Frigate

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Space Station


A EF-class Frigates are a class of ships smaller than a Cruiser and with even lighter armament.

Wiki Navy.png


Description (Specifications)

Frigates are smaller than 10,000 tons, with most in the 1,000 to 2,000 ton range. Frigates mount only turret weapons, no spinal or bay mounted weapons. Frigates also lack the drive (acceleration and jump) capabilities of true warships.

Image Repository

No information yet available.

Escort Combatants (Secondary) - The Lightcraft Hierarchy

A number of smallcraft and ACS combatants exist:
Smallcraft (F or U) (0 - 99 tons) (* System craft / non-Jump *)

  1. Fighter: Interceptor / Picket (FD / FE / FP / FR) (10 - 50 tons)
  2. Gunboat / Torpedo Boat (GB / MB / DB / EB) (40 - 99 tons)
  3. Cutter (sC/qC) (45+ tons)
  4. Light Sloop (ESL) (50 - 99 tons)

Bigcraft (W or Other) (100 tons or larger) (* System vessel / non-Jump *)

  1. Escort Vessel (ES/ESV):
    1. Sloop-of-War (ESB/ESG) (100 - 600 tons)
    2. Gun-Brig (EB/EBG) (400 - 1000 tons)
  2. Defense Boat (DB/SDB) (100 - 1,000 tons)
  3. System Defense Vessel (DV/SDV) (1,000 - 2,499 tons or larger)
    1. Defense Frigate (DG) (800 - 1,200 tons)
    2. Escort Defense Cruiser (EDC) (1,000 - 2,000 tons)

Largecraft (100 tons or larger) (* Jump-capable *)

  1. Escort (E):
    1. Jump-Sloop (ESJ) (100 - 600 tons)
    2. Close Escort (EC/CE) (300 - 600 tons)
    3. Corvette (E/EG) (300 - 800 tons)
  2. Frigate (G):
    1. Destroyer Escort (DE) (400 - 1,000 tons)
    2. Escort Frigate (EG) (500 - 1,200 tons)
    3. Gunned Frigate (G) (500 - 1,200 tons)
  3. Destroyer (D):
    1. Escort Destroyer (ED) (1,000 - 2,499 tons or larger)
  4. Escort Cruiser (EC):
    1. Detached Cruiser (CC) (1,000 - 2,499 tons or larger)
      1. Colonial Cruiser (CC) (1,000 - 2,499 tons or larger)
      2. Provincial Cruiser (CC) (1,000 - 2,499 tons or larger)
    2. Destroyer Leader (DGL/DGC/DLC) (1,000 - 2,499 tons or larger)
    3. Heavy Gun-Frigate (EGC/GFC) (1,000 - 2,499 tons)


Traditionally, the historical vessels from which the names of the modern examples above are taken increased in size along the progression below.
»» For more detailed background information, please see: Origins of Vessel Naming Nomenclature.
  • Gunboat »» Sloop (Single-mast) »» Sloop-of-War (Brig-Sloop (2-mast) »» Ship-Sloop (3-mast)) »» Corvette »» Escort/Patrol Frigate (Destroyer Escort) »» Destroyer (Escort Destroyer / Fleet Destroyer) »» (Destroyer Leader <> Heavy Gun Frigate) »» Cruiser »» (Heavy) Gun Cruiser


Strategy & Tactics (Doctrine)

A Frigate's primary mission is a defensive role. Providing extra security for merchant ships against pirates and light raiders. The frigate generally mounts enough firepower to defeat most armed merchants, but not enough to threaten a Cruiser or similar warship. Unlike an Escort, which is expected to be able to at least assist in combat with larger warships, most frigates are not.

The lack of firepower, drive capability, and generally armor, makes the frigates less expensive to build and maintain than warships, so they can be built and maintained in large numbers. Their ubiquity lends them to being applied to other missions, including piracy suppression, raiding, and ground support missions.

Lightcraft Hierarchy

  1. Smallcraft
  2. Close Escort / Jump Sloop
  3. Corvette / Escort
  4. Frigate / Escort Destroyer
  5. Fleet Escort / Destroyer

Supraclass Roles

Frigates typically serve the following roles:

  1. Ambush Frigate (EFA)
  2. Commerce Protection Vessel (H)
  3. Corvette (EC)
  4. Escort Frigate (EF)
  5. Fast Escort (EFF)
  6. Fast Frigate (EFF)
  7. Fleet Escort (EFE)
  8. Frigate (EF) (Namesake)
  9. Heavy Frigate (EF)
  10. Light Frigate (EF)
  11. Medium Frigate (EF)
  12. Missile Frigate (EFT)
  13. Multipurpose Frigate (EFE)
  14. Patrol Frigate (EFT)
  15. Patrol Skiff (EFT)
  16. Patrol Vessel (ECT)
  17. Sloop (ES)
  18. Sloop of War (ES)

Supraclass Archetypes

EF-class Frigate Supraclass Archetypes
Archetype Type Code Exemplar Remarks
TBD TBD TBD None

History & Background (Dossier)

Many interstellar polities outside of the Imperium use Frigates for internal security missions, feeling that full warships are not needed for policing duties. The Imperial Navy uses Escorts for many of these duties.

Major Frigate Classes: A Frigate in the Royal Caledonian Navy is the equivalent of a "Cruiser" in Imperial parlance, and fills the Cruiser role. They are listed under Cruisers.

Selected Variant Types & Classes

No information yet available.

Ship Summary List

Some of the most commonly used vessels in this role or these roles include:

9 Representative Frigate (EF) Classes
Class Mission Code TL Tons Jump G Origin Canon Quick ship profile
Class Mission Code TL Tons Jump G Origin Canon Quick ship profile
Chaiik class Frigate EF 11 800 2 6 Sath Alliance No. Unpublished, non-canon fan design. TBD
Draper class Frigate EF 11 700 2 6 Saldazar Security Squadron No. Unpublished, non-canon fan design. EF-GP62
Draper class Frigate EF 11 700 2 6 Saldazar Security Squadron No. Unpublished, non-canon fan design. EF-GP62
Ghost class Frigate EF 14 1,000 4 6 Katowice Conquest No. Unpublished, non-canon fan design. EF-KU64
KE11c Ancestor class Frigate EF 12 1,100 3 6 Korsumug Empire No. Unpublished, non-canon fan design. EF-LS63
Kinunir class Vanguard Cruiser EF 15 1,200 4 4 Third Imperium Yes. Published, canon starship design. EF-MU44
Musuna class Frigate EF 11 2,000 2 2 High Senate No. Unpublished, non-canon fan design. TBD
Naga class Frigate EF 12 600 2 2 Sudi Verisian Navy No. Unpublished, non-canon fan design. TBD
Taranil class Patrol Frigate EF 10 1,600 1 1 Maujen Defense Bureau No. Unpublished, non-canon fan design. TBD


0 Representative Fleet Escort (EFE) Classes
No results


0 Representative Missile Frigate (EFM) Classes
No results


0 Representative Patrol Frigate (EFT) Classes
No results


Library Data Referral Tree

Please refer to the following AAB Library Data for more information: (Click "Expand" to reveal)

Starship:

  • Speed of Travel
    • NAFAL (STL) - (Not As Fast As Light) / (Slower Than Light)
    • Light Speed (c)
    • FTL - (Faster Than Light) - "Superluminal"
    » Imperial Standard Astronomical Unit
    » Solomani Parsec
    » Vilani Parsec ("Deshi")
    » Imperial Standard Parsec


    References & Contributors (Sources)

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