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In the Wing Commander universe, a capital ship is any large spacefaring vessel equipped with a Jump drive.

Contents 1 Definition 1.1 Corvette 1.2 Destroyers 1.3 Cruisers 1.4 Carriers 1.5 Frigates 2 References

There are five major rates of capital ships.

Corvettes are the smallest rate of capital ship, the primary examples of which are the Confederation Venture and the Kilrathi Kamekh. Both are similarly sized - 80 meters and 1,000 tonnes for the Venture and 135 meters/1,300 tonnes for the Kamekh - and similarly armed; the 2654 Venture carries laser turrets and various missile mounts, while the Kamekh in 2666 relies on missiles, flak cannon, and torpedoes. The latter two are inventions of the late-war era, so it is probable that modern corvettes carry similar armament. In general, the primary value of the corvette appears to be as a cheap anti-fighter escort and alternative to destroyers¹.

Destroyers form the backbone of the capital ship fleet in both the Confederate and Kilrathi navies. Fast (the Gilgamesh can make 250kps, almost as fast as a Broadsword bomber) and well-armed, they are capable of virtually any role, from attack to defense. Destroyers are the smallest capital ship capable of carrying fighters.

With the demise of the line battleship, the cruiser has assumed the role of largest big-gun reliant capital ship. Primarily used for to carrier escort and independent missions², the cruiser carries a large number of energy and missile weapons. Some cruisers, such as the Fralthi and Waterloo, possess a sizable fighter complement as well.

Light cruisers such as the TCS Manassas and FRLS Xenophon also exist. It is unknown what differences exist between light and heavy cruisers.

Carriers are the "sacred vessels" of Wing Commander; with their massive wings of fighters and bombers they can project power anywhere within a star system (and, if their strike craft are equipped with jump drives, into other systems as well). Ever since the Battle of McAuliffe, carrier battle groups have formed the vanguard of every major offensive and defensive action of the war. Some carrier designs, such as the Concordia class fleet carriers, rely entirely on their fighters for defense against capital ships; others, like the Confederation and Bhantkara possess a sizable array of heavy weapons. Generally, though, both ships operated with an extensive escort fleet, and used such weapons only as a last resort. An exception is the Bengal-class strike carrier, designed to operate independently behind enemy lines with little or no capital ship escort.

Frigates like the Caernaven are an oddity among capital ships; more lightly protected than a destroyer, yet larger than a corvette, they act as fast missile boats, with an extensive array of expendable weapons such as Capital Ship Missiles and torpedoes. The Caernaven, the only frigate example, has been produced in large numbers and is easily modifiable, some variants having been outfitted as transports or light carriers⁴.

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