WarShip classifications

WarShips are often classified with the following terms, based on their role. Most of these terms have survived since the Age of Sail, and were updated to reflect the realities of space combat.^[1] Because of the somewhat diffuse criteria associated with each class and role, the classification is arbitrary and ultimately rather subjective.

Ship classes are roughly defined thus:

• Corvettes - The smallest WarShip category, these craft rarely mass more than 500,000 tons. Lightly armed and armored but extremely swift and equipped for extended tours of duty, corvettes are ideal for commerce protection and raiding. They are not expected to stand up to other WarShips, except in a support role.
• Destroyers - Larger and more heavily armed than corvettes, these ships perform the same raiding and escort duties, but also serve as guardians of orbital installations. They typically mass between 500,000 and 700,000 tons.
• Frigates - Rarely smaller than 700,000 tons, these ships can roughly be described as extra-large destroyers, often with an additional capacity such as integral fighter support. Usually they are equipped with excellent sensors and are deployed at the edge of a fleet to act as sentries.^{[citation needed]}

• Cruisers - The most diverse ship category in any fleet, vessels in this class are typically further subdivided into light cruisers, heavy cruisers, and battlecruisers. In the original sense of the word, cruisers were supposed to be more durable than smaller ship classes and capable of prolonged independent operation. Most cruisers pack enough equipment and supplies to operate away from technical support bases, making them ideal raiders. As a whole, cruisers typically mass between 700,000 and 1,200,000 tons.
  • Light Cruisers - As their speed is comparable to destroyers and frigates they serve as escorts, raiders, and picket ships, but outperform the other two ship types in one or more areas (speed, firepower, armor and/or endurance).
  • Heavy Cruisers - These ships tend to trade away some of the light cruiser's speed for additional firepower or armor. Clan toumans typically use these as command vessels.
  • Battlecruisers - These ships are loaded with heavy weapons, but their over-sized engines allow them to remain very nimble and quick in a confrontation, usually sacrificing armor and any other features.
• Battleships - The largest ship class, battleships are easily able to keep pace with frigates and outrun heavy cruisers. Their massive weapon payloads and armor protection ensure that they serve as a fleet flagships, while hitting the most dangerous and determined opposition to break through and create opportunities for their smaller companions to exploit. The pride of the SLDF Navy, the McKenna-class battleship, weighed two million tons, a record that was not broken until Clan Ghost Bear launched the 2.4 million ton Leviathan-class ship.
• Dreadnoughts - Arguably a classification denoting the largest, most powerful and/or technically most advanced class(es) of WarShips. The word is often used to describe a cutting-edge ship class that can outfight any other contemporary WarShip. Typically, Dreadnoughts are very powerful but also very expensive and possibly inefficient, and are not deployed in any significant numbers.
• Carriers - These are WarShip-sized Aerospace Fighter transports. Principally, there have been few ships dedicated to the carrier role; during the Star League era many navies used hybrid designs that combined the carrier role with another ship type. As a result, carrier tonnages have varied from frigate to battlecruiser size. These dual-role ships were not produced by most of the factions in 31st century during the brief resumption of WarShip production; the one exception was Clan Snow Raven, who produced the Conqueror-class Battlecruiser-Carriers in limited numbers.

Other "classes" or designations exist, though they can usually be placed in one of the above classes; examples include "Troop Cruiser", "Yardship" or "Pursuit Cruiser".