Carrack-class Cruiser
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(Backup) Class 10.0
(20) Ion Cannons
(5) Tractor Beam Projectors
The Carrack is an old yet reliable combat vessel, and its excellent design makes it competitive even against newer warships.
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Design
This heavily armed light cruiser has been in service with the Imperial Navy since the earliest days of the New Order. This small vessel falls into the light cruiser designation, due to its high proportion of weapons compared to its size. Its primary mission profile is to serve as the Imperial answer to the Corellian Corvette. Current Imperial doctrine calls for teaming Carracks up with smaller vessels and assigning them to patrol duty in pacified or semi-pacified sectors; as such they were considered to be support cruisers. They are also employed as rear guard vessels for fleet actions, scouting duties, when they are assigned with other ships, and courier missions. Older vessels serve as personal transports for Imperial planetary governors, Moffs, and other dignitaries. In short the Carrack is well suited for a variety of escort and combat missions.
Mostly due to its layered bulkheads, which are integral to this ship's design, the Carrack can survive attacks that would destroy a similarly sized vessel or cripple many larger warships. Its honeycombing bulkheads and unusual compartmentalization system lend strength to the hull, and afford the light cruiser great resistance to hull damage. If one section of the Carrack suffers serious damage, the bulkheads automatically seal off that affected section, thus allowing the warship to continue normal operation. In the event of hull breaches, its layered bulkheads and compartmentalization in combination with its unique modular life support system allow for maximum crew survival (as the warship is constructed in a modular fashion, with a compartmentalized system for maintaining life-support). On many instances, Imperial rescue crews have found live crewmen inside drifting Carrack debris. It must be noted that exceptionally tall individuals may find the Carrack's corridor ceilings uncomfortably low in height.
Unfortunately, the compartmentalization defence system does come at a price. Due to the high percentage of internal space consumed by the system, the Carrack Cruiser is one of the largest light cruisers lacking internal hanger bays. As a result this five engine warship must rely on other ships or planetary bases to provide TIE Fighter support. To partially compensate for this major drawback, the Carrack comes equipped with a small external rack capable of carrying four TIE Fighters. Although these fighters offer little in offensive support, they are employed for reconnaissance, courier, and patrol missions. To further compensate for the lack of starfighter support, it was equipped with powerful sublight engines, which placed the vessel among the Empire's swiftest capital ships. It must be noted that a dorsal docking tunnel and retraction clamps allow for a Lambda-class Shuttle to dock. Although this vessel features overlapping hull plates, there is insufficient armour plating surrounding the power generators. This proves to be the Carrack's major flaw, a direct hit just aft of its midline has a good chance of disabling the light cruiser.
Rounding out the Carrack armament is its standard configuration of ten heavy turbolasers, twenty ion cannons and five tractor beam projectors. While it is customary to maintain tractor beam projectors on the design, ships such as the nearly decade old Dominant (currently stationed in the Bakura System) have done without them. The Carrack can be refitted to replace its ion cannons in favour of laser cannons, although most Carracks have retained their ion cannons. Refitted Carracks also have been equipped with tractor beam projectors. Point defense against starfighters (this warship's laser cannons make it an excellent anti-starfighter cruiser) and missiles are handled by the Carrack's laser cannons. Due to its turbolaser batteries, this warship is capable of engaging larger vessels with a reasonable probability of success. This light cruiser possesses sufficient firepower to engage most Rebel capital ships. Protruding from its dorsal section is its sensor arrays dish, and the blisters on either side of the engine section are the ionization reactors. Located below the reactor are the reserve power cells. As the Rebellion’s activities have increased, these durable and capable warships have been reintegrated into the Imperial Fleet.
Unfortunately, the Rebels also possess several Carrack Cruisers.
Known Vessels
Galactic Empire
- Edean
- Pestilence
- Gorger
Pirate
