The Black Lion battlecruiser entered service with the SLDF in 2691. Although it weighed slightly more than 800,000 tons, the Black Lion could outmaneuver most transports and was capable of 2.5 Gs of acceleration. However, the size and complexity of the Black Lion's drive system made it very difficult to maintain, which reduced the vessel's military value somewhat.
         Despite that shortcoming, the Black Lion's superior speed, armaments and armor made them a popular choice to head naval battle groups. Although the Black Lion's lack of energy weapons has often been cited as a weakness, the vessel proved quite effective during the Reunification War and later during Kerensky's liberation of Terra. Despite these successes, the Black Lion remained vulnerable to fighter attack like most WarShips, and many were destroyed during the long campaign. In fact, less than a dozen Black Lion Class WarShips survived to accompany the Exodus fleet.
         Several Black Lions have been observed in the Inner Sphere, operating as Galaxy flagships. These Clan versions have been modified with hull-sealant units, lithium-fusion battery systems, and Lamellor ferro-carbide armor. Most Clan Lions replace the three-fighter squadrons carried by the Star League variant with two Stars of OmniFighters.
         The Regulan Krishna, formerly the FWL's Xanthos, formerly the Star League's Nelson, has had a long and storied career. She is most famous in modern times for wiping Hilton Head, and th remains of Word of Blake leadership, off the face of Terra with a sustained orbital bombardment during the final days of the Jihad. It has since supported several Regulan invasions in the Free Worlds League, and is the symbol of their reborn power in the Human Sphere.