[Dalastine-L14] Responder - Advanced Assault Frigate Mk2

With the Galactic Civil War raging on, and the Imperial Navy going to ever more dramatic lengths to see the rebel fleet expunged from the Galaxy, the Alliance found itself requiring a more powerful ship to replace it's aging and outgunned corvettes. The result of the search was the distinctive Assault Frigate Mk.1, a distinctive and well armed ship, created specifically for hit-and-run attacks upon Imperial ships, even those that outclassed it. It's massive forward-facing argument and strong shield allowed the ship to jump from hyperspace, make a quick and crippling attack, and race away prior to any retaliation.

With the successful closure of active conflict against the Empire, the fledgling New Republic found itself requiring a new-generation combat frigate, to complement the transport-focused MC30-derived frigates being acquired in droves. The ship, which would become the Advanced Assault Frigate Mk.1 (AAF) had more multirole capabilities, including a small hangar in the rear of the  a larger suite of electronic warfare systems, and additional rear- and side-facing ion cannons and heavy blasters, bolstering the forward facing heavy turbolasers and proton torpedo tubes. The four engines of the original were replaced with a more efficient single sublight engine with an an integrated Class 2 hyperdrive reactor.

While ultimately descended from Rendili Star Drive's Dreadnought-class corvette, the AAF was built by Alliance Shipyards, the newly-privatised builder of the original Assault Frigate Mk.1. The Responder was one such AAF, allocated to the NR3F. This ship was responsible for launching long-range patrols, where it would attempt to despatch any wayward Pirates or Imperial Remnants with grandiose ideas.

Port view:

Rear view:

Front view:

Additional images:

Thank you for viewing, any comments and feedback welcome.

Judging note: please note that the stand for this model is not original, it was used for a previous entry (the entirety of the ship, however, is a completely original entry). The refuelling ship in one of the images is n0t intended for judging, it simply demonstrates the compatibility of the model, which is a feature of its design.