The Oberth Class (オーベルト級, Ōberuto-kyū) is a class of Space Destroyer used by UN Spacy during the Space War I. It was featured in the television series Super Dimension Fortress Macross.
Development
After the crash of ASS-1 on Earth, Humanity realized the extraterrestrial life outside the Solar System, that could threatened the planet and Human race as a whole. This event led to the establishment of the United Nations Government. Many effort to strengthened the Earth's military combat and defensive capabilities were launched, one of them is the development of a Space Destroyer class at Lagrange 5 (L-5) Industrial Station in A.D 2003. The result of this development was the creation of Oberth-class which completed in A.D 2005.[1]
Technology & Combat Characteristics
The Oberth-class is one of the first starship produced by UN Spacy based on the technology gathered from ASS-1.[2] Its hull design was relatively simple tri-hulled shaped, built with lightweight armor material, that consist of a two of Thermonuclear Reaction Cruise Engine, mounted on the lower hull, and two Large Rocket Boosters on the side of the ship's hull. Typically the Oberth-class used the smaller Reaction Engine as its main propulsion method, while the large one were only used during combat situation.[2]
In terms of armaments this particular ship class is equipped with in total four fixed Beam Cannons on its, and in total of 18 missile launchers that typically carry RB-5 Small Reaction Warheads in its hull.[2] These features makes the Oberth-class as an agile ship that carry high amount of firepower of its size, which its reaction missile can disable if not destroy Zentradi battleship such as Thuverl Salan-class with several warheads.[2] While it had many advantages, the Oberth-class only had one glaring weakness, which is the lightweight hull material, that reduce its hull durability against enemy fire.
Despite the glaring weakness, it was a relatively simple design, which make it easy to mass produce, and considerable amount of these ships produced.[1] With this level of reliability what makes the ship a crucial part of UN Forces strategic plan to guard Earthsphere as escort unit for SDF-1 Macross, SDF-2 Megaroad, alongside ARMD-class from enemy attacks, by guarding and patrolling the Lunar sphere and Lagrange Points by 2011. However this plan was quickly crumbles as the sudden appearance of Zentradi fleet forced the Oberth-class to combat the enemy as qucikly as possible.[2]
Armaments
Guns
- 2 x Small Caliber Fixed Beam Cannon
- These weapon mounted on upper front side of the ship's hull.
- 2 x Large Caliber Fixed Beam Cannon
- These weapon mounted on lower mid side of the ship's hull.
Bombs & Missiles
- 18 x Missile Launchers
- A triple set of six-tube missile launchers mounted on the ship's rear hull. These missile launchers equipped with the RB-5 Reaction Warhead, which had the explosive power from 20-100 Kilotons. The RB-5 had the capabilities to disable a Thuverl Salan-class with a warhead, and destroy it with multiple warhead.[2]
History
Unification Wars
In A.D 2005, after two years of development the first ship of the class the Oberth rolled out.[2] Then after the completion of Oberth, the second ship the class Goddard was completed in June and the third ship of the class Tsiolkovsky was completed in September of the same year, and considerable amount of Oberth-class ships produced afterwards.[2]
One of the first combat record of the Oberth-class was in September A.D 2005, where the Tsiolkovsky was hijacked by Anti-UN forces attacked a returning UN Spacy fleet from Mars. As a response to this attack, the UN forces dispatched the Goddard captained by Bruno J. Global. The Goddard manage to destroy the Tsiolkovsky by using its Reaction Warheads and quell the Anti-UN attack.[2]
Space War I
ARMD-01 with several Oberth-class
On February 7, A.D 2009, several Oberth-class were deployed as escort unit for both ARMD 01 & ARMD 02 Space Carriers after the sudden appearance of Zentradi fleet led by Vrlitwhai Kridanik's Nupetiet-Vergnitzs-class in Solar System.[3][2] During the battle many these ships were destroyed by Zentradi ships, but they manage to destroy at least ten confirmed Zentradi ships such as Thuverl-Salan-class in the process.[2] Unfortunately only two Oberth-class ships manage to retreat from the battle unscathed, escorting the damaged ARMD-class ships caused by Vrlitwhai's ship.[4]
The destruction of the ARMD-01 and an Oberth-class Destroyer.
On the same day, the two ship that escorted the damaged ARMD ships Miranda and Akashima manage to rendezvous with SDF-1 Macross above Earth's Orbit, but unfortunately these ships alongside the ARMDs were destroyed by suprise attack from Vrlitwhai's fleet.[5]
Later in February A.D 2010, in total of 125 Oberth-class ship alongside the remaining ARMD-class ships were deployed to defend the Earth from Gol Boddole Zer's main fleet.[6][2] Unfortunately all of the ships defending the Earth were destroyed by all out attack by the Zentradi fleet.[7] After the war only a handful of ship remains, which the ones who defend the Apollo Base on the Moon. Two years after the War, many of these ships were built and assigned as escort unit for the 1st Long Distance Emigration Fleet during their maiden voyage.[8][9]
Gallery
Linearts
Illustrations & Artwork
Notes & Trivia
- In the book Macross Perfect Memory page 166, the Oberth-class simply referred as Space Destroyer (宇宙駆逐艦, Uchū Kuchikukan).[4]
- The name of the Oberth-class ships that escorted both ARMD-01 and ARMD-02 was not revealed until Episode 3, where these ships name was Miranda and Akishima.
- The Oberth-class and the Oberth are named after Hermann Oberth, a pioneer of rocket science. Similarly, the Goddard is named after the first American rocket scientist, Robert H. Goddard, and the Tsiolkovsky is named after Russian rocket scientist Konstantin Tsiolkovsky, who is considered to be the father of rocket science and astronautics.
- Coincidentally, the Star Trek franchise also has a class of starship named Oberth as well as two ships of the line named Oberth and Tsiolkovsky.
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 Macross Chronicles New Edition, SDFM Mechanics Sheet, UN Spacy 15A, Page 01.
- ↑ 2.00 2.01 2.02 2.03 2.04 2.05 2.06 2.07 2.08 2.09 2.10 2.11 Macross Chronicles New Edition, SDFM Mechanics Sheet, UN Spacy 15A, Page 02.
- ↑ Macross Chronicles New Edition, History Sheet 04A, Page 01-02.
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 Super Dimension Fortress Macross, Episode 1: Boobytrap.
- ↑ Super Dimension Fortress Macross, Episode 3: Space Fold.
- ↑ Macross Chronicles New Edition, History Sheet 16A, Page 01-02
- ↑ Super Dimension Fortress Macross, Episode 36: Love Drifts Away.
- ↑ Macross Flashback 2012.
- ↑ Reference Picture.
External links
 For the Robotech equivalent, visit Oberth class. |