The NAC design doctrine favours beam weapons, moderate manoeuvrability and lots of fighters. The list of ship classes currently in service are as follows:

Class: Scout (SC)
Mass: 7
Points: 22
The Arrow scout is designed entirely for non-combative scouting roles. It does carry a single point defence system, but is completely unsuited to handling any real combat situation.

Class: Corvette (CT)
Mass: 14
Points: 47
Designed for patrol and customs duty in safe systems, the Comanche is a lightly armed craft that does not often see combat on the front lines, though it may sometimes take on the role of a courier. Though it is slower than the Arrow, it has much greater survival potential, and can take on small pirate vessels or civilian trouble makers.

Class: Frigate (FF)
Mass: 20
Points: 67
The Troutbridge is the smallest NAC vessel that is officially considered to be capable of serving in a real battle. It's speed makes it good at harassing the enemy from the sides, though the lack of anything other than short range weapons means it has to risk getting in close. Equipped with two PDS systems, it is also capable of defending itself against fighter attacks.

Class: Destroyer (DD)
Mass: 34
Points: 112
The Tallahachie is an escort class vessel equipped with medium range weapons mounted on 360 degree turrets which combined with its high thrust, make it an excellent for hit and run tactics. Given its high firepower, it has also been effectively used in anti-piracy roles.

Class: Light Cruiser (CL)
Mass: 54
Points: 181
The smallest of the NAC ships to carry shields, the Lancaster carries four class two beam weapons as well as a variety of secondary weapon systems. It is fast and durable.

Class: Escort Cruiser (CE)
Mass: 64
Points: 231
The Suffolk class of escort cruiser is designed to be durable, capable of soaking considerable damage whilst defending the ships under its protection. Carrying two shield generators, and an array of ten point defence systems, the Suffolk is an important part of the NAC fleet. It does however sacrifice some speed, having only a thrust four drive, but this is generally enough to keep up with the type of ships it is likely to need to protect.

Class: Heavy Cruiser (CH)
Mass: 78
Points: 267
The Battleaxe class of heavy cruisers is designed to deliver maximum firepower onto the enemy. Equipped with pulse torpedoes, as well as class two and three beams, it has considerable forward fire power. However, it has little in the way of side bearing weapon systems, and the initial banks of class one beam turrets were ripped out late in the design process and replaced with two spinal mounted class three beams.

Class: Battlecruiser (BC)
Mass: 100
Points: 338
The Renown class of Battlecruisers goes back to the original battlecruiser concept in design philosophy - it is an eggshell carrying nukes. Faster than other cruisers in the NAC fleet, with more guns than the Thunderer class of battleships, it is not much more durable than a much smaller cruiser. Their forward mounted weapon systems (pulse torpedoes and class 3 beam weapons) have considerable firepower. It is designed to out gun anything smaller than it, and to run away from anything else.

Class: Heavy Cruiser (CH)
Mass: 127
Points: 444
Big, slow and tough, the Thunderer is the NAC's main class of battleship. It has three spinal mount pulse torpedo launchers as its primary weapons, along with three class 3 beam turrets backed by class 2 turrets as secondary systems. It's shields protect it from most beam attacks, but it lacks point defence systems, so often needs to be protected by escort cruisers, or at least fighter screens. Another potential weakness is that it's fire control systems can only track two targets, limiting its options - especially against smaller targets.

Class: Battledreadnaught (BDN)
Mass: 159
Points: 511
Armed entirely with ten class 3 beam weapons, the Farragut class is capable of an impressive amount of long range firepower over a wide area. For simplicity of design, it has no secondary weapons, so is weaker at short range combat than similarly classed vessels, but the Farragut is rarely fielded alone, and with a fleet of escort vessels and fighters to support it, this weakness can be difficult to take advantage of.