It was the middle-most of the Cardan-class space stations both in name, and in relative power. While all variants of the Cardan space station saw use, the Mark III model was among the most commonly used throughout the Empire.
To fulfill its role as a defense platform, the Cardan III possessed a number of turbolaser, laser cannon, and ion cannon batteries in addition to a quartet of proton torpedo launchers. In addition, it carried a complement of four twelve-unit TIE/LN starfighter squadrons—the same number of TIE/LN fighters carried by an Imperial I-class Star Destroyer—for patrol and space superiority. It also could quickly call upon Tartan-class patrol cruisers for reinforcements.
As with other Cardan-class space stations, the Mark III could repair vessels or even build them from scratch. With its integrated shipyard facilities, a Cardan III was capable of building and repairing vessels as large as a Victory-class Star Destroyer. While featuring considerably less firepower than a Golan space defense platform of comparable size, this ability to repair and construct vessels made it a valuable asset to Imperial fleets far from the Core.