View source for Nova class dreadnought

{{Ship
|image=[[File:Schwarzkopf.png|300px]]
|captain=
|fgcolor=
|name=Nova class
|status=Active <small>(as of [[2259]])</small>
|afilliation=[[Earth Alliance]]
|class=Dreadnought/Battleship
|length=1,502.1m <ref>[http://www.isnnews.net/warlock/resources/sizecharts/Chart3.jpg EA Gunboat, Size comparison chart 1.2 by Tim Earls]</ref>
|mass=
|crew=
|engines=
|jump=Yes
|gravity=No
|weapons=18 twin cannons of unknown type
|defenses=
|power=
|auxcraft=<!-- [[Starfury]] fighters -->
}}
The '''''Nova'' class dreadnought''', sometimes referred to as a battleship, is an immense [[Earth Alliance]] warship designed to bring massive firepower against any target.

This vessel is one of the older classes alongside the <!-- ship entered service in the 2220's prior to the --> {{Hyperion}} and shares a similar basic design as the much later {{Omega}}. This design fought in many engagements in the [[Earth-Minbari War]] but like the other capital ships of that time found itself unable to lock onto the Minbari ships, and many were destroyed during the conflict.<ref name="itb">[[In the Beginning]]</ref> 

==Technical Capabilities==
{{Citation}}
The ''Nova'' class dreadnought is a heavy warship in the science fiction series Babylon 5. The dreadnought is used by the military branch of the Earth Alliance called [[EarthForce]].

This ship was the predecessor of the ''Omega'' class destroyer. It was introduced into service sometime in the late 2220s, in time to serve with distinction in the [[Dilgar War]]. The ship is capable of generating its own jump point to enter hyperspace, but unlike equivalent vessels of some of the other races, did not originally have artificial gravity for its crew and passengers (see below). This limited long deployments, and necessitated regular crew changes to counter the effects of Zero gravity conditions, other measures such as rigorous zero-g exercises only going so far.

The initial variant of the ''Nova'' was heavily armed with plasma cannons, backed up by a large number of Starfuries. It also doubled as a troop transport, able to carry up to 18,000 ground troops with equipment, although not in very comfortable conditions. Despite its heavy armament, the ship was considered by some to be ill-equipped to fight in the Earth-Minbari War due to the short range inherent in most plasma weapons. However, the Nova's plasma cannons actually had good range, though their rate of fire was slow due to high energy requirements. In battle with the Minbari, ships of this class proved to be relatively more survivable than the ''Hyperion'' class vessels. Also, if a ''Nova'' can get close enough to an enemy, extreme damage can be dealt, even to a Minbari ship. In the war, on the few occasions in which the Novas managed to close to very short range to target the Minbari units with the manual emergency weapon controls, the plasma cannons of the Novas were able to inflict devastating damage to enemy units lighter than a [[Sharlin class warcruiser|Sharlin class War Cruiser]] (and even a Sharlin would have known it was in a fight).

After the conclusion of the war, the class was eventually replaced in front line roles by the more flexible Omega class destroyer. However, ''Novas'' were seen participating in an attack on a planet close to Babylon 5, as well as in the later Earth civil war.

==Service History==
Before the introductions of the [[Omega class destroyer|Omega class]] and [[Warlock class destroyer|Warlock class]] ships, and like the [[Hyperion class heavy cruiser|Hyperion class]] cannot generate artificial gravity, but they are also heavily armed. A lot of these ships were seen during the [[Earth-Minbari War]], including [[Earth-Minbari First Contact]] and the [[Battle of the Line]]. These ships were possibly used for orbital bombardment and support of [[Earthforce Marine Corps|the Ground Pounders]] (example: [[Operation Sudden Death]]), also some ships participated in the [[Earth Alliance Civil War]].

==Ships of the Class==
*{{EAS1|Schwarzkopf|S| (S)}}<ref name="itb">[[In the Beginning]]</ref><ref>[[Atonement]]</ref>
*{{EAS1|Schwarzkopf|B| (B)}}<ref name="itb">[[In the Beginning]]</ref><ref>[[In the Beginning (Novelization)]]</ref>
*{{EAS1|Schwarzkopf|J| (J)}}<ref>[[GROPOS (episode)]]</ref>

==Appearances==
=== TV Movies ===
* "[[In the Beginning]]"
* "[[A Call to Arms]]"
=== TV Series ===
* "[[GROPOS]]"
* "[[Point of No Return]]"
* "[[Atonement]]" <small>(Retrospective)</small>
* "[[The Face of the Enemy]]"

=== Novels ===
* "[[In the Beginning]]"

==References==
{{Reflist}}
<br clear="all" />
{{EarthforceShips}}
[[Category:Ship classes]]
[[Category:Earth Alliance ship classes]]
[[de:Nova-Klasse]]