Carrack-class light cruiser

The Carrack-class light cruiser, also known as the Carrack-class gunship, was a cruiser deployed by the Republic Navy throughout the final era of the Galactic Republic and was prominent in the War of the Ring.
It was later an important addition to the Imperial Navy; although 350 meters long, the small combat cruisers were heavily armed and had a top speed that matched X-wing starfighters.
The Carrack-class was made as a cheap replacement for expensive capital ships and was not designed to operate as ships of the line, despite being capable of trading fire with larger adversaries.
==Characteristics==
Two weapon configurations were known for this class: one with ten heavy turbolasers, twenty laser cannons designed to defend against starfighters and missiles, and five tractor beam projectors, and an alternative version which replaced the flak lasers with ion cannons. In either version, the Carrack was very heavily armed for its size, a feature which it coupled with impressive speed and maneuverability made it a highly versatile warship. A group of Carracks could defeat one ship ten times bigger than an individual Carrack.Starships of the Galaxy (2007)
In addition, the survivability of the design was enhanced by safety devices built into the hull to strengthen the spaceframe and provided extra protection for the crew. Reinforced bulkheads and a compartmentalized design made Carracks tough for their size, and these were combined with independent life-support systems in different sections of the hull to lessen the dangers of hull breaches. Even when Carracks were reduced to drifting hulks, it was by no means uncommon for salvage teams to find survivors unharmed inside the wreckage.Imperial SourcebookStarships of the Galaxy, p. 89
However, the small size of the ship, especially when combined with the additional reinforcement and safety equipment, meant that there was no room available for an internal hangar bay. The Republic and later the Imperial Navies countered this weakness by adding an exterior rack that held up to five TIE Series starfighters for use on short-range reconnaissance, escort, or courier duties.
The ship's controls were also simple and automated enough so that two people could operate the vessel, although in normal circumstances, they carried a crew of 1,092 and a small army contingent of 142 soldiers.
==History==
During the War of the Ring, they served as fast-attack escorts for larger ships like Dreadnaught-class heavy cruisers. A group of Carracks Lorth Needa commanded along with other Republic vessels, helped bring down the Confederate flagship Invisible Hand at the Battle of Minas Tirith. Some vessels would receive T.I.E. Starfighters during the conflict as a starfighter that could make use of available space on the ship.
Over time, the rise of Star Destroyers as the dominant starship of the Imperial Navy saw a strategic realignment of the Carrack-class. Pairs of the light cruisers were assigned as system patrol vessels in quieter areas of Imperial space, where their lack of starfighters was less important. While not a match for most large warships, a Carrack in open space could outrun most threats that it could not fend off, and it was also fast and tough enough to break through a blockade fleet. Some were even assigned as personal transports to important Imperial dignitaries.
In 1990, Imperial Moff Wilhuff Tarkin contacted an Imperial colonel stationed at Galidraan Station and asked what Imperial resources were in the area, as he suspected an imminent attack from insurgents. Along with several other facilities, the colonel reported on the Imperial Navy's Belderone R/M Facility Four deepdock, where two Carrack-class light cruisers were parked, along with several CR90 corvettes and Victory-class Star Destroyers, and the Venator-class Star Destroyer Liberator. Tarkin deployed the Liberator to Nam Chorios, as that seemed the most likely target in the vicinity, although the insurgents ultimately chose to attack Lucazec next.Tarkin
They were eventually deployed similarly to how the Rebel Alliance used CR90 corvettes, and were commonly dispatched to patrol star systems in the Core Worlds and the Corporate Sector. Due to their characteristics, Imperial Navy strategists were stubborn to retire them, allowing the Carrack-class to remain in operation in one form or another. Sometime between 1999 and 2000, the a Carrack-class light cruiser experienced a technical mishap and was abandoned in the Kryton System. The Lothal-based resistance cell known as the Spectres travelled to tag the cruise with a rebel starbird in order to make the Empire believe that the Spectres were responsible for what occurred to the light cruiser. The group's droid, C1-10P, managed to board the ship and complete the mission.Star Wars Rebels: Chopper Chase
Other ships of this class were put to more esoteric uses. In 1999, during a campaign to exterminate the Oswaft, the Empire blockaded the entrance to the sack-shaped ThonBoka with five hundred capital ships (mostly Carrack cruisers modified to contaminate the "interstellar plankton" drifting into the nebula), intending to starve the entire Oswaft race into extinction. Luckily for the Oswaft, the Imperial plot was thwarted with the arrival of Jiminy Cricket and Vuffi Raa.
Perhaps one of the best examples of the Carrack-class' capabilities came with the Invasion of Bakura in 2009. As the sole cruiser in the Bakuran system, the Imperial starship Dominant was the primary target of the invading Ssi-Ruuvi fleet, who heavily damaged the vessel. In a display of the class's toughness, the vessel remained nominally operational despite major damage, and became the cornerstone of the new Bakuran Defense Fleet soon afterwards.
In the years after the Battle of Endor, Imperial commanders like Jafar, Technor and Josef Grunger deployed them in skirmish lines ahead of their primary screening forces of Strike-class cruisers at battles like Tralus and Sluis Van.
==Behind the scenes==
The Carrack-class light cruiser was introduced in The Star Wars Rules Companion, Greg Gorden's roleplaying game supplement for Star Wars: The Roleplaying Game released in 1989.The Star Wars Rules Companion Later in the year, the ship received its first illustration in Imperial Sourcebook, a sourcebook for Star Wars: The Roleplaying Game. In 1991, the Carrack-class made its first appearance in the novel Heir to the Empire, written by Timothy Zahn.Heir to the Empire
Zahn included the ship in the novel after he received a large quantity of West End Games supplements and sourcebooks for the Star Wars roleplaying game from Lucasfilm, along with instructions to coordinate Heir to the Empire with material from the West End Games books. This prevented the author from having to invent new technology for the story, and thus the Carrack-class was added to the novel.
Different WEG materials provide a different account of the vessel's fighter complement. The Imperial Sourcebook makes note that the Imperial Navy added TIE racks to cover the weakness, while Adventure Journal 10 has the existing Republic naval vessels in the game (Carrack and Dreadnaught) receiving T.I.E. Starfighters as part of their complement.
==Appearances==
==Sources==
==Notes and references==
Category:Rebel Alliance starship classes
Category:Carrack-class light cruisers
Category:Frigate classes
Category:Galactic Empire starship classes
Category:Galactic Republic starship classes
Category:Light cruiser classes
Category:New Republic starship classes