When the St. Ives War began to turn against the Syrtis Federation, they realized that more fleets were hitting their space than they had WarShips to stop them. Even at full production speed, they could only build so many Foxes, and with losses mounting in both the WarShip and DropShip fleets, the Federation concluded that something different had to be done. That was when an enterprising young engineer came up with the idea of a smaller and cheaper WarShip that could be mass produced and sent to the frontlines.
         The Uhlan, named in memory of the Prince's father, was the final result of that idea. It carries heavy and light particle cannon batteries capable of breaching the armor of most WarShips in a matter of minutes or less. A backup array of heavy missile launchers was also added to the design, but the expense of firing them and keeping them in good repair keeps them from being fired often. They can also threaten fighters, though the Uhlan carries a squadron of fighters dedicated to facing that threat. Banks of laser anti-missile systems also protect the Uhlan from incoming enemy missiles.
         Finally, the Uhlan carries two DropShips through hyperspace with it, giving it the ability to bring more weapons into battle. These are usually Gazelles, or the Stinger-variant Gazelles, that the Federation builds on New Syrtis.
         Unfortunately, the Uhlan only has a small cargo bay and smaller fuel reserves, forcing the ship to resupply often or risk expensive breakdowns. When on long deployments, they are usually forced to work with a Fox-2 to service them with spare parts, food, and fuel.