these was the midspace drive, but in addition new forcefield technologies, matter/antimatter weapons and power systems, new hull
materials, new computer systems... with the success of HMS Iowa, the Admiralty were forced to finally face up to the reality of the
situation. The sail fleet was obsolete, and it was going to have to be scrapped and replaced with a new generation. And worse,
that new generation were going to be horribly expensive. Even excluding development costs, it had taken as much to get HMS Iowa
into space as it would to build six Theramel class battleships. Building a new-generation warship from scratch to incorporate the
emerging technologies would cost at least triple that - and more again in research and development. But there was simply no other
choice, and in 2710 the Navy commissioned the Amzarg project. The project mandate was to build a battleship with a midspace drive,
matter/antimatter power system, matter/antimatter weaponry, and the latest in shields, armour and computers. It took twenty years
to produce a viable spacecraft. But when HMS Amzarg was commissioned, the face of Naval warfare changed forever.
The engines were Generation 2 Midspace shunts, arranged above and below the aft hull as in the Iowa. The powerplant was a
matter/antimatter reactor, feeing a zero point energy multiplier unit (ZPEX). The forward hull, much larger than on Iowa, mounted
weapons, accomodation, sensors, and a hangar bay
(a feature lacking on the Iowa). The connecting neck was yet again thickened and strengthened. Whilst it was beginning to
become apparent that difficulties in this respect were an inherent feature of the twin-field design inherent to Midspace vessels,
the Amzarg's neck structure was more than triple the strength of the Iowa's, and reduced the bending and cracking issues previously
encountered to a minimum.
Weaponry comprised six antimatter/matter particle (AMP) cannons. These weapons fired a matter and antimatter particle stream at the
enemy ship, bringing the streams together just above the target's shields. They were hugely more effective than any feasible laser weapon
could be. Additional firepower was provided by a pair of torpedo tubes carrying the new Starfire missile; this huge weapon mounted a
200 kg matter/antimatter warhead which was judged capable of one-shot destruction of any vessel known except the Amzarg herself
(whose high capacity shields were thought capable of resisting two hits.) Backup firepower was provided by sixty laser cannon in twin
turrets, which served largely in the torpedo defence role; by this time the offensive capability of these weapons was little better than token.
It cannot be emphasised enough how revolutionary a ship the Amzarg was. In terms of fighting sail ships, her only real limitation was
fuel and ammunition; without those constraints it would be perfectly possible for the Amzarg to engage and destroy every other
ship in the Navy.
After the Amzarg neither of the two Empires would ever commission another sail driven warship, nor one which used lasers as
anything more than backup armament. The face of warfare had changed radically and forever.
/b] 1,243.33 m (4,079 feet 1.5 inches)