Elite Dangerous Wiki

Ships

Ships are used to traverse the Milky Way and to perform various tasks. There are over 50 flyable ships with configurable builds to suit roles and careers. Every ship is equipped with a Frame Shift Drive to supercruise at 100s to 1000s of times lightspeed in a star system and for interstellar travel via hyperspace. Many ship designs in Elite Dangerous are inspired by the wireframe and polygonal models of the classic Elite games.

ED Ship Models Scale 2026

Every flyable ship is upgradeable and the components are fully customizable, with the exception of Ship-Launched Fighters and Ship-Launched Vessels.[1] There are a range of optional modules to specialize as a trader, explorer, hauler, smuggler, bounty hunter, pirate etc. The modules can be changed or upgraded at Stations and Surface Ports with an Outfitting service.

The starships are built by several ship manufacturers with unique styles and specifications. All Commanders start their careers with a Sidewinder. New ships are purchasable with credits. Pre-built ships are equipped with modules and engineering for ARX. The ships and vessels are for sale via the Shipyard menu and Inter Astra in the Concourse of a station or surface port. Ships can only land on a planetary body without an atmosphere, or with a tenuous atmosphere. The latter requires Odyssey and the Advanced Planetary Approach Suite.

Ship-Launched Fighters can be deployed for combat or exploration. Ship-Launched Vessels are more versatile. The Drake-Class Carrier is available for 5 billion credits. This capital ship has 16 Landing Pads, various station services including customizable ship interiors, max 500 light years jump range, and can carry 25,000 tons. Squadrons can own a Javelin-Class Carrier for 25 billion credits which includes 32 landing pads, 500 ly jump range and 60,000 t cargo capacity.

You can join other ships as a hologram via multicrew. However, walking inside ships is currently unavailable. All ships are designed with interiors in mind and for future gameplay opportunities. Nearly all ships and stations are fitted with GalNet for market information, galactic news and communication.[2][3]

Available Ships

All ships available to players are presented below. Some ships require to attain a specific rank of the Federal or Imperial navies before they can be purchased. Ship-Launched Fighters, Vessels and certain capital ships can be purchased with credits, but are not classified as conventional ships.

Small

Medium

Large

Ship-Launched Fighters

Ship-Launched Fighters can only be deployed from a Vessel Hangar on a suitable ship. They cannot be customised in Outfitting apart from their Livery, and they lack Frame Shift Drives.

Ship-Launched Vessels

Ship-Launched Vessels can only be deployed from a Vessel Hangar on a suitable ship. These versatile vessels lack Frame Shift Drives.

Capital Ships

These are very large, capital sized, jump-capable vessels. The owner of a Drake-Class Carrier uses executive control to order hyperspace jumps between star systems. Owners can customise the interior with the onboard Livery service. It features 16 Landing Pads and a jump range of up to 500 light years. The Colonisation Ship is used for colonizing star systems. The Javelin-Class Carrier supports the activities of a squadron.

Compare Ships

The following tables are initially sorted in order of increasing ship cost.

Specifications

Default ship specifications as equipped when purchased[1]. The Sidewinder can be obtained for free.
Default table sort order is by increasing Cost.

Model Type Jump Range
[Laden]
(LY) 		Mnvr
Rating 		Cargo
[Max]
(T) 		Pad Size Speed
[Boost]
(m/s) 		Armour Shield
(MJ) 		Cost
(CR) 		Hull
Mass (T) 		Mass Lock
Factor 		Optional Modules
(Restricted) 		Fighter Hangar Capable Multicrew SCO Optimised Model
Sidewinder Mk I Multirole 8.15
[7.25] 		6 4
[12] 		S 221
[322] 		108 52 32,000 25 6 6 No No No Sidewinder MkI
Eagle Mk II Combat 9.15
[8.62] 		6 2
[16] 		S 240
[350] 		72 78 44,800 50 6 7 (1) No No No Eagle MkII
Hauler Freighter 11.62
[8.46] 		4 8
[22] 		S 204
[306] 		180 65 52,720 14 6 6 No No No Hauler
Adder Multirole 10.28
[8.67] 		4 6
[26] 		S 221
[321] 		162 78 87,808 35 7 7 No Yes No Adder
Imperial Eagle Combat 8.22
[8.03] 		5 2
[16] 		S 298
[397] 		108 104 110,830 50 6 7 (1) No No No Imperial Eagle
Viper Mk III Combat 8.09
[7.51] 		4 4
[22] 		S 316
[395] 		126 137 142,931 50 7 7 (1) No No No Viper MkIII
Cobra Mk III Multirole 11.16
[9.85] 		5 18
[60] 		S 282
[403] 		216 92 379,718 180 8 8 No Yes No Cobra MkIII
Viper Mk IV Combat 11.04
[9.76] 		3 18
[50] 		S 272
[342] 		270 103 426,990 190 7 9 (1) No No No Viper MkIV
Diamondback Scout Combat Explorer 12.17
[11.44] 		5 0
[28] 		S 283
[384] 		216 92 564,330 170 8 6 No No No Diamondback Scout
Cobra Mk IV Multirole 9.92
[8.43] 		3 34
[88] 		S 200
[300] 		216 125 745,610 210 N/A 10 No Yes No Cobra MkIV
Type-6 Transporter Freighter 13.38
[10.15] 		3 50
[112] 		M 223
[356] 		324 77 1,045,945 155 8 8 No No No Type-6 Transporter
Dolphin Passenger 11.39
[10.19] 		3 14
[84] 		S 258
[361] 		198 143 1,337,330 140 9 9 No No No Dolphin
Diamondback Explorer Combat Explorer 17.03
[15.20] 		4 12
[56] 		S 251
[328] 		270 131 1,894,760 260 10 8 No No No Diamondback Explorer
Cobra Mk V Multirole 17.87
[15.95] 		5 12
[110] 		S 294
[415] 		324 235 1,989,461 150 8 9 No Yes Yes Cobra Mk V
Imperial Courier Multirole 8.83
[7.69] 		4 12
[30] 		S 280
[380] 		144 230 2,542,931 35 7 8 No No No Imperial Courier
Keelback Combat Freighter 11.70
[9.41] 		2 38
[88] 		M 202
[303] 		486 80 3,048,000 180 8 7 Yes Yes No Keelback
Asp Scout Combat Explorer 12.45
[10.93] 		5 16
[72] 		M 223
[304] 		324 105 3,862,130 150 8 7 No Yes No Asp Scout
Vulture Combat 8.12
[7.79] 		5 8
[56] 		S 215
[349] 		288 293 4,925,615 230 10 8 (1) No Yes No Vulture
Asp Explorer Multirole 14.10
[12.12] 		4 38
[128] 		M 254
[345] 		378 152 6,661,153 280 11 8 No Yes No Asp Explorer
Federal Dropship Combat Freighter 7.25
[6.77] 		3 56
[164] 		M 183
[304] 		540 104 14,314,210 580 14 10 (2) No Yes No Federal Dropship
Type-7 Transporter Freighter 13.14
[9.67] 		1 128
[304] 		L 182
[304] 		612 78 17,472,252 420 10 10 No No No Type-7 Transporter
Mandalay Explorer 22.26
[18.76] 		5 40
[154] 		M 285
[357] 		414 269 17,639,220 230 11 10 No Yes Yes Mandalay
Alliance Chieftain Combat 9.62
[8.84] 		4 40
[120] 		M 235
[338] 		504 162 19,382,250 400 13 9 (3) No Yes No Alliance Chieftain
Federal Assault Ship Combat 8.33
[7.69] 		4 32
[96] 		M 214
[357] 		540 133 19,814,205 480 14 9 (2) No Yes No Federal Assault Ship
Imperial Clipper Multirole 8.98
[8.05] 		5 74
[248] 		L 306
[388] 		486 186 22,295,860 400 12 9 No Yes No Imperial Clipper
Alliance Crusader Combat 8.24
[7.66] 		3 40
[122] 		M 183
[305] 		540 126 25,367,279 500 13 10 (3) Yes Yes No Alliance Crusader
Alliance Challenger Combat 8.61
[7.98] 		4 40
[152] 		M 204
[316] 		540 208 30,472,265 450 13 10 (3) No Yes No Alliance Challenger
Federal Gunship Combat 6.66
[6.54] 		1 16
[168] 		M 171
[282] 		630 186 35,814,210 580 14 9 (3) Yes Yes No Federal Gunship
Krait Phantom Multirole 9.78
[8.23] 		3 82
[190] 		M 256
[358] 		324 260 37,472,254 270 17 9 No Yes No Krait Phantom
Type-8 Transporter Freighter 24.68
[17.55] 		1 176
[406] 		M 201
[342] 		792 122 38,453,970 400 18 9 No No Yes Type-8 Transporter
Krait Mk II Multirole 9.01
[7.68] 		3 82
[228] 		M 245
[337] 		396 262 45,814,205 320 17 9 Yes Yes No Krait MkII
Orca Passenger 11.10
[10.08] 		1 72
[192] 		L 308
[390] 		396 233 48,539,887 290 15 9 No Yes No Orca
Fer-de-Lance Combat 6.79
[6.31] 		4 24
[70] 		M 265
[357] 		405 271 51,567,040 250 12 6 No Yes No Fer-de-Lance
Mamba Combat 6.79
[6.37] 		3 20
[66] 		M 316
[387] 		414 244 55,867,041 250 12 6 No Yes No Mamba
Python Multirole 8.61
[7.38] 		2 82
[292] 		M 234
[306] 		468 294 56,978,179 350 17 10 No Yes No Python
Python Mk II Combat 18.41
[17.85] 		4 10
[96] 		M 261
[352] 		504 316 67,527,361 450 17 6 No Yes Yes Python Mk II
Type-11 Prospector Miner 15.81
[13.41] 		2 64
[288] 		M 261
[352] 		630 271 67,861,850 320 17 12 (2) Yes Yes Yes Type-11 Prospector
Type-9 Heavy Freighter 9.15
[6.73] 		0 348
[788] 		L 132
[202] 		864 110 76,555,842 850 16 11 Yes Yes No Type-9 Heavy
Corsair Multirole 13.58
[12.04] 		4 48
[318] 		M 288
[366] 		486 264 79,304,750 265 17 10 No Yes Yes Corsair
Beluga Liner Passenger 10.62
[9.59] 		2 44
[368] 		L 197
[276] 		504 92 84,532,780 950 18 12 Yes Yes No Beluga Liner
Type-10 Defender Combat Freighter 6.98
[5.88] 		0 220
[532] 		L 179
[219] 		1044 99 124,755,342 1200 26 12 (2) Yes Yes No Type-10 Defender
Anaconda Multirole 9.66
[8.54] 		1 114
[468] 		L 183
[244] 		945 362 146,969,451 400 23 13 (1) Yes Yes No Anaconda
Federal Corvette Combat 6.31
[6.03] 		2 76
[616] 		L 198
[257] 		666 516 180,327,022 900 24 13 (2) Yes Yes No Federal Corvette
Imperial Cutter Multirole 8.21
[7.57] 		0 164
[792] 		L 202
[323] 		720 705 203,745,220 1100 27 12 (2) Yes Yes No Imperial Cutter
Panther Clipper Mk II Freighter 12.52
[10.68] 		0 192
[1238] 		L 182
[252] 		1116 245 301,348,586 1200 25 12 (2) Yes Yes Yes Panther Clipper Mk II
Model Type Jump Range
[Laden]
(LY) 		Mnvr
Rating 		Cargo
[Max]
(T) 		Pad Size Speed
[Boost]
(m/s) 		Armour Shield
(MJ) 		Cost
(CR) 		Hull
Mass (T) 		Mass Lock
Factor 		Optional Modules
(Restricted) 		Fighter Hangar Capable Multicrew SCO Optimised Model

A-Class Frame Shift Drive, Thrusters and Power Distributor and lowest mass on everything else except the Fuel Tank. All Internal Compartments are Cargo Racks. The Power Plant is the lightest available with sufficient power.
Default table sort order is by increasing Cost.

Model Unladen Jump Range
(LY) 		Laden Jump Range
(LY) 		Manoeuvrability Max Cargo
(T) 		Speed
[Boost] 		Armour Cost
(CR)
Sidewinder Mk I 22.08 16.48 5 16 255
[372] 		108 371,520
Eagle Mk II 22.36 18.15 7 20 271
[395] 		72 1,113,210
Hauler 29.64 16.14 4 26 232
[348] 		180 408,060
Adder 26.14 18.15 4 30 255
[372] 		162 1,165,400
Imperial Eagle 22.36 18.15 5 20 338
[451] 		108 1,174,950
Viper MkIII 18.58 14.69 4 26 346
[433] 		126 1,318,850
Cobra Mk III 25.59 20.23 5 64 320
[457] 		216 3,759,820
Viper Mk IV 24.61 20.30 3 54 306
[386] 		270 3,831,710
Diamondback Scout 27.06 23.93 5 32 327
[440] 		216 3,912,660
Cobra MkIV 22.59 16.82 3 92 223
[334] 		216 4,209,960
Type-6 Transporter 29.10 18.62 3 114 255
[406] 		324 4,591,040
Dolphin 28.46 20.14 3 88 290
[406] 		190 8,312,300
Diamondback Explorer 36.09 31.00 4 60 263
[344] 		270 9,021,900
Imperial Courier 25.50 17.04 4 34 325
[440] 		144 3,705,470
Keelback 25.91 18.59 2 98 229
[344] 		486 6,616,000
Asp Scout 27.93 20.73 5 74 240
[327] 		324 7,882,100
Vulture 19.61 16.48 5 60 244
[395] 		288 13,001,920
Type-7 Transporter 24.17 15.14 1 306 201
[334] 		612 17,472,252
Asp Explorer 32.82 24.47 4 130 290
[395] 		378 17,665,010
Alliance Chieftain 23.15 20.06 4 120 267
[383] 		504 19,382,250
Alliance Crusader 19.01 16.00 3 122 209
[348] 		540 22,087,940
Alliance Challenger 20.95 16.60 4 152 232
[360] 		540 30,472,265
Krait Phantom 26.43 18.83 3 190 290
[406] 		396 35,732,880
Federal Dropship 17.34 14.08 2 166 209
[348] 		540 39,514,040
Federal Assault Ship 20.17 17.43 4 98 244
[406] 		540 44,746,150
Krait Mk II 23.87 16.51 3 230 278
[383] 		220 45,814,205
Imperial Clipper 23.04 15.74 5 250 348
[441] 		486 48,165,760
Federal Gunship 16.32 13.35 1 170 196
[322] 		630 67,324,970
Orca 28.74 19.85 1 194 348
[441] 		396 71,924,940
Fer-de-Lance 17.17 14.22 4 72 302
[406] 		405 61,830,450
Python 22.62 14.72 2 294 267
[348] 		468 88,412,870
Type-9 Heavy 20.12 11.68 0 790 151
[232] 		864 154,485,880
Beluga Liner 25.08 19.73 2 370 221
[309] 		504 192,677,380
Type-10 Defender 23.77 17.34 0 534 195
[238] 		1044 235,147,912
Anaconda 27.82 17.46 1 470 209
[279] 		945 241,415,150
Federal Corvette 17.03 11.52 2 618 224
[291] 		666 283,970,450
Imperial Cutter 21.94 14.53 0 794 232
[372] 		720 435,747,300
Model Unladen Jump Range
(LY) 		Laden Jump Range
(LY) 		Manoeuvrability Max Cargo
(T) 		Speed
[Boost] 		Armour Cost
(CR)

A-Class Frame Shift Drive and lowest mass on everything else except the Fuel Tank. The Internal Compartments contain the biggest size A-Class Fuel Scoop, and a Detailed Surface Scanner. The Power Plant is the lightest available with sufficient power.
Default table sort order is by increasing Cost.

Model Jump Range
(LY) 		Manoeuvrability Cost
(CR) 		Relative Cost
(CR per LY)
Sidewinder MkI 21.47 5 2,269,702 105,715
Eagle Mk II 23.27 7 3,238,135 139,154
Hauler 28.55 4 2,907,482 101,838
Adder 27.40 4 3,277,509 119,617
Imperial Eagle 23.27 5 3,299,850 141,807
Viper MkIII 19.70 4 3,344,740 169,784
Cobra Mk III 26.41 5 6,587,410 249,429
Viper Mk IV 25.37 3 6,685,320 263,513
Diamondback Scout 27.93 5 4,870,520 173,383
Cobra MkIV 23.23 3 6,985,350 300,704
Type-6 Transporter 30.11 3 13,445,710 446,553
Dolphin 30.38 3 7,809,790 257,070
Diamondback Explorer 37.03 4 11,767,640 317,786
Imperial Courier 27.64 4 5,714,860 206,760
Keelback 26.71 2 15,528,770 581,384
Asp Scout 30.11 5 10,224,600 339,575
Vulture 21.75 5 17,307,900 795,766
Asp Explorer 34.76 4 42,079,470 1,210,572
Federal Dropship 18.99 3 49,693,790 2,616,840
Type-7 Transporter 25.00 1 52,796,290 2,111,852
Alliance Chieftain - 4 - -
Federal Assault Ship 22.45 4 35,605,880 1,586,008
Imperial Clipper - 4 - -
Alliance Challenger 26.28 5 119,497,850 4,547,102
Federal Gunship 18.87 1 71,049,660 3,765,218
Krait Mk II 32.95 3 78,487,395 2,382,015
Orca 31.12 1 64,851,300 2,083,910
Fer-de-Lance 19.81 4 63,919,800 3,226,643
Python 27.58 2 91,482,370 3,316,982
Type-9 Heavy 19.16 0 381,456,730 19,909,015
Beluga Liner 26.46 2 167,740,990 6,339,417
Type-10 Defender 25.01 0 466,665,142 18,659,142
Anaconda 38.06 1 254,556,830 6,688,303
Federal Corvette 20.21 2 295,562,890 14,624,586
Imperial Cutter 25.32 0 544,970,390 21,523,317
Model Jump Range
(LY) 		Manoeuvrability Cost
(CR) 		Relative Cost
(CR per LY)

A-Class everything, Bulkheads as Reactive Surface Composite which is the most expensive part of a ship. The Hardpoints, utility mounts and internal compartments are empty except the Shield Generator which is the highest possible size.
Default table sort order is by increasing Cost.

Model Jump Range
(LY) 		Manoeuvrability Speed
[Boost] 		Armour Shield Cost
(CR)
Sidewinder MkI 17.84 5 245
[357] 		210 68
[2A] 		854,770
Eagle Mk II 18.23 7 259
[377] 		140 102
[3A] 		1,981,830
Hauler 22.14 4 232
[348] 		350 85
[3A] 		1,365,130
Adder 20.76 4 244
[355] 		315 102
[3A] 		2,520,740
Imperial Eagle 17.98 5 322
[430] 		210 136
[3A] 		2,612,910
Viper MkIII 14.98 4 330
[413] 		245 179
[3A] 		2,841,390
Cobra Mk III 21.21 5 307
[439] 		420 124
[4A] 		8,040,840
Viper Mk IV 22.06 3 299
[376] 		525 226
[4A] 		8,181,690
Diamondback Scout 22.98 5 316
[425] 		420 139
[4A] 		7,425,750
Cobra MkIV 19.11 3 214
[322] 		420 173
[4A] 		9,346,220
Type-6 Transporter 23.49 3 247
[393] 		630 153
[5A] 		12,459,260
Dolphin 20.39 3 290
[406] 		385 187
[4A] 		14,986,320
Diamondback Explorer 30.49 4 262
[343] 		525 191
[4A] 		16,893,590
Imperial Courier 19.33 4 306
[415] 		280 335
[3A] 		11,851,200
Keelback 21.23 2 220
[329] 		945 187
[5A] 		20,513,520
Asp Scout 21.61 5 242
[331] 		630 200
[4A] 		20,664,720
Vulture 15.95 5 244
[395] 		560 387
[5A] 		31,577,410
Asp Explorer 25.45 4 282
[383] 		735 234
[6A] 		55,553,110
Federal Dropship 14.11 3 201
[334] 		1050 228
[6A] 		106,036,180
Type-7 Transporter 19.87 1 192
[320] 		1190 217
[6A] 		86,817,860
Alliance Chieftain 17.99 4 267
[383] 		980 286.8
[6A] 		119,907,010
Federal Assault Ship 16.36 4 242
[403] 		1050 213
{5A] 		113,526,110
Imperial Clipper 17.20 5 348
[441] 		945 306
[7A] 		168,364,300
Alliance Challenger 16.76 4 231
[358] 		1,050 295.8
[6A] 		125,268,030
Alliance Crusader 15.69 3 205
[342] 		1,050 252.3
[6A] 		131,603,090
Federal Gunship 13.34 1 187
[308] 		1225 286
[6A] 		185,070,720
Krait Mk II 17.88 3 278
[383] 		770 350
[6A] 		266,831,006
Orca 21.65 1 348
[441] 		770 321
[5A] 		198,948,560
Fer-de-Lance 13.59 4 301
[405] 		788 468
[5A] 		205,142,660
Python 17.47 2 267
[348] 		910 397
[6A] 		291,969,770
Type-9 Heavy 13.86 0 139
[214] 		1680 390
[8A] 		505,433,850
Beluga Liner 20.25 2 211
[295] 		980 204
[6A] 		447,582,930
Type-10 Defender 18.59 0 185
[226] 		2030 483
[8A] 		848,756,112
Anaconda 19.74 1 208
[277] 		1838 595
[7A] 		825,479,020
Federal Corvette 13.62 2 213
[277] 		1295 741
[7A] 		962,815,660
Imperial Cutter 17.53 0 225
[360] 		1400 947
[8A] 		1,261,053,840
Model Jump Range
(LY) 		Manoeuvrability Speed
[Boost] 		Armour Shield Cost
(CR)
  1. ↑ Starship Database, on elitedangerous.com

Outfitting

External Hardpoints and Utility Mounts.
Default table sort order is by increasing Cost.

Model Small Medium Large Huge Utility
Mount
Sidewinder Mk I 2 - - - 2
Eagle 3 - - - 1
Hauler 1 - - - 2
Adder 2 1 - - 2
Imperial Eagle 2 1 - - 1
Viper Mk III 2 2 - - 2
Cobra Mk III 2 2 - - 2
Viper Mk IV 2 2 - - 2
Diamondback Scout 2 2 - - 4
Cobra Mk IV 3 2 - - 2
Type-6 Transporter 2 - - - 3
Dolphin 2 - - - 3
Diamondback Explorer - 2 1 - 4
Cobra Mk V 2 3 - - 4
Imperial Courier - 3 - - 4
Keelback 2 2 - - 3
Asp Scout 2 2 - - 2
Vulture - - 2 - 4
Asp Explorer 4 2 - - 4
Federal Dropship - 4 1 - 4
Type-7 Transporter 4 - - - 4
Mandalay 2 4 - - 4
Alliance Chieftain 3 1 2 - 4
Federal Assault Ship - 2 2 - 4
Imperial Clipper - 2 2 - 4
Alliance Crusader 3 2 1 - 4
Alliance Challenger 3 3 1 - 4
Federal Gunship 2 4 1 - 4
Krait Phantom - 2 2 - 4
Type-8 Transporter 5 1 - - 4
Krait Mk II - 2 3 - 4
Orca - 2 1 - 4
Fer-de-Lance - 4 - 1 6
Mamba 2 - 2 1 6
Python - 2 3 - 4
Python Mk II - 2 4 - 6
Type-11 Prospector 3+1[m] 1+2[m] 1[m] - 4
Type-9 Heavy 2 3 - - 4
Corsair - 3 3 - 4
Beluga Liner - 5 - - 6
Type-10 Defender 2 3 4 - 8
Anaconda 2 2 3 1 8
Federal Corvette 2 2 1 2 8
Imperial Cutter - 4 2 1 8
Panther Clipper Mk II 4 4 2 - 6
Model Small Medium Large Huge Utility
Mount
[m] = hardpoints reserved solely for mining tools.

Core Internal Compartments.
Default table sort order is by increasing Cost.

Model Power Plant Thrusters FSD Life Support Power Distributor Sensors Fuel Tank
Sidewinder Mk I 2 2 2 1 1 1 1
Eagle 2 3 3 1 2 2 2
Hauler 2 2 2 1 1 1 2
Adder 3 3 3 1 2 3 3
Imperial Eagle 3 3 3 1 2 2 2
Viper Mk III 3 3 3 2 3 3 2
Cobra Mk III 4 4 4 3 3 3 4
Viper Mk IV 4 4 4 2 3 3 4
Diamondback Scout 4 4 4 2 3 2 4
Cobra Mk IV 4 4 4 3 3 3 4
Type-6 Transporter 3 4 4 2 3 2 4
Dolphin 4 5 4 4 3 3 4
Diamondback Explorer 4 4 5 3 4 3 5
Cobra Mk V 4 4 4 3 4 3 4
Imperial Courier 4 3 3 1 3 2 3
Keelback 4 4 4 1 3 2 4
Asp Scout 4 4 4 3 4 4 4
Vulture 4 5 4 3 5 4 3
Asp Explorer 5 5 5 4 4 5 5
Federal Dropship 6 6 5 5 6 4 4
Type-7 Transporter 4 5 5 4 3 3 5
Mandalay 5 5 5 4 5 5 5
Alliance Chieftain 6 6 5 5 6 4 4
Federal Assault Ship 6 6 5 5 6 4 4
Imperial Clipper 6 6 5 5 6 5 4
Alliance Crusader 6 6 5 5 6 4 4
Alliance Challenger 6 6 5 5 6 4 4
Federal Gunship 6 6 5 5 7 5 4
Krait Phantom 7 6 5 4 7 6 5
Type-8 Transporter 5 5 5 3 4 3 5
Krait Mk II 7 6 5 4 7 6 5
Orca 5 6 5 6 5 4 4
Fer-de-Lance 5 5 4 4 6 4 3
Mamba 6 5 4 4 6 4 3
Python 7 6 5 4 7 6 5
Python Mk II 6 6 5 4 6 5 4
Type-11 Prospector 6 5 5 3 7 3 5
Type-9 Heavy 6 7 6 5 6 4 6
Corsair 7 7 5 4 7 6 5
Beluga Liner 6 7 7 8 6 5 7
Type-10 Defender 8 7 7 5 7 4 6
Anaconda 8 7 6 5 8 8 5
Federal Corvette 8 7 6 5 8 8 5
Imperial Cutter 8 8 7 7 7 7 6
Panther Clipper Mk II 8 8 7 5 7 5 7
Model Power Plant Thrusters FSD Life Support Power Distributor Sensors Fuel Tank
* Note: All ships currently have a max Bulkhead class of 8.

Optional Internal Compartments.
Default table sort order is by increasing Cost.

Model Class
1 		Class
2 		Class
3 		Class
4 		Class
5 		Class
6 		Class
7 		Class
8 		Total
Sidewinder Mk I 4 2 - - - - - - 6
Eagle 4 1+1[m] 1 - - - - - 6+1[m]
Hauler 3 1 2 - - - - - 6
Adder 3 2 2 - - - - - 7
Imperial Eagle 4 1+1[m] 1 - - - - - 6+1[m]
Viper Mk III 3 1 2+1[m] - - - - - 6+1[m]
Cobra Mk III 2 3 - 3 - - - - 8
Viper Mk IV 3 2 1+1[m] 2 - - - - 8+1[m]
Diamondback Scout 2 1 3 - - - - - 6
Cobra Mk IV 2 2 2 4 - - - - 10
Type-6 Transporter 1 2 1 2 2 - - - 8
Dolphin 2 3 1 2 1 - - - 9
Diamondback Explorer 2 2 2 2 - - - - 8
Cobra Mk V 1 1 3 3 1 - - - 9
Imperial Courier 3 3 2 - - - - - 8
Keelback 1 2 1 1 2 - - - 7
Asp Scout 1 2 2 1 1 - - - 7
Vulture 4 1 - 1 1+1[m] - - - 7+1[m]
Asp Explorer 1 2 3 - 1 1 - - 8
Federal Dropship 1 1 2 1+2[m] 2 1 - - 8+2[m]
Type-7 Transporter 1 1 2 - 3 3 - - 10
Mandalay 3 1 2 2 1 1 - - 10
Alliance Chieftain 1 2 - 1+3[m] 1 1 - - 6+3[m]
Federal Assault Ship 1 2 1 1+2[m] 2 - - - 7+2[m]
Imperial Clipper 1 2 2 2 - 1 1 - 9
Alliance Crusader 1 2 2 3[m] 1 1 - - 7+3[m]
Alliance Challenger 1 2 2 3[m] - 2 - - 7+3[m]
Federal Gunship 1 2 - 3[m] 1 2 - - 6+3[m]
Krait Phantom 1 1 3 - 3 1 - - 9
Type-8 Transporter 1 1 - 1 2 3 1 - 9
Krait Mk II 1 1 2 1 2 2 - - 9
Orca 1 2 1 1 3 1 - - 9
Fer-de-Lance 2 1 - 2 1 - - - 6
Mamba 1 2 1 1 1 - - - 6
Python 1 1 2 1 2 3 - - 10
Python Mk II 2 1 1 1 - 1 - - 6
Type-11 Prospector 2 1 1 1 2+1[l]+1[f] 3 - - 10+1[l]+1[f]
Type-9 Heavy 1 1 2 2 1 1 1 2 11
Corsair 1 1 1 1 3 3 - - 10
Beluga Liner 1 - 4 1 2 4 - - 12
Type-10 Defender 1 1 2 2 1+2[m] 1 1 1 10+2[m]
Anaconda 1 1 - 3 3+1[m] 3 1 - 12+1[m]
Federal Corvette 1 - 1 2 2+2[m] 2 3 - 11+2[m]
Imperial Cutter 1 - 1 1 2+2[m] 3 - 2 10+2[m]
Panther Clipper Mk II 1 1 - 1 2 3 1+1[c] 1+1[c] 10+2[c]
Model Class
1 		Class
2 		Class
3 		Class
4 		Class
5 		Class
6 		Class
7 		Class
8 		Total
[m] = Military Compartment, reserved for Hull Reinforcement Package, Module Reinforcement Package, or Shield Cell Bank.
[c] = Cargo Compartment, reserved for Cargo Rack, Fuel Tank, or MK II Cargo Rack.
[l] = reserved solely for Limpet Controller.
[f] = reserved solely for Fighter Hangar.

Pre-Built Ships

AX Combat Jumpstart Alliance Chieftain and Thargoid Spires
Main article: Pre-Built Ships

A Pre-Built Ship is a package which includes instant-access to a pre-fitted ship, a ship kit, and a paintjob.[4] It's themed to match an in-game activity.[4] The purpose is to provide new and casual players with a solid start of their career without requiring to build ships from scratch.[4] This benefits players because unlocking modules, outfitting and engineering ships is a complicated and time consuming grind. Pre-Built Ships have 0 rebuy cost unless you customize the loadout.

List of Available Pre-Built Ships.

Multicrew & Teams

Multicrew lets crewmembers join the bridge of 1 ship via telepresence. Members can assume 3 roles: Helm, Gunner, and Fighter Con. The Helm is the ship owner and pilot. The gunner controls the turrets and weapons. The Fighter Con can pilot SLFs. Crewmembers can also use the Full System Scanner and the Detailed Surface Scanner. A ship must have at least 2 seats for multicrew. Teams allows up to 4 pilots with ships to play together in a group.

Ship size

ED Ship Size Chart 3.0.1 Dark

The size of flyable ships ranges from small to large. Small ships have the lowest cost and tend to be very maneuverable. Medium ships have more hull mass, armor, cargo space and jump range. Large ships have more utility mounts, bigger weapons, cargo space, hull mass and armor. However, they are less maneuverable and have higher costs for outfitting and repair. Small and medium ships may be authorized to dock on larger landing pads if others are occupied. Large ships always require large landing pads so they cannot dock at small outposts.

SCO optimized ships

Main article: Frame Shift Drive (SCO)

Newer ships are optimized for the Frame Shift Drive (SCO). They have improved handling during Supercruise Overcharge, lower heat levels and less fuel consumption than other ships. Achilles Aerospace made the prototype FSD (SCO) available on the market on 10 April 3310.[5]

SCO boosts a ship to hundreds to thousands of times the speed of light in seconds. Boosting drastically reduces travel time within a star system. The FSD SCO also offers a slightly increased max jump range compared to the standard FSDs. The increased fuel consumption and additional heat while in SCO can be mitigated by equipping the ship with extra Fuel Tanks and Heatsink Launchers, respectively.

List of SCO optimized ships

Ship Roles

Multirole

Multirole/multipurpose ships are a jack-of-all-trades in that they can easily be fitted for whatever role the player needs, whether it be hauling cargo, ship-to-ship combat, or exploring the stars; multirole ships can do it all. Multirole ships can perform most jobs as well, if not better than, comparable ships targeted towards those jobs. Those ships, while considered multipurpose, sometimes lean into a more specialized role. The Imperial Courier, for example, is considered a multirole ship for being a superb combat and exploration vessel, but is less suited for trading/mining. Other examples of multirole ships are the Cobra Mk III, Python, and Anaconda.

Combat

Combat ships are usually faster, more agile and more heavily armed than other ships of the same size. The exception to this would be gun boats, which have more weapon mounts designed for turrets, but sacrifice their agility for them. Some examples of combat-focused ships are the Viper Mk III, Fer-de-Lance, and Federal Corvette.

Explorer

Exploration ships typically come with large default jump ranges, large Fuel Tanks for ships of their size, and should be fitted with lots of low class Internal Compartments for scanners to optimize jump distance. These ships are designed to be able to equip the multitude of scanning equipment needed for an expedition, then fly long distances into the void without the need for regular refueling through the use of Fuel Scoops. Some examples of exploration-focused ships are the Diamondback Explorer, Asp Explorer, and Mandalay.

Freighter

Freighters are typically slow, cumbersome and lightly armed, but provide extreme hauling capabilities. Useful for traders and smugglers alike. Some examples of trade-focused ships are the Hauler, Type-6 Transporter, and Type-9 Heavy.

Passenger

Couriers who fly passengers and valuable items with small storage requirements have a special class of ships available to them. These ships are elegant and fast, designed to quickly and comfortably get from one system to the next. Some examples of passenger-focused ships are the Dolphin, Orca, and Beluga Liner.

Ship Interiors

We're designing all the ships with the interiors in mind. How the cargo is unloaded all of that sort of thing, how damage occurs. That's because another thing we are doing is, again down the line, is that you will be able to walk around inside your ship. You'll be able to get out of your ship, walk around inside space stations, other vehicles. All of that sort of thing. We've shown the damage on the ship, the damage models. Imagine looking at that from inside the ship outwards seeing your cargo fly out into space, seeing the flames trying to fight them. All of those things that we plan with time, they won't be at the first release, because we want to do them right, we want to do them well. All of these will be done as updates. The game has to be structured in a way to allow it from the start. So we're designing the ships so that they work that way and so that when we come to do it, it's not a problem.

— David Braben, December 2012[6]
Ship Interior concept art
EVA ship repair concept art

All flyable ships in Elite Dangerous were designed to include interior - as well as exterior - features, most notably in the distinct placement of various internal modules and the ways in which they take damage. During the very early stages of development for the game, David Braben expressed a desire to eventually implement walkable ship interiors in order to add more complex gameplay opportunities such as internal cargo loading/unloading or repairs.[6]

In Newsletter #29, it was mentioned as one of the planned updates on the roadmap: "Walking around interiors and combative boarding of other ships"[7]

Frontier released the video ''Cockpit Interiors'' on July 18, 2014: "Spaceship interiors from Elite: Dangerous, a look at some of the work-in-progress. Getting up out of your seat and walking around your ship will be just the beginning for plans to expand Elite: Dangerous after the initial product. Imagine landing on planets or boarding other ships..."[8]

As of June 8, 2021, shortly after the PC launch of Elite Dangerous: Odyssey, ship interiors were not in active development, and Frontier Developments was focusing on improvements to Odyssey and preparing for its launch on consoles. Frontier community manager Arthur Tolmie (CM Arf) said on Lave Radio, "I can relay the message as best I can. If players are saying ship interiors are an absolute must, obviously we'll assess it, but at the moment it's a case of where do we put our resources, and at the moment it's not ship interiors."[9][10]

The Drake-Class and Javelin-Class Carrier have fully accessible interiors. The Lynx Highliner is the first ship that allows players to walk up functional ramps to inside the hull until the entrance doors.[11] However, you teleport from a blue ring at the door into the cockpit. The 4.3.3.0 Update (28 April 2026) improved the scaling and detailing of the Imperial Cutter's landing gear and stairs.[11] The Nomad is the first flyable vessel with a ship interior.[12] It released for ARX on 30 June 2026.[12]

The blue circle was removed of the Panther Clipper Mk II in favor of the walkable ramp to enter via the door.[13] The Anaconda Mk II has a ramp and an open hangar that leads to a door to enter the bridge. You cannot walk inside the bridge.[14] Players and vehicles fall through the hull to the surface.[14] The hangar is customizable with cosmetics. Most ships unfortunately have a blue circle to teleport inside.[13]

NPC Ships

Capital Ships

The Federation's Farragut-Class Battle Cruiser and the Empire's Majestic-Class Interdictor are both Battlecruisers. They are heavily armed, can launch several fighter squadrons, and are piloted by NPCs. However, Frontier said in their roadmap that they intend to add the "availability of giant ‘executive control’ ships to players" in a future content update.[15]

In The Commanders Livestream, a viewer asked, "Any chance of playing capital ships in the future?", David Braben answered, "It's on the list, but a long way down it, because there's a lot of gameplay to make it work. The issue is what we call the difference between direct control and executive control. Where rather than flying by the seat of your pants you're giving orders to a giant ship. Because you can't expect it to change course very rapidly and that sort of thing. So it's certainly a long-term possibility, but it's long-term."[16]

Megaships

Naphtha Class Tanker in Okinura

A Megaship is a class of massive ships that travel through the galaxy, and are utilized in a wide variety of roles.[17] Comparable in size to most stations, and in some cases much longer, a number of Megaships are also equipped with docking facilities for small, medium, and large vessels. All services normally available at stations are on offer, with the exception of the Shipyard. Currently, only NPCs can directly control Megaships, but certain Player Groups can petition for Community Goals to construct new Megaships, and those with docking facilities are usually placed under the control of the sponsoring Group's Player Minor Faction. Even more rarely, a Player Group may be permitted to relocate their Megaship to a different location, as with The Gnosis.

There are various types of Megaships:[17]

Thargoid Ships

The Thargoids have 4 known ship types in their arsenal: Hunter, Interceptor, Scout and Titan. Each type has multiple variants except the Titan. Old logs retrieved from the Intergalactic Naval Reserve Arm's Carmichael Point base attested to the existence of Titans. These capital ships were discovered inside Thargoid Maelstroms in 3309.

Thargoid vessels employ radically different technologies than human ships, such as the ability to interdict ships during hyperspace transit and hyperspace jump without leaving an identifiable wake signature. Their powerful offensive and defensive capabilities make them deadly opponents in combat.

Development Notes: Fleet Hierarchy

The fleet-class ships that are available to the game's major factions follow a hierarchy.[19]

Cruisers (Battlecruisers, Battleships, Interdictors)

Farragut-Class Battle Cruiser and a Vulture
Majestic-Class Interdictor

Long range, independent ships that are capable of controlling entire systems. Heavily armed and capable of deploying large fighter squadrons. The capital ships already shown are an example of this class. In the Empire they are usually known as “Interdictors” – named after the first successful class of cruisers. Currently the most common and most successful Imperial Cruiser is the Majestic-Class – generally referred to as a “Majestic-Class Interdictor”. As ships that can also carry out ambassadorial missions they can be used for ‘soft’ power projection, as well as hard, the same goes for the Federation's most common and successful Cruiser, named the Farragut-Class Battle Cruiser.

Frigates

These are large ships designed for escort duties. The actual vessels vary greatly between navies, but are all designed to engage multiple small, fast enemies (typically fighters and missile swarms) and are loaded with point defence batteries. They will also have some anti-ship capability, but are not designed to go up against other warships.

Destroyers

These are anti-warship vessels, but are generally no longer used in the front line, though some are still in service.

Carriers

A Drake-Class Carrier

Carriers are designed for the deployment of fighter squadrons. They have been considered obsolete and phased out of the fleets of the major factions due to the popularity of Cruisers, but small navies still make use of them and some have even been converted into transporters.

The 34th century saw the resurgence of carriers with the introduction of the Drake-Class Carrier and the Javelin-Class Carrier. These aerospace product are made by Brewer Corporation.

Transporters (Couriers)

Federal Dropship in a planetary ring

Armoured warships designed specifically for transporting valuable assets and cargo quickly and safely.

Corvettes (Cutters)

Federal Corvette

Light multi-role warships, capable of reconnaissance, incursions and escort missions. These small warships are also popular with smaller factions, organizations and even wealthy individuals due to their adaptability. The Federal Corvette is a slower Corvette-class Ship with more maneuverability and firepower, while The Imperial Cutter is a lighter and faster Corvette-class ship, players will be able to get their hands on these ships in the game (assuming they can make the right contacts).

Fighters

Imperial Fighter

Small short-range craft that generally cannot operate independently due to having no jump capability. Their main roles include the defence of stations and the large warships that they are deployed from. Commercial fighters are typically jump-capable and are therefore much more flexible than their faction-specific counterparts.

Drones

Small automated ships that have largely been phased out due to the existence of effective counter-measures. The closest setting-modern analogue would be Limpets, which are used almost purely for logistical/support tasks such as field repairs rather than direct combat, though some can be used for sabotage.

Ship rebalance

The Anaconda MK II Update rebalanced many ships on 20 October 2026.[20][21] These are the Asp Scout, Federal Dropship, Imperial Clipper, Type-6 Transporter, Type-7 Transporter, Viper Mk IV, Sidewinder, Eagle, Caspian Explorer, and Mandalay. Senior Game Designer Curtis Griffiths said: "As more ships come out and we get to observe how they fit into the existing line up we sometimes notice that certain ships haven’t been quite taken as far as they probably need to go. As such we, wanted to take the opportunity when introducing the Anaconda MK II to explore some changes to some older ships which mean a lot to many Commanders, but were in need of newfound purpose."[21] "Some of these changes are on the smaller side, where others are quite extensive. Our objective was to help bring these ships back into consideration for Commanders, even if it’s just as a viable intermediate ship for newer players as they are progressing through our roster of vessels. The buzz of finding yourself at the controls of a new ship is something which we know brings a thrill, and we want to recapture that to provide more options."[21]

On Foot Gestures

  • If you stand outside, aim at a ship or SRV and use the clap gesture it will turn on the exterior lights.[22]
  • If you use the goodbye wave the ship will depart.[22]

Videos

References

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