Acclamator-class assault ship

Acclamator I-class assault ship "Master Sifo-Dyas requested the most powerful army in the Galaxy. We have worked with only the best shipbuilders to fulfill that request."

- Lama Su

The Acclamator I-class assault ship, also known as the Republic assault ship, Acclamator I-class Star Destroyer, or Acclamator I-class medium frigate, was a starship created for the Galactic Republic by Rothana Heavy Engineering.

Characteristics


The 752-meter-long Acclamator I-class assault transport carried thousands of Republic clone troopers into battle. These ships were armed with 4 heavy torpedo launch tubes; 24 point-defense laser cannons, rated at 6 megatons per shot; and 12 quad turbolaser turrets, each rated at a maximum of 200 gigatons per shot.

Groups of these ships could perform a "Base Delta Zero", an orbital bombardment that would exterminate all life on the planet. The later Acclamator II-class could also serve as star frigates to support their landing groups. In addition to ground landings, Acclamator-class ships were capable of water landings, as displayed at the Battle of Mon Calamari.

Acclamator I-class ships also carried support equipment and vehicles, such as AT-TE and SPHA walkers, used to provide clone troopers with heavy battlefield support. Eighty LAAT gunships were carried to insert personnel, vehicles, and cargo into battle zones in addition to providing close air support. Each Acclamator I-class ship held 320 speeder bikes, used by clone troopers for fast battlefield reconnaissance and patrol duties.

The Acclamator I favored a wedge or dagger shaped design, like the Republic warships during the Mandalorian Wars, due to its effectiveness&mdash;it allowed concentration of firepower while minimizing target profile. This basic design was used in a number of larger craft predating it and would define Imperial ships for decades to come.

History
In their first engagement at the Battle of Geonosis, the Acclamator I-class proved pivotal in the Republic victory, delivering legions of clone troopers to the battlefield while a large Republic fleet engaged the Separatist fleet in orbit. Just after the Battle of Geonosis, the Republic ordered 1,000 more of them. At least as of 21 BBY, all Acclamators were completely crewed by clones.



Near the end of the Clone Wars, a more updated version, the Acclamator II-class assault ship, was put into production. The two subclasses saw many battles in both the Clone Wars and the Galactic Civil War. Other Kuati designs complemented and supplanted the Acclamator-class, but the design was popular enough to continue service for decades.

Several variants of the Acclamator design appeared to be dedicated for space combat rather than planetary assault. Its design was also influential on the development of several other warships. One example was the Class II Frigate, represented by Rand Ecliptic, which had a more narrow hullform and two docking bays with port and starboard openings. There was no large downward-facing hangar bay as seen on some of the early Acclamator-class ships, but there were large retractable loading ramps in order for the clone troopers to board.

An older design saw duty as a warship in the years prior to the Invasion of Naboo. These ships also had a sleek shape and some of their top armor was removed to make room for massive turbolasers.

A third design, and possibly a direct predecessor to the Acclamator itself, was seen in an important system performing fleet-maneuvers with other warships, sometime after 32 BBY.

In addition to being a warship and a military transport, some Imperial Acclamators were used as slave ships, transporting large quantities of enslaved people to various Imperial penal colonies during the Galactic Civil War. Although they were initially not considered "Star Destroyers", the Acclamator-class would sometimes be referred to as such during the reign of the Empire. Some would fall into the hands of criminal groups such as the Zann Consortium.

Behind the scenes

 * The word "Acclamator" means "one who acclaims" or "conqueror".


 * The Star Wars: The Ultimate Visual Guide mentions that the starships and vehicles used by the Republic during the Clone Wars, such as the Acclamator and AT-TE, were "retired" shortly after the end of the conflict. This is inconsistent with what is shown in the post-Revenge of the Sith era, such as Star Wars: Empire at War and the Star Wars: Empire comic series, where they're shown to be in continued use, albeit on the Empire's more remote worlds (In the case of the Acclamator, they are specifically mentioned as "slave ships" by Darth Vader in the In the Shadows of Their Fathers story arc). Also, it is possible that the Empire simply brought them back into service after a while.


 * In the game Star Wars: Empire at War and Star Wars: Battlefront II, the Acclamators present seem geared towards ship-combat rather than carrying ground forces, and are designated as frigates (while on the lower ship-scale, they are cruisers). This might mean that these ships are Acclamator IIs instead.

Notes and references
Sternenzerstörer der Acclamator-Klasse Transport d'assaut Aclammator de classe I