Lancer-class frigate/Legends

The Lancer-class frigate was a vessel created during the Galactic Civil War after the defeat of Imperial forces at the Battle of Yavin. With the destruction of the 'invincible' Death Star battlestation against a few score rebel fighters, Imperial analysts feared vast fleets of rebel starfighters, and the result was the Lancer frigate.

250 meters long and armed with 20 Quad-laser batteries, the Lancer frigate was the perfect anti-starfighter warship. With a crew of 850 it could easiy defeat almost any attack by rebel fighter craft.

However, that is the limit of its usefulness. While substantially useful against fighters, its weaponary was ineffective against larger Rebel Alliance capital ships. The vessel was only useful when screening Imperial Star Destroyers or other large warships. And even then, the Empire faced many less fighter threats than the analysts anticipated, and the vessel was thus under-produced.

Many Lancer-class frigates fell into the hands of the Rebel Alliance and its direct descendant, the New Republic. Some were incorporated into planetary defence fleets, but many were decommisioned. The design idea was revisted when the New Republic created the Ranger-class gunship, which was essentially the same ship.

When the Yuuzhan Vong invaded the Star Wars galaxy, the New Republic recommisioned the Lancer-class frigates, and used them against the Yuuzhan Vong. The Pride of Selonia and the Whiphand were examples of such New Republic ships.