The Vaethorm-class gunship was designed by Keppa Nova Drive Yards in the first decade of the Astachez Civil War as a close support ship for strike craft attacking capital ships and space stations. Navy officials had approached the company as early as 48,912 ACT to discuss the possibility of developing such a ship, as conflict with the Astachez Atizae political faction was seen as being increasingly likely, and the navy of the Astachez Federation had significantly more capital ships with industry-leading point defense capabilities. With the Roccho Navy’s fleet structure and doctrine based primarily on using advanced strike craft such as the Phosiorate-class interceptor to disable opposing ships and clear space for their relatively minimal quantities of capital ships, the Astachez Navy would be a difficult opponent, especially considering the neighboring nation’s stealth technologies. Thus, the Roccho Navy intended to commission a heavy gunship to accompany strike craft on capital ship attacks, adding heavy weapons and additional ECM and electronic warfare capability to increase the potential of such strikes. The Vaethorm-class was the design that Keppa Nova Drive Yards eventually chose, with a structure focused on direct combat and close support at the expense of maneuverability and mobility.

The Vaethorm-class’ primary weapon was a IE-Vetann E/ls T71 heavy laser cannon designed by Iquallo Engineering, the main supplier of weapon systems used by most shipbuilders in the Roccho Republic. This specific cannon was placed along the centerline of the gunship, with enough structural support to give it excellent stability and accuracy. The ship had two light blaster cannons on the sides to inflict damage on exposed subsystems such as communications equipment, as well as to quickly deplete shields. 60 Type 605-Efi/Sva nuclear missiles, a standard ordnance type in the Roccho Navy, gave the gunship some additional ability to defend against strike craft, although the maneuverability of the Vaethorm-class was lacking compared to other ships of similar size. To make up for its inability to match strike craft in mobility, the ship had three ventral Iquallo AEW/T 0520n-model anti-fighter laser turrets, each able to track ships independently or linked, and operated by a systems controller in the cockpit. Combined with the Vaethorm’s sensor suite and ECM systems, these turrets could quickly take down strike craft below the gunship, and typically multiple gunships would escort squadrons of strike craft and angle different directions to cover each other’s blind spots.