Persei-Aries War Resumes

The Ransu (“Lance”) I-360 class torpedo corvette is a cutting-edge design emerging in recent years from smaller Japanese naval shipyards.  A long-overdue replacement for the aging I-300 Umiyari (“Sea Spear”) series, the Ransu seems to be almost an overcompensation, an “apology” to the officers and crews of the Japanese corvette flotillas for their decades-obsolete I-300s.  Other analysts speculate that the Japanese Navy plans to build these new corvettes by the dozen, far into the 2530s and 40s (much like they did with the I-300s) and are thus banking against the passage of time with a “leapfrog” step-up in technology.  Only time will tell if the Imperial Navy will drive the Ransu class “into the grave” like they did with the Umiyaris.

The Ransu is, quite simply, the most advanced corvette design in Known Space.   A single I-360 costs a third more than a K-56 of the Holy Russian Empire.  Other “top tier” torpedo corvette designs like the American Mako class, Prussian Type XII class, and Roman Drusus class trail at least 5-10 years behind in terms of power generation … and thus combat, defensive, and targeting systems.  The weapons suite is built around the dreaded Ki-45 “Toryu” (Dragon Slayer) torpedo, mounted in two quadruple racks on either side of the dagger-sharp hull.  These are very large torpedo banks, making the Ransu also the largest torpedo corvette in Known Space at the time of this writing, tipping the scales at just under 14,000 tons, edging out even the hulking Russian K-56.  The Ransu also costs more than most frigates twice their mass.

These torpedoes are guided by the trademark Japanese “Seiku” (Clear Sky) targeting and fire control system, one of the best in any Navy, especially daunting when one considers eight “Dragon Slayers”  streaking toward a target.  Even Consortium corvettes, while faster and carrying the comparable “Sparta XII” torpedo, don’t carry said warheads in similar numbers.  In the words of the IJN press release, the Ransu is the ship to “make our enemies fear the Dragon Slayer again.”

Indeed, in many battles through the 2510s-20s, what was once one of the Imperial Navy’s most fearsome weapons largely became a non-issue once opposing navies developed simple, effective countertactics.  By keeping even a few ships together for mutual mass driver support, Ki-45s just weren’t getting through to hit their targets.  Sure, the Ki-45 can penetrate enemy shielding, especially with the “Seiku” firecontrol system, and did tremendous damage once an impact was scored.  But in no less than seventeen engagements, not a single Ki-45 hit was recorded, especially as the Navy started moving toward torpedo-less designs like the Katana heavy cruisers and Sengoku battlecruisers.

The Rensu is part of an effort to redress that.  A wolfpack of two or three of these corvettes is a nightmare for any captain not commanding a battleship.  Of course, the pricetag of the Rensu (and the relatively small number of units so far produced) means such wolfpacks will be rare, but a chilling threat nonetheless.

If the Rensu can be said to have a weakness (besides its cost), its flank shielding is weak compared to many of its competitors.  Admittedly bow shielding is very strong (rivalling even the Prussian Type XII), but mass driver defense is also poor, with only double-mounded 20mm and a single triple mount covering the stern.  While not as vulnerable as a Corporate Twilight or Eclipse class, the Rensu might be something of a glass cannon, especially considering its cost.

Still, the Ransu presents a deadly new threat to those who stand against the Imperial  Chrysanthemum.  Rumors of an even larger, more advanced, and more expensive “I-400” class torpedo attack craft … perhaps edging into the “frigate scale” of warship hull … remain unconfirmed.