UNMC Frigate

Overview
The UNMC Frigate is a small classification of warship and is the most common type of ship in their military. A single fleet of ships will on average have a significant number being made up of frigates alone, as they allow larger ships to engage enemy contacts freely but at the same time receive cover and escorts. Frigates by themselves are not meant to go toe-to-toe with most other types of ships, being outclassed and outgunned by almost all other ships, however their strength lies in numbers, and speed.

Roles
Until enemy contact is confirmed, a frigate's duty to the fleet is mostly to scan, observe, and relay information to the rest of the fleet. Frigates are crucial in their roles, and even with their small superstructures and little armaments they give any sized fleet a large amount of support. When a battle starts, frigates can be found flying close to larger UNMC ships and protecting them from missile fire and fighters, also acting as a last line of defense for vital ships in case enemy vessels get too close. UNMC commanders will usually not send the majority of a fleet's frigates to the frontlines until victory is absolutely certain or other frontline ships are in desperate need of support. The exception to this rule is the UNMC Prometheus-class heavy frigate which is specifically meant for combat with enemy vessels.

Armament
Being the second smallest warship type in the UNMC (only UNMC corvettes are smaller), the frigate doesn't come fully loaded with large weaponry. A standard frigate will carry only a single Tier 1 Shock Cannon for offensive purposes, along with a small number of missiles, lasers, and turrets compared to other ships. Their armor is also very light, and even a blast from another Tier 1 cannon or large railgun will rip through a frigate's armor with relative ease. However, en masse the frigate can be a perfect candidate for overwhelming larger enemy ships due to their speed and small size, proving difficult for larger ships to target with main guns. The frigate is also one of the fastest type of starship in the UNMC..

Variants
There are currently 4 different classes of frigate in service with the UNMC, all built for their own unique roles within the fleet.

Xavier-class light frigate: The smallest class, these ships are designated as fast-attack vessels meant to swoop in, unload as much damage as possible and then disengage/regroup. This makes them very effective against fleeing enemy ships and initial volleys.

Masada-class frigate: The Masada is the most common class of frigate in the UNMC, making up a majority of their fleets. While not as fast as the Xavier and not as heavily armed as the Prometheus, it seems to balance its roles instead, being efficient at escort and screening duties as well as direct combat.

Prometheus-class heavy frigate: The Prometheus-class is the heaviest frigate class designed especially for direct ship-to-ship combat. Fielding more secondary armaments and some extra armor plating compared to the other 3 classes of frigate. UNMC commanders have found these ships particularly adept at planetary defense, and are seen as perfect escorts for capital ships.

Moscow-class strike frigate: The Moscow-class is a specialist frigate not meant for any type of direct combat. Instead, these ships are made to assault planets from high or low orbit, as well as destroying space-borne material targets such as orbital stations.