Assault Frigates were modified cruisers which were first employed by the Rebel fleet around the time of the Battle of Hoth. They served as a mainstay of the New Republic Defense Fleet in the years following the Battle of Endor. As the New Republic began to acquire Galactic Republic-era Rendili StarDrive Dreadnaught-class starships, it found the required 16,000-being crew to be difficult to manage and procure, yet they were in desperate need of warships. From SW1ki, a Wikia wiki.