Dreadnought (Red Alert 3)/Profile

History
When the first Molot V4 rocket screamed across the gray Siberian sky and obliterated its target--a crude plywood mock-up of a medium-size patrol boat incongruously assembled hundreds of miles from the nearest ocean--the military leaders in attendance viewed the burning splinters with the pride of a parent watching a beloved child win a chess championship. Amongst the circle of beaming faces, however, one steadily grew dour as additional test runs were carried out. For Master Shipwright Sergei Kondakov, the unbridled success of the V4 meant that top military leadership would soon be knocking on his door, requesting the next evolution of the weapon, and he already know what they would be asking for. Firing these behemoths from solid rock at a stationary target was one thing. Compensating for their thrust on an unstable platform at the mercy of the roiling ocean would, he knew at that moment, would be the greatest technical challenge of his career. This was the moment in which the modern Dreadnought was conceived.



An imposing sea-hulk by every means, the Dreadnought had already made a name for herself in various engagements by proving virtually unsinkable when matched against other warships. Teaming up with the deadly Soviet Akula-class submarines provided protection from flanking attacks, ensuring the Dreadnought's reputation as one of the most formidable forces on the water. While she was devastating in sea-to-sea combat, however, one can still think back to a time when she lacked the capability to strike inland targets. However, the days of Dreadnoughts turning broadsides with their cannons are long gone thanks to Kondakov's work.

Selecting the largest standard ship chassis in the Soviet Navy was the easiest decision of the process for Kondakov. No other vessel was capable of handling the mighty bulk of the Molot V4, much less scores of them. Even so, fitting the launch mechanism onto the ship was a herculean task. Taking into account the supply line of rockets stored below the mechanism, Kondakov and his team had to completely reconfigure every deck. In the end they managed to make the impossible a reality. Yet the sacrifices they made, such as reducing the crew's living quarters and eliminating an auxiliary latrine, earned the Dreadnought a few unfortunate nicknames among enlisted men. Nevertheless, Dreadnought officers are noted for being extremely proud of their service to the Union.



Despite the triumphs achieved by the Soviet engineering team, Kondakov considered the Dreadnought only a partial victory. The mighty recoil of the fearsome Molot V4s made any degree of accuracy at even modest speeds unattainable. Thus, the Dreadnaught was forced to come to a full stop before launching a volley, a maneuver that could put both the ship and crew at significant risk during a combat situation. The potential loss of such a high-expense siege platform and, to a lesser extent, the men on board, would drive Kondakov to push the limits of Soviet innovation even further. By incorporating the jet propulsion mechanics of the Soviet MiG fighter, redesigned to use a steam-based thrust mechanism, Kondakov's team developed a system of precisely-defined shock absorption that would counteract the kickback of the Molot V4.

With rapidly-increasing budget concerns and military leaders breathing down his neck, Kondakov unveiled the Dreadnaught to the world in a spectacular display of wanton destruction. Before the charred remains of a mock coastal outpost could even wash ashore, the Dreadnaught had become a thing of legend. All of a sudden this new model of Dreadnought could quite literally swim circles around coastal defenses while pounding them with ballistic rockets.

The legend would only grow with the Molot V4-equipped Dreadnought's performance in battle. The captains of such vessels quickly gained a reputation for patriotism and courage, as the Dreadnaught's rain of fire crushed Soviet opposition across the globe. The ship's imposing bulk could hardly be missed when cresting an oceanic horizon, quickly adding yet another weapon to the already-impressive arsenal: fear. In the years to come, watching an entire fleet flee from the shadow of an oncoming Dreadnaught would become a commonplace occurrence. The powerful Molot V4, however, ensured that some targets would never have a chance to escape. Barracks, power plants, refineries, fortress walls--anything that cannot pick up and move is subject to the Dreadnought captain's mercy.

Notes From the Field
Battlefield reconnaissance has revealed at least these facts about the Dreadnought:


 * Fire from the Skies -- With their three long-range ballistic rocket launchers, Dreadnoughts need not do battle in large numbers in order to devastate most anything at sea or on land. The rocket launchers can reach far inland, although they cannot acquire forces that somehow manage to close ranks.


 * Captain's Wrath -- In their zeal, Dreadnought captains have been known to overload their Molot V4 launch mechanisms as they lay waste to the Union's enemies. In so doing they substantially augment the Dreadnought's firing rate, though the launch mechanisms sustain electrical and mechanical damage in the process. By that time, however, there is usually no enemy left to fight back. Such "noble disregard" for "worldly things" on the captains' part has only added to the Dreadnought's notoriety.


 * Steady, Comrades -- A series of gyroscopic devices, massive shock-absorbing thrusters, and pneumatic actuators compensate for the recoil of the mighty Molot V4s and allow the rockets to reach their target with impressive accuracy at a devastating rate, even while the ship is at full steam. The rockets travel so quickly that they cannot be acquired by anti-aircraft weapons while in flight.


 * A Lumbering Beast -- The Dreadnought is not the swiftest or most maneuverable vessel on the ocean. Her massive size makes her slower to get up to full steam, turn, and stop than many lighter, more agile ships. She is therefore vulnerable in frontline naval engagements despite her toughness, and should be teamed with submarine escorts whenever possible.