View source for Sarthuun-Class Fast Battleship

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{{Infobox Naval Vessel
| name                = Sarthuun-Class Fast Battleship
| nation              = Republic of Gondara
| branch              = [[Republic of Gondara Navy]]
| class               = Sarthuun-Class
| type                = Fast Battleship
| role                = Fleet Capital Ship
| status              = Active

| builders            = Southeastern Delta Shipyards
| commissioned        = 1939

| displacement_std    = 48,500 long tons
| displacement_full   = 56,500 long tons
| length              = 850 ft (overall); 835 ft (waterline)
| beam                = 108 ft
| draft               = 36 ft
| complement          = 2,520 personnel (120 Officers, 2,400 Enlisted); +400 Flag Staff

| propulsion          = 8 × Boilers; 4 × High-pressure geared steam turbines
| power               = 212,000 SHP
| shafts              = 4
| speed               = 32 knots
| range               = 15,000 nautical miles at 15 knots

| radar               = None (Radar Ready)
| sonar               = Active/Passive Sonar
| fire_control        = Triple-redundant optical analog fire-control system

| armor_belt          = 350 mm Titanium/Steel Alloy (19° internal slope)
| armor_deck          = 150 mm Main Deck; 38 mm Splinter Deck
| armor_turrets       = 450 mm
| armor_conning       = 400 mm
| torpedo_protection  = Four-layer liquid/void defense system

| main_armament       = 12 × 375 mm (3 × Quad)
| secondary_armament  = 16 × 125 mm DP (8 × Dual)
| anti_aircraft       = 16 × 75 mm DP (8 × Dual); 20 × 25 mm AA (10 × Dual); 16 × 12.5 mm AA (8 × Dual)
| torpedoes           = None

| aircraft            = 3 × Floatplanes
| aviation_facilities = 2 × Stern Catapults
}}

==Overview==

The '''Sarthuun-Class Fast Battleship''' formed the centerpiece of the Republic of Gondara Navy's Expeditionary Fleet. Commissioned in 1939, the class combined heavy armor, exceptional firepower, and fleet-carrier speed to serve as the primary surface combatant of Gondaran Expeditionary Task Forces.

Unlike earlier battleship concepts designed for independent action, the Sarthuun-Class was conceived from the outset as an integrated component of a balanced fleet, providing command, surface superiority, and long-range protection for Gondara's expanding global naval operations.

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==Development==

The Sarthuun-Class was developed following the Republic's transition from a regional defensive navy to a true blue-water expeditionary force. Naval planners determined that existing heavy cruisers lacked the firepower required to decisively defeat enemy capital ships while accompanying fast carrier formations.

Rather than pursuing the largest possible caliber, Gondaran designers selected twelve 375 mm guns arranged in three quadruple turrets. This provided a greater volume of accurate fire while reducing turret weight, ammunition handling requirements, and overall displacement compared to contemporary 16-inch armed battleships.

A principal design requirement was that the vessel remain within Panamax beam limitations, allowing unrestricted transit between the Pacific and Atlantic Oceans while preserving complete strategic flexibility.

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==Design==

===Main Battery===

The primary armament consists of twelve 375 mm naval rifles mounted in three fully enclosed quadruple turrets arranged with two superfiring forward and one aft.

The battery emphasizes sustained, accurate long-range fire rather than maximum shell weight, reflecting Gondaran doctrine that multiple rapid hits are more decisive than fewer larger-caliber impacts.

===Protection===

The class utilizes Gondara's advanced Titanium/Steel alloy combined with Unified Armor Theory developed during the Army's Next Generation Program.

A 350 mm internally sloped main belt significantly increases effective resistance while minimizing unnecessary weight. Heavy protection is concentrated over machinery spaces and magazines using an All-or-Nothing armor scheme.

A reinforced 50 mm forward ice belt permits routine operations through Antarctic waters and the Southern Ocean.

===Fire Control===

The Sarthuun-Class incorporates three independent optical fire-control centers responsible for:

* Main Battery
* Secondary Battery
* Anti-Aircraft Battery

This arrangement allows multiple batteries to engage separate targets simultaneously while preserving uninterrupted fleet command capability.

The ship was also constructed with reinforced mast structures and electrical capacity for future radar installation.

===Command Facilities===

When serving as fleet flagship, the class accommodates approximately 400 additional command personnel, communications specialists, and planning staff.

Within Gondaran doctrine, however, command authority resides with the embarked Fleet Admiral rather than the battleship itself.

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==Operational Doctrine==

The Sarthuun-Class serves as the principal surface combatant of each '''[[Gondaran Expeditionary Task Force]]'''.

Its responsibilities include:

* Defeating enemy battleships and battlecruisers.
* Coordinating surface engagements.
* Protecting fleet carriers from enemy capital ships.
* Providing heavy naval gunfire support.
* Serving as Fleet Flagship when required.

Unlike many contemporary battleships, the Sarthuun-Class was never intended to operate independently. It fought as the centerpiece of a balanced expeditionary fleet alongside fleet carriers, assault carriers, heavy cruisers, anti-aircraft cruisers, and fleet destroyers.

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==Ships of the Class==

{| class="wikitable sortable"
! Ship
! Commissioned
! Status
|-
| GNS ''Sarthuun''
| 1939
| Active
|-
| GNS ''Honorable''
| 1940
| Active
|-
| GNS ''Integrity''
| 1941
| Active
|}

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==Legacy==

The Sarthuun-Class represented the culmination of Gondaran battleship development. Rather than pursuing ever-larger gun calibers, the Republic emphasized balanced fleet integration, sustained firepower, operational endurance, and global mobility.

Although the rise of naval aviation gradually shifted strategic emphasis toward fleet carriers, the Sarthuun-Class remained the Republic's supreme surface combatant throughout the Second World War and continued to serve as the command centerpiece of Gondaran Expeditionary Task Forces.

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==See Also==

* [[Republic of Gondara Navy]]
* [[Gondaran Expeditionary Task Force]]
* [[Vantage-Class Heavy Cruiser]]
* [[Skylook-Class Light Cruiser]]
* [[Fleet Carrier]]

[[Category:Gondaran Military Equipment]]
[[Category:Gondaran Naval Vessels]]
[[Category:Battleships]]
[[Category:Sarthuun-Class Fast Battleship]]