Sacheen-class light escort

The Sacheen-class light escort was the first ship class built as part of the New Republic's New Class Modernization Program.
==Characteristics==
They were 375 meters long and armed with 10 heavy turbolaser cannons, 8 laser cannons, and 8 ion cannons. Sacheen-class escorts had a hangar large enough to hold a single squadron of short-range starfighters.
However, many of these ships, especially those assigned to group operations, were slow to receive their starfighters. The Sacheen-class was equipped with a very fast Class 1 hyperdrive.
==History==
Developed and produced by the Republic Engineering Corporation, the ships of the Sacheen-class were the smallest ships of the New Class capable of extended independent operations.
While operating alone, or with only starfighter support, these ships were often used for patrol duty. When operating within a battle group, Sacheen-class ships were usually assigned to screening duty for larger capital ships, or to escort convoys of Hajen-class fleet tenders.
While considered a light escort, the Sacheen was capable of engaging other capital ships with its heavy turbolaser cannons.
Later, the Hajen-class fleet tender was built on the same basic hull and systems of the Sacheen. This practice for using the same basic design for multiple configurations was so successful that it was adopted for all later New Class designs.
==Behind the scenes==
The RPG sourcebook Cracken's Threat Dossier and The Essential Guide to Warfare state that the Sacheen classification is an "escort cruiser", although it would be an overestimation to call them cruisers, considering their size and armament. Shield of Lies identifies it as a "gun frigate".
Cracken's Threat Dossier also contains the only known official image of the Sacheen. However, like the pictures of the other New Class ships, this picture violates information from the Black Fleet Crisis novels, on which Cracken's Threat Dossier is based. Specifically, the Hajen and Sacheen classes look nothing alike, even though they are supposed to be built upon the same hull design. Because of this, this picture has been labeled as erroneous and dismissed as non-canon by many fans.
==Appearances==
*Shield of Lies 
*Shield of Lies abridged audiobook
==Sources==
*Cracken's Threat Dossier
*The Essential Chronology
*The New Essential Chronology
*The Essential Guide to Warfare
==Notes and references==
==External links==
*
Category:Frigate classes
Category:New Class starship classes