The Valkyrie-class battlestar was a type of warship that was operated by the individual Colonies before unification, and subsequently, the Colonial Fleet.[2][3][4][5] She is much smaller than the Jupiter-class and is believed to have been used as a light strike and reconnaissance ship. The Valkyrie-class was first deployed during the Cylon War and has proven to be very versatile, with many ships remaining in active service up until the Fall of the Twelve Colonies.[6][7] The class spawned at least one significant refit, which boasted a spoiler-like structure on its upper engine assembly.[8]
Flight I[]
Armament[]
Main Dual KEW Battery
Being a smaller battlestar, ships of this class do not appear to possess the heavy turrets seen on the Jupiter or Mercury-class. Instead, they are equipped with several smaller turrets strategically scattered throughout the ship. These smaller turrets and multiple secondary and tertiary weaponry serve as a defense mechanism against incoming ordinance. This design choice allows for a more agile and versatile approach to combat, ensuring that the ship can effectively protect itself in battle.
The Valkyrie-class battlestar was equipped with a formidable main armament consisting of 22 dual-purpose KEW (kinetic energy weapons) batteries.[9] These batteries served a dual function, acting as both standard kinetic weapons found on Jupiter-class battle stars and as a platform for launching Colonial ship-to-ship missiles.
Secondary armament includes four single-gun KEW (Kinetic Energy Weapons) positioned on the dorsal side of each flight pod. These weapons presumably provide a flak screen to protect the landing combat-air-patrol fighters from enemy attacks during their landing.
Anti-missile and Anti-Fighter protection on the battlestar was ensured by 29 Dual KEW CIWS batteries. These batteries, although resembling the design of the main batteries, were noticeably smaller in size and were strategically positioned all around the hull of the battlestar, creating a more even distribution. Interestingly, these weapons were also cleverly placed between the sublight engines, allowing for a near 360-degree protection coverage. This arrangement ensured the battlestar was well-equipped to defend itself from potential threats.
Fighter Complement[]
In a departure from the standard battlestar design, the Valkyrie introduces a unique feature: instead of the traditional launch tubes positioned at the sides of the two flight pods[5], it incorporates six forward-facing launch tubes (three for each pod) located at the front of each flight pod. This design choice is likely due to the smaller size of the Valkyrie class, as the flight pods are only 33.5 meters wide at their widest point. Although not officially confirmed, it is widely speculated that ships belonging to this class can support not only multiple squadrons of Viper fighters but also numerous Raptor multipurpose craft. This configuration allows for enhanced maneuverability and strategic positioning during combat operations.
Computer Systems[]
Coming from the Cylon War, it is presumed that, in their original design configuration, ships of this class lacked the advanced computer technology and networking of more modern battlestars for fear of Cylon infiltration. However, it is also presumed that most, if not all, ships of this class have been heavily upgraded since then. These upgrades would have included implementing more sophisticated computer systems and enhanced networking capabilities to facilitate new technologies, like main Battery-fired missiles. Despite these upgrades, several ships of this class were still shown as being shut down by Cylon infiltration of their Command Navigation Program (CNP) during the Fall of the Colonies.[5]
Crew[]
The crew complement of the Valkyrie class is not explicitly stated, but it can be inferred from the information about the Jupiter-class. The Jupiter-class initially required a crew of 5000 people, so it is reasonable to assume that the smaller Valkyrie-class would have a significantly reduced crew size in its original configuration. It is worth mentioning that the crew size of the Valkyrie-class may have decreased significantly after the war due to upgrades and refits made to the class. These modifications could have resulted in more efficient systems and technologies, potentially reducing the need for a large crew.
Therefore, while the exact crew complement of the Valkyrie-class remains unknown, it is likely that, especially with the introduction of the Command Navigation Program (CNP), the crew complement shrined down significantly, even from the original compliment.[5]
Propulsion[]
Ships of this class are equipped with four main rearwards-facing sublight engines mounted in pods onto their outer hull. These engines are strategically positioned, with two on the ship's dorsal surface and two on its ventral surface. In addition to these main engines, smaller maneuvering thrusters are scattered throughout the ship, allowing quick and agile movements during combat scenarios. To enable faster-than-light travel, at least one FTL (Faster-Than-Light) drive is installed aboard the ship. However, it is worth noting that the ship's main engines are relatively unarmored, and the half-exposed position of the FTL drive on the dorsal side further exacerbates this vulnerability.
This exposed location is a significant weak spot, as demonstrated during the Battle of Scorpion Shipyards. In this battle, a Cylon raider, armed with only three conventionally armed missiles, could exploit this weakness and ultimately destroy a docked battlestar of Valkyrie-class.
Flight II[]
At some point before the Fall of the Twelve Colonies, Colonial Shipyards began to roll out an updated design of Valkyrie-class. While nearly identical, this version can be distinguished by a spoiler-like winglet above the upper engine assembly. While the specifics of this update are unknown, it can be assumed that the changes were cosmetic and internal.
This update was relatively new or unpopular within the Colonial Fleet, as only a few vessels were spotted during the Fall. Only two of these Flight II battlestars were spotted, both docking at Scorpion Fleet Shipyards during the Fall, and many of the original Flight Is were not updated to this standard.
Known Ships[]
- Battlestar Valkyrie BSG-41 (Destroyed over Caprica)
- Battlestar Yashuman (Destroyed over Caprica)
- 1 Valkyrie-class Flight I[10] (Destroyed over Caprica)
- 2 Valkyrie-class Flight II[10] (Destroyed at Scorpion Fleet Shipyards)
- 5 Valkyrie-class Flight I[10] (Destroyed at Scorpion Fleet Shipyards)
Behind the Scenes[]
- Prior Battlestar Galactica: Blood and Chrome it was widely believed that Valkyrie-class is the newest class of battlestars. This was influenced by their relatively small size (mirroring the decrease in size and number of ships by US Navy after the end of the Cold War) and their advanced technology, like battery-fired missiles.
- The Science of Battlestar Galactica names two battlestars that were docked at Scorpion Fleet Shipyards: the Bellerophon and the Ramses. It is worth noting that only three of the battlestars destroyed during the fall of Scorpion Shipyards have yet to be named, which means that either the Ramses or the Bellerophon must be of Valkyrie-class.
Gallery[]
Unofficial Gallery[]
Images in this section are not directly taken from the TV show, production or pre-production. They do however use the CGI models originally used by the VFX team. They are usually produced by the original artists, but in their free time.
Unofficial Videos[]
Sources[]
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 Measured from the original CGI/VFX model; authenticity of which was verified by the Battlestar.Wiki team.
- ↑ Battlestar Galactica 2004, publication: "Battlestar Galactica: Designing Spaceships".
- ↑ Caprica, episode: "Retribution".
- ↑ Caprica, episode: "Apotheosis".
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 5.2 5.3 Battlestar Galactica 2004, movie: "The Plan".
- ↑ Battlestar Galactica 2004, movie: "Blood and Chrome".
- ↑ Battlestar Galactica 2004, episode: "Hero".
- ↑ Battlestar Galactica 2004, movie: "Razor".
- ↑ Battlestar Galactica 2004, episode: "Hero".
- ↑ 10.0 10.1 10.2 Wiki Descriptive Term (In the absence of official sources, a Descriptive Term may be used)
Colonial Fleet
| |
|---|---|
| Battlestar Classes | Artemis-class · Chronos-type · Jupiter-class · Mercury-class · Valkyrie-class · Zodiac-type |
| Battlestars | Archeron · Athena · Atlantia · Bellerophon · Columbia · Columbia II · Chronos · Erasmus · Galactica · Night Flight · Pegasus · Prometheus · Ramses · Solaria · Triton · Uned · Universal · Valkyrie · Yashuman |
| Escort Ship Classes | Alert-type · Berzerk-class · Defender-class · Demeter-type · Hornet-type · Orion-class · Ramses-class · Ranger-class · Tiger-type |
| Escort Ships | Alert · Berzerk · Osiris |
| Support Ship Classes | Caprica-class · Loki-type |
| Support Ships | Cyclops · Loki |
| Fighters | Viper (Mark I · Mark II · Mark III · Mark VIIa · Mark VIIb) · Stealthstar |
| Transports | Raptor (Mark I · Mark IIa· Mark IIb · Mark IIb Heavy) · Shuttle (Mark I · Mark II) |
| Installations | Armistice Station · Colonial Fleet Headquarters · Colonial Fleet Hub · Fuel Depot 576 · Ragnar Anchorage |
| Shipyards | Daidalos Mobile Shipyard · Scorpion Fleet Shipyards · Tauron Shipyards |