The Kodiak
- Designation: Kodiak-class battle cruiser
- Affiliation: GDI
- Role: Heavy battle cruiser
- Launch date: 2068
- Class: Support
- Armament: 9 × 24-inch guns, 6 × Vulcan Cannon Upgrades
- Type: Heavy flagship
- Speed: Slow
Background
During the Second Tiberium War, the GDI commanders’ primary flagship was the Orca Command Vehicle, or VCO, a massive ADAV vessel capable of stationing in orbit around Earth; the most famous of which was the Kodiak, commanded by the legendary Cdr. Michael McNeil. Whilst highly effective, the VCO was also incredibly expensive to produce and maintain. In this regard, the GDI decided to halt the development of large-scale spacecraft following the Second War, shelving the VCO and focusing on the Orca combat vessel and the Firehawk aircraft.
It was only after the Third Tiberium War that the GDI Council reconsidered this proposal. The Scrin’s Desolators and Planetary Assault units were powerful enough to annihilate even the GDI’s most heavily defended installations and were capable of withstanding heavy anti-aircraft fire. Once the alien threat had been subdued, the need for large-scale air superiority became self-evident, as the GDI’s famous Mammoth Tank was less capable of defending itself against a heavily armoured aerial opponent. With the initial construction of the Tiberium Control Network already underway, the GDI Council was able to free up sufficient resources to commission the development of a new aerial craft capable of matching-or even surpassing-their Scrin counterparts.
This project took six years to develop, but the GDI finally unveiled the new cornerstone of their fleet in 2068: the Kodiak-class battle cruiser, so named due to its resemblance to Cdr. McNeil’s famous vessel. Unlike its predecessor, the Kodiak was designed primarily as a warship – to this end, it is equipped with nine 24-inch guns grouped in three turrets, reminiscent of the early 20th-century Battleships. Furthermore, the Kodiak can counter airborne threats with an array of Vulcan Cannon Upgrades.
The Kodiak first saw combat in 2069, when the GDIS Cdr. McNeil destroyed the fortified network of Obelisks of Light surrounding a key Separatist base in Africa, enabling GDI ground forces to secure the area with minimal casualties. Since its introduction, the Kodiak has enjoyed enormous success, striking fear into the hearts of the Separatists and stopping those who would undermine the GDI-Nod Alliance.
Battlefield Specifications
Fire a salvo The Kodiak is armed with nine 24-inch cannons, capable of wiping out any ground-based opposition. Each gun fires in turn and the shells are accelerated by gravity, creating a massive crater at the point of impact. Mounted beneath the Kodiak, these guns can swivel rapidly to fire on enemies below, but cannot engage aircraft. Furthermore, the forward turrets cannot rotate through 360 degrees, so escorts are essential to cover the Kodiak’s rear.Upper Weapons Three Vulcan turrets are mounted on the Kodiak’s roof, each housing two guns. Although not technically an air superiority vessel, the Kodiak can defend itself against aerial attackers; however, as these turrets are mounted on the ship’s roof, it is impossible to use these weapons against ground targets. Combined with its armour and other armaments, the Kodiak possesses a comprehensive defence system, capable of withstanding even the fiercest enemy attacks.Defensive manoeuvres
Recently, the Kodiaks have been upgraded with current-redirection circuits and ‘Lightning’ armour to increase their survivability against laser weapons. The ‘Eclair’ armour, as its name suggests, becomes stronger as electrical current passes through it; the helmsman can engage electrical current redirection circuits to activate the armour by diverting the main power supply from the weapon systems. Part of this power is also channelled to the engines to give the Kodiak a speed boost, with helmsmen trained in defensive manoeuvres to make the most of the increased speed and armour.
