Harbinger CIWS

Large type of heavy close in weapon system (CIWS) platform used by the Alti Dominion military to defend their starships from large missile strikes.

The Harbinger is significantly larger than most CIWS turret designs. It employs a large railgun to fire a large number of projectiles at very high speed, potentially even causing damage to some smaller, low tech ships. Making use of a Time Dilation Device, its rate of fire is extremely fast and can rival that of more conventional CIWS units. However, instead of firing large slugs of metal, it is designed to fire a large number of high velocity pellets in a very tight cone. This gives it incredible range and a very high chance of intercepting even a highly evasive missile at those ranges. Because of this range, it can protect a large area from missile strikes, possibly keeping large forces safe from fire, especially if there are multiple ships with the weapon.

Firstly, a missile strike is detected by the ships onboard radar. The velocity (speed and direction of travel) and position are determined by 'pinging' the missile with short, intense radar beams. A firing solution is calculated, and the weapon will aim and fire at the missile. Its 50mm barrels can fire a huge number of pellets in a very short time. 

The Harbinger can store a large number of rounds under the deck, in a sealed section under the armour keeping them safe from enemy fire. This takes up a large amount of internal room however, so only large ships can field it easily. This means it is most commonly found on large ships such as battleships, or support ships. This can still be exploited as a weak spot by weapons with high armour penetration, such as large railguns. The explosives within the ammunition is likely to chain react in such a situation, releasing a large number of pellets within the chamber. This has a significantly slower velocity than if fired, as the railgun normally increases its velocity significantly.