While the Draconis Combine is most known for its glorification and celebration of Japanese culture, or at least some aspects of it, it is hardly the only bastion of this culture off of Terra. In fact, the Lyran world of New Kyoto was also settled by colonists from this Terran region, and Japanese culture of the early 21st to mid 23rd Centuries have left their indelible impression upon the world.
Once New Kyoto was a well-developed colony, and industrial concerns like RAMTech Industries and Bolson Shipyards had been established, New Kyoto had worked to develop their own defensive industries. However, with 81% of their planet's surface covered in water, New Kyoto sought to protect these shipping lanes, which were still important for moving large cargo more cheaply than by DropShip. This, in turn, meant protecting these vessels from the occasional predation by criminal elements, using vessels such as the Silverfin cutter, or merchant escort carriers built on cargo vessel hulls. New Kyoto, though, wanted to do something more, something that would be a homage to the world, and the culture, of their birth.
So they built a replica of the battleship Mikasa, a steam-powered battleship originally launched in 1900.
Great attention was paid to making the vessel as authentic as possible. Naval engineers selected materials similar to those used in the original ship's hull and armor plating though, like the original battleship, its sheer volume of armor offered it considerable protection from even more modern weapons, with its hull armor and structural bulkheads massing over five thousand tons.
In order to keep with the authenticity as much as possible, engineers kept to triple-expansion steam engines, capable of driving the replica Mikasa, informally named the Mikasa Dai-Ni at the original's 33 kph at flank speeds. Supplies of coal were less common, however, on New Kyoto, so engineers designed the replica Mikasa's boilers to be able to burn a variety of fuels, ranging from wood, to coal, to fuel oil, to the dried dung of the herd animals preyed upon by native predators like the armored bear or ki-rian. Meant to be simple, rugged and low maintenance, the Mikasa Dai-Ni's propulsion system masses nearly as much as a Leopard class DropShip, with its fuel bunkers massing nearly 3000 tons.
Exact production of the Mikasa's original armaments proved somewhat unworkable, so engineers went a somewhat different direction. The original Mikasa's four 305mm guns were replaced with standardized Thumper artillery pieces, while more modern 120mm Class-5 autocannons replaced the original vessel's fourteen 152mm cannons. In place of the 76mm and 47mm cannons, New Kyoto engineers chose to emphasize their local weapons technologies produced by RAMTech Industries, mounting twenty large lasers, six medium lasers and six small lasers in their place.
Because New Kyoto's naval engineers lived in the 24th Century, and not the early 20th Century, the importance of additional support for the Mikasa Dai-Ni was carefully considered. Midships, on either side of the vessel's two stacks, are mounts for smaller vessels up to 50 tons each, allowing supplemental cutters, hovercraft or even small submarines to be carried. Aft, atop turret #2, the aft turret, is a small helipad, allowing for multi-purpose helicopters to be carried. Lastly, a single 'Mech bay has been included at the bow of the vessel, foreward of turret 1. This was not originally intended to be used for a BattleMech, but for an environmentally-sealed IndustrialMech to assist in maintenance and repair tasks, using early technology similar to the much-later Underwater Maneuvering Unit. Eight industrial exoskeletons were also fitted for this purpose, for use by specially-trained maintenance crew. Two platoons of marines are also embarked, for customs inspections and boarding/counterboarding operations.
For all its pedigree, the Mikasa Dai-Ni had little combat experience until the First Succession War. Providing off-shore fire support in shallow littoral waters, the ship was struck and, briefly, sunk in 2787. Refloated and repaired in 2788, the Mikasa Dai-Ni found itself hard-pressed in combat again during the Jihad, providing shore bombardment during the battles for the city of Yonei, before the city was leveled.
The people of New Kyoto resisted Repblic efforts to have the Mikasa Dai-Ni permanently encased in concrete and disarmed as a museum ship, much like its progenitor, and instead continued to maintain the vessel in combat condition up to the Wolf Empire invasion. Once again pressed in combat, the Mikasa fought back against the Wolf Invaders, before being damaged and sunk a second time in litorral waters. To the surprise of New Kyotoans, the ship was refloated and repaired again by the Wolf Empire after their conquest of New Kyoto, where the ship, at this point nearly eight centuries old, is currently crewed by a mix of native New Kyotoans and Wolf solahma warriors.
Mikasa Dai-Ni Patrol Battleship
Tech Level C / Template C
Displacement : 12,000 tons
Crew: 206 (34 officers + 172 enlisted)
Troops : 28 (two platoon)
Range: 17,000 km at 21.6 kph (11.6 knots)
-- Ship and Equipment --
Structure (Armored, Tech A) 4896 tons
-- Str. Value/Location: 36
Engine (Steam, Tech A): 1728 tons
-- Cruising/Max MP: 2/3
Fuel Capacity: 2938 tons
Range: 17,000 km
Crew: 34 Officers, 174 Enlisted
Armor Plating (BAR 8 ): 689 tons
Armor Points: 689
-- Bow/Aft Armor Pts: 81
-- Fore-sides Armor Pts: 92
-- Aft-sides Armor Pts: 92
-- Turrets (F/A) Armor Pts: 80
Heat Sinks: 184
Weaponry & Equipment
Turret #1 (Fore) 3 tons
-- Thumper Artillery x2 (30 tons)
Turret #2 (Aft) 3 tons
-- Thumper Artillery x2 (30 tons)
AC/5s x 14 (112 tons)
-- 2 fore, 2 aft, 5 left side, 5 right side
Large Lasers x20 (100 tons)
-- 4 fore, 4 aft, 6 left side, 6 right side
Medium Lasers x6 (6 tons)
-- 1 fore, 1 aft, 2 left side, 2 right side
Small Lasers x6 3 tons
-- 1 fore, 1 aft, 2 left side, 2 right side
Thumper Ammo (200): 10 tons
AC/5 Ammo (840): 42 tons
CASE (5): 2.5 tons
Field Kitchens (2): 6 tons
MASH Unit (12 ORs): 14.5 tons
Communications Equipment: 6 tons
Advanced Fire Control: 28.5 tons
Maritime Lifeboats (30): 30 tons
Infantry Compartment:
-- Jump Platoons: 2 x 28-person (8 tons)
-- Battlearmor Squads: 2 x 4-person (8 tons)
Helipad: 500 tons
Light Vehicle Bays (2): 100 tons
Mech Bay (1): 150 tons
Cargo Hold: 903 tons
