Frigate

Frigates are Smaller than the Cruiser-Type Starships but Larger than the Scout-Type. They are generally used for Anti-Fighter, Point-Defense and depending on the Class anti-Starship Combat. They are sometimes used as a more reliable form of Long-Range Patrol Ship. Small enough not to be picked up by Long Range Scanners yet large enough to do damage when necessary.
== Layout ==
Frigate are usually large enough to hold around or just over 100 crew members. Depending on the Variant. They can have various of different weapons. Including a Arcadis Spinal Fixed Railgun ( ASFR ) Which is used in Ship to Ship Combat. Most are built with mainly Light Weaponry. Like Small Railgun Turrets and Mini-Gun Point-Defense Turrets. Some do have Missile Silos but takes up large amounts of room within the frame. Some have extensive Scanner Suites which can detect, track and identify Starships within a system and even in FTL. Some Frigates are also outfitted as Science Vessels with extensive laboratories for experiments and research.
== Use within the Commonwealth ==
Frigates are the Commonwealth's Major Patrol Ships which usually patrol Shipping Lanes and Commonwealth Controlled Star Systems. Majority of the Frigate's inside the Commonwealth Naval Command is in the Patrol Naval Fleet. The Rest serving in the Guard Naval Fleets or the War Naval Fleets. There are very few built for ship to ship combat in the Fleet favoring speed and light weaponry. When dealing with pirates they can usually handle the situation by themselves. But dealing with a large threat like a Large Weaponized Freighter they have to call in back-up which usually is in the form of their Fleet which they deployed from.
== Know Classes ==
Archangel-Class
Seeker-Class
Patrol-Class
Long Reach-Class