Squadron 42 Javelin Destroyer: UEES Gauntlet Guide
The Javelin destroyer and its role in Squadron 42 explained.
The Javelin is a United Empire of Earth Navy destroyer that appears in Squadron 42 as part of the fleet fighting the Vanduul. The campaign features a Javelin named the UEES Gauntlet. In Star Citizen's wider universe the Javelin is one of the most iconic capital ships — a heavily armed destroyer designed to slug it out with enemy capital ships — and its presence in the campaign underlines the scale of the war the player is fighting. This page explains the ship class and its role.
The Ship Class
The Javelin is a destroyer: a capital ship built around heavy anti-ship firepower rather than fighter capacity. In the wider Star Citizen universe it is known for its devastating capital-scale weaponry — including anti-capital turrets and torpedo systems — and for its role in fleet engagements where its damage output can decide a battle. It is smaller than the Bengal carrier but carries far heavier offensive armament than the Idris frigate. In the UEE Navy's fleet structure, the Javelin is the ship you send when you expect a fight.
The UEES Gauntlet
The campaign's Javelin is the UEES Gauntlet, and it is where the player's story begins: in the campaign's prologue, the player is a turret gunner aboard the Gauntlet — commanded by Captain Rachel MacLaren, played by Gillian Anderson — during the Battle of Vega II. The destroyer is crippled in the battle against a Vanduul Kingship-led armada, and the player escapes the dying ship before its destruction. The Gauntlet's fate is the event that sets the entire campaign in motion.
Destroyers in the Campaign's War
The Vanduul field their own capital ships, including the massive Kingship. Against that threat, the UEE Navy's destroyers — the Javelin class — are the ships designed to fight them at scale. Having the Javelin in the campaign lets the story depict fleet-scale naval combat: destroyers exchanging fire with Vanduul capital ships while fighters from the carrier fly cover and strike missions. This layered fleet combat is one of the campaign's signature set pieces, shown repeatedly in official trailers.
The Javelin in the Wider Universe
Outside Squadron 42, the Javelin is a ship class players know from Star Citizen, where it has been featured in community events and as a rare capital ship. Its appearance in the campaign is consistent with CIG's approach: the same universe, the same ships, experienced from the perspective of a single-player war story.
The Gauntlet in the Wider Universe
The Javelin class is known to Star Citizen players as one of the most formidable capital ships available in the persistent universe, where it has featured in major community events. Its role in Squadron 42 is more intimate: the Gauntlet is the first ship the player serves aboard, and its destruction is the campaign's opening tragedy. That reversal — from the universe's heaviest destroyer to a burning wreck — is a deliberate piece of storytelling, establishing the Vanduul threat in personal terms before the player ever earns their wings.
The Battle of Vega II in Detail
The Gauntlet's last stand is the campaign's opening set piece, and the confirmed details give it a specific shape: the ship is part of the fleet defending Vega II when a Kingship-led armada attacks; heavy bombers from Echo Flight, led by Cal Mason, punch through the Kingship's shields while its batteries cripple escorting ships; the Gauntlet takes fatal damage and Captain MacLaren coordinates evacuation. The player — a turret gunner — fights through the ship's death, assists MacLaren through breached bulkheads, and escapes with her recommendation letter. It is a complete mission in miniature, and the demo proved it plays as shown.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the Javelin in Squadron 42?
It is a UEE Navy destroyer — a heavily armed capital ship. The campaign's Javelin is the UEES Gauntlet.
Is the Javelin bigger than the Bengal?
No. The Bengal is the larger ship at 990 meters. The Javelin is smaller but carries heavier anti-ship firepower.
Can the player fly the Javelin?
No. The player flies fighters. Capital ships like the Javelin are part of the fleet the player supports and fights alongside.
Related Guides
Squadron 42 Bengal Carrier: The UEE Navy Fleet Ship
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Squadron 42 F8 Lightning: The Navy's Top Fighter
The F8 Lightning is the UEE Navy's newest fighter and the ship the player flies in Squadron 42. Learn about the F8A variant, its weapons, and how it flies.
Squadron 42 Gladius: The Navy Light Fighter Guide
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Squadron 42 Idris: UEES Stanton Frigate Guide
The Idris is a UEE Navy escort carrier in Squadron 42. Learn about the UEES Stanton, the Idris's role in the campaign, and how it compares to the Bengal.