Medusa class superdreadnought

The Medusa class superdreadnought SD(P) is a fictional class of ships from the science fiction series Honorverse by David Weber. It is a major breakthrough in military tactics and technology. Prior to the commissioning of the first Medusas, both Allied and Peep warships alike towed missile pods to be used in the first salvo of an engagement. Due to limitations in tractor beams, compensator efficiency, wedge area, and wedge power, pod numbers were restricted. Only larger classes such as the dreadnought and superdreadnought could tractor pods within their sidewalls, while smaller vessels were forced to tow them behind, reducing their acceleration.

The Medusa has no such restrictions. The designers redesigned her stern armament and put in armored launch doors for a pod launch system. Storing about 500 missile pods within the vessel, the Medusa can "roll" these pods and hand them off to smaller ships to tractor and control. After the first salvo, the Medusas can continue to deploy pods, allowing the Manticorean navy to maintain an enormous weight of fire.

The class was succeeded by the Invictus-class.