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"Only a handful of Warlocks has come out of the construction line, so far."

Matthew Gideon, 2267


The Warlock-class destroyer is an advanced warship design produced by the Earth Alliance.

Technical Specifications[]

Rushed into production immediately after the Earth Alliance Civil War, the Warlock-class destroyer incorporates some of the most advanced technology available. It was the first Earth Alliance ship to feature artificial gravity without rotating sections thanks to the technology the Minbari delivered. This allowed designers to greatly improve the Warlock's design. Among these improvements was the Warlock having greater speed and maneuverability compared to the older Omega-class destroyers.  

In addition to human technology, an unknown Shadow device is buried somewhere in the Warlock's control systems. The exact purpose and function of this device is unclear, though the only vessel known to have overridden its influence was the EAS Titans, under the command of Captain Susan Ivanova.[3][4]

Propulsion[]

The Warlock's conventional particle thrust engines are supplemented by a pair of hybrid gravitic engines that, like the artificial gravity systems, are based on Minbari technology and propulsion theory but are designed and manufactured using Earth-based materials.[1] The EAS Foxfire was able to jump out and back in hyperspace very quickly. Previous EAS ships could not do so as it would strain the jump engines.

Sensors & Navigation[]

The ship's primary sensor, navigation, and communications suite is located on the bow of the ship and includes a set of retractable panels that allow the ship to travel further off the beacons and thus extend the ship's operational range beyond that of older designs.[1]

Weapons[]

The weapons systems aboard the Warlock feature a wide variety of offensive and defensive emplacements that include standard plasma cannons, railguns, and missiles. Perhaps the most notable armament is a pair of particle beam cannons originally designed for use on the Aegis orbital defense platforms that formed Earth's planetary defense grid. Prior to the development of the Warlock, the power requirements of these weapons were so high that only dedicated stationary platforms could accommodate them, and then only one unit per platform.[1] Installing the cannons aboard the Warlock enabled a ship of the class to destroy multiple Drakh vessels with one shot each at the start of the Drakh War[5], and another to destroy a Centauri Vorchan-class with a single shot in a possible future battle.[6] The ability to use such powerful weapons allows the Warlock to take on ships from advanced races like Minbari with ease. 

Warlock ships are also armed with weapons found on older classes of Earthforce ships, including nine heavy phased plasma cannon turrets of a similar type as was used aboard the older Nova-class dreadnoughts, four 40mm pulse cannons similar to those mounted on the Omega-class destroyer, and twelve to sixteen short-range phased plasma turrets of the same type installed on the older Olympus-class corvette.[1]

Docking Bays[]

The primary launch bay is located on the bow of the ship, between the main sensor boom and the particle beam cannons. The ship's Starfury/Thunderbolt squadrons are launched from here, in a fashion similar to that on the Omega-class. However, unlike the Omega, the Warlock includes a blast door to prevent the bay from scooping up debris in the ship's path, in addition to a separate recovery bay, located amidships on the starboard side. The forward bay is used for fighters only, and so shuttles and other craft must use the recovery bay to access the Warlock's internal docking areas. Opposite the recovery bay on the port side is the bay's maintenance and repair shops, while running along the lower flanks of the hull are a series of cargo and ordinance airlocks.[1]

Ships of the Class[]

Gallery[]

Appearances[]

TV Movies
Babylon 5
Crusade
Short Stories

Behind the Scenes[]

The Warlock class destroyer was designed by Tim Earls.[7] The Warlock was originally designed as a much flatter ship, which was changed at the suggestion of John Copeland and so Earls re dubbed his original concept the "Trafalgar class Mobile Strategic Operations Platform".[8][1]

Since the series makes it very clear that Earth had not yet developed artificial gravity, the Warlock was probably designed at first to operate with a weightless crew. Artificial gravity was presumably retrofitted into the design after Earth joined the ISA and the technology was made available.

References[]


External links[]

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