This is funny. I could be helpful, but I think I'll just throw sticks and stones...

What do you mean by "frigate"? How do you describe the upper atmosphere of a non-earth planet (even the slightest variance and....) But most importantly, does it move the plot ahead?

At most the standard warship can enter lower orbit.

But does a planetary shield actually cover the entire planet? Unless the shield generator on Hoth in EP V was not actually a planetary shield... it only extends so far and then you are able to land troops outside the shield radius.

Unless you have multiple shield generators that would overlap and with enough of them encompass a planet.


Don't know, never read the Technology and Weapons book.


But my point is, if the shield generator does not cover an entire planet/moon whatever... then even if your ships could get under a shield in upper atmosphere they'd be flying within a confined area.

The shield in ANH was a spot-shield, and it guarded only a certain area of the planet. I would assume that it was like the portable shields the Gungan's used in EPI, except a lot bigger. It was sufficient that aerial bombardment would have been a waste of time.

The planetary shields TRF uses are a network of similar structures, which cover the entire planet. How far the network goes into the atmosphere is debatable. It may have been addressed in previous RP's, and it may not have. I would guess that the shields would cover the smallest area possible, to preserve energy. That would mean not covering all of the outer atmosphere.

The shield that covered the Death Star II was a remote projection shield, not a planetary shield like we use on a regular basis.

Maybe a 'frigate' could enter outer atmosphere, if it maintained forward velocity. But at what cost? Enormous structural strain from the strong gravity, possibility of hull damage from the friction, etc.

A comment on the range of planetary shields, that they would extend far beyond the lower atmosphere of the planet. This is based on the fact that planetary shields are not simply devices of military implement, but that of natural need. A civilization surviving many milenia across intergalactic space would meet up with many natural disasters over all that time, many of which planetary shields would be an all cure for. Supernovae many thousands of lightyears away could devestate a planets atmosphere, ionizing it or even burning it away as an after effect, Planetary shields would be a cure against this enevitability.

Assumptions based off of:
http://www.theforce.net/swtc/astro.html#catastrophe