The Springhawk, a heavy cruiser belonging to the Chiss Ascendancy's navy, was under the leadership of Senior Captain Mitth'raw'nuruodo. Following the events of the Vagaari pirate operations, Thrawn was temporarily removed from his position as commander, but he soon regained it. Thrawn ultimately relinquished command of the Springhawk after being exiled by a Chiss military court.
The Springhawk's weaponry consisted of spectrum laser turrets, breacher missile tubes, and plasma sphere launchers. The first two weapon types enabled the ship to execute the follow-up spread, a standard Chiss combat strategy. In addition to the standard armaments for a Chiss heavy cruiser, Captain Thrawn specifically requested the installation of an additional plasma sphere fluid tank following the Lioaoin skirmish. As is typical for Chiss warships, the Springhawk was defended by an electrostatic barrier along with robust nyix-alloy hull plating. Point-defense lasers were in place to protect the bridge from incoming projectiles and space debris. Blast shields could be activated if the bridge viewport was compromised.
A smaller, backup command center was situated deep within the vessel, capable of assuming control should the bridge become inoperable. Besides the main bridge and this secondary command location, the ship featured multiple manned triangulation observation areas to assist with targeting. Sensor information was collected via targeting sensors distributed across the ship's exterior.
The ship's internal corridors were designed for rapid movement between sections, and were equipped with numerous emergency bulkheads to isolate breaches and minimize damage.
The Springhawk served as a Chiss heavy cruiser during the later years of the Republic Era. Mid Commander Mitth'raw'nuruodo was granted command of the vessel shortly after a politically sensitive situation where Thrawn involved the Ascendancy in a conflict at Solitair between the Lioaoi and Garwians. Syndic Mitth'urf'ianico expressed surprise at this development. He suspected that either Supreme General Ba'kif or Supreme Admiral Ja'fosk was responsible, while also believing that someone within the Mitth family, likely the Patriarch himself, was aiding Thrawn.
The vessel participated in the Vagaari pirate operations, after which Thrawn was removed from his command position. Mid Captain Ufsa'mak'ro (Samakro) was appointed as the new commanding officer, which pleased the Ufsa family given the Springhawk's reputation under Thrawn. Furthermore, Senior Commander Plikh'ar'illmorf (Kharill) became Samakro's first officer. Several months later, following the Attack on Csilla, Thrawn was reinstated to his former command, demoting Samakro to first officer. Kharill was also demoted to second officer. Both Samakro and Kharill were unhappy with these changes in rank. However, Samakro instructed Kharill to obey all orders and prepare for the change in leadership. The ship was then deployed to attack the Paataatus homeworld along with Picket Force Six, and subsequently tasked with investigating the Csilla attack.
The Springhawk's investigation into the Csilla attackers took it to a quadruple star system, where the crew discovered a derelict Paccosh refugee vessel adrift. The remains of the ship's occupants were examined in Ready Room Two. This led them back to the Paccosh homeworld of Rapacc, which was under blockade by unknown warships. After three days of observation, the Vigilant met up with them. Admiral Ar'alani and Captain Thrawn collaborated to devise a plan to investigate an abandoned mining station located within the Rapacc system's asteroid field.
While the Vigilant performed a flyby in the outer system, the Springhawk concealed itself in its sensor shadow, slipping away in silent running mode as the Vigilant drew the blockade ships away. Captain Thrawn and Caregiver Mitth'ali'astov traveled to the station via shuttle a few hours after their arrival. They found the station's systems offline, but without any damage, suggesting an organized evacuation of the facility.
Following the capture of Yiv, the Springhawk participated in the Nikardun campaigns, an operation to eliminate the remnants of the Nikardun Destiny. After being falsely attacked by the Paataatus Hiveborn above the species' homeworld of Nettehi, the Springhawk assisted in the liberation of the planet from Nikardun remnants.
Thrawn discovered a plot to drag the Chiss into civil war. The Springhawk was instrumental in thwarting this plot during the Hoxim incident.
The Springhawk's commanding officer was Senior Captain Thrawn. His first officer was Mid Captain Ufsa'mak'ro "Samakro" and the second officer was Senior Commander Plikh'ar'illmorf "Kharill". Notable crew members included:
As a consequence of the Vagaari pirate operations, Thrawn was temporarily relieved of his command of the Springhawk. During this period, Samakro was the commanding officer with Kharill serving as first officer. However, by the time of the attack on the Paataatus, Thrawn had been reinstated as commander of the Springhawk, thus placing Samakro as first officer and Kharill as second officer.
Following Senior Captain Thrawn's last stand and the subsequent Mission to the edge of Lesser Space, Thrawn was removed from his command and exiled for violating the standing orders against preemptive combat. Samakro was promoted to senior captain and reinstated as the commander of the Springhawk.
In addition to Thrawn and Thalias, Samakro reported to Supreme General Ba'kif that four other members of the Mitth family were stationed aboard the Springhawk after the Hoxim Incident: one junior officer and three warriors.
The Springhawk made its first appearance in Star Wars canon within the 2020 novel Thrawn Ascendancy: Chaos Rising, the initial volume of Timothy Zahn's Ascendancy Trilogy. The ship's origins can be traced back to Legends in Zahn's 2006 novel Outbound Flight.