Cluster bomb

< Cluster bomb
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An anti-starfighter cluster bomb.

An anti-starfighter cluster bomb.

A cluster bomb, also known as a cluster trap, was an explosive device, often disguised to blend in the with the hull of the starship it was mounted on. The Alliance to Restore the Republic and the New Republic made use of concealed cluster bombs aboard their ships.

Description

A cluster bomb was a metal blister that was mounted to the hull of a starship, designed to blend in with the vessel's superstructure.[1] The weapon was intended to target and destroy small enemy starfighter formations during combat by catching them unawares within an explosive blast. Relying on the element of surprise, cluster bombs were deadly at close range,[2] and were most effective against closely-packed enemy ships allowing them to destroy multiple vessels at a time. As such, they were often successfully deployed in battles where enemy fighters vastly outnumbered friendly ships.[1]

When detonated, the blister's shell was reduced to shrapnel.[2] explosive charges propelled the shrapnel and dozens of magnetized proton and concussion grenades out into space. The cloud of explosives and debris spread over an area of one hundred meters in diameter. The magnetized grenades homed in on any ships in the area, creating chain reactions of explosions that turned the immediate area into a hazard zone.[1]

Explosive dampeners protected the ship during the cluster bomb's detonation,[1] ensuring that the warships themselves were not damaged by the initial explosions.[2] The grenades were not powerful enough to pierce the armor plating of a capital ship. The dampeners had breakaway panels that allowed fresh cluster bombs to be replaced by maintenance crews in less than ten minutes.[1]

Cluster bombs were activated by the gunnery crews aboard a ship; the module's short-range sensors swept for enemy transponder codes in the bomb's vicinity. Depending on the programming used in the bomb, the weapon would detonate once it detected between one and six ships in its blast radius. The cluster bombs were monitored by the gunnery crews who could initiate an emergency override to prevent detonation in case friendly fighters were in the blast range.[1]

Cluster bombs were mounted onto the outer hulls of starships, including Mon Calamari Star Cruisers and EF76 Nebulon-B escort frigates.[1] Cluster Bombs were housed in angular casings that resemble cargo modules[2], though on Mon Calamari vessels the bombs were disguised to appear identical to the ovoid shapes that were commonly placed across the hull. The ovoids usually held weapons emplacements, sensor array blisters, and cargo modules.[2] More traditionally designed ships had cluster bombs designed to look like sensor clusters or cargo airlocks.[1]

Some cluster bombs included false signal generators that produced emissions masking the device's true nature and gave the enemy the impression that they were active sensor arrays. Enemy starfighters were lured in to attack a seemingly vital target, only to be destroyed by an active cluster bomb.[1]

New Republic ships broadcasted warnings to friendly vessels about the cluster bombs, and pilots in an engagement zone often memorized the locations of the cluster bombs so they would not fly into their blast radius.[1]

During the early years of the New Republic, FreiTek Incorporated manufactured the CL-3 antistarfighter cluster bomb.[1]

History

When the Mon Calamari began arming their star cruisers after joining the Alliance to Restore the Republic, Admiral Gial Ackbar authorized the integration of cluster bombs into the ships.[2]

During the Battle of Endor, Rebel pilots memorized the location of cluster bombs on the hulls of the Mon Calamari cruisers, making sure to avoid the blisters during the engagement. Squadrons of TIE pilots were destroyed in cluster bomb explosions as they rushed headlong into battle, following their training to be aggressive and overzealous in combat while attacking in large formations.[2]

The Inquisition module of Tagge Industries Shipyards Limited's modular taskforce cruiser carried five cluster bombs armed with magnepulse bombs.[3]

Appearances

Sources

Notes and references

  1. ↑ 1.00 1.01 1.02 1.03 1.04 1.05 1.06 1.07 1.08 1.09 1.10 The Essential Guide to Weapons and Technology
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 2.4 2.5 2.6 The New Essential Guide to Weapons and Technology
  3. ↑ Dark Empire Sourcebook