AS-15 light cruiser

AS-15 Light Cruiser

''This cruiser is the most versatile I have ever seen. Once we take control of the galaxy, we must crush the squadrons to avoid them being used against us.''-Chancellor Palpatine to Count Dooku

 was a ship used by the Sahharran Navy for a variety of roles including perimeter defense, blockading duty, long-range VIP transport, and light strike.(expand and explain)

Details
The As-15 coupled a modified Sahharran version of the Consular-class cruiser's midsection with a Sahharran-designed engine block and cockpit section. The cockpit section had two separate decks. The top deck contained the bridge and crew quarters, and the bottom deck contained the passenger suite. The midsection contained the droid bay, hangar bay, and boarding trooper seats. The engine block contained the three massive E-90 engines and the hyperdrive. The other critical systems were spread out around the ship. The ship was legendary for its versatility. It gained this from a combination of speed, weaponry, and armor. Its speed allowed it to chase down blockade runners, and its armor and weapons allowed it to engage ships much larger then itself or protect valuable cargo within its hangar bay. It is said that several Jedi escaped the Great Jedi Purge by docking in the AS-15 cruiser Archer's hangar bay while the cruiser was on patrol duty near the Maw.

Production
This ship was inspired by the success of the Consular-class cruiser in the cruiser and frigate role. The ship was put into production almost immediately and joined the Sahharran ranks early in the Clone Wars.

Usage
The AS-15 was used in nearly every major Sahharran naval battle of the Clone Wars in the roles of strike cruiser, anti-starfighter cruiser, and support cruiser. It was also used in the transport, patrol, and blockading roles. It was so effective that one of Chancellor Palpatine's goals in his takeover of the galaxy was the destruction of the AS-15 squadrons. However, they all disappeared with the rest of the Sahharran Navy after the Jedi Purge. They resurfaced along with other Sahharran ship classes in the hands of the Rebel Alliance to wreck havoc on the Imperial Navy after the Sahharrans agreed to provide military aid to the Alliance. The AS-15's service life continued on through the Yuzhan Vong invasion.

Obsolescence
This craft has not yet gone obsolete with the Sahharran Navy, but it has fallen out of fashion with the New Republic in favor of other designs.