Endurance-class fleet carrier

The Endurance-class fleet carrier serves as the centerpiece of modern New Republic fleets composed of New Class warships. Fleet carriers represent a change in the Republic's military policy. While the Imperial Navy was built around large, heavily armed warships such as the Imperial-class Star Destroyer, the New Republic has chosen to use much smaller warships, with starfighters playing a greater role in power projection.

Following New Class practice, the Endurance-class fleet carrier was built upon the same basic hull and systems of the Nebula-class Star Destroyer. Like the Nebula, the Endurance has a Class 2 hyperdrive, and can carry 1,600 troops and enough consumables for 5 months. However, weapons had to be sacrificed to make room for extra fighters. Endurance-class fleet carriers are only armed with 12 turbolaser cannons, 20 laser cannons, 8 ion cannons, and 4 tractor beam projectors for self defense. Although they are equipped with a formidable anti-starfighter weapon system, the fleet carriers are usually protected by screening ships and starfighters.

The Endurance is capable of carrying two wings of starfighters (likely New Republic wings of 36 ships each). One wing is a short-range assault wing composed K-wing bombers and Defender starfighters for close support. The other wing is a long-range superiority wing composed of hyperdrive-equipped fighters such as E-wings, A-wings, and X-wings.

Besides being a base ship for starfighters, the Endurance is also a command ship. Fleet officers often use these fleet carriers as their flagships.

Behind the Scenes
Until recently, the only official images of the Endurance-class fleet carrier and the Nebula-class Star Destroyer came from the RPG sourcebook Cracken's Threat Dossier, published by West End Games. The Endurance resembled a Nebula-class Star Destroyer (which the book mistakenly labeled Defender-class) in general shape. The bridge tower on the Nebula was replaced by a much larger bridge tower, topped off by a sizable saucer section, on the Endurance (possibly representing the carrier's role as a command ship). A second, smaller tower was located at the front section of the ship. Because they at least bore a passing resemblance to each other, the Endurance and Nebula pictures were harder to dismiss than other New Class pictures from the book. However, the novel Before the Storm described the Endurance-class as "flat-hulled," which it was not in its picture. On this basis, the pictures of the Endurance and the Nebula could be dismissed as erroneous and non-Canon. Either way, this was later all rendered irrelevant by the book Starships of the Galaxy (published by Wizards of the Coast), which retconned the appearance of the Nebula/Defender-class Star Destroyer. The Star Destroyer was given a new, much sleeker appearance which completely lacked a bridge tower. It can therefore be assumed that the appearance of the Endurance-class was also changed, and that it now resembles the new picture of the Star Destroyer.

External Link

 * Black Fleet Crisis FAQ by Michael P. Kube-McDowell


 * Starships of the Galaxy art gallery from WOTC