Minbari Federation Shan'hara Class Advanced War Cruiser

 

Shan'hara Class History

The Minbari don't build new designs all that often, but when they do, they are usually the most advanced vessels any younger race can field. The new Grey Council, being made up of mostly Worker Caste Minbari, desired a ship class, newer and more potent than the beginning to age Sharlin, but also be more efficient. The Shan'hara was based on the Sharlin, but had advanced gravitic drives that allowed it to maneuver more like another race's mainline cruisers, and less like the large lumbering Sharlin Class. It was also armed with weapons that were becoming more popular with the Minbari, such as the Improved Neutron Laser Cannon, Molecular Pulsar, and Shock Cannon. It also carried two squadrons of Nials, later supplemented by newer variants of the Nial.

With the Drahk War beginning to take on a more ominous tone, what with the poisoning of Earth, and the unknown whereabouts of remaining Drahk forces, the Shan'hara class is being pressed into service. It is, however, more expensive and time-consuming to produce than the Sharlin, and is so far only a rare sight in Minbari fleets. To see two operating together is almost unheard of.

The first ship, the Shan'Hara, was completed with normal Neutron cannons. Starting with the second ship, the Sol'Hara, all Shan'Hara class ships were armed with the Improved Neutron Cannon. The Shan'Hara was eventually refit to the later design.