Assault Frigate Mark I

Assault frigate The assault frigate Mark I was a modification of the Dreadnaught-class cruiser that was used in the Rebel fleet.

Characteristics


As the Rebel Alliance began to acquire Galactic Republic-era Rendili StarDrive Dreadnaught-class starships, it found the required 16,000-being crew to be difficult to manage and procure, yet they were in desperate need of warships.

After equipping Dreadnaughts with droids and automated systems to reduce the crew requirement to 5,000 beings, thus rendering the ships usable, Rebel engineers began modifying Dreadnaughts to allow for greater speed and efficiency while retaining the original weapon systems. The final product was only recognizable as a descendant of the Dreadnaught-class by the nose of the ship. Most of the internal structure was exposed to space and two dorsal fins provided added maneuverability.

These modifications removed the internal docking capacity of the Dreadnaught-class, but the ships were equipped with 20 umbilical docking fixtures like those on the EF76 Nebulon-B escort frigate. Unlike the Nebulon escort frigate however, these docking fixtures could not carry other ships through hyperspace. In addition, the assault frigate carried a modified assault shuttle on its back, which was secured in a manner that allowed it to be carried in hyperspace.

The assault frigate had a larger number of weapon emplacements than the original Dreadnaught, but the turbolasers had a shorter range and slower fire rate due to the increased demand on the main power system. The removal of large quantities of hull plating reduced the ship's durability, but slightly stronger shields partially compensated for this.

History
Assault frigates first saw combat around the time of the First Battle of Kashyyyk of the Galactic Civil War. They served as a mainstay of the New Republic Defense Fleet in the years following the Battle of Endor.

The frigate was tweaked into the Assault Frigate Mark II, and although the Mk. I remained in operation, the Mk.II production line failed.

The refits were expensive and time-consuming, but the Assault Frigate was considered to be a very effective combat warship. Though these warships were unique to the Rebellion/New Republic, the Empire made efforts to acquire them&mdash;a rather ironic reversal of fortune.

The name of this ship class is a proper noun as well as a description of the vessel type. To aid in the potential confusion, the ship was commonly referred to as the New Republic assault frigates or Rebel assault frigates by Imperial forces.

One Mark I frigate was used to make up a secret retreat in 137 ABY.

Behind the scenes


Starships of the Galaxy, published in 2007, presented a different image of the assault frigate, featuring a slimmer shape overall, what appears to be three fins on the engine assembly, as well as two forward hull sections that look identical to that of a Nebulon-B frigate.

It is unknown if this image was intended to replace prior canon renderings or serve as an additional assault frigate variant. It might indicate that not all Dreadnaughts were modified into identical assault frigates; then again, it might be due to nothing more than license or unfamiliarity on the part of the artist.

Known ships

 * Dodonna
 * Haven
 * Liberty Star
 * Tyrant's Bane

Appearances

 * Star Wars: Rebellion
 * Star Wars: X-wing Alliance
 * Dark Forces: Rebel Agent
 * X-wing: Wedge's Gamble
 * Heir to the Empire
 * The Last Command
 * X-wing: Isard's Revenge
 * Darksaber
 * Specter of the Past
 * Star Wars Legacy 25: The Hidden Temple, Part 1

Notes and references
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