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Click here for Wookieepedia's article on the Canon version of this subject.  This article covers the Legends version of this subject. 

The DP20 frigate or Corellian Gunship was one of the few dedicated warship designs produced by Corellian Engineering Corporation, and was the most common member of the Corellian gunship product line.[2] Though small and compact, it was fast and carried heavy firepower for a ship of its size and class.

Characteristics[]

CorellianGunship-SotG

A DP20 frigate

Unlike its cousin, the CR90 corvette, the gunship had minimal cargo space and almost no space for passengers or troops. These small ships were designed to be only two things: fast and deadly. Engines consumed nearly half of the gunship's interior space. What little room was left was used for deflector shield generators and weapons.

Armed with eight double turbolaser cannons, four concussion missile tubes, and six quad laser cannons, the Corellian gunship was effective against both larger capital ships and starfighters, though it was primarily used against the latter. These ships were 120 meters long. Each one carried a crew of 45, along with 46 gunners. They were equipped with Class 2 hyperdrives.

History[]

The DP20 was originally designed for the fleet of the Galactic Republic.[10] These vessels saw extensive use among the Corellian and Rebel Alliance/New Republic fleets, although some were also seen in the hands of independent operators, such as pirate factions and other fringe groups. Local Imperial forces also utilized the class.[7] The Rebel Alliance, in need of a small, fast attack vessel, decided to purchase a few of these starships after witnessing a group of pirates use them to hijack an Imperial shipment guarded by several Imperial fighters and bombers.[11] At least one of these vessels was wrecked in the Korteen asteroid belt by Quarg's father and his space wreckers.[12]

Approximately twelve months before the Battle of Yavin,[13] DP20 frigates were among the fleet led by the Rebel flagship Salvation when it fell under attack by the bounty hunter Boba Fett, and for its retaliatory assault on Kamino.[14]

Following the Rebel Alliance's first victory over the Galactic Empire, the pirate Crimson Jack's crew employed a DP20 frigate to fight off the TIE complement of an Imperial cruiser crippled in that battle, which he then seized for himself.[4]

During the Imperial blockade of the Rebel base on the fourth moon of Yavin,[15] DP20 frigates, alongside larger Rebel warships, were part of an Alliance fleet led by the smuggler Han Solo through the asteroid corridor to defend their supply planet Junction from the Imperial-aligned House of Tagge. Though the supposed attack was in fact a ruse to draw in the Rebel fleet and incapacitate it with house Chief Scientist Silas Tagge's Omega Frost superweapon, sabotage to the device by the Rebel Luke Skywalker and a breach of comms silence by the Tagges' crew allowed the Rebel frigates and blockade runners to destroy the Tagge Mining Explorer.[16] After the evacuation of Yavin, DP20 frigates were among the Rebel fleet dispatched to the wealthy planet Arrochar in hopes of establishing a new base.[17]

After the Battle of Hoth, the Corellian gunship Loose Cannon was used by a group of pirates in a raid on the Azzameen family's assets. Drawing the Azzameens in with the promise of black-market bacta, the Loose Cannon exited hyperspace and engaged the Firespray fighter Andrasta and YT-2000 transport Otana. Though the gunship inflicted significant damage to the Andrasta, it succumbed to their attack and combusted from within.[5]

New Republic captains Afyon and Sarin Virgilio both began their careers with the Rebel Alliance aboard Corellian gunships, as first and third officers, respectively. Virgilio's gunship was the veteran of many engagements since Hoth, and recovered the six surviving members of a Bothan Spynet involved in the theft of the Death Star II plans.[8]

During the Bakura Incident of 4 ABY,[18] five Corellian gunships—the Ensaiav, Ghorman's Honor, Mastala, Telsor, and Walerv—were part of the Rebel task force sent to defend the Imperial-held planet Bakura from the extra-galactic Ssi-ruuvi Imperium. The Alliance group formed a truce with the world's defenders, whose forces included six Corellian gunships of their own, though four were lost in the initial invasion of Bakura.[7]

In 5 ABY, the New Republic Dreadnaught New Hope[18] and hospital ship Mercy had a squadron of Corellian Gunships as part of their escort.[19]

DP20 frigates destroyed in the Imperial Civil War were still present as wreckage during the Millennium Falcon crew's mission[20] to Coruscant in 10 ABY, while the New Republic[18] stationed the frigates at their stronghold Pinnacle Base on the fifth moon of Da Soocha in the Cyax system,[21] from which they were deployed to fight in the Battle of Calamari.[22] At Pinnacle Base, a DP20 frigate crew reported the arrival of Emperor Palpatine's flagship, and at least one of the frigates was consumed by the Emperor's dark-side Force storm.[23] At least one DP20 frigate relocated to the ancient spaceport Nespis VIII following the destruction of Da Soocha V by the Imperial Galaxy Gun superweapon, fleeing once again when Nespis too was targeted by the weapon.[24]

Behind the scenes[]

The design of the gunship is based on early concept art from the pre-production of Star Wars: Episode IV A New Hope, depicting a lean, small warship that was originally conceived as an Imperial starship in the rough draft, evolving into a "pirate ship" as the script developed. This role in the movie was eventually taken by the Millennium Falcon, while the linear design served as the basis for the hammerhead-bowed blockade runner: both are depicted as Corellian ships, from the same manufacturer as the non-movie gunship.

Blockade Runner Sketchbook

The DP20 began as a concept for the Millennium Falcon and later, the Rebel Blockade Runner.

The gunship was first described in detail in The Rebel Alliance Sourcebook in 1990, but Rebel gunships based on the same concept-art designs first appeared in the twelfth issue of Marvel's Star Wars comics in 1978:[4] The Complete Star Wars Encyclopedia confirmed these to be Corellian gunships.[source?]

In issue 25 of the Marvel Comics Star Wars, Luke and Leia trade a space yacht for a Corellian gunship of this design. Luke uses it as his primary ship for much of the next year, until The Empire Strikes Back was serialized, after which Luke pretty much flew his X-wing everywhere.

Because of the reuse of old concept art in the prequel trilogy, the design is also similar to the Consular-class cruiser in The Phantom Menace—another Corellian design.

The Isis Coordinates, an adventure for Star Wars: The Roleplaying Game by West End Games, featured the complete deck plans of a Corellian gunship, Handree.

The common fan designation of this vessel was the "Corellian Gunship," before the revised version of Starships of the Galaxy introduced the designation DP-20 or DP20. The term "Corellian Gunship" became a classification, one which is still widely used by fans to refer to this gunship specifically.

Appearances[]

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Notes and references[]

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