KDY Escort Carrier
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(Backup) Class 12.0
(6) Shuttles
The Modified Super Transport VIII escort carrier Also known as the Imperial Escort Carrier, was a transport ship designed to carry Imperial starfighters.
Design
The escort carrier design was derived from the KDY Super Transport series of bulk freighters. The ship looked like a 500-meter box with a small rear protrusion to cover the ship's sublight engines. The escort carrier was the smallest vessel that could carry a full wing of starfighters (6 squadrons of up to 72 craft). The ship also carried six shuttles, and could carry four more for each fighter squadron removed. Armament included 10 Taim & Bak H8 dual laser cannons and 1 Krupx VL-6 warhead launch system. Though a capital ship, it was poorly armed and protected relative for its size, so it stayed to the rear of battle for its own safety while allowing its TIE fighters to engage the enemy.
History
Designed and built by Kuat Drive Yards, the escort carrier allowed the Imperial Navy to overcome the hyperdrive deficiency of its primary starfighters in the early years of the Galactic Civil War. The need for them was seen following the Battle of Ton-Falk.
Escort carriers were much more economical to deploy than an Imperial Star Destroyer. Higher priority convoys often had an escort carrier, along with an EF76 Nebulon-B escort frigate and CR90 corvettes. It was also common for escort carriers to perform mini-hyperdrive jumps within a system, dropping off a squadron of starfighters with each exit. This tactic made it difficult for Rebel Alliance or pirate pilots to predict where the next attack would come from. In addition to the Empire, some ships were appropriated by the Rebel Alliance as well and added to their navy.
