Luna-class

"ZAFT's new Luna Class Corvette while similar size to our own Drake Class Frigate is still a superior warship design. Since it includes anti-ship beam weapons, and the ability to carry its own mobile suits. It is bar far the superior warship of the two..."

- From a Earth Alliance Intelligence Report

General Overview
After the Battle of Nova, ZAFT would look into expanding their fleet further with the introduction of a new ship class. At first this was the new Nazca Class High-Speed Destroyer, however it was decided to introduce a second new ship class alongside the larger destroyer. This ship would be the Luna Class Corvette, a small escort ship able to escort ZAFT’s larger ships.

The Luna Class is equipped with three small beam cannons that while aren’t powerful enough to really damage enemy ships, where powerful enough to be used against enemy mobile armor and other small craft. These cannons combined with the four small M3A9 CIWS cannons allow the small Corvette to prevent any enemy mobile armor or small craft to approach a larger ZAFT ship. Like any ZAFT ship the Luna Class sports the ability to carry mobile suits, though thanks to the small size of the ship it can only carry three mobile suits in its small and cramped ventral hanger-bay.

The Earth Alliance’s Drake Class Frigate, is the nearest compared ship to the Luna Class for both ships are produced in large numbers, and seen escorting larger ships. However the Luna is far superior in armament due its cannons and sports the ability to carry mobile suits, though the Drake Class sports slightly heavier firepower thanks to its missile pods. Thanks to the ability to carry its own mobile suits allow the Luna Class to perform numerous other missions outside of its main mission of escort like patrol missions and anti-pirate hunting missions.

It is thanks to this flexibility that many others use the Luna Class outside of ZAFT, with a few mercenaries and pirates operate these small ships. For example, two ships of the class would be the main warships used by the Black Jack Pirate Gang, and are seen escorting their larger converted Walter Class Heavy Transport that they use a flagship and carrier. Another is used as a baseship and carrier for the Red Shoulder Mercenaries.

As the war dragged on many Luna Class Corvettes would be built by ZAFT and be used in many of the largest space battles of the war. Many would be destroyed during these battles but a few would become quite notable during these battles. One of these ships being the Larissa which would be notable and famous for its work escorting resource and supply convoys from Lagrange Two. The Larissa would be one of the few ships in ZAFT that sported a custom paint job, basically the regular dark blue paintjob with its engine shields painted red.

All in all the Luna Class Corvettes where ships that had the risky and dangerous job of a fleet escort keeping their larger brethren safe. A job that they performed very well at over the course of the long, dreadful war, and through many of the worst space battles in history. Overtime ZAFT continued to use this ship alongside their main ships of the line for several years.