Broadside-Class Frigate

[Star Wars Legacies]

BROADSIDE-CLASS Frigate


AFFILIATION
Republic / Core Worlds

MANUFACTURER
Core Galaxy Systems

CLASS
Frigate

ROLE
Heavy Escort / Light Flagship

COMPOSITION
Numerous Generic Materials

DIMENSIONS
310m length

CREW
10 minimum / 115 Optimum

PASSENGER CAPACITY
75

CARGO CAPACITY
150 tons

HANGAR CAPACITY
6 fighters and 2 shuttles
2 external docking tubes for other craft

CONSUMABLES
6 months

SPEED/MANEUVERABILITY
40MGLT / Sluggish


ARMAMENT

• 6 Single Mount Turbolaser Turrets
• 14 Heavy Dual Laser Cannon Turrets
• 8 Single Mount laser Cannon Turrets
• 2 Tractor beam generators

EQUIPMENT

• Long Range Comms system
• Escape pods (sufficient for crew and passengers)
• Class 4 Hyperdrive (Class 10 Backup)
• Military Grade Shields
• Fully equipped Med Bay

DESCRIPTION​

A venerable workhorse of many Core world navies, the broadside is a reminder of how wars used to be fought. The vessel was originally designed as a counterpart to the larger Cruisers serving as mighty Flagships of the Republic and Independent Kingdom fleets, but as the numbers of those craft have dwindled through destruction and disrepair, the Broadside has slowly started claiming its place as a capable and deadly alternative on a smaller budget. It is often one the larger military craft stalking the space above many civilized planets and their colony worlds, providing a convincing deterrent to pirates and other enemies, and generally leads Task Forces of smaller corvettes and strike craft on escort missions for important personnel and cargo, or pirate hunting strike forces. For some worlds in the Mid Rim and Colonies, the broadside is a prized flagship for senior naval officers.

The Broadside is heavily armed, but its armament configuration (from which it draws its namesake) is somewhat anachronistic with its main guns evenly distributed on its flanks, with only its small fighter-defense laser cannons capable of a forward firing arc. The ship was originally designed to accompany cruisers, many of which had forward facing or evenly distributed weapons systems. While the Cruisers dueled head on with enemy flagships, the Broadsides would charge into the fray and fly between enemy vessels, strafing them with punishing firepower to the sides and preventing them from safely focusing their shields forward. The ships clusters of turbolasers and heavy cannons is extremely deadly, even to larger craft, if allowed to get in close and unload its main guns. However, the weapons placement and relatively low speed and maneuverability means smaller craft with skilled pilots can manage to stay out of the ships firing arcs if they're careful, especially in the frigates front and rear. To mitigate this in modern times, the warship is often accompanied by smaller ships to guard its blind spots, and can carry a half squadron of fighters to provide screening.

The craft is a modern and effective capital ship, and is well equipped to operate on its own for extended periods. Though the bridge can be manned by a 10 man skeleton crew for short movements, this gives the ship no gunners, maintenance and fire control personnel, hyperdrive or reactor technicians, medical staff, cooks, or any of the other crew that make maintaining a ship this large possible. In addition to its crew complement, the Broadside has space for a significant number of passengers, though this is generally reserved for relief crews, fighter pilots and their ground crews, troops for conducting or defending against boarding action, and other military personnel.

LEGALITY​

Capital ships are highly restricted and must be owned by recognized armed groups and governments. Turbolasers are capable of great destruction to targets both in space and on the ground, and their presence is regarded warily.