Directorate Officer
OUT OF CHARACTER INFORMATION
- Intent: To update the Starcore-class Concussion Missile
- Image Source: here
- Canon Link: N/A
- Permissions: N/A
- Primary Source: Starcore-class Concussion Missile
- Manufacturer: Lucerne Labs
- Affiliation: Directorate, Silver Jedi Concord, Lucerne Labs customers
- Market Status: Closed-Market
- Model: Starcore II-class Concussion Missile
- Modularity: No
- Production: Mass-Produced
- Material: Carbo-plas fuselage, Detonite-mirrsteel shaped charge, chemical propellant, various avionics
- Classification: Concussion Missile
- Size: Average
- Weight: Average
- Explosive Type: Detonite
- Delivery Method: Self-Propelled
- Effective Range: Average
Shaped Charge Mode Omni-Directional Explosive Mode Area of Effect Personal Average Damage Output High Average
- Variable Fire Modes: The Starcore II effectively has two different firing modes that dictated by how it is armed. Most commonly is uses a simple proximity setting - when its guidance system shows that the missile is within several meters of the target, it explodes in all directions like a typical concussion missile. However, if that mechanism is not selected (or jammed), it acts like the original Starcore, using simple physical impact itself to detonate the detonite to act as a shaped charge, which focuses and concentrates the explosion forward, trading area of effect for greater damage through increased penetration.
- Detonite Charge: Starcores have a shaped charge Mirrsteel-Detonite core. While this only provides relatively average amounts of damage, detonite's ability to detonate based only on impact alone means that even if its actual fuse mechanism is deactivated, it will still explode on contact and act as a shaped charge.
- Composite Gravity/EPR tracking: Starcore IIs use combined gravity and infrared photoreceptors signatures, like GAM missiles, to track targets. These sensor signatures are typically harder to spoof and/or jam, especially as joint criteria for targeting, which makes Starcores not as easily fooled by conventional sensor jamming.
- Chemical Drive: Starcore IIs use a solid fuel slug, much like the Vulture Drone, to propel the warhead. Using a chemical reaction for propulsion means that it cannot be shut off by electronic countermeasures.
- Backwards Compatible: Starcore IIs are the same general size and shape as most standard concussion missiles, meaning that it can easily be fitted into existing warhead launchers, including Lucerne Lab's own LLT-7 General Purpose Warhead Launcher.
- Fast: Starcores use a chemical solid fuel motor that is optimized for speed rather than maneuverability, making it exceptionally fast for a missile. This can make the missile harder to react to by active defenses (since it has less flight time) and also ensures that the detonite charge will explode on impact.
- ECM Resistant: Starcore's primary advantage over other conventional concussion missiles isn't in its basic performance, but rather that it includes design components and philosophies to make it resistant to the recent proliferation of ECM technologies.
- Detonite Charge: While using a detonite charge ensures that the warhead will still explode on contact, it also introduces the possibility that the warhead will prematurely detonate on the home ship if the ship is jarred or experiences a sudden impact.
- Low Maneuverability: Starcore's high velocity also means that it is not as maneuverable in close-quarters dogfights.
DESCRIPTION
The Starcore II is a slightly updated version of the original Starcore, and unsurprisingly shares many of the same components and basic design philosophies. The most major improvement of the Starcore is in its industrial engineering. Using experience gained from the Starskimmer-series Hull, the fuselage of the Starcore II is now actually entirely 3D printed of carbo-plas, which saved a number of machining and joining processes as well as made the factories making it more easily switched to making other products. Combined with a number of other simplified parts, this has made the Starcore II noticeably cheaper to make than the original, which has also made it more widely available.
The second change has been in a change in the warhead fusing methods. While the dual-seeker guidance systems remained unchanged, it now has a minor hardware and software update that it allows it to have a simple proximity fuse. This allows it to actually explode in an omnidirectional blast, like many other common explosive weapons including some other concussion missiles. This makes it more suited to general bombardment or area of effect attacks especially against ground targets. However, it can still be detonated by simple physical impact, meaning that it still cannot be truly ever be fully deactivated. In this state, the warhead continues to act as a focused, shaped charge that maximizes penetrating damage - this continues to be the most commonly used setting against starships and other vehicles.
Like most military grade weaponry, Lucerne Labs has so far restricted their sales of this weapon to established governments with similar political views to those of the company's leadership. Most Starcore IIs are thus commonly found in the ordinance bays of the Silver Jedi Concord, the Directorate, and other trusted allies. Given the sheer ubiquity and need for explosive missiles, especially out of standard starfighter launchers, it will likely remain in production and service for a long time to come.
