Lepanto-class Heavy Destroyer

A naval vessel from Anno Astra...

Lepanto-class heavy destroyer

Originally designed for a foreign customer and first constructed at the Vickers Shipyard on the second moon of Churchill, the Lepanto-class was adopted by the Commonwealth as a standard heavy destroyer type, with heavy armament, good spacekeeping qualities, endurance and range.

As the Lepanto was designed for an aggressive role, three of its four main turrets were mounted to give it a very heavy frontal salvo, at the expense of its broadside. There are more torpedo tubes than to be expected for a vessel of this size, though with fewer reloads. It is quite adequately defended by sixteen point-defense turrets and carries two mobile suits in its hangar.

The design has come under some criticism, especially with regards to its long-term habitability. Cramped interiors and what many feel to be an inadequately-sized gravity block have been oft-heard concerns, though the Commonwealth Admiralty does not see this as a major issue.

At 190 meters, it masses at 30,000 tonnes deadweight and has a crew of 370, including MS pilots and maintenance crew. The Commonwealth usually assigns these as the flagships for its independent destroyer squadrons, in lieu of its light cruisers.