Na'Lon Assault Frigate
The origin of the Na'Lon Assault Frigate first began when shipyards cut back production on the T'Loth Cruisers in favor of some of the newer designs resulting in a supply of excess parts. Increased need for an inexpensive multi-purpose support vessel pressured designers to come up with a ship that utilized pre-existing manufacturing processes. Design after design was rejected for one reason or another as was the proposed Na'Lon.
The design was discarded until a shipyard, that recieved the various designs for feasability study, had production set back a month due to attacks to the shipping lanes by the Centauri. The foreman in charge of the facility, not wanting his crews to be paid without working, ordered the construction of the only design they had the components necessary to complete, the Na'Lon. Within three weeks, an amazing amount of time for a new design, the first Na'Lon rolled off the line and began it's shakedown trials. Though classified as a frigate, since it was nearly the size of a cruiser, it's armament and lack of a jump drive makes it's combat effectiveness more like that of a destroyer. A second ship had already been started when another shipping attack delayed normal production again. Three Na'Lons were completed by the time the shipyard was able to resume normal production.
The completed Na'Lons sat for another month until a battlegroup who had just seen combat and needed repairs arrived. They were on a planetary assault mission but were intercepted by a Centauri task force. Towing a crippled T'Loth and many of their ships damaged or destroyed, they were ready to return for new orders until they saw the Na'Lons berthed. Inspecting the ships they found the division of troops they carried in the crippled T'Loth could fit onto the three of them and repairs on their other ships could be accomplished in short order. Gaining approvals from the Kha'Ri, the Na'Lons were added to their battlegroup and performed beyond all expectations. After the successful assault, the design was reevaluated and accepted and more orders for the frigate were received.
Slowly, the Na'Lon turned into a naval workhorse, it's capacity to carry almost a brigade of troops and equipment or additional fighter support made the ship useful in both assault and transport roles. Though many variants of this ship exist, the most common mounted the newly developed Energy Mine to assist in bombarding orbital defenses.
The Na'Lon can still be found here and there but it's use has decreased dramatically since the development of the Dag'Kar Frigate and Rongoth Destroyer.
Ship Control Sheet