Corona - class frigate The " Corona " - class frigate was a combat starship produced by Kuat Drive Yards for the New Republic . A successor to the successful EF76 Nebulon - B escort frigate line , the " Corona " - class was designed as part of the New Republic ' s drive to modernize and standardize its naval forces , moving away from the eclectic collection of starships that it had inherited from the Alliance to Restore the Republic . The frigate was designed to incorporate the New Republic ' s philosophy of not allowing starships to operate independently for years at a time , and to be tied to a home base for support . Physically resembling its predecessor , " Corona " - class vessels were intended to operate both independently and in larger fleet formations , as well as perform a variety of mission profiles , including reconnaissance , close - line fire support and anti - starfighter screening operations . They boasted an array of offensive and defensive weapons , as well as hangar space for thirty - six starfighters . " Corona " - class frigates were deployed to the New Republic Defense Forces by 11 ABY , seeing service during the assaults on the New Republic by Imperial Admiral Natasi Daala . Characteristics . Designed by Kuat Drive Yards , the " Corona " - class frigate was patterned after the EF76 Nebulon - B escort frigate , which had been a successful design for the company . The basic configuration of the " Corona " - class resembled the layout of the Nebulon - B , with a forward section connected to the drive unit by a central spar . The fore section extended down from the main body of the frigate , while the central spar had been thickened from the original Nebulon - B design to provide extra protection . The drive unit housed the main engines , with a stabilizing fin extending from the lower part of the section on either side . " Corona " - class vessels required 782 crew members to operate , as well as fifty - six gunners ; however , the frigate could be manned by a skeleton crew of 281 . The ships also carried a complement of eighty soldiers . The " Corona " - class was 275 meters in length , clocking in at twenty - five meters shorter than its predecessor , and had less cargo space for supplies and consumables , in line with the New Republic ' s doctrine of having its ships be reliant on home bases rather than be able to operate independently for years at a time . " Corona " - class vessels could carry 4 , 000 metric tons of cargo , with enough provisions to last one year before resupply . The " Corona " - class was armed with ten turbolaser cannons and ten laser cannons for offense , as well as four ion cannons to disable enemy vessels and two tractor beam projectors . The shield generators on the frigate produced the same amount of protection as those on the Nebulon - B , but it had a stronger hull , allowing it to take more punishment in combat . The " Corona " - class incorporated a Class One hyperdrive unit , which was an improvement over the Class Two hyperdrive on the Nebulon - B . Three squadrons — thirty - six starfighters — could be deployed aboard the " Corona " - class , compared to the two squadrons carried on a Nebulon - B frigate , although not all line units carried a full complement , and some were only equipped with short - range fighters . Role . The " Corona " - class frigate was used as a patrol vessel and could fulfil a variety of mission profiles . The vessel could operate independently , performing reconnaissance - in - force , or as part of a larger fleet formation , providing close fire support and anti - starfighter screening for larger vessels . The frigate could also be used as a starfighter assault platform . History . As the New Republic began to establish its legitimacy in the wake of the Battle of Endor , the guerrilla war that they had fought for years slowly turned into a conventional war . As the New Republic liberated the galactic capital of Coruscant , the commanders of the New Republic Defense Force saw that they needed a regular navy to both prosecute the war against the Galactic Empire and to defend their assets . The motley collection of vessels that the New Republic had inherited from the Alliance to Restore the Republic were no longer sufficient for that purpose . It was decided that new classes of vessel be designed and put into production to standardize the New Republic ' s naval forces . Prior to 9 ABY , Kuat Drive Yards was commissioned to produce a line frigate , which they chose to model after the popular and successful Nebulon - B design that had served both the Rebel Alliance and Galactic Empire during the Galactic Civil War . At the same time , the New Republic ' s Defender program was underway , and the " Corona " - class was added to the program to allow Kuat Drive Yards to participate in the project , alongside Loronar Corporation ' s " Belarus " - class medium cruiser . Production of the " Corona " - class was disrupted by Grand Admiral Thrawn ' s campaign against the New Republic in 9 ABY , as well as the return of Emperor Palpatine a year later . Following these delays , the Defender program was resumed and became part of the New Class Modernization Program . Physically similar to its design ancestor , " Corona " - class vessels were in service as early as 11 ABY , and several ships saw duty during Imperial Admiral Natasi Daala ' s assault on the New Republic . Orders from the New Republic Defense Force for the " Corona " - class were modest but steady , resulting in a limited production run of the design . Notable vessels . Several " Corona " - class frigates served the New Republic Defense Forces during the early years of the New Republic . The lead vessel of the class , " Corona " , operated in the Core Worlds . Two " Corona " - class vessels , the " Endor " and the " Shooting Star " , collided with each other after a mistimed hyperspace jump . Both ships were destroyed , with the loss of all hands . In 11 ABY , the " Corona " - class frigate " Boldheart " encountered the " Teljkon Vagabond " , an organic starship used by the Qella as a genetic repository to ensure the survival of their species following an ice age on their homeworld of Brath Qella that threatened their extinction . The " Boldheart " fired a shot across the " Vagabond " bow ; the " Vagabond " responded by disabling the frigate ' s engines with a single shot before fleeing into hyperspace . The holos from the encounter provided the New Republic Intelligence Service with its first images of the " Vagabond " . Behind the scenes . The " Corona " - class frigate was first introduced in " Cracken ' s Threat Dossier " , published by West End Games in 1997 . It appeared in the section dedicated to the events of " The Black Fleet Crisis " trilogy by Michael P . Kube - McDowell , and its entry established that several vessels mentioned in the novels — " Boldheart " , " Endor " , and " Shooting Star " — were of this class . It is unknown where the name originated from ; although used in " Cracken ' s Threat Dossier " , the term also appears in Kube - McDowell ' s FAQ regarding " The Black Fleet Crisis " . While his statements regarding background material for the series cannot be considered canon ical , it may be that the authors of " Cracken ' s Threat Dossier " adopted the name when writing the sourcebook , thus making it official . The " Corona " - class later garnered mentions in " The Complete Star Wars Encyclopedia " , " Galaxy at War " , and " The Essential Guide to Warfare " .