SPECIFICATIONS

GOVERNMENT: Galactic Free Republic
TYPE: Interstellar Space BattleFrigate  (Vlor Benai Class Variant)
MODEL: Merkava class SBDG-88 (Terran/Prodono Hybrid Mark-IV)
DATE INTRODUCED: 2193 AD
LENGTH: 626.3 feet (190.9 meters)
WIDTH: 401.3 feet (122.3 meters)
HEIGHT: 122.1 feet (37.2 meters)
MATERIAL: Crystal Composite
POWER PLANT: Macrotechnologies IPFF-5000 Ion Plasma Fusion Furnace x 5
OUTPUT: 5000 megawatts each, (25,000 megawatts total)
ARMOR TYPE: Crystal Composite
ARMOR THICKNESS: 2 inches
DISPLACEMENT: 10,000 tons
CREW: 151 + 20 pilots 171 total (10 Operators, 51 Gunners, 18 Officers, 40 Engineers, 10 Technicians, 10 Electricians, 7 Medical, 5 Science, 5 Security, plus 20 pilots.)

PROPULSION

             FASTER THAN LIGHT DRIVE :
             1x Prodono Technologies D'Rhell-Feul DF-155100-500A (1st Generation) Super Luminal Velocity Drive.
             SPEED: 3.4 light years per hour maximum warp

             SUBLIGHT DRIVE:
             4x Orion Galactic OG-IPFE-1500 Ion Plasma Fusion Drives
             SPEED: kiloMACH 5 each KiloMACH 25 total for all four engines combined

WEAPONS:

             PRIMARY (OFFENSIVE):
             Main Turrets
             5x Titan Technologies TT-KB-3180 540-megawatt triple KAISER (KAon-Infused-laSER) Beam turrets*; Effective Range: 1440 miles; Payload: unlimited with nuclear battery clutch system; ROF: 3 blasts every twenty seconds with a cyclic rate of 9 blasts per minute.  
          *KAISER beam weapons do full damage to energy resistant armor like that used by the Prodono and other alien powers.


             PRIMARY (ASSAULT):
             16x Lithgear LG-CML-50002 cruise missile launcher; Missile Type: UN-SRT-5000 short-range 5000-pound computer-guided cruise missile/space torpedo (597.5 kiloton nuclear warhead); Effective Range: 35.1 miles; Payload: 4 cruise missiles each in a top facing internal missile silo; ROF: 1-2 torpedoes each.

             SECONDARY (OFFENSIVE):
            4x Orion Republic ORITL-Mark-II ion torpedo blisters, three tube; Missile Type: IDST-5000 ion drive space torpedo with computer-guided 5000-pound warhead;Effective Range: 844.4 miles; Payload: 30 space torpedoes each in an autoloading torpedo tube; ROF:  1-3 torpedoes per two seconds with a cyclic rate of 90 torpedoes per minute per torpedo blister.

             PRIMARY (BALLISTIC):
            12x Norking ASML-S10K single-shot cruise missile box launcher; Missile Type: ASM-10K 10,000-pound computer-guided medium-range cruise missile with 1.195 megaton yield; Effective Range: 1161.1 miles; Payload: 1 space torpedo each in a missile box launcher; ROF: 1 torpedo per two seconds with a cyclic rate of 30 torpedoes per minute. 

ELECTRONICS:
              1x Microwave Radio Communications array with a 1000 AU range.
              1x Laser Radio Communications array with a 1000 AU range.

              1x Super Luminal Velocity Communications Suite with a range of 1 light year.
              1x LADAR array with a range of 220,000 miles.
              1x NADAR array with a range of 220,000 miles.

              1x Passive EMS array with a range of 1,000,000 miles.
              1x Active EMS array with a range of 100,000 miles.
              1x Super Luminal Velocity Sensor Suite with a range of 10 parsec (32.6 light years).
              1x Gravitational/Antigravity Control Unit; Effect: Provides artificial lift, g-force compensation, and enhanced maneuverability.

DEFENSIVE SYSTEMS:
             6x Prodono Technologies K'Tellar Ubrich KTU-Type-170055A Level-2 omnidirectional Plasma-Type deflector field generators; Range: 1000 feet from hull; Power Requirement: 1000 megawatts; Output: 360,000 gigajoules (360 terajoules) of power with a regeneration rate of 36,000 gigajoules (36 terajoules) every ten seconds.

HANGAR BAYS:
             1x 16,400-yd3 space fighter hangar that holds up to twenty PF-04U CosmoCorsairs or PF-51 StellarMustangs.


Description/Overview:
            The Merkava class Mark-IV (Phase II) was the successor to the Merkava Mark-III (a refit Prodono Vlor Benai class ship using Varna based technology) and the first model to be mass produced by the Galactic Free Republic space navy.  Whereas the previous classes (including prototypes) were a combination of new--Terran-based, Prodono, and Varna derived--weapon systems intended to defeat energy resistant armor and plasma-shielding, the Mark-IV was more heavily Prodono tech in order to allow it to be produced at the Goro Dei of the Chi Orionis star system. The Mark-IV was essentially the same vessel as the Mark-III only with a redesigned Prodono Alliance D'Rhell-Feul DF-155100-500A Super Luminal Velocity Drive and the Prodono Alliance K'Tellar Ubrich KTU-Type-170055A Level-2 omnidirectional Plasma-Type deflector field generators. This made the Mark-IV more powerful than the Prodono Android O'Mahu Thu Type-148914 space destroyer. Naturally the Mark-IV became a favorite of the Prodono Androids in addition to the backbone of the Orion Theocratic Republic Cosmo Navy of the early 23rd Century. Eventurally these ships had mixed crews of both Prodono Android and Methusians of the Orion Theocratic Republic.