The Munificent-Class Star Frigate, commonly refered to as Banking Clan Frigate, Banking Clan Comm Ship, Separatist Frigate, or just Frigate, is a warship that's used by the InterGalactic Banking Clan and later on by the Confederacy of Independent Systems during the Clone Wars as one of the prominent starships in the Confederate Navy.
Characteristics
Dimensions
The Munificent-Class Frigate is a long skeleton-like ship that is 825 meters long. The skeletal-look was due to the fact that the ship only required a small crew to operate and wasn't a carrier. Longitudinal spines ran across the ship and were covered with tensor fields and inertial compensators that helped maintain the structural integrity of the vessels.
The frigates also have four extensive sensors and communication arrays built into the hulls in the center in a cross-pattern. Several docking rings are underneath them and had vertical arrays with point-defense cannons built underneath them as well.
Combat Systems
Munificent frigates were light warships and star frigates that served as one of the default cruisers of the Confederate Navy during the Clone Wars. The ships were armed to with heavy combat oversized guns, twin turbocannon, and two long-rage ion cannons to be used against captial ships. Compementing the defenses was a series of 38 point-defense laser cannons for anti-starfighter firepower, 26 twin turbolaser cannons, and 20 turbolasers turrets for flexible defenses.
The twin turbolaser cannons were powerful enough to melt an ice moon 1,000 km in diameter or pierce the shields of a 10 km-wide Grade III Battle Station. The ship has high-performance sensors with a range of several light-days positioned on the dorsal side of the ship. A forward scanner was placed on the top of the vessel's command tower as well.
Complement
Each ship was capable of carring up to 150,000 battle droid for boarding and/or ground operations and were capable of shielding droid starfighters with their hulls as well. A system of docking rings would line each ship up. In the forward hollow areas, war materials could be stored for transfer while in times of peace, they were used to travel financial assets instead. In several models, hanger bays were stored in the middle of the ship to store starfighters. These ships were heavily shielded and could withstand firepower until it was destroyed.
Propulsion Systems
The frigate was powered by a pair of twin reactors placed side by side towards the middle of the craft. One reactor was powerful enough to power the ship in case of emergency. Both reactors together would use up to 2,300 tons of fuel a second. The Munificient's sudperdense reactant tanks were placed on the ventral side of the ship, underneath the reactors. A series of power freeds ran out of the reactors and into the antennas and sensor systems where the power cells was stored.
Bridge Tower
The command tower of the Munficient frigate was located at the bow and risingdiagonally from the superstructure. The tower contains a turbolift shaft connected to various other stations on the ship with wide panorama windows on each level, providing a good view of the surrounding area. The bridge itself was sparsely equipped with a few terminals on multiple levels, rising up like a pyramid. The ship commander stood at the top, with one operator on each side. These types of bridges were very vulnerable.
History
Pre-Clone Wars
The Munificent-Class Star Frigate was originally designed by Hoersch-Kessel Drive Inc and Gwori Revolutionary Industries as star frigates for the InterGalactic Banking Clan to use to secure communication networks, harass worlds heavily in debt, transfer financial assests, and protect valuable treasures. The Munificen acted as a key component of the Banking Clan's network as it carried hypderwave transcievers and communication arrays to allow financial transactions to be done all across the galaxy.
Clone Wars
Following the formation of the Confederacy of Independent Systems, the Banking Clan had joined the new government and the frigates were handed over to the Separatist military. Painted with the iconic grey and blue markings and bearing the emblem of the Confederacy, the Munificent frigates became a staple of the Confederate Navy and were prominently featured in Separatist fleets and blockades. Other frigates had featured both Confederate and Banking Clan colors to. During the Clone Wars, the Munificent frigates had engaged Republic Venator cruisers in countless space battles across the galaxy.
Throughout the war, the Munificent class frigates had served various purposes for the Confederacy. Not only did they engage Republic ships throughout the galaxy, but they were also good at coordination and navigation as well. Many frigates had entered into networks and broadcasted propaganda via HoloNets to demoralize the soldiers of the Grand Army of the Republic. The frigates used their communication arrays to broadcast anti-Republic propaganda throughout the galaxy and jammed enemy signals.
Many Munificent frigates were used throughout the Clone Wars as they made up much of the Confederate Navy and fought against the Republic. Munificent frigates appeared in blockades around planets like Ryloth and Christophsis, many individual Confederate Naval Commanders and Separatist Military Members ranging from organic sentient beings, tactical/super-tactical droids, and B1 Commander Battle Droids. Toward the end of the war, thousands of Munificent frigates appeared during the Battle of Courscant.
Post-Clone Wars
After the end of the Clone Wars in 19 BBY, the Separatist Council was wipped out by Anakin Skywalker, now Darth Vader, and the droid armies of the Confederacy were deactivated which lead to the dissolution of the Confederacy and the Separatist naval forces. Many of the Munificent frigates were captured by the newly formed Galactic Empire and disassembled to acquire new wealth and resources for the new empire. Many Munificents had retreated into space away from the empire and many others were captured by the Separatist holdouts to continue their resistance against the empire. During the ealry days of the Alliance to Restore the Republic, many Munificent frigates were captured and used by the Alliance navy and many of whom were modified to the point where they did not resemble their original design.
Gallery
