Star Trek Online's new support carriers

Star Trek Online have introduced a new range of "support carrier" ships to the game.

Available in designs from the Jem'Hadar, Romulans, Klingons, and Caitians (the latter the Federation entry), the large ships all feature two hangers, and come pre-equipped with a support frigate and squadron and fighters. In each case those support ships are repurposed pre-existing designs.

The hangers can each support either two support frigates, or six squadrons, if you get hold of more - The latter is a new function that operates a group of smallcraft instead of just one, so each carrier is able to hold six squadrons each, and so are able to deploy thirty-six fighters, plus two frigates.

Continue below to check out the details of each design, plus some other STO ship updates.

My favourite of the bunch if the Jem’Hadar Vanguard Support Carrier, because it's a cracking new Jem'Hadar design:

All the ships have a fleet variant, this is the Jem'Hadar version:

And here we have the included Jem’Hadar Support Frigate and squadron of Jem’Hadar Fighters:

The Romulan Ra’nodaire Support Carrier Warbird is a particularly imposing design, with it's tall bow section:

Here's the fleet variant:

It's support ships are the Malem Support Frigate, and Scorpion Fighters:

The Klingons get the boxy and utilitarian looking Vo’devwl Support Carrier:

The fleet version of this ship takes a different route, and offers a completely different ship, a variant of the previously existing Vo’quv Support Carrier:

Included support vessels are the Ning’tao Support Frigate and To’Duj Fighters:

Finally the Caitians bring us the sleek Aspero Support Carrier:

The fleet version of this is meant to be the Atrox Support Carrier, like the Klingons, another pre-existing design. Although despite the name, the picture Cryptic have released seems to be the Aspero design anyway?

Support ships for this are the Caitian Support Frigate and Caitian Stalker Fighters:

All these ships come with a High-Energy Communications Network console. This is how STO describe it's function:

When activated, this console sends a massive burst of sensor and targeting data out, ranking up your hangar pets and disorienting all nearby enemy starships, disabling them temporarily. As it remains active, it will continue to enhance the communications network of yourself and nearby allies, granting significant bonuses to ship combat capabilities. This increased networking also aids in gaining enhanced targeting locks on nearby foes, making them more vulnerable to the incoming damage.

This console additionally provides a passive boost to Auxiliary Power and Starship Structural Integrity. It can be equipped on any console, on any starship.

And they also have a Relaunch and Repair ability:

While this trait is slotted, whenever you activate a carrier launch ability, the cooldown of your captain abilities will be reduced, and you and your carrier pets will receive a substantial boost to hull regeneration.

For full specs of each ship, regular and fleet versions, see the STO announcement blog. And to see them action, check out this video from ZEFilms:



UPDATE: Star Trek Online starship designer Hector Ortiz has now shared some concept art for all of the support carriers. Check it out:

Meanwhile another new ship to join the game is the Risian Weather Control Vessel, which is available as a prize for taking part in activities in the 2020 Summer Event.

Here's how STO describe the ship:

The Risian Weather Control Vessel is the result of a project that started for practical purposes, as Risa’s weather phenomena is naturally much less pleasant than the planet needs as a tourist place. However, the project has continued far past what’s strictly necessary, and this starship is the result of pushing the envelope for the sake of pushing the envelope, successfully enough that outside bidders started to take notice. Its incredible weather-control technologies are capable not only of minimizing existing weather disturbances, but also of spinning up weather-related phenomena of all kinds.

This ship also has some extra abilities. It comes with a Neutronic Eddy console:

When activated, your starship summons four Neutronic Eddies that will wander the nearby area, dealing radiation damage and draining significant amounts of shields from any affected foes.

This console also provides a passive boost to Auxiliary Power and Starship Drain Expertise. This Console can be equipped in any console slot. It may be equipped on any ship. You may only equip one of these consoles.

And it has an innate Electrified Anomalies trait:

After achieving level 5 in the Risian Weather Control Vessel [T6], you will unlock the Electrified Anomalies Starship Trait. While this trait is slotted, your Bridge Officer Anomalies become the epicenter of an electrical storm in addition to their other effects, causing electrical blasts to shoot out. These will deal significant damage to any foes and grant substantial power bonuses to any allies hit.

See the STO blog for full stats of this ship.


Finally, STO's Thomas Marrone has updated his ArtStation recently with some beauty shots of the newly rebuilt TOS Romulan Bird of Prey model, and this cool interactive model. Check out the original post for the images.




For more Star Trek Online coverage, check back through my STO tag.