The Carrack Cruiser is one of the oldest Imperial cruisers. It has been part of the Imperial Navy since almost the beginning of the New Order. The design of it has made it competitive against the newer ships, and this has made it difficult for commanders to retire them.
For a small cruiser, the Carrack is surprisingly well armed. It is 350 metres in length, and therefore is classified as a light cruiser, but its weapons make it a formidable ship. The weapons configuration consists of ten heavy turbolasers, twenty ion cannons, and five tractor beam projectors. This allows the Carrack to engage most of the Rebels capital ships. If the Carrack has to engage starfighters, the ion cannons can be replaced with twenty laser cannons.
The cruiser has a hull that can withstand much damage, due to its special compartmentalisation system. This takes up most of the space on board, but it has been critical in raising crew survival rates. It is not uncommon to find members of the crew alive in the drifting wreckage after a battle. Although the hull is very strong, the cruiser can be disabled with one good hit just aft of the Carrack's midline. This is where the power generator is, and it has weak armour plating protecting it.
Another large drawback of the cruiser is that it has no hangar bay. Starfighters are carried by small external racks, which can only transport five fighters. Although it needs other capital ships or planetary bases for TIE fighters, it has powerful sublight engines which make it as fast as an X-Wing fighter.
Normally Carracks were used for sector patrol or rearguards for fleets. Older cruisers were usually used as private transports for governors or Sector Moffs. But as the Empire dwindled into its twilight years, more and more Carracks saw duty on the frontline. This was apparent at Bakura when the Carrack cruiser Dominant, commanded by Pter Thanas, was the mainstay of the fleet there. It held off the Ssi-ruuk attack with help from the Rebels, but later turned on them and destroyed the Republic cruiser Flurry. Although he surrendered, Thanas defected to the Alliance and was given back command of the Dominant, which would the lead ship in the Bakuran Alliance system defense force.