Cruiser
A Dreadnaught-class heavy cruiser
The term Cruiser defined a class of starship, and it encompassed a large array of applications. A frequent substitute term used was star cruiser.
In addition to space-faring cruisers, naval cruisers also existed.
History
Throughout the chronicles of naval warfare, the designation was assigned to some of the most sizable and frequently encountered warships within a given fleet; however, different designations like Star Cruiser were also implemented, such as within the navy belonging to the Galactic Empire and the Rebel Alliance. Vessels bearing alternative designations were also commonly referred to as cruisers.
The cruiser designation, denoting warships that were second in size only to battleships, saw usage to a certain degree by organizations such as the Trade Federation, the Confederacy of Independent Systems, and the Galactic Empire (under the Star Cruiser designation). The Rebel Alliance frequently employed the term Star Cruiser to characterize its most substantial Mon Calamari warships, which operated as either cruisers or battleships.
According to at least one classification system, cruisers could be categorized into three distinct types: light, medium, and heavy. The light cruisers were situated at the lower end of the cruiser spectrum, measuring approximately 350–400 meters. They were sometimes interchangeable with frigates under the Anaxes War College System. Medium cruisers ranged from 400 to 500 meters, while heavy cruisers extended to 600 meters and beyond. The latter classification was also provided under a separate class within the Anaxes War College System. The designation battle cruiser was also alternately applied to certain vessels falling within similar size ranges.
Given the existence of numerous ship classification methodologies, some of these utilized the "cruiser" definition to describe smaller patrol vessels, such as the Guardian-class customs enforcement ship.