Sun Hawk-class gunship
| First appearance | Deathwalker |
|---|---|
| Affiliation | Drazi Freehold |
| Launched | 2229 |
| General characteristics | |
| Fighters | 1 Sky serpent heavy fighter (back mounted) |
| Auxiliary craft | none |
| Armaments |
1 Heavy Plasma cannon 3 Particle Beam cannons Pulse cannons 2 Heavy fusion missile launchers |
| Defenses | 62 centimeter re-enforced armored hull, electromagnetic defenses |
| Propulsion | Fusion engines |
| Power | Fusion reactor |
| Mass | 280 thousand metric tons |
| Length | 350m |
The Sun Hawk is a medium attack ship in the fictional universe of Babylon 5. This vessel is the primary warship used by the Drazi race, one of the main members of the League of Non-Aligned Worlds.
History
The Sun Hawk is the primary warship of the Drazi Freehold military. Like all Drazi vessels, this small defense ship has no independent jump capability. The Drazi's lack of jump engine technology is not due to any technological deficiency, but rather due to their proximity to the Centauri Republic. Prior to the Interstellar Alliance's war against the Centauri in 2262, the small Drazi Freehold's territorial expansion and economic growth was stifled by the larger power for many decades. In actuality, the Drazi have been a spacefaring race for far longer than humanity, and their technology is just as advanced, if not more so, than Earth Alliance and Narn technology. Through the skillful use of Jump Gates and their small but potent gunships, the Drazi have been able to defend their small network of colonies from invasion on many occasions. With the Centauri Republic in ruins after the joint Narn-Drazi attack against Centauri Prime, the Drazi are said to be developing their own new class of large, jump-capable destroyers.
Depiction
The Drazi Sun Hawk is a rugged warship and is heavily armed for its size. Its most common use is for system patrol and convoy escort, although it can also be utilized, in larger numbers, as a ship of the line against enemy assault fleets. The Sun Hawk is known for its versatility and can be easily maintained and modified, due largely to its modular fusion reactor and simple plasma drive engines. The fact that it can be easily mass-produced and has low crew requirements has made it something of a major export product for the Drazi, as many of the other, less militarily-inclined League races often purchase these ships for use as escort craft, patrol ships and transports.
Designer Ron Thornton made the Sun Hawk as an improved version of the Liberator from Terry Nation's Blake's 7.
Known Sun Hawk gunships
- Stra'kaf: Participates in the battle at Coriana VI against the Vorlons and Shadows. Near the end of the battle it sacrifices itself protecting Sheridan's and Delenn's White Star from a missile from the Shadow planet killer.