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.

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

Small ships can dock on small landing pads.

Medium

Medium ships can dock on medium landing pads.

Large

Large ships can dock on large landing pads.

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.

Nomad

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^[4]. 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)

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.^[5] It's themed to match an in-game activity.^[5] The purpose is to provide new and casual players with a solid start of their career without requiring to build ships from scratch.^[5] 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.^[6]

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^[7]

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.^[7]

In Newsletter #29, it was mentioned as one of the planned updates on the roadmap: "Walking around interiors and combative boarding of other ships"^[8]

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..."^[9]

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."^[10]^[11]

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.^[12] 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.^[12] The Nomad is the first flyable vessel with a ship interior.^[13] It released for ARX on 30 June 2026.^[13]

The blue circle was removed of the Panther Clipper Mk II in favor of the walkable ramp to enter via the door.^[14] 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.^[15] Players and vehicles fall through the hull to the surface.^[15] The hangar is customizable with cosmetics. Most ships unfortunately have a blue circle to teleport inside.^[14]

Anaconda interior
Damaged Anaconda
Viper Mk III interior cutaway
File:The Future of Elite Dangerous
File:Elite Dangerous Development Plan
File:Designing the Future - The Ships of Elite Dangerous
File:Elite Dangerous - Cockpit Interiors
File:One Small Step Towards Ship Interiors? (Elite Dangerous)
File:Elite Dangerous - Nomad - Release Trailer

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.^[16]

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."^[17]

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.^[18] 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:^[18]

Bulk Cruiser

Flight Operations Carrier

Generation Ship

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.

Scout
Hunter
Interceptor
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Titan

Development Notes: Fleet Hierarchy

The fleet-class ships that are available to the game's major factions follow a hierarchy.^[20]

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.^[21]^[22] 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."^[22] "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."^[22]

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.^[23]
If you use the goodbye wave the ship will depart.^[23]