SPG2 Cruisers

Introduction
Main Article: Ships & Classes

The term "cruiser" has been in use for several centuries and has had many different meanings since. On Earth's seas, "naval cruising" referred to certain kinds of missions – independent scouting, raiding or commerce protection – that were fulfilled by smaller vessels, which were the cruising warships of a fleet. Later on, the cruiser evolved to be first the naval coastal escort, then, a battle group air defense escort and finally, after the end of World War II - with the emergence of the missile technology - it became the biggest class of ocean naval battle ship.

The cruiser class has been introduced in the space age relatively early; after the completion of the first Martian Planetary Shipyard in 2040, the first ship built by it, the "Ventura" (finished in 2049) was indeed classed as a cruiser-class explorer - similar in size of a present day frigate. From that time on, the biggest spacefaring explorer vessels were consistently designated as cruisers, until the war with the colonies introduced the need for armoured, combat-capable ships. The explorer-class cruisers were quickly converted to armed space vessels and been in use since then.

These ships are able to stand against heavier foes surprisingly well, and indeed they pose as the largest and most powerful space combatant for many organizations. They are the most versatile multi-purpose space faring vessels, capable to serve in almost every strategic and tactical role, as well as armoured merchant vessels and pirate operational centers if the necessary modifications are made.

Additional Information
Combat Cruisers immediately took their right place in combat groups, as the class has proved its worth in the first engagements as fleet support vessels: a lone, well equipped cruiser was capable to wipe out enemy strike forces in high number and the relatively strong armour enabled them to withstand moderate fire even from battleships. Cruisers are extremely capable ships, can be equipped with and sustain power feed to all heavy turrets and their powerful shield generators make them suitable for both independent and group roles. They're also very maneuverable, allowing them to bring their guns to bear at any target really fast.

Basic Details
Only the basic stats are presented here. For full information, check out the specific page about each ship.

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