Gladius Frigate
From Lexicanum
The Gladius Class Frigate fulfils the role that the Sword Class Frigate does in the Imperial Navy. The ship is crewed mainly by the chapter serfs that the chapters rely on to crew their vessels, with only a squad of Space Marines on board. The members of the Astartes who are on board will be either on the bridge, or at other command posts around the ship.1
The Gladius is armed with a mid-sized weapons battery, much like the Sword classes, but its engines are about 20% more powerful than the Swords. This enables the Gladius to take advantage of the enemies' movements, darting into holes left in the battle line, and using its weapons batteries to good effect. The ship is shielded as well as any other escort, but due to the nature of its role in combat, has an excellent turret array for its size, comparable to that of a standard Imperial Navy cruiser.1
Sources
| Type | Design | Class |
|---|---|---|
| Capital Ships | Battleships | Battle Barge |
| Cruisers | Strike Cruiser | |
| Escorts | Frigates | Gladius • Nova |
| Destroyers | Hunter |
