Sharlin Class Warcruiser
Encyclopedia
The Sharlin Class Warcruiser is the main starship used by the Minbari
Federation in the fictional Babylon 5
universe. Also commonly known as the Minbari War Cruiser, the Sharlin class is very large but conflicting sizes have been noted by different resources. The accepted size figure of 1,600 meters in length and roughly 1,900 meters in height was first noted by fan writer Brandon Bray, who worked as a consultant for Mongoose Publishing, producers of the Official Babylon 5 Role Playing Game. This size was officially accepted by Mongoose and published in their game line.
Sharlin class ships do not use conventional engines like rockets or ion propulsion. Instead, the Minbari War-Cruiser used a combination of gravitational and electromagnetic fields for propulsion, a system called a gravimetric drive system in the episode "Mediations on the Abyss". This, described by Minbari Ambassador Delenn in the episode "Matters of Honor", was used to provide propulsion and artificial gravity. No canon information exists on what powered Minbari ships, save for some vague references to fusion reactors. Material from Mongoose Publishing suggests that Minbari warships use an artificial quantum singularity for its main power, while fusion reactors provide a secondary reserve power for this type of vessel. The Sharlin class is very well armed, having gravitic and electro-magnetic cannons. In the TV movie "In the Beginning" this type ship was seen destroying an Earth space station, the Minbari weapon vaporizing an estimated volume of 3770 cubic meters, with a low-end destructive output of 265 Terawatts (63.3 kiloton per second). The ship also makes use of stealth technology which allows it to become effectively invisible to the scanners and targeting systems used by the younger races seen in the TV series.
These ships can hold up to 8,000 people. In peacetime the Sharlin class ships only have the 190 person regular crew. In combat situations there can be 60 additional combat personnel, such as pilots, gunners, and other support officers, and about 8,000 ground troops. The low crew requirement is due to the advanced computer system in place. The Valen'tha-a specially equipped Sharlin class-is home to the Grey Council
, the leaders of the Minbari government.
The Sharlin class ships have a special holographic chamber. The chamber provides a complete 360 degree 3D image of the space around the ship. Normally it is used as a command center during battle situations. This chamber allows the commander to view the battlefield. A similar chamber is used by the Grey Council.
Among the younger races of the galaxy, the Sharlin class has no equals. During the Earth-Minbari war only few Sharlin class ships were lost, typically by ramming, while the Sharlin class inflicted heavy casualties on the humans. However, the Sharlin class was no match for the more advanced First Ones-the Shadows were able to destroy a number of Sharlin class ships during the course of the war with ease through the use of planet killer
missiles and slicer beams. In Babylon 5: A Call to Arms
, a Sharlin is annihilated as it intercepted a planet killer missile aimed at the IAS Excalibur
.
During the Earth-Minbari war only the Nova class dreadnought
s were able to fight with some effectiveness against the Sharlin class, and even these ships never succeeded in destroying a Sharlin in open battle.
Minbari
The Minbari are a fictional alien race featured in the television show Babylon 5. The Minbari characters of Delenn and Lennier figure prominently throughout the series; Neroon, Draal, and Dukhat are less prominent Minbari characters....
Federation in the fictional Babylon 5
Babylon 5
Babylon 5 is an American science fiction television series created, produced and largely written by J. Michael Straczynski. The show centers on a space station named Babylon 5: a focal point for politics, diplomacy, and conflict during the years 2257–2262...
universe. Also commonly known as the Minbari War Cruiser, the Sharlin class is very large but conflicting sizes have been noted by different resources. The accepted size figure of 1,600 meters in length and roughly 1,900 meters in height was first noted by fan writer Brandon Bray, who worked as a consultant for Mongoose Publishing, producers of the Official Babylon 5 Role Playing Game. This size was officially accepted by Mongoose and published in their game line.
Sharlin class ships do not use conventional engines like rockets or ion propulsion. Instead, the Minbari War-Cruiser used a combination of gravitational and electromagnetic fields for propulsion, a system called a gravimetric drive system in the episode "Mediations on the Abyss". This, described by Minbari Ambassador Delenn in the episode "Matters of Honor", was used to provide propulsion and artificial gravity. No canon information exists on what powered Minbari ships, save for some vague references to fusion reactors. Material from Mongoose Publishing suggests that Minbari warships use an artificial quantum singularity for its main power, while fusion reactors provide a secondary reserve power for this type of vessel. The Sharlin class is very well armed, having gravitic and electro-magnetic cannons. In the TV movie "In the Beginning" this type ship was seen destroying an Earth space station, the Minbari weapon vaporizing an estimated volume of 3770 cubic meters, with a low-end destructive output of 265 Terawatts (63.3 kiloton per second). The ship also makes use of stealth technology which allows it to become effectively invisible to the scanners and targeting systems used by the younger races seen in the TV series.
These ships can hold up to 8,000 people. In peacetime the Sharlin class ships only have the 190 person regular crew. In combat situations there can be 60 additional combat personnel, such as pilots, gunners, and other support officers, and about 8,000 ground troops. The low crew requirement is due to the advanced computer system in place. The Valen'tha-a specially equipped Sharlin class-is home to the Grey Council
Grey Council
In the Babylon 5 fictional universe, the Grey Council is the governing body of the Minbari Federation. Its members carry the title satai...
, the leaders of the Minbari government.
The Sharlin class ships have a special holographic chamber. The chamber provides a complete 360 degree 3D image of the space around the ship. Normally it is used as a command center during battle situations. This chamber allows the commander to view the battlefield. A similar chamber is used by the Grey Council.
Among the younger races of the galaxy, the Sharlin class has no equals. During the Earth-Minbari war only few Sharlin class ships were lost, typically by ramming, while the Sharlin class inflicted heavy casualties on the humans. However, the Sharlin class was no match for the more advanced First Ones-the Shadows were able to destroy a number of Sharlin class ships during the course of the war with ease through the use of planet killer
Planet killer
In science fiction, a planet killer, planet buster, or similar variations on that meaning, is a fictional object or device capable of either destroying an entire planet or otherwise rendering it uninhabitable - a variety of a doomsday device....
missiles and slicer beams. In Babylon 5: A Call to Arms
Babylon 5: A Call to Arms
A Call To Arms is the fourth feature-length film set in the Babylon 5 universe . It was written by J. Michael Straczynski, directed by Mike Vejar, and originally aired January 3, 1999.-Summary:...
, a Sharlin is annihilated as it intercepted a planet killer missile aimed at the IAS Excalibur
Excalibur (Crusade)
The IAS Excalibur is a starship in the fictional Babylon 5 / Crusade universe. First seen in the Babylon 5 movie A Call to Arms, the ship is a Victory class destroyer. The ship combines human, Minbari, and Vorlon technology....
.
Known Sharlin Class Ships
- Drala FiBlack Star (Babylon 5)The Black Star was a Sharlin Class Warcruiser in the fictional science fiction universe of Babylon 5. The Black Star served as one of the flagships of the Minbari Federation fleet, until its destruction in the year 2245. The Black Star (Drala Fi' in Minbari) was a Sharlin Class Warcruiser in the...
(Black Star) - One of the Minbari Flagships during the Earth-Minbari War. Destroyed by Captain John Sheridan earning him the title of "Starkiller" by all Minbari, and making him the only Earth captain said to have destroyed a Minbari Cruiser and survive. In a later episode, Susan gives Sheridan a piece of the Black Star to always remind him nothing is impossible. (Some non-canon sources give a different class name for the Black Star, referring to it as a "Shargotti" class. This is chiefly because the Black Star was shown to be larger than other Sharlins which it traveled with, and thus may have been a different class. The class of the Black Star has never been stated on screen). - TrigatiTrigatiThe Trigati was a fictional space vessel which featured in the Babylon 5 episode "Points of Departure." It was a Sharlin-class Minbari war cruiser.The Trigati was at the Battle of the Line....
- This ship participated in the Battle of the LineBattle of the LineIn the Babylon 5 fictional universe, the Battle of the Line was the final battle of the Earth-Minbari war. The Battle of the Line was a desperate attempt by the Earth Alliance to stop a Minbari combat fleet from attacking Earth. Over 20,000 Human defenders fought in the battle; including most of...
. When the order to surrender came, the ship's captain committed suicide rather than obey. His crew took the ship into hyperspace, and spent the next ten years in exile. In 2259, after John Sheridan took command of Babylon 5, the Trigati reappeared and tried to provoke Sheridan into firing on them in the hopes of restarting the Earth-Minbari War. When he refused, another Minbari vessel came out of hyperspace and attempted to force the Trigatis surrender. The Trigati's crew committed suicide rather than obey. The Trigati is an important example as she highlights the fundamental weakness of the Sharlin design. The other Sharlin disabled the Trigati by slicing off its tail fin, part of the gravimetic drive system. As the Sharlin design has no other propulsion system, the Trigati was left dead in space. - Ingata - This war cruiser came to Babylon 5 in 2258 while carrying home the body of the deceased war leader Branmer.
- Valen'tha - a specialized war cruiser that serves as home to the Grey CouncilGrey CouncilIn the Babylon 5 fictional universe, the Grey Council is the governing body of the Minbari Federation. Its members carry the title satai...
. It was this vessel that was damaged by the humans at the disastrous first contact between the humans and Minbari. The damage resulted in the death of their leader Dukhat, and started the war between Minbar and Earth. - Dogato - John SheridanJohn Sheridan (Babylon 5)John J. Sheridan is a lead character in the fictional universe of the science-fiction television series Babylon 5, played by Bruce Boxleitner. For most of the series, he is the commander of the Babylon 5 station; during the series' final season he is the President of the Interstellar...
and DelennDelennDelenn is a fictional lead character in the universe of the science fiction television series Babylon 5, played by Mira Furlan.-Overview:Delenn, an alien ambassador and leader from the planet Minbar, is one of the pivotal characters in Babylon 5....
commanded the first major battle of the Army of Light against the Shadows in sector 83 from this ship. - Enfili - This vessel also participated in the first major battle against the Shadows in Sector 83.
During the Earth-Minbari war only the Nova class dreadnought
Nova class dreadnought
The Nova class dreadnought is a heavy warship in the science fiction series Babylon 5. The dreadnought is used by the military branch of the Earth Alliance called EarthForce....
s were able to fight with some effectiveness against the Sharlin class, and even these ships never succeeded in destroying a Sharlin in open battle.