As the Cylon war grew in intensity the Colonial Fleet found itself fielding a mix of advanced Battlestars, supported by an ecclectic mix of older Colonial ships, many of them Pre-Battlestars such as Destroyers and Carriers. Many such ships were not designed to operate alongside Battlestars and the newer generation of ships, they proved to be problematic, slow and using different parts and supplies they became a logistical nightmare for the Colonial Fleet.
In an attempt to produce more capable vessels a number of ship classes were based on modified Battlestars. This had the advantage of offering new ships based on a proven hull and capable of operating with Battlestars and keep up the pace. A major drawback was that by sharing the same design, they often drained resources that might have been used to build more Battlestars.
In order to fix this problem, the Freedom class was proposed. Orignally designed as a modular vessel capable of operating alternatively in the role of a Gunstar, a Strikestar or even as a light Battlestar, the cost and complexity killed the modularity, but designers retained the main hull and built variant designs. Cheap and simple to build the Freedom Class soon became a familiar sight in Battlestar Groups. Many had one or more Freedoms operating under various roles.
Though versatile and easy to build the Freedom was not without weaknesses. The designs were spartan at best, built quickly and cheaply they were poorly armoured compared to Battlestars, despite attempts to use them as light Battlestars, they were vulnerable to concentrated attacks. The Gunstar variants proved equally vulnerable. It was as Strikestars and Skirmishstars that the Freedom came into its own. The CIWS "Flakstar" proved a very effective design and many light Battlestars ended up being used as Escortstars, another role in which they excelled.
Their limited build quality meant that most Freedoms were scrapped after the war. The better hulls were refurbished and a limited number still serve with the reserve. The pressures of the Cylon War abated, the Colonial Fleet did not prolong this practice and most post-war vessels were dedicated designs. Several attempts were made over the years to produce an updated version but with little success so far.
The Freedom also generated a very heated post-war debate, launched by a book written by the famous historian Casper Gamelyn, who contended that the Freedom class had proven itself to be superior and that Building more Battlestars was a critical mistake that kept the war going on for far too long. Though some of his points have been refuted by official sources over the years, the book "Fleets of the Ebon Sea, a concise history of the Cylon War" has a number of followers, notably politicians who have used the book to justify budget cuts and reforms, demanding that most Battlestars be scrapped in favour of a larger number of smaller vessels.
Freedom Series Vesta Class Light Battlestar
The Vesta was the first attempt to build a light Battlestar using a Freedom hull. The resulting design proved mediocre at best. Unlike the long flight pods of Battlestars, the Vesta had five landing bays perpendicular to the ship's axis, with the fighter launch tubes mounted directly underneath it had a faster recovery rate than many such designs, but their short length precluded the "swarm" landing the longer flight pods allowed, greatly increasing recovery times, leaving the poorly armed Vesta vulnerable to enemy attacks. With only four main gun turrets and a limited CIWS, the Vesta was not able to fight on the line as the Battlestars. After several losses they were retired from service and were used as Escortstars, a role they were much suited to.
Freedom Series Centaur Class Light Battlestar
The Centaur replaced the limited landing bays with a pair of large flight pods that could not only accept fighters, but a number of smaller vessels. A very effective design it suffered the same weakness as the Vesta. Poorly armed and armoured it wasn't a match for Cylon attacks and was used mostly as an Escortstar. A number were used to guard the Colonies and were involved in fighting off Cylon raids and invasions, but often paid the price in blood. Though often referred to as a Battlestar, and used as such on occassion, they officially were considered Escortstars.
Freedom Series Dragon Class Light Gunstar
Based on the successful Tiger Gunstar the Dragon carried a pair of foward batteries in addition to 4 KEW turrets. The long range of the forward batteries allowed them to harass Cylon Basestars, but their armour and defensive weaponry was inadequate to fight off the inevitable counter-attack. Later in the war a new jump in jump out tactic was developed, but the inaccuracy of jumps often meant a number of course adjustments to bring the main weaponry to bear on target, exposing the ship to attacks. Though successful on occasion, several Dragons accidentally jumped in the middle of a Cylon Basestar formation and were destroyed. The remaining ships were used as heavy escorts for supply convoys. Most were scrapped after the war or used for training purposes.
Freedom Series Drosera Class Skirmishstar
One of the most successful applications of the Freedoms was the "Flakstar". Mounting nearly 700 CIWS and three rapid fire KEW turrets the Drosera could lay down a formidable flak field and protect nearby vessels from attack. More Droseras were built than any other Freedom design and most Battlestar Groups had one or more in their lineup. A small number still serve with the reserve today.
Freedom Series Arachne Class Missilestar
Another succesful design the Arachne was a potent missile carrier. Able to stand off the enemy it used an unusual method of attacking Cylon ships. By firing a spread of unguided missiles at shorter ranges, it evaded Cylon jamming and hijacking. Using a similar method to the jump-in, jump-out method pioneered by the Dragon series it would jump in the middle of a Cylon formation, fire missiles in all directions and jump before attacked. While few Basestars were destroyed in such a manner it often broke Cylon formations, leaving them vulnerable to be picked out by Battlestars and Gunstars.
Freedom Series Baal Class Strikestar
Mounting ten heavy KEW turrets, a squadron of fighters and a heavy CIWS array, the Baal was a cramped, but powerful ship. Mounting an armament more suitable for a Gunstar, the Baal was used as an escort and patrol ship guarding the Colonies and outposts, freeing up more powerful ships for service on the Line. Relatively few Baals served in Battlestar Groups, most operating independently or in small groups.
Freedom Series Meleager Class Gunstar
Mounting a substantial arsenal the Meleager was not a very succesful design and few were produced. Many were used as escorts and on one occasion a single Meleager engaged a Cylon Basestar attacking a convoy. The Pausinias damaged the Battlestar forcing it to retreat, but was crippled in the exchange. With atmosphere venting and with failing engines the survivors brought her into the shipyard. Crews sent in to inspect the damage found an unexploded nuclear bomb which would have torn the ship apart if it had detonated.
Freedom Series Argos Class Tanker
Though originally designed as a warship the Freedom series produced a very effective tanker. Faster than other existing types it could operate alongside Battlestars and reduced refuelling time, leaving the Group less vulnerable to attack. The Argos class is credited for allowing the Colonial Fleet to operate deep into Cylon space and bring the fight to the enemy.
Freedom Series Scorpion Class Heavy Missilestar
The Scorpion class was built on the Arachne Class. Capable of firing the heaviest ordonance in the Colonial Arsenal the Scorpion was built for heavy assaults and planetary bombardment. Several were built in the anticipated attack of the Cylon homeworld and carried E class "planetbusters" with a yield of 200 megatons each. The Armistice meant they were never used, but two still remain in the reserve fleet and eight more have been mothballed should they ever be needed.
Monday, May 31, 2010
Wednesday, May 26, 2010
Battlestar Profile 018 : BSG 11 Atlantia Class Battlestar Atlantia
To many the Atlantia Class Battlestars are powerful symbols of the Colonial Fleet. No other Battlestar class was involved in more battles or destroyed more enemy ships. Laid down only a year before the Cylon war the Atlantia came at a critical time, forcing the Cylons to make their move at a time where their strength may not have been optimal to defeat the Colonies in one single coordinated attack.
Though the Galactica was laid down first, delays in building and logistical problems forced the designers to switch all their attention to the Atlantia and Acropolis first, making the former the lead ship in her class. Work continued on both ships when the war broke out. Since Galactica was in a more advanced state of completion work resumed on her to rush her into service and Acropolis became the fourth in her Class.
The Atlantia was the flagship of the Colonial Fleet until the introduction of the larger Longbow class, which featured advanced wireless technology. She served under three Admirals until the First battle for Caprica and was scheduled for a refit to bring her up to the standards of the Columbia Class, but she was vital to the war effort and stayed on the line until she was destroyed in combat at the Battle of Croton. Unlike later ships, the Atlantia did not feature a separate advanced command post or command wireless, which lead to some friction between the ship's Commander and Admirals who preferred to micro manage the situation. Indeed Commander Bragga offered his resignation shortly before Croton, which was refused, going down with his ship, alongside Admiral Tepec. Ironically Tepec held Bragga in high regard and commended him for promotion before leaving for Croton.
The loss of the Atlantia came as a blow to the Colonial Fleet, newer ships had assumed the duties of flagship, but the loss was felt by most, many commanders had served on the Atlantia or alongside her and a ceremony was held after the war to commemorate her, with nearly 25 Battlestars paying their ceremonial tributes. Another notable fact is that she was the first Battlestar to be equipped with Mk II Vipers.
Commander : Commander Jules Bragga
XO : Colonel David Callan
CAG : Major Tula "Bogey" Sarmation
Complement : 4-6 Viper Squadrons and up to 25 Raptors
Armament : 24 Thunderbolt 2B twin turrets, 514 Balista CIWS, 12 missile bays.
Though the Galactica was laid down first, delays in building and logistical problems forced the designers to switch all their attention to the Atlantia and Acropolis first, making the former the lead ship in her class. Work continued on both ships when the war broke out. Since Galactica was in a more advanced state of completion work resumed on her to rush her into service and Acropolis became the fourth in her Class.
The Atlantia was the flagship of the Colonial Fleet until the introduction of the larger Longbow class, which featured advanced wireless technology. She served under three Admirals until the First battle for Caprica and was scheduled for a refit to bring her up to the standards of the Columbia Class, but she was vital to the war effort and stayed on the line until she was destroyed in combat at the Battle of Croton. Unlike later ships, the Atlantia did not feature a separate advanced command post or command wireless, which lead to some friction between the ship's Commander and Admirals who preferred to micro manage the situation. Indeed Commander Bragga offered his resignation shortly before Croton, which was refused, going down with his ship, alongside Admiral Tepec. Ironically Tepec held Bragga in high regard and commended him for promotion before leaving for Croton.
The loss of the Atlantia came as a blow to the Colonial Fleet, newer ships had assumed the duties of flagship, but the loss was felt by most, many commanders had served on the Atlantia or alongside her and a ceremony was held after the war to commemorate her, with nearly 25 Battlestars paying their ceremonial tributes. Another notable fact is that she was the first Battlestar to be equipped with Mk II Vipers.
Commander : Commander Jules Bragga
XO : Colonel David Callan
CAG : Major Tula "Bogey" Sarmation
Complement : 4-6 Viper Squadrons and up to 25 Raptors
Armament : 24 Thunderbolt 2B twin turrets, 514 Balista CIWS, 12 missile bays.
Sunday, May 16, 2010
Supportstar Profile 19 : Seaba Class Tanker Thebes
The Seaba is a large tanker designed to support Battlestar Groups, providing them with extensive Tylium fuel reserves.
Built halfway through the Cylon War, the Seaba class replaced a hodgepodge of different designs, many of them predating the Colonial Fleet. With the emphasis on the rapid production of Battlestars, the Service found itself handicapped by the lack of suitable support vessels and a crash program to build a more capable tanker was issued, especially when the Colonials began offensive operations deep inside Cylon space.
The Original design for the Seaba was to include a cargo capable version, but this was scrapped. The only prototype was put into service and served as a fighter tender for Battlestars and was also used to ferry ground troops for the liberation of Aerilon. It was scrapped after the war.
The Seaba Tanker proved to be a successful design with seven large Tylium tanks and complete refining facilities. It has four fuel booms allowing it to service up to four vessels at one time, greatly reducing refueling time. The original design featured landing bays for craft carrying raw Tylium, but these were abondoned for fear that a crash might have catastrophic results.
Thanks to its refining capabilities the Seaba is nearly completely self-sufficient, relying only on small mining craft to transfer the ore onto the ship. Accompanied by a tender, the Seaba can support up to a dozen or more Battlestars nearly indefinitely as long as it has access to Tylium ore.
Designed to operate alongside Battlestars the Seaba is equipped with powerful engines and can keep up with all but the fastest ships in the fleet. Despite a good defensive array of some 300 CWIS the Seaba proved vulnerable to attack, especially when the Cylons began to single them out because of their strategic importance. In order to avoid attack the Seaba's are often lightly escorted to avoid drawing attention and follow a special procedure that allows them to escape detection. Using a complex coded system the Seaba will often jump to a specific meeting point and wait for a limited amount of time. If the expected vessel is late the Seaba will jump to new coordinates. In order to avoid being tracked the Seaba has four drives and keeps them nearly permanently spinning, being able to jump in seconds. Great care is taken to establish jumping coordinates as quickly as possible, several jumps in advance. Seaba crews are famed for their navigational skills.
The standard procedure would be to plot several jump points before making the actual jump. In case of trouble the Seaba can nearly instantly jump to an alternative jump point and then proceeds to another jump point, sometime even jumping to a third jump point, which should allow the Seaba to escape most tracking vessels.
The Thebes was built shortly after the Armistice and is still in service today. Unlike many ships in the fleet she was never updgraded with networked computers and plots jump points using dozens of computers and nearly 60 crew, working a breakneck speeds to plot jump points. As a result navigators that have served on the Thebes are considered to be among the most reliable and efficient bridge officers in the Service.
Built halfway through the Cylon War, the Seaba class replaced a hodgepodge of different designs, many of them predating the Colonial Fleet. With the emphasis on the rapid production of Battlestars, the Service found itself handicapped by the lack of suitable support vessels and a crash program to build a more capable tanker was issued, especially when the Colonials began offensive operations deep inside Cylon space.
The Original design for the Seaba was to include a cargo capable version, but this was scrapped. The only prototype was put into service and served as a fighter tender for Battlestars and was also used to ferry ground troops for the liberation of Aerilon. It was scrapped after the war.
The Seaba Tanker proved to be a successful design with seven large Tylium tanks and complete refining facilities. It has four fuel booms allowing it to service up to four vessels at one time, greatly reducing refueling time. The original design featured landing bays for craft carrying raw Tylium, but these were abondoned for fear that a crash might have catastrophic results.
Thanks to its refining capabilities the Seaba is nearly completely self-sufficient, relying only on small mining craft to transfer the ore onto the ship. Accompanied by a tender, the Seaba can support up to a dozen or more Battlestars nearly indefinitely as long as it has access to Tylium ore.
Designed to operate alongside Battlestars the Seaba is equipped with powerful engines and can keep up with all but the fastest ships in the fleet. Despite a good defensive array of some 300 CWIS the Seaba proved vulnerable to attack, especially when the Cylons began to single them out because of their strategic importance. In order to avoid attack the Seaba's are often lightly escorted to avoid drawing attention and follow a special procedure that allows them to escape detection. Using a complex coded system the Seaba will often jump to a specific meeting point and wait for a limited amount of time. If the expected vessel is late the Seaba will jump to new coordinates. In order to avoid being tracked the Seaba has four drives and keeps them nearly permanently spinning, being able to jump in seconds. Great care is taken to establish jumping coordinates as quickly as possible, several jumps in advance. Seaba crews are famed for their navigational skills.
The standard procedure would be to plot several jump points before making the actual jump. In case of trouble the Seaba can nearly instantly jump to an alternative jump point and then proceeds to another jump point, sometime even jumping to a third jump point, which should allow the Seaba to escape most tracking vessels.
The Thebes was built shortly after the Armistice and is still in service today. Unlike many ships in the fleet she was never updgraded with networked computers and plots jump points using dozens of computers and nearly 60 crew, working a breakneck speeds to plot jump points. As a result navigators that have served on the Thebes are considered to be among the most reliable and efficient bridge officers in the Service.
Tuesday, May 4, 2010
Battlestar Profile 018 : BSG 20 Fox Class Battlestar Fox
The Fox class is sometimes referred to as a "pocket" Battlestar. Cheap to produce and run, the Fox has all the features of a regular Battlestar, a feat achieved by a serious re-thinking of Battlestar design. Capable of carrying up to 4 squadrons of fighters, the Fox has 9 main double turrets, four of which serve as forward batteries, but can be reconfigured to fire broadsides if necessary.
Although much smaller than many Battlestars in service, it uses a unique computer node system which dramatically reduces crew requirements. Each nodes is a small bank of networked computers. A special master system assigns tasks to various nodes, adding or removing systems as required. This system allows tasks be spread out between as many units as required and reducing computer idle time, which often occurs in more dedicated systems. As a result the Fox has 20% less crew than vessels of comparable size, but still maintains a full complement of pilots, marines and flight personnel. An unfortunate side effect of this system has been the very difficult integration of the new CNP program used by the Colonial Fleet, which required the attention of Professor Baltar himself.
Another unusual feature are the engines, mounting only a pair of thrusters, the Fox is still remarkably fast thanks to a hybrid system of conventional systems and the Vulcanus engines used during the Cylon War. The thrusters use regular tylium fuel, but a special injection chamber gives the Fox a potential turbo boost, increasing speed if necessary. This system so far has proven to be reliable, but other ships have yet to use this design. Thanks to her short length the Fox is quite nimble and has a short turning circle.
The Fox class is popular with their crews, though maintenance and the somewhat cramped conditions are often a source of crew fatigue. As a result Foxes are mostly used for system defense and rarely operate along the Armistice Line for extended periods. Another potential problem are the thrusters, with only a pair of them, any damage could seriously harm mobility or even cripple it, though designers have assured that the thrusters are heavily armoured and are not easily knocked out.
The Fox is the lead Battlestar of her class. She suffers from a few minor flaws that have been ironed out in subsequent ships, though she is planned to be refitted within the next three years. The Fox is considered a lucky ship having escaped two collisions with other Battlestars. A crash with a fuel tanker resulted in only minor damage to the left flight pod.
Commander : Commander Alden Thorson
XO : Colonel Ilyra Tessan
CAG : Captain Riven "T-Bone" Walker
Complement : 2-4 squadrons of fighters, up to 8 Raptors
Armament : 4 double forward batteries, 5 twin turrets, 350 StarSweeper III CIWS. 8 missile bays.
Although much smaller than many Battlestars in service, it uses a unique computer node system which dramatically reduces crew requirements. Each nodes is a small bank of networked computers. A special master system assigns tasks to various nodes, adding or removing systems as required. This system allows tasks be spread out between as many units as required and reducing computer idle time, which often occurs in more dedicated systems. As a result the Fox has 20% less crew than vessels of comparable size, but still maintains a full complement of pilots, marines and flight personnel. An unfortunate side effect of this system has been the very difficult integration of the new CNP program used by the Colonial Fleet, which required the attention of Professor Baltar himself.
Another unusual feature are the engines, mounting only a pair of thrusters, the Fox is still remarkably fast thanks to a hybrid system of conventional systems and the Vulcanus engines used during the Cylon War. The thrusters use regular tylium fuel, but a special injection chamber gives the Fox a potential turbo boost, increasing speed if necessary. This system so far has proven to be reliable, but other ships have yet to use this design. Thanks to her short length the Fox is quite nimble and has a short turning circle.
The Fox class is popular with their crews, though maintenance and the somewhat cramped conditions are often a source of crew fatigue. As a result Foxes are mostly used for system defense and rarely operate along the Armistice Line for extended periods. Another potential problem are the thrusters, with only a pair of them, any damage could seriously harm mobility or even cripple it, though designers have assured that the thrusters are heavily armoured and are not easily knocked out.
The Fox is the lead Battlestar of her class. She suffers from a few minor flaws that have been ironed out in subsequent ships, though she is planned to be refitted within the next three years. The Fox is considered a lucky ship having escaped two collisions with other Battlestars. A crash with a fuel tanker resulted in only minor damage to the left flight pod.
Commander : Commander Alden Thorson
XO : Colonel Ilyra Tessan
CAG : Captain Riven "T-Bone" Walker
Complement : 2-4 squadrons of fighters, up to 8 Raptors
Armament : 4 double forward batteries, 5 twin turrets, 350 StarSweeper III CIWS. 8 missile bays.
Thursday, January 28, 2010
Colonial Fighters
Colonial Fighters are the backbone of the Colonial Fleet. Born out of a centuries old tradition they are the cutting edge of technology and a vital element in the Battlestar design philosophy.
Viper MK I
The Mark I Viper was a revolutionary design when first introduced. It had superior capabilities over most other existing fighters, especially in dogfighting, but had a number of weaknesses that caused it to be phased out in favour of the MK II. Most notably the jam prone twin 23 mm cannons proved to be too light to deal effectively with Cylon Raiders. Despite these limitations the MK I remained in service for most of the Cylon War, only to switch to the reserve in the final years of the war before being scrapped. Another weakness were the landing skids that tended to break during combat landings.
Viper MK II
The Viper truly came into its own with the coming of the Mark II, faster and more reliable it carried heavier 30mm cannons that were more than capable of holding their own against Cylons. They were the main fighters for most of the Cylon war and in the immediate post war years. A handful remained in service with the reserve and the Orbital Guard as target tugs and ECM craft. Most surviving examples have been transferred to the soon to be dedicated Galactica museum.
Viper MK III
The Viper Mark III was a two-seater trainer variant of the Mark II.
Viper MK IV
The Viper MKIV was a radical departure of the original Viper design. Nearly twice the weight of the original, it was a heavily armed and armoured design, mounting powerful but unreliable engines, requiring a lot of maintenance. A popular joke at the time claimed that the MKIV was designed to defend Batllestar flight decks against attacks from the inside. heavily armed with a pair of wing mounted 30mm and two fuselage mounted 23mm it was designed to attack enemy Basestars and also suitable for ground attack and support as a fighter bomber. Though only marginally less maneuverable than the other Viper designs they suffered heavy losses against Cylon Raiders, most were taken out of service after the Cylon War. (Model by Alfred Wong http://www.alfredsmind.ca/index.htm)
Viper MK V
The Mark V relied on the experience gained during the war to make further improvements to the design, most notably increased crew survivability and protection. They are currently used by the Reserve as the main line fighter.
Viper MK VI
The Mark VI was a near complete overhaul with radical changes which meant that it was only 20% compatible with the previous Vipers. The resulting fighter was the first to step away from wartime avionics and to more advanced technology, but still protected from Cylon jamming and infiltration.
Viper MK VII
The Mark VII is the latest in the line of fighters and possibly the final version before the Viper is replaced by the FSSF (Future Space Superiority Fighter). The Mark VII includes all the most advanced features seen on the latest generation of fighters, including increased stealth, a high visibility cockpit and an extra dorsal fin mounted cannon for added firepower. The MK VII is well liked by pilots thanks to its advanced fly by wire system and advanced electronics.
Python
The Python was a result of corruption in the Colonial Gouvernment in the days before the Cylon War. Built by the same company that produced the Avalon Class battlestars, the Python was sold as being cheaper and more suitable for the Avalon than the Viper. Despite a lawsuit, the outbreak of the war forced the Service to take the Python into service where it performed adequately. The Python was withdrawn from service after the war and the surviving Avalons were converted to carry Vipers, some Pythons were purchased by private security companies and used as escorts for many years after the war. Armed with eight 20mm cannons it had more than adequate firepower, but lacked the superior maneuverability of the Viper to bring this firepower to bear.
Cobra heavy fighter
The Cobra heavy fighter is unique in the Colonial fleet for being the only fighter equipped with a Jump Drive. The Cobra can therefore operate independently from other vessels, though it has a limited range. They are sometimes posted in orbital stations or ground-based, making use of booster rockets to achieve orbit. The Cobra has a two man crew and mounts a multibarrel 30mm cannon.
Dagger Light Bomber
The delta shaped Dagger was an early stealth design, suitable for infiltration using low level flight and passive flight trajectory. Although it was extremely fast it lacked maneuverability and was vulnerable in combat, mounting only a single 23mm cannon. It had six hardpoints, but size limitations lead to it being withdrawn from service in favour of the Scimitar.
Scimitar Heavy Bomber
The Scimitar is the current multi-role attack Fighter, capable of bombardment, anti-ship operations and ground support. It trades speed and maneuverability for heavy armour and mounts a pair of 37mm heavy cannon and an impressive 16 hardpoints.
Tempest Fighter
The tempest never served with the Colonial Fleet, but was in service with several Colony Air Arms. A number of Mercenary Tempest squadrons served during the Cylon war and a good number remain in use today. The Tempest is a dated, but solid spaceframe and suitable as a multi-role fighter bomber. Bult primarily as a dogfighter it has been able to soldier on thanks to this feature as then more modern missile-armed fighters were rendered obsolete by Cylon technology. The Tempest was originally armed with six 13mm heavy machineguns, but most were upgraded with 20 to 30mm cannons.
Banshee Fighter
More modern than the Tempest, the Banshee was a high speed space superiority fighter. Designed as a dedicated missile platform it was equipped with an advanced DRADIS system linked to the HAWK long range missile system, but lacked guns. Advances in ECM, especially Cylon jamming was the downfall of this design. The last models soldiered on, armed with gun pods until the middle years of the Cylon War.
Viper MK I
The Mark I Viper was a revolutionary design when first introduced. It had superior capabilities over most other existing fighters, especially in dogfighting, but had a number of weaknesses that caused it to be phased out in favour of the MK II. Most notably the jam prone twin 23 mm cannons proved to be too light to deal effectively with Cylon Raiders. Despite these limitations the MK I remained in service for most of the Cylon War, only to switch to the reserve in the final years of the war before being scrapped. Another weakness were the landing skids that tended to break during combat landings.
Viper MK II
Viper MK III
The Viper Mark III was a two-seater trainer variant of the Mark II.
Viper MK IV
Viper MK V
The Mark V relied on the experience gained during the war to make further improvements to the design, most notably increased crew survivability and protection. They are currently used by the Reserve as the main line fighter.
Viper MK VI
The Mark VI was a near complete overhaul with radical changes which meant that it was only 20% compatible with the previous Vipers. The resulting fighter was the first to step away from wartime avionics and to more advanced technology, but still protected from Cylon jamming and infiltration.
Viper MK VII
The Mark VII is the latest in the line of fighters and possibly the final version before the Viper is replaced by the FSSF (Future Space Superiority Fighter). The Mark VII includes all the most advanced features seen on the latest generation of fighters, including increased stealth, a high visibility cockpit and an extra dorsal fin mounted cannon for added firepower. The MK VII is well liked by pilots thanks to its advanced fly by wire system and advanced electronics.
Python
The Python was a result of corruption in the Colonial Gouvernment in the days before the Cylon War. Built by the same company that produced the Avalon Class battlestars, the Python was sold as being cheaper and more suitable for the Avalon than the Viper. Despite a lawsuit, the outbreak of the war forced the Service to take the Python into service where it performed adequately. The Python was withdrawn from service after the war and the surviving Avalons were converted to carry Vipers, some Pythons were purchased by private security companies and used as escorts for many years after the war. Armed with eight 20mm cannons it had more than adequate firepower, but lacked the superior maneuverability of the Viper to bring this firepower to bear.
Cobra heavy fighter
The Cobra heavy fighter is unique in the Colonial fleet for being the only fighter equipped with a Jump Drive. The Cobra can therefore operate independently from other vessels, though it has a limited range. They are sometimes posted in orbital stations or ground-based, making use of booster rockets to achieve orbit. The Cobra has a two man crew and mounts a multibarrel 30mm cannon.
Dagger Light Bomber
The delta shaped Dagger was an early stealth design, suitable for infiltration using low level flight and passive flight trajectory. Although it was extremely fast it lacked maneuverability and was vulnerable in combat, mounting only a single 23mm cannon. It had six hardpoints, but size limitations lead to it being withdrawn from service in favour of the Scimitar.
Scimitar Heavy Bomber
The Scimitar is the current multi-role attack Fighter, capable of bombardment, anti-ship operations and ground support. It trades speed and maneuverability for heavy armour and mounts a pair of 37mm heavy cannon and an impressive 16 hardpoints.
Tempest Fighter
The tempest never served with the Colonial Fleet, but was in service with several Colony Air Arms. A number of Mercenary Tempest squadrons served during the Cylon war and a good number remain in use today. The Tempest is a dated, but solid spaceframe and suitable as a multi-role fighter bomber. Bult primarily as a dogfighter it has been able to soldier on thanks to this feature as then more modern missile-armed fighters were rendered obsolete by Cylon technology. The Tempest was originally armed with six 13mm heavy machineguns, but most were upgraded with 20 to 30mm cannons.
Banshee Fighter
More modern than the Tempest, the Banshee was a high speed space superiority fighter. Designed as a dedicated missile platform it was equipped with an advanced DRADIS system linked to the HAWK long range missile system, but lacked guns. Advances in ECM, especially Cylon jamming was the downfall of this design. The last models soldiered on, armed with gun pods until the middle years of the Cylon War.
Battlestar Profile 017 : BSG 177 Nightstar Class Battlestar Nightshade
One of the smallest Battlestars in service it is also one of the newest, the Nightstar is primarily designed for rapid intervention and surgical strikes. Designed to strike deep into enemy territory, the Nightstars are lean vessels, devoid of the extended supply and manufacturing facilities found on most other Battlestars. Although outclassed by many other ships, they carry a substantial supply of nuclear weapons to deal with any enemy threat.
The Nightstar generally favours speed and mobility over firepower and is equipped with the latest in Jump drives allowing this Battlestar to make several jumps in rapid succession, making it hard to track down and able to strike enemy targets in a guerilla-type fashion.
Despite its size, the Nightstar's extensive automatisation and small crew, living conditions are more spacious than expected, though no square cm of the ship is left idle. Able to carry up to four squadrons in wartime, the number of fighters is reduced under normal conditions to keep maintenance levels to a managable levels since the repair facilities are somewhat limited and could be swamped by larger numbers.
As for armament, the Nightstar is lightly, but adequately armed with 9 turrets, two of which act as forward batteries. Two more light forward batteries in the flight pods give it a firepower boost. The missile silo holds 12 warheads capable of firing class D and C warheads. Like the Valhalla class the Nightstar can fire smaller missiles through its turrets.
The Nightshade is the second ship of her class and has the distinction of having had four commanders in her brief career. Commander Hague died when a fighter collided with his Raptor transport. Commander Thark died of a freak electric accident in his stateroom, while Commander Regan was killed by a mentally unstable bridge officer, though fourteen people were injured, Regan was the only fatal casualty. Finally Commander Bennington suffered a fatal stroke only three months after taking command. The current Commander, Bennington's former XO, Commander Carter has managed to survive longer than any of his predecessors and hopes he has broken the chain of bad luck surrounding the Nightshade and put her reputation as an unlucky ship to rest.
Commander : Commander Magnus Carter
XO : Colonel Kara Shamak
CAG : Captain Silas Falk
Complement : 2-4 squadrons of fighters, up to 10 Raptors
Armament : 2 double forward batteries, 7 twin turrets, 300 Derlam CIWS. 12 missile bays.
The Nightstar generally favours speed and mobility over firepower and is equipped with the latest in Jump drives allowing this Battlestar to make several jumps in rapid succession, making it hard to track down and able to strike enemy targets in a guerilla-type fashion.
Despite its size, the Nightstar's extensive automatisation and small crew, living conditions are more spacious than expected, though no square cm of the ship is left idle. Able to carry up to four squadrons in wartime, the number of fighters is reduced under normal conditions to keep maintenance levels to a managable levels since the repair facilities are somewhat limited and could be swamped by larger numbers.
As for armament, the Nightstar is lightly, but adequately armed with 9 turrets, two of which act as forward batteries. Two more light forward batteries in the flight pods give it a firepower boost. The missile silo holds 12 warheads capable of firing class D and C warheads. Like the Valhalla class the Nightstar can fire smaller missiles through its turrets.
The Nightshade is the second ship of her class and has the distinction of having had four commanders in her brief career. Commander Hague died when a fighter collided with his Raptor transport. Commander Thark died of a freak electric accident in his stateroom, while Commander Regan was killed by a mentally unstable bridge officer, though fourteen people were injured, Regan was the only fatal casualty. Finally Commander Bennington suffered a fatal stroke only three months after taking command. The current Commander, Bennington's former XO, Commander Carter has managed to survive longer than any of his predecessors and hopes he has broken the chain of bad luck surrounding the Nightshade and put her reputation as an unlucky ship to rest.
Commander : Commander Magnus Carter
XO : Colonel Kara Shamak
CAG : Captain Silas Falk
Complement : 2-4 squadrons of fighters, up to 10 Raptors
Armament : 2 double forward batteries, 7 twin turrets, 300 Derlam CIWS. 12 missile bays.
The Sword of Ares
The Sword of Ares was the codename for what could have been the largest warship in the Colonial Fleet. Designed as a command vessel it was supposed to be twice as long as the Titan class and nearly ten times the mass. It would have had four massive flight pods and two docking bays each capable of handling a Battlestar the size of a Mercury class. The armament was to be composed of eight 5080 mm forward batteries and nearly 100 heavy quad turrets. Fighter complement would have been a hundred squadrons, easily as much as the then entire Colonial Fleet transport capacity combined.
Design work started during the Cylon War and the Sword of Ares went through several upgrades to incorporate the latest technological developments. Over the years it became a running joke that when the Sword of Ares was finally completed it would become a single-ship fleet since the Colonies could only afford one anyway.
When the Titans were built it seemed that the way was clear for the Sword of Ares, but rising costs and the end of the War meant that the project was dead in the water and further development was halted.
The only part of the Sword of Ares to be completed was the kilometer long 5080mm forward gun which was secretly tested in a classified system, bombarding a small moon with shells the size of a Colonial Heavy Liner.
Plans to convert the gun into a defense station were dropped and the weapon was scrapped, save for a single barrel ring which is now on display at the Picon East Peak Military Academy.
Design work started during the Cylon War and the Sword of Ares went through several upgrades to incorporate the latest technological developments. Over the years it became a running joke that when the Sword of Ares was finally completed it would become a single-ship fleet since the Colonies could only afford one anyway.
When the Titans were built it seemed that the way was clear for the Sword of Ares, but rising costs and the end of the War meant that the project was dead in the water and further development was halted.
The only part of the Sword of Ares to be completed was the kilometer long 5080mm forward gun which was secretly tested in a classified system, bombarding a small moon with shells the size of a Colonial Heavy Liner.
Plans to convert the gun into a defense station were dropped and the weapon was scrapped, save for a single barrel ring which is now on display at the Picon East Peak Military Academy.
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