Where Did the Republic Cruisers Come From?

I’ll get straight to the question: where did the Republic Cruisers come from? Every player had their role before and during the Clone Wars. 

The Kaminoans created the clone troopers, the Jedi were chosen to lead them—but what about the cruisers? With such a massive army, they needed ships for transport and combat. So, were these proto-Star Destroyers also made on Kamino? 

It’s hard to imagine, given that it’s a water planet focused on cloning and training, not shipbuilding.

That question kept bugging me, so I dug into it. And after some searching, I think I’ve found the answer.

Project Icefang

The story begins with Rothana Heavy Engineering, or RHE, a subsidiary of the renowned shipbuilding corporation Kuat Drive Yards. 

Established after Kuat Yards purchased the planet Rothana in 800 BBY, RHE operated from the remote, icy world of Rothana. Its location made it an ideal site for secretive projects, far from prying eyes and galactic politics.

Fast forward to 31 BBY, when the Republic’s growing need for military readiness set the stage for Project Icefang.

Rothana Heavy Engineering was entrusted with a monumental task by the cloners on Kamino: to develop a war machine infrastructure for the Galactic Republic’s burgeoning clone army. 

Operating under the utmost secrecy, RHE launched Project Icefang—a covert initiative that spanned nine years and resulted in the creation of thousands of cutting-edge assault ships, dropships, and walkers.

The equipment, including the iconic AT-TEs and other designs, was discreetly transported to Kamino via the Quiberon Line.

 There, the clone troopers rigorously tested and trained with the machinery to prepare for their future battles. 

On rare occasions, these war machines were field-tested in other locations, but sightings of these advanced designs were so scarce that they were often dismissed as rumors or myths.

Rothana’s smaller warships were particularly distinctive, featuring “arrow”-shaped command towers that became a hallmark of their fleet. 

As the Clone Wars escalated, the demand for larger, more advanced ships grew, and RHE quickly adapted by expanding its production to include destroyers and battleships. 

These efforts solidified the Republic’s naval dominance and laid the groundwork for the formidable fleet that would later serve the Galactic Empire.

Kuat Drive Yards: The Powerhouse Behind the Fleet

Kuat Drive Yards (KDY) was the single most dominant shipbuilding corporation in the galaxy during the Clone Wars and the Imperial era. While most people recognize them as the builders of the Empire’s massive Star Destroyers, their roots go much deeper, spanning back thousands of years and involving brutal corporate warfare, secret alliances, and constant expansion.

According to Star Wars – The New Essential Guide to Vehicles and Vessels, KDY was already experimenting with massive battleships and planetary weapons years before the Clone Wars even began. High-ranking KDY executives once held seats on the Trade Federation Executive Board, and for a time, it looked like they might join Count Dooku’s Separatists. That changed after the Eriadu Conference, where Neimoidian agents murdered several Kuati leaders. After that, KDY severed ties with the Trade Federation and aligned itself with the Republic.

KDY began secretly building advanced military hardware at secure facilities like Rothana, a frozen world operated by their subsidiary Rothana Heavy Engineering. Through this group, they developed key vehicles for the Grand Army of the Republic, including the AT-TE, Republic Gunship, and the Acclamator-class assault ship, the forerunner of the Star Destroyer line.

As the book notes, “KDY had diversified by developing local manufacturing firms such as Rothana Heavy Engineering, the company responsible for building the majority of vehicles used by the Republic during the Clone Wars.”

When war broke out, KDY was ready. They became the Republic’s primary naval supplier, churning out Venator-class Star Destroyers, Victory-class Destroyers, and countless support vessels. And once the Empire rose, KDY immediately secured top-tier Imperial contracts, eventually producing the Executor-class Super Star Destroyer and later the Eclipse-class during the Imperial Remnant era.

KDY didn’t stop at building ships, they consumed competitors. The Guide notes that KDY was “extremely predatory,” absorbing rival manufacturers like Core Galaxy Systems, an ancient company dating back to the Old Republic. After decades of sabotage, espionage, and price wars, KDY bought out Core Galaxy Systems and erased its name from galactic shipbuilding history.

They also created Kuat Systems Engineering (KSE), a smaller subsidiary meant to explore more specialized starfighter designs. KSE developed the CloakShape fighter, the Delta-7 Jedi starfighter, and the Firespray-class patrol ship—a design famously used by Boba Fett as Slave I. While KSE never saw commercial success, its engineering standards were elite. Eventually, it was sold to a group with ties to the Rebellion and became a key supplier for the New Republic.

Kuat Systems Engineering’s Advanced Ships Found New Life After the Empire

We don’t always hear about Kuat Systems Engineering, but their work quietly changed the game for starfighter design and even helped shape the New Republic’s fleet.

KSE emerged as an offshoot of the Kuat Drive Yards empire, created just before the Clone Wars to expand the Kuat brand into specialized starfighter development. Rather than focusing on massive capital ships, KSE made its mark with several distinctive and technically advanced designs—most notably the CloakShape fighter, the Delta-7 Jedi Starfighter, and the small but formidable fleet of Firespray-class patrol and attack craft. These ships quickly earned a reputation among engineers and pilots alike as engineering marvels, admired for their innovation and performance.

Despite their technical brilliance, KSE struggled to achieve widespread commercial success, a frustration for its parent company. Eventually, this led to KDY reabsorbing KSE, directing it to supply aftermarket upgrade kits for existing starships rather than continue as an independent innovator.

KSE’s story didn’t end there. Just before the fall of the Empire, a group of Vaathkree merchants with strong ties to the Rebellion purchased the company. Under this new leadership, KSE products became highly sought after in the early days of the New Republic, prized for their exceptional quality-control standards and reliability—even if they demanded a premium price.

Today, KSE’s legacy lives on in some of the galaxy’s most iconic vessels. The CloakShape and Delta-7 are still recognized for their role in galactic history, while the Firespray-class achieved legendary status thanks to its most famous pilot, Boba Fett, and his infamous ship, Slave I.