During the Mandalorian Wars (around 3964 BBY), as well as the Jedi Civil War and the period that followed, the Republic Navy utilized Foray-class blockade runners, which were classified as capital ships.
Similar to the Corellian Engineering Corporation warships that would appear in the Republic's later years, these vessels featured elongated, streamlined hulls that culminated in substantial thrusters at the rear.
These blockade runners had rotating gun emplacements on both sides of their forward section, and point-defense cannons were situated along the primary superstructure. The ship's command center was located on its underside.
Initially, the intention behind the Foray-class was to reinforce the Republic Navy's presence by producing them in large quantities, effectively saturating trade lanes. However, the Mandalorian Wars led to the ship being used in new ways. They provided assistance to Republic soldiers and civilians who found themselves stranded behind enemy lines, and they resupplied Republic worlds under siege, even while taking fire. Furthermore, these ships were capable of covertly deploying commando units.
Following the theft of most of the larger warships by the fallen Jedi, Darth Revan and Darth Malak, soon after the Battle of Malachor V, the Foray-class, along with the Hammerhead-class cruiser, became one of the two primary capital ship classes that the Republic fleet relied upon.
Many vessels of this type also participated in the defense of Citadel Station, which orbited Telos IV, during a Sith offensive led by Darth Nihilus aboard the Ravager.