Trade Federation Battleship

• Appeared in:
  
  I
  II
  III
  IV
  V
  VI
  CW

• Size:
  3170 meters diameter

• Weapon:
  Turbolaser cannons

• Affiliation:
  Trade Federation

• Type:
  battleship (converted freighter)

• Manufacturer:
  Hoersch- Kessel Drive

• 

From the Movies

When the Republic's ambassadors emerged from lightspeed and approached the blockaded world of Naboo, they found a flotilla of imposing warships surrounding the peaceful blue and green world. At over three kilometers in diameter, the enormous vessels resemble flattened disks with a central sphere containing the ship's bridge and reactor assemblies. The disk is broken at the front of the craft, revealing two mammoth docking bays lined with forward docking claws. The reclusive Neimoidian commanders typically seal themselves in the ship's spacious bridge while their legions of droids handle the operation of the mighty craft.

The most important vessel in the Trade Federation's blockade was the Droid Control Ship. When the rest of the blockade had dispersed after Naboo was successfully occupied, the Neimoidians left the Droid Control Ship in orbit.

From the Expanded Universe

Not originally designed as warships, the Trade Federation battleship started life as cargo freighters for their vast commercial fleet. When the Neimoidians began secretly building their armed forces, one of their first acts was to convert their freighters into combat warships.

The conversion wasn't entirely effective -- while the vessels themselves are powerful, they do have a number of weaknesses. The addition of retractable turbolasers along the equator of the ship's hull left large blind spots that speedy vessels could exploit, as the Naboo Royal Starship did during its escape.

These battleships have cavernous hangar bays -- a holdover from their freighter configurations -- that can carry an entire invasion army. One battleship can carry 550 MTTs, 6,250 AATs, 1,500 troop carriers, 50 C-9979 landing craft and 1,500 droid starfighters.

Behind the Scenes

George Lucas wanted the battleship to have a retro-saucer look, but felt it needed a distinct sense of front and rear. Doug Chiang achieved this in early concept art by adding the antennae and docking section to one side, and a set of engines to the other. Lucas himself added the "bridge ball" to the center for the finished design.