The 55A17 or 'Molniya' is a dual weapon point defense and air defense system employed by the Colonial Pact and select client states. Designed as a modular system containerized within a 'pop up' style armored box which houses the reloading systems for the gun system's missiles. It can be mounted in a bolt on fashion to starships or be fitted into the hull, it can also be setup as a stand alone system for surface complexes and general orbital air defense.

While the weapon system can act on sensor data and direct control from its mounted platform, more often it is left in a completely autonomous mode in which its own fire control system and sensors select and engage targets. It uses the following sensors to achieve these measures.

• RTU-560 'Verber' DMAESA Radar System
  • Capable of independently rotating and moving to the turrets own motions, it is used for general cone of search and final engagement of targets by producing one solid high energy beam of conventional or FTL radar energy. It can also track and designate multiple targets up to twenty in a high ECM environment allowing one gun system to engage multiple threats with both cannon and missiles.
• MBN-88 Scan, Track, and Targeting Optical System
  • Serving as an area scanning optical system, it serves to scan, identify, and track unknown targets within its visual field using all three of the main spectrum the optical system is rated to see. Once a potential target is identified its data is passed to the gun systems radar and primary targeting optics.
• PU/N2 Multispectral Gun Optical Sight
  • A twin system optical targeting system that can be used for passive target engagement or as a corrective measure in an ECM environment, both of these systems are visible on the front of the gun turret and act as the primary engagement gun sights.

General function and control is handled by two in series ENY/N5-88 processors in a hardened and shielded container near the center of the turret system. They are responsible for the general operation of the point defense system including fire control, weapon guidance, and other tasks.

The Molniya employs two types of weapons, the first being a plasma cannon system and the second being a twelve shot missile launching array. Both are on independent elevation mechanisms and can be oriented separately to reduce inference from other weapon systems (such as plasma blast damaging missile systems).

• 4x Place Holder Name
  • Consisting of two sets of cannon in independently elevating mounts, these weapons are fed by either a standalone power/fuel source or directly fed by their mounted platform.
• 12x S-850TU 'Atrop' Short Range Surface/Air to Air Missile (SRSAAM)
  • Mounted in twelve reloadable missile tubes, there are six tubes on either side of the gun system both with independent elevation mechanisms. Each side can fire one missile (two at the same time) per four seconds due to overheating concerns, when fully expended the turret most rotate to a specific position and orient the launchers upwards to reload the missile tubes. This reload cycle typically takes ten seconds.