The Mk. I was a heavily modified variant of the Dreadnaught-class heavy cruiser, only recognizable as a descendant of the Dreadnaught by its front section. While much of the armor had been removed to allow faster combat speed, upgraded shields compensated for this. The ship's weapon systems were the same as the original version of the Dreadnaught before the Galactic Civil War broke out. Twenty quad laser cannons and fifteen normal laser cannons gave it the firepower to easily shoot down starfighters, while the Assault Frigate Mk. IIs and Dreadnaughts could focus on capital ships.