The Lancer Class Spinal Dreadnought was a one of a kind prototype designed to test the recently acquired Spinal Laser from the Hyach. It was completed shortly before the EA's entry into the Dilgar War, but didn't take part in the war due to the fact that EarthForce could not solve the cooling problems associated with the Spinal Laser. The Lancer was a fast-track project initiated by EarthForce to test the validity of Spinal lasers mounted on EarthForce vessels. The Hyach, along with the rest of the League, wanted the EA in the war against the Dilgar, and would present the EA with gifts in hopes of influencing them. A single spinal laser found its way into the hands of EF ship builders. It was decided to mount the weapon on a partially completed Nova Dreadnought. The ship was completed with only eight of its LPAs, and could only carry one squadron of starfuries. All four of the forward mounted LPAs were left off the ship and one forward mounted spinal laser was left in their place. The Lancer was launched and placed into testing. After about five years of tests, the Lancer was placed in mothballs at one of EF's "ghost" yards. EA engineers could never fix the cooling problems. Lancer remained in mothballs until the Earth- Minbari War, when she was reactivated for the Battle of the Line. She actually managed to survive the Line, and was placed back into reserve. She would have languished there if not for a group of Babylon 5 supporters that reactivated her yet again for duty in the Earth Civil War. She joined the Babylon 5 fleet and was finally destroyed by heavy Particle OSATS during the final battle of the Civil War. No other Lancer class Dreadnoughts were ever built. The Heavy weapon of choice for the EA was the Heavy Particle Cannon, first mounted on Heavy OSATS, and later various ships, including the well-known Warlock Class Heavy Destroyer.
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