IMP Assault Frigate

Assault/Escort

Armor:	16000 HP
Build cost:	560 RU
Build time:	85 sec
Maximum speed:	105 m/s
Turning rate:	27.0 deg/s
Squadron firepower:	98.69 HP/s

weapon type	count	RPM	damage	individual firepower	total firepower
IMP_FF_Mass_Left	2	20.69	44	15	30.3
IMP_FF_Mass_Right	2	20.69	44	15	30.3
IMP_FF_Plasma	2	12.0	95	19	38.0

Similar to it's more glamorous 'Sajuuk Cor' brother, thousands of the Mark VIII assault frigates were in use by the imperial navy in the last years of imperial rule. Those that ended up in the hands of the Republic have since been recycled, mothballed, or stripped of classified technology and sold out to third parties as export models.

It is not uncommon to see poorer Kiith use surplus republic technology, but the Kudaark enjoys a unique place in our history. It was the first model of imperial warship encountered by the Mothership, it's was employed to attack our helpless cryogenically stored population. This image has stayed with our culture and kept potential buyers away, with the notable exception of kiith Neisen who purchased several shortly after the normalization of their status and our relations with the Republic.

The broader galaxy has no such compunctions however. Their generalist weapons makes them useful in any number of scenarios, and as many exist in remote confederate patrol fleets as do in outright bandit forces. In both cases they are often accompanied by frigate-supported strike craft wings to protect them from bomber attacks. Such a force can also overcome small frigate-scale threats by outmaneuvering them, something that the less flexible ion frigates aren't capable of.

The ideal response to conflict with these target is a super-capital strike. Any force still fielding a design this old is unlikely to have an effective answer to such a deployment. Alternatively, unescorted assault frigates can be overwhelmed by fighter strikes, though corvettes should be held back from such engagements if possible. The guns of these older craft are even less suited to tracking fast moving targets than modern assault frigates.

Any novel variants should be captured for study, but in all other cases policy is to have them dismantled and recycled to reduce the number in circulation.