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“The design looks like it was ripped off several videogames, a heavy mech could destroy it just by staring, and all those mech boys will always look down on you. But when you’re flying at break neck speed and unleashing all your weapons on unsuspecting foes, there’s no other machine like it.”
A sergeant explaining the bad and the good of the Star Hornet to a private.
Speed: Mach 26
Length: 20 meters
Armour: Duratanium
Shield: light magnetic energy shield
Reactor: 3 cold fusion reactors (1 in each engine pod, 1 in main body)
Combat range: 10,000 km
Weapons fixed: Plasma cannon (mounted under fighter), 30 mm Gau 8 gatling cannon x 2 (1 mounted on each engine pod), 4 tube micro missile banks x 12 (mounted on body), plasma projectors x 2(mounted 1 on each arm)
Weapon options: Further information contained within following document.
With a great war looming Grand Alliance scientist and military planners had to find a way to effectively create a fighting force as fast as possible. They thus initiated Project Ares; this project would see the development of ENABLed (ENgineered AbiLity) space fighters. The cheap cost of making space fighters along with ENABLed special abilities would hopefully create a machine that could provide the punch and versatility of a mech but at a fraction of the cost.
The Star Hornet is the first fighter developed from this project. It was ENABLed with 2 multi use arms. The arms mounted plasma projectors, which could be used as hand-to-hand combat weapons if any opponent got close. More importantly they functioned as very manuverable mounts to hold weapons. They could point weapons in multiple directions that normal mounting schemes could not possibly hope to reproduce. The plasma projectors directly injecting plasma into the weapon systems powered the weapon systems mounted on these arms. This insured that in combat unused weapon systems (some of them anyways) would not cataclysmically explode.
The Star hornet had decent range, and instead of carrying extra fuel tanks, it had 2 bussard ram scoops sitting on top of each engine pod. They could boost the range indefinitely if in a hydrogen rich environment. Actual combat data showed only an increase of 200 km due to other Star Hornets and other units harvesting the hydrogen for their own use. The greatest assets of the Star Hornet were its speed and manuverability. It was even faster then a Saberfalcon and more manuverable in terms of flight characteristics. In enclosed environment, and terms of slow close combat manuvers the Saberfalcon was still more manuverable.
The shielding was enough to withstand 3-4 attacks from a light mech, 1-2 attacks from a medium mech, and most heavy mechs could rip thru squadrons of Star Hornets with little difficulty. This shielding was sufficient against most light mechs, but the Star Hornet had to be deployed in numbers to have a hope of destroying anything tougher.
The main weapon was a fairly powerful plasma cannon. It could destroy a light mech in a 1 second volley and even a medium mech could be taken down in 4 seconds of continuous fire. Heavier targets were virtually impervious to this weapon. The 30 mm gatlings were used to soften up targets but were regularly used to “tag” targets. The micro missile pods were used to intercept incoming missiles or to confuse or soften up enemies. By firing all the missiles at a group of enemies a cloak of exploding debris could be created. This field of debris could temporarily blind enemy sensors, and the Star Hornet could strike in this moment of confusion.
Like most Grand alliance produced machines it had a quick turn around time, and swarms of these fighters could be launched in a short time.
Despite it’s flaws for being based off a light space fighter, the Star Hornet could under the right circumstances provide the punch of a medium mech but at 1/10th the cost.
Weapon system options
Each weapon system when in use was carried in the limb arms. The plasma projectors provided the power. The Star Hornet could carry 1 weapon in each hand and some weapons could be magnetically clamped under the body for another 2 weapons. This allowed for the Star Hornet to carry 4 weapon options altogether.
Discontinued (From left to right)
Designation: Mark 4 anti-fighter missile
Nickname: candygram
Attachable: No
This missile was found to be acceptable when engaging light mechs, but lacked any knockout punch. The homing system was adequate but the missile itself was too slow to get past anti-missile defences.
Designation: Hydra missile pod
Nickname: Saltshaker
Attachable: No
Adapted from the same Hydra missile pod found on Apache attack helicopters, they were found to be insufficient for space combat. Even a complete volley of all 19 missiles at one enemy was insufficient for a kill.
Designation: PAR (Persistent Attack Remote) launch rails
Nickname: Spikes
Attachable: No
The PAR
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