm PPMLs.
The Jupiter class was first equipped with 1028 Caprican Dynamics 50mm CD-97 Flack Cannon in 514 turrets. These weapons can create Flack fields around parts of the Battlestars, nearly impenetrable walls of shrapnel capable of destroying missiles and Fighters. Their Flack Fields are one of the most important tools at a Battlestar's disposal. The CD-97 proved itself as a reliable weapon and stayed in service on the Juipiters until the 1970 refit, where they were replaced by the Mark 16 Flack Cannon. The Jupiter class has a massive amount of ammunition for their 50mm cannons, so much in fact that they commonly resupplied other vessels with 50mm rounds from the ammunition stores of the Jupiters in emergencies.
Finishing off the Jupiter class's armament are 12 Piconian M-22 Realodable Heavy Missle Tubes. These tubes can fire heavy missiles of several types. The most common missle types used are HEAT, Kinetic, Flack, Anti-Point Defense Cluster (APDC), and Nuclear. Jupiters are designed to carry 120 missiles so there are ten full salvos worth of missiles on the Jupiter class. This is commonly considered insufficient, but as the reload speed is so slow that a ship could only get off a few salvos in a single battle, it was considered, while not really acceptable, a problem not worth the cost to deal with. Due to their limited ammo, most Jupiters carry mostly APDC, Flack, and a small number of nuclear missiles, as HEAT and High Explosive lack effectiveness against a peer opponent with a 12 missile salvo as the small number that would make it through defensive Fighters and point defense would be insufficient to do any major damage, while Kinetics can't expend their fuel and reach max velocity at the close ranges Jupiters fight at.
Flack missles are commonly used to supplement Jupiters' point defenses, forming massive clouds of shrapnel to destroy Fighters and missiles.
APSC missiles are used to weaken the defenses of a target before a nuclear strike. They were constantly in short supply as they were difficult and expensive to build as they used many small engines for their micro-missiles.
Nukes were in very limited supply during the war, and the Jupiters were given priority for nukes allocated for the fleet as they were so durable that it was almost guaranteed to use them before being destroyed.
ENGINES, REACTORS, AND FTL:
During the Cylon War, the Jupiter class ships were equipped with 6 Interstellar Fleetworks IF-284 Tylium Engines powered by 6 Interstellar Fleetworks IF-229 Tylium Reactors, capable of accelerating the vessels at 2.5 Gs of safe acceleration, though in order to conserve fuel and minimize engine wear, they usually did not exceed 2 G acceleration. The three remaining Jupiter were refit in 1970 with Scorpion Fleetworks SF-297 Tylium Engines powered by SF-304 Tylium Reactors, increasing the acceleration to 3 G, with 2.5 being the normal acceleration.
The Jupiters get power for the other systems like the weapons, computers, and lights from the same reactors as the engines. While this saves mass, Jupiter class Battlestars cannot operate without the engines on, leading to either inefficiency or vulnerability depending on the decisions of the Commander. Newer designs like the Valkyrie and Mercury classes fix this design flaw by having separate, independent reactors for other systems, allowing for the vessels to operate without the need for engines in operation at all times or being hooked up to an external power supply.
About 21 years ago, an explosion occurred within the Galactica. The explosion damaged the central two engines and killed over a hundred and fifty crew members. While the Galactica was still in operation, its engines were severely damaged. The Galactica is not supposed to activate the engines except for in emergencies to ensure no further damage occurs. While it was possible to fix the engines, the cost was too much for the navy to be willing to pay for an aging vessel, and so she was set up as a stationary sentry at the L5 point between Gemenon and Caprica, not leaving for 20 years.
The Hephaestus Industries HI-7000 FTL Drive was the largest ever produced at the time of its creation. Originally designed for an ambitious vessel meant to carry tylium-rich asteroids to the colonies for ease of mining. The project would lose funding as the impracticality of the design, being so expensive while being only able to move smaller asteroids, and vast improvements to tylium refinery miniaturization allowing for refinery ships to be made economical. The design for the vessel's FTL Drive would be modified for use by the Jupiters as no drive big enough to actually transport the vessels had been designed beside the asteroid carrier. The Jupiter class reached the limit of what the colonies could jump using the technology of the day, and the design compromises within the class showed it. An FTL bubble capable of being created at a large enough size to fit the flight pods of the Jupiter class was beyond the capabilities of the colonies of the time, so the pods were made retractable to fit into the bubble. During the 1970 refit, the drive was replaced with a HI-9043 FTL Drive in the three remaining vessels.
COMPLEMENT AND CREW:
The Jupiter class holds the distinction of being the only Battlestar class to carry every Viper ever in service by the Colonial Navy. During the early years of their service, the Viper I saw use on the Jupiters, before being replaced for most of the war by the venerable Viper II. In the Later years of the war Viper IIIs were deployed on a few Jupiters. The final months of the war saw the early versions of the Viper IV operatingon Jupiters and into the earth post bellum years. After the 1970 refit, the tree remaining Jupiters carried Viper Vs in limited numbers, and than were completely loaded with Viper VIs after their introduction. They would than be equipped with a small number of Viper VIIs when they were available.
The ability of the Jupiters to carry the Viper III through the Viper V was limited due to the size of the Jupiters launch tubes. The tubes were too small to fit the newer Vipers, leading to the newer Vipers having to launch out of the flight pod. This lead to the Jupiters being equipped mostly with aging Viper IIs. The constant increases in Viper size started by the Viper III ended with the Viper VI, mostly as a cost saving mesure and to ensure the new Mercury class Battlestars could manufacture the Vipers at a reasonable scale.
The Jupiters were designed to carry 240 Vipers, 24 Raptors, and two Shuttles. The Raptor IIs were replaced on the remaining Jupiters in 1980 with new Raptor IIIs, which included FTL Drives, greatly improving their usefulness.
The Jupiter class was designed for a crew of 3500, a very small number considering its massive size. It is still a much higher number compared to any equal sized modern vessels, with the Mercury class, half again the Jupiters mass, having 700 less crew.
PRODUCTION, USE, AND FATES:
The Jupiter class ships were produced in four batches of three ships, staggered so that the same factories could produce components for all the Battlestars one after the other. The first batch began construction in late 1948, with the first two, Galactica and Jupiter being commissioned a few weeks before the Cylons reinitiated major operations in late 1952, with Athena being commissioned in early 1953. The second batch began construction in the middle of 1949, with Columbia, Mercury, and Demeter being commissioned in late 1953. The third batch began construction in early 1950, with Acheron and Cerberus being commissioned in late 1954, while the Bellerophon was delayed by damage done during a raid, causing it to be commissioned in mid-1955. Finally, the fourth batch began construction in late 1950, with all the ships being delayed due to damage during construction, leading to the Pegasus, Juno, and Atlantia being commissioned in 1957.
Out of the 12 vessels constructed, only three would survive the war. The Jupiter, the first of the class, would be the first to fall, being destroyed while resupplying during a Cylon raid in early 1953. A Minerva class Battlestar would be given the name until being decommissioned in 1985, with the new Jupiter, a Mercury class, planned for commissioning in 2003.
The Demeter would be next, not even surviving a month in service, being destroyed during the Battle of Zeus in 1953. A class of Battlestars would be named after the ship during the war, with many serving to this day in the Colonial Navy. The new Demeter was decommissioned in 1992, with the new Mercury class Battlestar Demeter being commissioned in
The Mercury and the Cerberus were both destroyed in the fifth Battle of Caprica in 1955. A Valkyrie I class Battlestar was named after the Mercury but was destroyed during the Ninth Battle of Canceron in 1959. The latest class of Battlestars in the Colonial Navy was named for the Mercury, the first of the class beginning construction in 1980, with the first of the class commissioning in 1986. The A Demeter class Battlestar was named after the Cerberus but was destroyed during the Battle of Icarus Anchorage in 1957. A Mercury class Battlestar named Cerberus was commissioned in 1986
The Bellerophon was lost during the Battle of the Pantheon Nebula in 1956. A Valkyrie II class Battlestar was commissioned in 1962 and continues to serve to this day, though its decommissioning date has been set for 2004; immediately after the decommissioning, the name will be given to the Mercury class Battlestar Bellerophon, construction having begun in 1998.
The Battlestar Pegasus holds the dubious honor of being the only Jupiter class Battlestar to be captured during the war. In 1958 the Pegasus was boarded by Cylon forces while fighting in Sector 9. The Cylons captured the secondary damage control station and vented most of the ship before taking the bridge and jumping away. The Pegasus would fight for the Cylons for the rest of the war. Its fate is unknown as the Cylons took her with them after the armistice. The new Mercury class Battlestar Pegasus was commissioned in 1980. Currently, the Pegasus is going through a minor refit at the Scorpia Shipyard.
The Battlestar Acheron was destroyed by the Cylons in 1958