CENTAURI PRIMUS CLASS - BATTLECRUISER:
CLASSIFICATION: Battlecruiser (Aircraft Carrier/Battleship)
LENGTH: 876 meters [+/- 20m]
TONNAGE: 8.1 million metric tons
MANEUVERABILITY: Class B
CREW: 640 to 228
TROOPS: 1,000 (?)
FIGHTER(s): 12 Centauri Starfighters
POWER SOURCE: 4 Mater/Anti-Mater Reactors - Power Output estimated at 3.8 exawatts
DURATION: 20 years before re-fueling
WEAPONS: 10 Ion Cannons - 10 Twin Particle Beam Cannons - 12 Medium Pulse Cannons - 4 Battle-Lasers - 2 Missile Launchers - 1 Mass Driver Gun (optional)
DEFENSES: 4 meter re-enforced armor - Tractor Beams - Gravimetric Energy Projection Grid

Centauri Battlecruisers are mammoth war vessels, measuring close to 876 meters in length [+/- 20m]. They are armed with a multitude of weapons that include Particle Beam weapons, missiles, Ion Cannons and Plasma guns and can even be outfitted with Mass Drivers for planetary bombardment. Centauri Battlecruisers also double as aircraft carriers and carry 4 squadrons of fighters. A vessel of this class also doubles as the Royal flagship of the Centauri fleet.

The Centauri have been Hyperspace capable for the past 1,000 years, and are one of the most technologically advanced races in the known cosmos. This came about when an alien vessel of unknown origin crashed on Centauri Prime a thousand years ago, opening the stars to the Centauri. At one time their empire spanned this entire quadrant, over 150 worlds. Controling 1/4th of the entire galaxy, the Old Republic earned the Centauri the galactic title of "Lion of the Galaxy."

Presently, the only known races to have technology as advanced or superior to the Centauri, can be counted on one hand and very few races dare to cross them. Like the Minbari, the Centauri have TRUE artificial gravity, tractor beam technology and some type of unknown energy shields that take a step beyond Earth Force Defense Grids. It is generally assumed that Centauri vessels can obtain speeds comparable to that of Minbari warships as well.

One of the great debates among the members of the “League of Non-Aligned Worlds”, is if the Minbari Federation and the Centauri Republic went to war, which one of these two races would win. On several occasions over the past 600 years, Minbari and Centauri forces have clashed in minor skirmishes. None of these conflicts however, resulted in a full blown war. Although the Minbari have been space capable for some 200/500 years longer than the Centauri and their technology slightly more advanced, it is doubtful that the Minbari would win a direct war against the Centauri. Despite their small technological edge, the Minbari would be overwhelmed by the superior numbers of the Imperial Navy of the Centauri Republic, which is some 35/65% larger than the Navy of the Minbari Federation. At the same time however, it is doubtful that the Centauri would survive a war either. This would explain why the two races, despite having monumentally different cultures, ideals and view points, have never gone to war in the past 800 years.

Size is estimated, based on the forward launch bay which appears to be as wide as the bay opening on the B5 station, judging by the "crewshuttle" launched in "The Coming of Shadows." (s2), "And Now For a Word" (s2), and "The Fall of Night" (s2). More recently the Primus appeared in the s5 episode "Strange Relations" but was too far away from the station to make an accurate calculation. Judging by the size of the fighters seen in previous episodes however, it would appear that the figure stated holds water. The forward bay appears to be 60 meters wide and using the following picture HERE. Size also based on the scale difference between the Vorchan and Primus, as given by AOG, using new figures for the Vorchan as seen in S5.

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