Spaceship blog 1
Scout fighters
Scout fighters screen bigger starships and collect important scan-data. By design, the scout’s weaponry is limited even though they are the same size as space superiority fighters.
Instead of multiple weapon mounts, the scout fighter sports extras like powerful sensor arrays, extended fuel tanks, and atmospheric wings. Their primary weapon is used for self-defense since the purpose of a scout it not to defeat the enemy, but locate it.
Some fighters are also equipped with top of the line engines to give them the much-needed edge in speed. In stark contrast with most alien navies, Terran scouts often carry jury-rigged fuel pods, sensor decoys, and even long-range missiles. The industrious humans and their clients often make use of battlefield salvage to construct their scout craft.
Scout squadrons employed by the Colonial Navy (CN) are a force recon unit, and as such CN wings are more numerous and often accompanied by retro-fitted shuttlecraft. Those provide refuel&rearm in the field, and can pick up ejected pilots. Provided their support shuttles remain undetected, Terran scout fighters could remain operational for much longer than their alien counterparts.
According to the Terran combat doctrine, a scout fighters’ secondary objective is to destroy enemy scouts. Mitigating the enemy fleet’s ability to detect any possible ambushes and ship movements is often the difference between a victory and devastating defeat.
Thanks to their extensive training and experience, CN fighter pilots fly their scout ships like SSF fighters. The fact that these ships aren’t heavily armed mean nothing to the veteran pilots of the Terran Minarchy. A fleet or a carrier without his scouts is vulnerable and they make it their mission to ensure that their enemy is blind and deaf.
CN pilots use their superior skills accumulated during years of piloting scout fighters to a devastating effect. Terran scout wings make use of their scanning arrays and trick their enemies by creating ghost targets. Confusing or outright overpowering the enemy sensor operators, and giving their allies a much-needed edge during the ensuing dogfight.
Elite CN scout wings are deployed on long-range interception missions, with objectives to take out enemy strike craft, bombers or even dropships carrying star troopers. Again, they employ their sensor equipment to confuse the enemy, hide themselves from scanners, and this achieve a successful ambush.
Civilians make use of scout fighters in their most versatile role – as a patrol craft. Oftentimes, small time criminals and wannabe pirates find these ships more than a match for their scraggy starships. With their superior speed and excellent scanning equipment, the colonists keep the enemy at bay, while their bigger starships close in for the kill... or capture.
Terran spacers operate modified scout fighters they use as long-range exploration vessels. Armored and heavily armed scout fighters are often sent to explore distant star systems or scan dangerous stellar phenomena.
The clear distinction between a space-born scout fighter and a mundane one is the addition of atmospheric wings. Those allow the scout to spend much less fuel while descending into the atmosphere of an unknown planet, therefore greatly expanding the craft’s range.
Scout fighters are an integral part of any space force. Where sensors can be tricked or defeated by clever use of electronic warfare systems, a pair of eyes and a thinking brain on the field are nigh invaluable.
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Scout Fighters Starfighters Strike Craft Interceptors Space Shuttle Escape Pod Modular Ships Escort ships Corvettes
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Twin Suns Of Carrola - Starshatter book 2
Treads Of Vengeance - Starshatter book 3
Von Braun's Gambit - Starshatter book 4
Secrets Of Lothoria - Starshatter book 5
Final Liberation - Starshatter book 6
Princes Of The Stars - Starshatter book 7
A Mandate Of Sword And Railgun - Starshatter story anthology 1
The Blood Of Tyrants - Starshatter story anthology 2
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