At the onset of the Clone wars, a brilliant CIS engineer was able to convert a common model of defense barge into a slow moving escort destroyers with high amounts of armor and a considerable arsenal however with weak shields and low maneuverability with a weakness to starfighter attacks. The refit enjoyed a brief production run with around 100 being built to serve as escorts for transport and trade vessels along with planatary defense duties. Not many survived the clone wars and the production run was never reintroduced, the few that remained were often chastised by their captains for being highly weak to ion fire. However many gain the affectionate nickname "flying brick" by their crews for its high durability and simple design.