A corvette is a classification of strike craft designed for escort and light combat duty. Corvettes are generally characterized by their crew size, which is small but still larger than the single pilot and occasional co-pilot crew found on fighters. Corvettes are often said to be a "missing link" between strike craft and capital ships, their firepower and armor stronger than those of a fighter while they remain faster and more maneuverable than even the most nimble frigate. Corvettes are almost entirely manned by an onboard crew rather than controlled by remote or AI.

Sub-classificationsEdit

Corvettes usually possess turreted rather than mounted weapons, giving them excellent coverage. Their guns track moving targets more quickly than those of larger ships and as such corvettes are exceptionally adept at anti-fighter roles. As a result corvettes follow an almost universal design philosophy. There are exceptions, however. Minelayers for example are unarmed except for their mines which they lay in fields which serve as anti-capital ship defenses. Salvagers and repair corvettes serve non-combat roles and with their small or nonexistent weaponry serve more specialized roles.

Corvette technology has advanced greatly in the years. During the Cataclysm Era, Somtaaw engineers developed composite technology, allowing fighters to link together to form a vehicle of the same size as a corvette which then served a similar role. The era also saw the advent of the Acolyte Fighter Drive, which was implemented in corvettes as well as fighters and allowed strike craft to operate without constant refueling. During the Homeworld 2 Era, laser and pulsar technology advanced sufficiently for miniature versions of the weapons to be mounted on corvettes, allowing the vehicles to take on anti-frigate roles.

Despite their adaptability corvettes are still vulnerable and like fighters are usually deployed in squadrons, although these squadrons are of fewer numbers than those of corvettes' smaller brethren.

Notable corvette typesEdit

• Standard corvettes or Light corvettes
  • Taiidan Raachok-class Light Corvette
  • Kushan Cavalier-class Light Corvette
• Heavy corvettes
  • Taiidan Heavy Corvette
  • Kushan Hammer-class Heavy Corvette
  • Turanic Raiders Thief-class Heavy Corvette
• Gunships
  • Hiigaran Gunship
  • Hiigaran Pulsar Gunship
• Minelayer corvettes
  • Taiidan Wodaan-class Minelayer Corvette
  • Kushan Resolute-class Minelayer Corvette
  • Hiigaran Minelayer Corvette
  • Vaygr Minelayer Corvette
• Multi-Gun corvettes
  • Taiidan Diirvaas-class Multi-Gun Corvette
  • Kushan Tempest-class Multi-Gun Corvette
• Salvage corvettes
  • Taiidan Tiirshak-class Salvage Corvette
  • Kushan Porter-class Salvage Corvette
• Repair corvettes
  • Taiidan Repair Corvette
  • Kushan Mercy-class Repair Corvette
• Composite vehicles
  • Kiith Somtaaw Avenger-class ACV
  • Kiith Somtaaw Martyr-class MCV
• Missile corvettes
  • Turanic Raiders Brigand-class Missile Corvette
  • Vaygr Hammer-class Missile Corvette
• Other corvettes
  • Vaygr Command Corvette
  • Vaygr Laser Corvette
  • Progenitor Mover
  • Progenitor Drone
  • Junkyard Dog

See AlsoEdit

• Strike craft