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The Anaxes War College System was a system for starship classification. It was established during the Clone Wars by the Republic Navy War College at Anaxes and subsequently used by the successive galactic governments.[1]
History[]
The Anaxes War College System replaced the classification system that had been used since the Ruusan Reformation. This system had become ineffective, because its largest classification was the 600 meter cruiser, while many warships were much longer.[1]
Some disagreed with the use of Star Destroyer as a classification, feeling that it was an unfair recognition of Kuat Drive Yards, who commonly used the term for their own ships. It was ultimately included and by the time of the Clone Wars, many warships not made by KDY were referred to as Star Destroyers.[1]
Description[]
According to this system, Capital ships were divided into seven main classifications.[1]
- Corvettes: Ships of roughly 100 - 200 meters length
- Example: CR90 corvette, Marauder-class corvette
- Frigates: Ships of roughly 200 - 400 meters length
- Cruisers: Ships of roughly 400 - 600 meters length
- Heavy Cruisers: Ships of roughly 600 - 1000 meters length
- Star Destroyers: Ships of roughly 1000 - 2000 meters length
- Battlecruisers: Ships of roughly 2000 - 5000 meters length (small battlecruiser models were classed as "Star Cruisers," to separate them from larger ships of the type, but few recognized this classification as a formal part of the system.)[1]
- Dreadnaughts: All ships over 5000 meters length
- Example: Executor-class Star Dreadnought, Kor Chokk grand cruiser
An abbreviated version of the system was also created, with three classifications—gunship, cruiser, and battleship.[1]
Use of the system on individual designs[]
Despite the limits on dimensions, the system could sometimes move ship designs up or down in classification, depending on their armament and intended role.
Examples:
- The Carrack-class light cruiser, which would fall into the Frigate classification with its length of just 350 meters. Due to its armament and role, however, it was moved up into the Cruiser category.
- The Secutor-class Star Destroyer, a fleet carrier, was classified as a Star Destroyer due to its relatively light armament and focus on starfighter power, despite being 2200 meters long, the same length as the contemporary Allegiance-class battlecruiser.[2]
- The Subjugator-class heavy cruiser was classified as a Dreadnought, due to its revolutionary ion cannons. Packed into a 4845 meter superstructure, the design would otherwise have been comparable to a large battlecruiser.[3][1]
- The Executor-class Star Dreadnought was occasionally referred to as a Super Star Destroyer, due to it being designed by Kuat Drive Yards, who had used the term Star Destroyer for their warships before the establishment of the Anaxes War College System.
- The Victory-class Star Destroyer, which would fall into the Heavy Cruiser classification with its length of 900 meters, would be identified as a Star Destroyer due to its armament and role.
Behind the scenes[]
- "It was definitely awesome to be able to use some ideas already approved for WARFARE..."
- ―Jason Fry, on details in his book The Clone Wars: Incredible Vehicles
This classification system was invented by author Jason Fry to help explain some of the contradictory systems used in Star Wars lore previously. He previewed some of the classifications in Star Wars: The Clone Wars: Incredible Vehicles, a book released over six months prior to The Essential Guide to Warfare.[4] Some of Ansel Hsiao's vessels, when they were included in the book, also had their ship classifications redone to take into account the system. Specifically, the Allegiance-class Star Destroyer was reclassified as a battlecruiser, and the Bellator-class Star Battlecruiser was reclassified as a dreadnought.
Sources[]
- Star Wars: The Clone Wars: Incredible Vehicles
- The Essential Guide to Warfare
- Star Wars: Age of Rebellion Core Rulebook
Notes and references[]
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 1.5 1.6 The Essential Guide to Warfare
- ↑
Jason Fry's Dorkery — EG to Warfare: Endnotes Pt. 7 on Tumblr (backup link)
- ↑ Star Wars: The Clone Wars: Incredible Vehicles
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 The Clone Wars: Incredible Vehicles thread where Jason Fry commented on the book and its usage of some of his ideas for the later Essential Guide.