Gun for gun, Lacers are the best anti-starfighter ships currently in service - at least according to their initial tests. The main and only armament the ship carries is 20 quad-firing laser cannons. Each cannon is equipped with a targeting mechanism adapted from the one used in Sienar Fleet System's TIE bomber craft. This produces multi-fire cover with superb fire control. In addition, each gun is mounted on its own tower to provide an increased fire arc.

For all its fire power, the Lancer-class Frigate could be shaping up as a failure. The Lancer is comparable in price to a cruiser, without the added benefits of the larger vessel. Also, the predicted starfighter attacks on capital ships never materialized - at least not at the level feared. Admiral Drez and others claim that this is due to the appearance of the Lancer, but others point out that there are not enough Lancers in service to make so bold an assumption.

Those Lancers currently in use have not lived up to expectations. While they perform exceptionally when engaging starfighters, Lancers have done very poorly in the few fleet engagements they have participated in. To function as screening vessels, Lancers must be placed on the outer perimeter of the fleet, but without turbolasers these ships are easy prey for rebel cruisers. In addition, the modified targeting systems still need work, resulting in less than half of each Lancer's weapons operating perfectly on any given day.

Intended as stationary screening ships, Lancers cannot match starfighters for speed or maneuverability. But when their weapons are operational, they are more than a match for Rebel starfighters.