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Weapon Classification: Use: Model: Legallity: Rate of Classification: Rate of Fire: Manufactured By: Price: Modifications: Designed For: Powered By: Range: Power Classification: |
Starship & Planetary Weapons & Defenses Hidding Ships For Visual & Sensor Scans Imperial Cloaking Device Select Imperial Forces Only Does Not Fire Bolts Does Not Fire Bolts Imperial Research & Development Up To 1 Billion Credits Each Unknown Special Strike Forces The Onboard Reactor Core Optimum Range: None Maximum Range: None Hides Ships From Visual & Sensor Scans |
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The Galactic Empire made some sort of practical cloaking device a top priority of the Imperial Research & Development teams, so that sensors and visual scans could not detect the vessel. Imperial cloaking fields completly absorb all incoming sensor scans and block all the host ship's emissions and reflect energy. The cloaking shield in short is a weapon to render invisible to both sensors and the unaided eye. There is only one known crystal that can detect a ship when it is cloaked and that is the relatively rare and expensive crystal gravitational trap (CGT), which searches for gravitational fluctuations created by large masses. Because the cloaked ship is still a physical mass it can not hid from this sensor. Even though there advantages, Imperial cloaking shields possess a number of major limitations. They can comsume a tremendous amount of energy (outdrawing most ships' weapons, shields, and drive systems combined) and they typically cost over a billion credits each. Most of all the biggest disadvantage is the inherent "double-blind" nature of the shield. Because all incoming energy is absorbed and all of the host ship's emissions are blocked, the cloaked ship's scanners and communications are equally impaired, which means that crew members cannot peer beyond the cloak's shroud, so visual navigation is impossible. Navigation is accomplished by preprogramming astrogation routes, and combat, communications, and sensor sweeps only occur if the cloaking shield is lowered. Imperial research teams conducted numerous field experiments to refine this system. Imperial Admiral Sam directed the development of an experimental large-scale cloaking shield to be deployed aboard Super Star Destroyers, although this project was foiled by Rebel agents. There was a miniaturized cloaking shield installed aboard the Emperor's Personal Shuttle, but it was destroyed aboard the second Death Star, and no one has ever incovered the plans for this advanced unit. After the death of the Emperor, cloaking fields were considered lost. However Grand Admiral Thrawn learned the location of one of Emperor Palpatine's hidden storehouses on Wayland, and inside he discovered complete technical specifications for cloaking shields. Thrawn used the cloaking shield technology to hide combat starships during surgical strikes against the New Republic and to claim victories at both Sluis Van and Ukio. | |
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