View source for Naval Autocannon

[[File:Naval Autocannon.jpg|right|thumb|Naval Autocannon (Capital AC)]]

== Description ==
The '''Naval Autocannon''' (or '''NAC'''), unlike its [[autocannon|smaller cousin]], uses controlled plasma explosions to fire a shell at enormous muzzle velocities against a target hundreds of kilometers away.<ref name="TOp331">''Tactical Operations'', p. 331, "Naval Autocannon (Capital AC)"</ref> The other main difference between naval autocannon and the ground unit is one of scale: The smallest naval autocannon weighs as much as twenty ''[[Atlas (BattleMech)|Atlas]]'' assault 'Mechs, while the largest weighs as much as a complete [[Cluster]] of ''[[Dire Wolf (Daishi)|Dire Wolf]]'' assault [[OmniMechs]]. The ammunition for these massive WarShip killing weapons is similarly outsized: Each NAC shell weighs between .2 and 1.2 tons.<ref>''Technical Readout: 2750'', p. 122''</ref> In exchange for the massive weight and bulk demanded by its supporting system, the Naval Autocannon can provide a killing blow to even the largest [[WarShip]] or destroy a world via orbital bombardment.

The main disadvantage to the Naval Autocannon is its powerful shell and massive damage potential. Due to the comparatively slow tracking speed of these massive weapons, they are not particularly effective against any spacecraft that masses less than 500 tons, including [[aerospace fighter]]s.<ref>''Technical Readout: 2750'', p. 122, "Explicitly states that these weapons may only fire on [[DropShip]]-sized or larger targets".</ref><ref>''Total Warfare'', p. 303'', Provides to-hit penalty to capital weapons info.</ref> For this reason, WarShips frequently employ conventional autocannon types to defend against aerospace fighters. These conventional autocannon could use special munitions, but the larger NAC could not.

Due to their sheer size, no military has created [[Ultra Autocannon|Ultra]], [[Rotary Autocannon|Rotary]], [[Light Autocannon|Light]], or [[LB-X Autocannon|LB-X]] versions of Naval Autocannon.

== Classification ==
Like the autocannons used by ground units, NACs are broadly classified into several categories based on their damage potential:

* [[Naval Autocannon/10]] ([[NAC/10]])
* [[Naval Autocannon/20]] ([[NAC/20]])
* [[Naval Autocannon/25]] ([[NAC/25]])
* [[Naval Autocannon/30]] ([[NAC/30]])
* [[Naval Autocannon/35]] ([[NAC/35]])
* [[Naval Autocannon/40]] ([[NAC/40]])

== References ==
<references />

== Bibliography ==
* ''[[Tactical Operations]]''
* ''[[Technical Readout: 2750]]''
* ''[[Total Warfare]]''


[[Category: Technology]]
[[Category: Weapons]]
[[Category: Capital Weapons]]
[[Category: WarShip Weapons]]
[[Category: Naval Autocannon]]
[[Category: Ballistic Weapons (Capital)]]