Ton-Falk-class escort carrier

Escort carrier The descriptively named escort carrier was a transport ship designed to carry Imperial starfighters.

Characteristics


The ship looked like a 500-meter box with a small rear protrusion to cover the ship's sublight engines. The escort carrier closely resembled Kuat's Super Transport series of container ships, and was probably derived from their design.

A standard Imperial chute system provided for rapid deployment of TIEs and an onboard hangar allowed for minor repairs. The Escort carrier was the smallest vessel that could carry a full wing of starfighters (6 squadrons of up to 72 craft).

Armament included 10 Taim & Bak H8 dual laser cannons and 1 Krupx VL-6 warhead launch system. Though a capital ship, it was poorly armed and protected relative for its size, so it stayed to the rear of battle for its own safety while allowing its TIE fighters to engage the enemy.

History
Designed and built by Kuat Drive Yards, the escort carrier allowed the Imperial Navy to overcome the hyperdrive deficiency of its primary starfighters in the early years of the Galactic Civil War. The need for them was seen following the Battle of Ton-Falk.

Being purpose-built, escort carriers were much more economical to deploy than an Imperial Star Destroyer. Higher priority convoys often had an escort carrier, along with a Nebulon-B frigate and Corellian Corvettes.

It was also common for escort carriers to perform mini-hyperdrive jumps within a system, dropping off a squadron of starfighters with each exit. This tactic made it difficult for Rebel Alliance or pirate pilots to predict where the next attack would come from.

Notable ships

 * Dallust

Appearances

 * Star Wars: Rebellion (video game)
 * Star Wars: TIE Fighter
 * Star Wars: X-wing vs. TIE Fighter
 * Star Wars: X-wing Alliance
 * The Lost City of the Jedi
 * Omens

Notes and references
Eskortträger