Assault Frigate Mark I The Assault Frigate Mark I was a modification of the " Dreadnaught " - class cruiser that was used in the Rebel fleet . Characteristics . As the Rebel Alliance began to acquire Galactic Republic - era Rendili StarDrive " Dreadnaught " - class starships , it found the required 16 , 000 - being crew to be difficult to manage and procure , yet they were in desperate need of warships . After equipping " Dreadnaught " s with droids and automated systems to reduce the crew requirement to 5 , 000 beings , thus rendering the ships usable , Rebel engineers began modifying " Dreadnaught " s to allow for greater speed and efficiency while retaining the original weapon systems . The final product was only recognizable as a descendant of the " Dreadnaught " - class by the nose of the ship . Most of the internal structure was exposed to space , while a dorsal and ventral fin provided added maneuverability . These modifications removed the internal docking capacity of the " Dreadnaught " - class , but the ships were equipped with 20 umbilical docking fixtures like those on the EF76 Nebulon - B escort frigate . Unlike the Nebulon escort frigate however , these docking fixtures could not carry other ships through hyperspace . In addition , the assault frigate carried a modified assault shuttle on its back , which was secured in a manner that allowed it to be carried in hyperspace . The assault frigate had a larger number of weapon emplacements than the original Dreadnaught , but the turbolasers had a shorter range and slower fire rate due to the increased demand on the main power system . The removal of large quantities of hull plating reduced the ship ' s durability , but slightly stronger shields partially compensated for this . The Assault Frigates generally had one prong at the bow , but variants were equipped with split - bows . History . A twin - pronged variant fought in the Assault on Kamino in 1 BBY The ship reverted from hyperspace along with the rest of the Alliance Fleet ships to face three Imperial Destroyers . Assault frigates first saw combat around the time of the Assault on Kashyyyk of the Galactic Civil War . They served as a mainstay of the New Republic Defense Fleet in the years following the Battle of Endor . The frigate was tweaked into the Assault Frigate Mark II , and although the Mk . I remained in operation , the Mk . II production line failed . The refits were expensive and time - consuming , but the Assault Frigate was considered to be a very effective combat warship . Though these warships were unique to the Rebellion / New Republic , the Empire made efforts to acquire them — a rather ironic reversal of fortune . The name of this ship class is a proper noun as well as a description of the vessel type . To aid in the potential confusion , the ship was commonly referred to as the New Republic assault frigates or Rebel assault frigates by Imperial forces . One Mark I frigate was used to make up a secret retreat in 137 ABY . Behind the scenes . The Assault Frigate Mark I included in Starship Battles , published in 2006 , presents a different image of the Assault frigate , featuring a slimmer shape overall , as well as two forward hull sections that look identical to that of a Nebulon - B frigate . " Starships of the Galaxy Saga Edition " , published in 2007 , also presents this style of Assault Frigate . The Wii version of " " depicts the " Salvation " as a ship of this latter type . However , the PS3 and Xbox versions , as well as the canon novel and comic adaptations , depict the " Salvation " as a Nebulon - B Frigate . In the PC , PS3 and Xbox versions of " " an Assault Frigate as depicted by " Wizards of the Coast " is seen escorting the " Salvation " .