Carrack-class light cruiser
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Star Wars craft | |
Carrack light cruiser | |
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Manufacturer | Damorrian Manufacturing |
Specification | Carrack class Light Cruiser |
Type | Light cruiser |
Length | 350 meters |
Weapons | 10 heavy turbolasers, 20 ion cannons or laser cannons, 5 tractor beam projectors, 5 TIE fighters |
Shield | Unknown |
Hull | Unknown |
Crew | 1000 |
Top Speed | 100 MGLT |
Troop Capacity | Unknown |
Affiliation | Galactic Empire, New Republic |
Cargo Capacity | Unknown |
Passengers | Unknown |
The Carrack-class Light Cruiser is a starship from the fictional Star Wars Expanded Universe. It is a carrack that has been a part of the Imperial Starfleet since the earliest days of Palpatine's New Order; indeed they appear to have entered service as early as the Clone Wars.
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[edit] Specifications
The Carrack-class is 350 meters long and armed with 10 heavy turbolasers, 20 ion cannons and 5 tractor beam projectors, and has a crew of around 1000. Some variants are equipped with 20 quad laser cannons in place of the 20 ion cannons; a modification designed to further improve the class' already formidable anti-starfighter capabilities (but at the cost of effectiveness in capital ship engagements). The standard Carrack possesses no hangar bay, but can be fitted with an external rack capable of carrying 5 TIE fighters- typically they are so outfitted, and the TIE fighters were reconnaissance varieties.
In addition, the cruisers were one of the few Imperial starship designs possessing features designed to safeguard the lives of the ship's crew. A compartment system inside the hull provided extra protection against the dangers of hull breaches, and it was common to find survivors on board the wreckage of these vessels.
[edit] Use
Carrack-class light cruisers are still part of the present day Imperial Starfleet, which consists of just over 200 Star Destroyers and support ships. The Imperial 3rd fleet consists of 4 Imperial Star Destroyers and a flotilla of Carrack-class ships.
Carrack-class cruisers are not featured in any of the six Star Wars films, but the novelization for Star Wars Episode III: Revenge of the Sith states that these craft were in use during the Battle of Coruscant.
Carrack cruisers were some of the most versatile cruisers available, used in roles as varied as protecting Bakura from the Ssi-Ruuk incursion, to acting as personal transports for important personages like Imperial Moffs, to being outfitted with special cannons to destroy the interstellar plankton of the Oswaft of the interstellar ThonBoka nebula.
Carrack cruisers also feature heavily in Star Wars PC games such as TIE Fighter. There they proved to be vulnerable to starfighter attacks but much more durable than Corvettes.
[edit] References
- Star Wars: the Essential Guide to Vehicles and Vessels, 1st printing, 1996. Bill Smith, ISBN 0-590-02361-6
- Star Wars Episode III: Revenge of the Sith ( novelization), 1st printing 2005. Matthew Woodring Stover, ISBN 0-7126-8427-1
[edit] External link
Vehicles of the Galactic Empire | |
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Entries in italics denote vehicles from the Expanded Universe | |
Ground vehicles | |
AT-ST | AT-AT | AT-TE | 74-Z Speeder Bike | Juggernaut | AT-PT | TIE crawler | |
Starfighters | |
TIE Fighter | TIE Interceptor | TIE Bomber | TIE Advanced x1 | TIE Avenger | TIE Defender | TIE/D fighter
TIE Hunter | TIE Phantom | Assault Gunboat | Missile Boat | Skipray Blastboat | A-9 Vigilance |
|
Capital ships | |
Star Destroyer | Super Star Destroyer | Executor | Nebulon-B Frigate | Corellian Corvette
Lancer-Class Frigate | Interdictor Cruiser | Carrack-Class Light Cruiser |
|
Other | |
Lambda-class shuttle | Death Star | Walker Dropship | World Devastator | Sun Crusher | |
See also | |
Star Wars air vehicles | Star Wars aquatic vehicles | Star Wars ground vehicles | Star Wars starfighters | Star Wars support craft |