Gallic Security Bureau Department of Advanced Weapons Research
Engineering task: set experimental manufacture line for Briseur-class Battlecruiser Cannon.
Project's Orderer: Tactical Operations Unit
Project's Executor: Department of Advanced Weapons Research
Project's Logistic: Special Logistics Corps
Briseur-class Battlecruiser Cannon
The Briseur pattern artillery cannon is designed as a miniaturized battlecruiser counterpart to the Mons Meg Battleship heavy battery platform. An array of electromagnet linear actuators are used to accelerate a high-density hybrid ferromagnetic alloy slug and exotic matter payload to deliver a devastating armour penetrating charge. Designed as a long-range saturation platform, the Briseur is intended to fill a niche between short-range Cerberus repeaters and slow cycling long-range Trebuchets. As the Briseur is based on the inertial slug-based ordinance, it is most effective against hull and armour and least effective on shielding.
Sender:Operative Edmund Lambert Recipient:Department of Advanced Weapons Research Subject:Report on “Briseur”-class cannon
07/03/744
Having examined the performance of “Briseur”-class ordinance both in controlled conditions of the field laboratory and on in space while mounted on “Obstinate” battlecruiser, the research team came to a unanimous conclusion that further development of the weapon in question is pointless and undesirable. Despite its incredible damage output, the weapon puts extreme pressure on the energy grid of the ship even of a battlecruiser type, hindering the energy supply of other important systems. During the tests, it was revealed that the efficiency of the shield of a vessel decreases after but a few shots of “Briseur”. Prolonged use of the weapon also infringes life support systems. A weapon capable of a few shots without putting to risk the ship itself is not something we advise to use in an unpredictable environment.
Moreover, the weapon has shorter compared to the “Trebuchet” range and thus the necessity to make pauses between intensive fire defeats the purpose of the weapon in mid-range, leaving a “Trebuchet” a more preferable option.
In addition, due to the requirement of rare materials in its production, “Briseur” has a lengthy and expensive manufacturing process, rendering it impossible to provide a substantial group of ships with the weapon to integrate it into naval doctrine.
Despite its drawbacks, the weapon can find its use during modular installation sieges where a continuous fire is less important than the amount of damage inflicted. Nevertheless, the lack of economic viability in time of post-war fleet rebuilding is the main deterring factor for “Briseur” production.