Minbari Federation Neshatan Class Gunship

At first glance, enemies of the Minbari are often surprised by the ‘common’ appearance of a Neshatan gunship. With none of the fins that usually adorn Minbari vessels, it casts a very different signature than that of the other massive warships. The Neshatan is one of the oldest designs still in operation in their fleet – a testament to its survivability and efficiency. Similar in bulk to a Sharlin and carrying a vast array of weapon systems, the Neshatan is not the flagship of the Minbari due to its slow speed and maneuverability. What it does possess, is sheer endurance and the potential for mass destruction that makes it a favorite of some older-minded Warrior Caste. It can suffer an incredible amount of damage before it begins to come apart; a feat that will likely cost the enemy far more than a single warship.

So effective has this ship been that some wanted to improve upon it. Built at the behest of the warrior caste, who wished to see the Neshatan’s offensive capabilities grafted onto a more maneuverable, and therefore more flexible, ship, the resulting Veshatan gained popularity for a time until the Sharlin became the flagship of choice. While both ships pack a massive amount of neutron laser fire, the newer look was more appealing to the Minbari overall.

Neshatan Gunship
Veshatan Fast Gunship
Source
Babylon 5: Ships of the Galaxy (pages 31-32)
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