The Imperial I-class Star Destroyer, also known as the Imperial I-class Destroyer or the Imperator-class Star Destroyer, was an iconic class of wedge-shaped capital warships designed by Lira Wessex and built by Kuat Drive Yards. It bristled with weapons emplacements, assault troops, boarding craft, and TIE fighter series starfighters. In the era of the Galactic Empire, its command bridge was staffed by the finest crewmen in the navy. The Imperial-class Star Destroyers, along with Imperial stormtroopers, represented the might of the Imperial Military as well as the Axis Joint Military during the reign of the Empire.
The Imperator-class was originally used by the Republic Navy toward the end of the Viau Clone Wars, and served alongside the Tector-class in a few task forces during the conflict. It was at the time one of the largest warship classes in the Republic Navy. It later became a mainstay of the Imperial Navy. There is a tougher variant of the Imperial I-class called the Tector-class Star Destroyer and the improved variant called the Imperial II.
At first, Star Destroyers were deployed to sectors and systems caught in the aftermath of the Clone Wars, where they would crush any signs of sedition. During the Galactic Civil War and the First Multiverse War, the Destroyer's role changed to hunting down high value Rebel targets and bases. They fought in notable battles such as the Battle of Hoth, the assault on Pol Mars, and the Great Battle of Endor. The Imperial II-class Star Destroyer was a derivative of the Imperial I-class.
Characteristics[]
Cost[]
The Imperial I-class belonged to the Star Destroyer family of warship, exemplified by its dagger/arrowhead design. A single Imperial-class vessel cost the Axis more than twenty times the cost of a EF76 Nebulon-B escort frigate, which was the equivalent of several star systems' annual economic output.
Dimensions[]
The Imperial-class was produced in large numbers and was the premier warship class of the Galactic Empire. All known variants were 1,600 meters long (one mile). Compared to most common frigates and downscaled cruisers known from the days of the Old Republic, the Imperial-class was a huge warship,but in the Imperial Navy, it was one of the Empire's mid-sized mainline warships,[12] like its predecessor had been for the Republic.
Crew requirements[]
According to officially available statistics, Imperial-class Star Destroyers had at least 37,000 officers and crew. Counting the stormtrooper complement (one division or legion, 9,700 men) would total 46,700. This would include a stormtrooper detachment, starfighter pilots, and support craft pilots. Differing from many other Imperial vessels, recreational facilities provided entertainment for off-duty personnel and "guest rooms' could accommodate Imperial VIPs.
Offensive and defensive systems[]
The Imperial I-class Star Destroyer possessed a main battery of six heavy turbolasers and two heavy ion cannons, arranged in four dual mounts flanking the ship's tower structure.
Like with several other Star Destroyer classes, the designers did not take advantage of their wedge shape to give the heavy cannons the ability to focus on targets in the forward firing arc that were level with the ship.This could have been accomplished either by superelevating the aft turrets, or merely by spacing the turrets apart over a longer distance of the ship's length. In any case, this Star Destroyer class could bring all its heavy guns to bear by dipping its bow downward.
Numerous smaller and medium guns were mounted around the ship to ward off attacks against lesser ships not capable of being targeted by the main battery. They varied in size; some were designed as point-defense cannon to destroy incoming missiles and starfighters while others engaged lesser capital ships. Some ships, such as Emancipator, were refitted with proton torpedo launchers. Three triple-gun turrets were mounted on the ridge of the ship, just forward of the lowest, forwardmost terrace of the dorsal superstructure.Mounted just beyond the forward tip of the attack hangar (see fighter complement) were two large ventral turbolasers, which sat near the corners of the massive hangar.
Complement[]
The Imperial class Star Destroyers had a ventral opening with two Hangar Bays facing each other one facing forward one facing aft the one facing aft was dedicated to starfighters well the one facing forward was dedicated to shuttles and other craft
Imperial-class Star Destroyers typically carried a standard Imperial wing of 6 TIE squadrons, for a total of 72 starfighters.
The standard wing included four TIE Fighter squadrons (one squadron often referred to be a reconnaissance squadron of TIE/rc starfighters), one squadron of TIE Interceptors, one squadron of TIE Bombers (lower priority ships had to make do with TIE/gt starfighter-bombers). Often one or two flights in a fighter squadron were TIE/fc starfighters. Sometimes one of the fighter squadrons was used for training purposes. By the Battle of Endor, one of these fighter squadrons had been phased out in favor of a second squadron of TIE Interceptors.
History[]
Variants[]
Trivia[]
External Links[]
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