The Colonials designed and built two classes of Cruiser, the Light Zephyr Class and the Heavy Medusa Class.
Cruisers were a popular strategic design for a period of almost three hundred yahrens. They were envisioned as a step down from a Battlestar and able to defend the bigger ships while also able to function independently when needed. Over time the cruiser design began to fall out of favor. Though effective they were almost as expensive to build as a Battlestar which severely limited their production. Operating independently they were often more ship then was needed or they would find themselves overmatched if alone. As time went by the Colonials began building smaller, cheaper, destroyers that proved more versital in many ways then the big Cruisers.
MEDUSA CLASS HEAVY CRUISER
The Medusa class was designed and built at the same time as the Battlestars and though they are smaller, resemble a Battlstar in form. They were intended to serve as Consorts to the Battlestars and each Battlestar had two Medusa class cruisers assigned to it. The purpose of the Consorts, in the period before the development of Electronic Defense Shields, was to guard the rear of the Battlestar. The engine structure was the most vulnerable area of the big ships.
The Medusa class was designed to stay side by side with a Battlestar regardless of the pounding and they can give as good as they get. Once the technology of the Electronic Defense Shields had been perfected, the need for Consort ships lessened. The Medusa class cruisers were reassigned to other tasks. As a major warship the new tasks included patrolling hostile space, protecting threatened assets and meeting the Cylon threat head on when a Battlestar could not be spared. The Prometheus Aegis, shortened to ‘Prometheus’ by most of the Fleet, is the last of her kind.
The Medusa cruisers have two medium landing/hanger bays. Though the Medusa Class is designed to carry 18 Vipers the Fugitive Fleet as a matter of policy jams more Vipers into the war ships. Typically Prometheus carries twelve extra Vipers for a total of thirty.
Prometheus side view
Prometheus top view
Surviving Medusa Class Heavy Cruisers: Prometheus Aegis
Commander: Colonel Chiron
Executive Officer: Major Vanner
Crew- 1,000
Max. Speed- 10x Light Speed
Armament-
(2) Heavy Explosive Torpedo Launchers
(6) Medium Torpedo Launchers
( 8 ) Small Torpedo Launchers
(20) Light Laser Batteries <10 port,10 starboard>
(4) Medium Laser Batteries (8 total)
(2) Heavy Laser Batteries (4 total)
Defenses-
Ablative Armor
Star Shield (Heavy Armor Plate)
Electronic Defense Shields
Stealth Suites
Compartmentalization
Auxiliary Craft-
(18 ) Medium Fighters Boosted to 30
(2) Recovery Shuttles
(6) Shuttles Type 1
(4) Land Rams
(2) Scarabs
Zephyr Class Light Cruisers were built after the advent of Electronic Defense Shields and the need for Cruisers to serve as consorts to Battlestars. The Zephyr class was designed to serve in the front line of a battle and form the core of a light combat group made up of carriers and destroyers.
Cheaper to build then the Medusa class, they were deployed in large numbers until the ‘cruiser class’ fell out of favor with Colonial strategists and planners. After Molecay there were no Zephyr classes on active duty.
Zephyr Class side view
Zephyr Class top view
Surviving Zephyr Class Light Cruisers: None Known
Commander: Colonel
Executive Officer: Major
Crew- 850
Max. Speed- 10x Light Speed
Armament-
(2) Heavy Explosive Torpedo Launchers
(4) Medium Torpedo Launchers
(8) Small Torpedo Launchers
(14) Light Laser Batteries <7 port,7 starboard>
(6) Medium Laser Batteries (12 total)
(1) Heavy Laser Batteries (2 total)
Defenses-
Ablative Armor
Star Shield (Heavy Armor Plate)
Electronic Defense Shields
Compartmentalization
Auxiliary Craft-
(12) Medium Fighters
(2) Recovery Shuttles
(6) Shuttles Type 1
(4) Land Rams
(2) Scarabs