The wildly successful Cormorantclass made the Aurelian military-industrial complex overconfident in its ability to market a successor regardless of the vessel's capabilities. Settling on stealth technologies as its prevailing feature, the Hydre class was met with widespread skepticism when it was unveiled in 1992. The only export customers willing to invest in such costly technologies were the FCU and Erusea, both largely as a response to each others' interest.
While the FCUN's customized vessels were moderately well-suited to modern naval combat, five were lost in the 1997 Coup d'Etat and Cormorants saw more use during the Continental War. As their Cormorants aged, however, more Hydres were ordered, and several were bought by the GRDF after the conclusion of the Unification War. Erusea used its ships almost exclusively in support NAVSOC operations, and they remained in service until 2026. One of Aurelia's vessels, the Pégase, was captured by Leasathian forces in 2020 and sunk following the liberation of Griswall.
Ships
Aurelian Navy AS Hydre (F30) - AS Cyclope (F31) - AS Titan (F32) - AS Pégase (F33)