Item Database:Ships:Frigates
Contents
Hull Classification Overview
Frigates are small multifunctional craft capable measuring approximately 80 meters along their longest beam. Electronic footprint places most frigates at 40 meters on sensors giving them about 50% active electronic masking. Frigates are able to fulfill a variety of peaceful and wartime functions from mining to interception. They are the smallest combat capable craft that is able to accept pod technology easily reducing crew needs of up to 40 personnel to virtually almost nothing. Various hulls where designed to fulfill specific roles more effectively. Survival rates of any additional crew are significantly low however at an abysmal 5% in case of ship destruction as frigates are destroyed so suddenly.
Appeal
Their small size and simplicity also is a factor in ease of operation, cost, and construction making them excellent craft to learn general starship captaining and fleet role fulfillment. They are also a popular topic of disposability, in situations that may require one time uses such as a probe, interception, or distraction as they are cheap to replace, outfit and learning how to operate.
Strengths=
Their small size offers great protection from larger weapon platforms like battleships as their oversized weapon systems and dulled electronics have an extremely difficult time maintaining any accuracy against the small and nimble frigate. In large numbers frigates are particularly very dangerous to any larger ship as they can easily overwhelm larger ships defenses and overload its electronic systems on variety of fronts not any single ship can defend against all of them.
Their extreme agility and light mass also gives frigates the better oppertunity to disengage from a fight that is not in thier favor. This allows for faster alignment to warp and able to get out of navigational hampering systems faster.
Weaknessess
They are however most vulnerable to other small weapon platforms such as other frigates, anti-frigate small drones, destroyers, and self defense systems such as smart bombs. Larger ships at long range can also easily destroy a frigate as tracking isn't as crucial on such a long distance and taking advantage of the frigates extremely small effective range only if they can lock the ship in time.
Similar Ships
Frigates have an extended family tree of advanced frigates and its heavier cousin the destroyers which share similar traits but vary with specific roles and functions. Frigates other siblings include: Interceptors, Assault Frigates, Electronic Attack Ships, Covert Ops, and Stealth Bombers.
There are also special versions of frigates built with specific technologies by corporate entities that give them the distinct and unique edge over the standard fare frigates, commonly known as Faction Frigates.