When Charles Rigan took the mantle of Grand Admiral of the Loris Imperial Navy he began to instigate new projects to strengthen the Empire's position. The first of such projects was the assault cruiser variant of the venerable Ticonderoga-class Cruiser, known as the Ticonderoga A Cruiser. The cruiser enjoys increased speed and firepower thanks to breakthroughs from CMI. It also has a stronger shield system than its predecessor. The ship is ideally suited to convoy duty and to raiding enemy bases.