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Kansai Class Heavy Cruiser

The Kansai Class Heavy Cruiser took the VAA a very long time to develop. This is partly due to ongoing improvements in weaponry and armor, and partly due to its own indecisiveness. Initially this cruiser was to be much smaller and less armored. But as the development of the Aurora and eventually Ignitor class of light cruisers neared their end, it was clear that a heavier cruiser was needed.

The initial design featured fifteen 155mm guns in five triple turrets, but the switch from a lighter cruiser to a heavy cruiser made a larger caliber needed. Thus a switch to 210mm was chosen. The first iteration of guns were capable, but a little underpowered for the tastes of the VAA. The second round was determined to fire too slowly. Finaly, after the invention of compact Rail-Assisted cannons, a main weapon system was finally chosen.

The main battery which consists of 5 twin turrets, features a relatively high penetration value of over 4 metal beams. This was deemed adequate for taking on other cruisers and older battleships if needed. The payload is somewhat low, but given the penetration and its likelihood of being delivered inside enemy ships, it was deemed acceptable. In addition to the guns, a large number of torpedoes were installed on the ship. Initially the admirals wanted deck mounted torpedoes, but recent combat experience showed them to be too vulnerable. To solve this issue, the torpedoes were installed on the underside of the vessel. This ensures extreme survivability of the system on either side. The only issue is that the torpedoes are nearly useless in water that is less than 40m of depth.

Once the main battery was decided upon, next came the design of the hull. This too took several years. Initially the armor was too light, then after redesign it was too heavy. Then too light. Eventually the admiralty just told them to compromise a bit, which everyone hated of course. The final armor scheme was a mix of more modern techniques, mixed in with older ones. The result is a vessel that is remarkably resilient against other cruisers and cruiser caliber armaments. Thanks to active defenses and a large torpedo bulge, it is quite resistant to underwater torpedoes and below water shell impacts. Where its pretection is lacking however is above deck. Although interceptors, CIWS, and anti-air missiles were installed closer to the end of its design phase, large missiles remain an issue. Against larger cannon shells, the armor offers moderate protection in the vital areas, however high penetration munitions (7-8m of metal beams worth of pen) can prove to be too much for even the heavily armored sections of the vessel. Generous EMP protection throughout allow it to be resilient against this new technology deployed agaisnt it. Lastly, multiple redundent systems allow the ship to continue its mission even with tremendous damage.

After extensive simulation testing combined with stationary armor testing, it was determined that the hull should withstand any cruiser on the sea, and will withstand a healthy beating from anything but the most impressive cannons or battleships. All this surivablity came at a cost however. With a price of over 575k materials, the vessel is not cheap to deploy. Additionally, its firepower, while potent, is not as high as one might expect given its cost. The result is no doubt an excellent cruiser, but one that must be deployed with caution due to its cost and known vulnerabilites to high penetration munitions.

The Kansai Class Heavy Cruiser is part of the Neters Edge Custom Campaign in development. Be prepared to engage this mighty cruiser in the mid to late game.

NOTE:
The decoration and detailing on this cruiser are NOT complete. I started development on this cruiser in January of 2022, I just needed to get it out. The ship is fully functional, it just isn't up to my normal standards for looks. As I update the looks I will update the Steam page. Also huge thanks to Mattjginsberg (Big Bean) for all the help. This was my first ship done without mods, and he helped me a LOT on this one. To be honest, I don't remember how much of this ship was decorated by him, but it was a decent amount. At the time I had no idea how to make hulls or superstructures, so I think he did most if not all of both. Huge thanks. Without his help and knowledge, none of the other creations I upload would have been possible.

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If you wish to take anything from this boat for use in a creation you upload or distribute, notify me via the comment section and provide credit in the description of the craft. Some of the sub objects, decorations, or other components used in this boat were from other creators. Big Bean (Mattjginsburg on steam) helped me learn how to make things look good, and some of the decorations and modules are from his creations with his permission. This boat, or others, may contain decorations from Sampson or other WWN creators; any decorations used were obtained from their publicly released Steam submissions with decorations and modules approved for use. Anything else found on any craft were from other publicly released decoration palates or repositories. Everything else was of my own creation. Enjoy, and credit those that come before you!