John Adams-class Frigate
- Role: Rapid Response Independent Patrol
- Length: Varies; 786 meters
- Weapon Systems: Eight coilgun batteries
- Country of Origin: Coalition of Western Republics
- Users: Springfield Pact
Named after the second president of the old Republic, the John Adams-class was developed in response to the increasing size of the Coalition. With an increasingly connected galaxy, the Coalition needed to be able to project its power without severely weakening areas that it might need to be present in at all times, and it needed to do so as quickly as possible.
The John Adams is intended to respond to any emergency in the galaxy that did not necessitate the heavy firepower of a battlecruiser or an actual battlefleet, which is the bulk of most crises in the galaxy. With this in mind, the John Adams' was equipped primarily for cruise endurance and speed, at the expense of heavy armor, shielding or firepower. Consequently, a disproportionate amount of space is devoted to life support, such as hydroponic stations, food storage, oxygen scrubbers, crew quarters and the like. A John Adams crew can remain in space for an entire Terran year without stopping to resupply, save for fuel considerations.
It also has space for a small Marine contingent in case a situation needs quick planetary intervention. The John Adams is equipped with the then-cutting edge Starswirl engine, the fastest sub-luminal and superluminal engine system available. A secondary navigational engine is positioned on the nose of the craft. The relatively weak power system is mostly dedicated to the engines and each of the coilguns the John Adams is armed with has a small, independent reactor. The weaponry on the John Adams is purely coilgun, designed for light naval engagement and orbital bombardment. The John Adams has no EMSEL point-defense systems, for frigates are intended to retreat from enemies that outgun them.
Ever since its introduction into the Coalition Navy, the John Adam has become the stereotypical terror ship associated with the Coalition for many of the galaxy's smaller civilizations. For many, a John Adams is first interstellar warship they see, and for most of these it is also the last. Entire nations have been wiped out by a single frigate bombarding a planet with impunity, a message the Coalition wants to spread to any of its potential enemies. Even in battles where the Coalition is forced to retreat, the John Adams is still a harbinger of doom as the "victors" would eventually have to face an even more powerful force. The John Adams has seen much utility outside conventional warfare, thanks to its speed and cruise endurance. Like most Coalition ships, the John Adams is modular in design and can be easily modified for a specific task. Many exploration and auszeit missions are equipped with modified John Adams frigates. Others are modified with troop compartments and serve as makeshift troop transports.