Starfighters

Starfighters are relatively rare within the Federation during peacetime, largely held in storage at starbases and other similar facilities, but they are essentially shuttles with heavier armament, used to defend larger vessels and perform other tactical tasks. While some models have warp drive, they are generally only suited for use in the immediate range of their base or mothership. The most common uses for this type of auxiliary craft in peace time are pilot training and patrol missions.

Sparrow-class fighter

Template:Specifications The Sparrow class fighter is a small one-person craft that is fast and highly maneuverable, but lightly armed in its default configuration. It was developed in the 2350s to be posted to distant outposts that were more often the target of pirate raids rather than incursions by major threat forces, and so had a need for small armed vessels to perform patrol duties. They were also used across the Federation, including at Starfleet Academy, as pilot trainers, thanks to their simple controls and hardy systems.

These vessels are nearly as wide as they are long, with sweeping wings that contain the warp engines. The wings are useful to improve atmospheric flight characteristics which improves the Sparrow's utility as a colonial defense craft. The wings can also mount a single torpedo each with an underslung mounting point; they must use specially-modified torpedoes that have been built with propulsion devices rather than simply the warp sustainer engines found on normal torpedoes, and they only mount these for special missions. Otherwise they rely on a pair of Type-VIII phaser banks on either side of the cockpit. Though they lack the firepower of larger craft, they are unburdened by excess mass and thus can still maneuver to score critical hits on other fighters. In fleet situations, these craft are charged with hunting down other fighters and bombers, rather than assaulting capital ships, as that is a task that they are ill-suited for.

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Peregrine-class fighter

Template:Specifications Developed alongside the smaller Sparrow, the Peregrine has more serious armaments and requires a crew of two rather than one. They saw similar use to their smaller cousins on frontier postings, and many of them were appropriated by the Maquis in the middle of the 24th century. It wasn't until the Dominion War that these vessels were posted to front-line starships and sent into large battles. With the outbreak of war, the 1st Attack Squadron was thrown almost directly into combat and proved itself a highly effective weapon against the Jem'Hadar. Losses were painfully high, but their tactical successes were sufficient for Starfleet to authorize the construction and deployment of additional fighter squadrons across the front. They continued to prove a valuable tactical asset throughout the war. While the Peregrine is no longer the most modern or the most powerful vehicle in the Federation's fighter inventory, many of them remain in service - a testament to the fundamental soundness of their basic engineering and their well-established survivability in combat.

These craft have two forward-facing Type-IX phaser cannons and microtorpedo launchers, which give them firepower that allows them to harass larger starships as well as to serve in a point-defense capacity. Like the Sparrow they can mount a limited number of full-sized torpedoes under their wings, giving them further utility as a bomber. They have a small aft compartment which can store cargo or supplies, or allow for crew rest, but these craft are not suited for missions longer than a few hours as they're only capable of Warp 3.

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Valkyrie-class fighter

Template:Specifications Designed with lessons learned after the Dominion War, the Valkyrie class fighter is a much smaller vessel than the Peregrine class that retains its tactical systems with the maneuverability of the Sparrow class fighter, at the expense of mounting larger munitions. This makes it an ideal all-rounder space superiority fighter. As such, during peacetime, it tends to be the standard fighter deployed aboard Typhon and Akira class carriers. This craft is also posted to defend important installations such as Starfleet Headquarters and core sector starbases, with other units retained in storage against the threat of future war.

This vessel is small, but still requires a pilot and a weapons and systems officer, who sits behind the pilot in the cockpit. There is no additional space for cargo storage or passengers, and entry and egress are provided through the canopy. Armament consists of two type-IX phaser canons and microtorpedo launchers, which allow it to be a threat to larger spacecraft. It is especially suited to harassing large vessels that would not be able to evade it. In emergency situations, the cockpit can be jettisoned and serve as a very short term escape pod, though the crew would be reliant on flight suits to keep them alive.

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Apsara-class bomber

Template:Specifications Developed in tandem with the Valkyrie class fighter, the Apsara class bomber is a dedicated attack craft, suitable for both atmospheric and deep space operations. They have been built in relatively small numbers and are only typically deployed on dedicated carriers, but they give Starfleet tactical flexibility when an escort or other such starship might not be available.

The Apsara class has six torpedo tubes, two retractable launchers on the wing tips with a single torpedo each and four tubes on either side of the centerline that can hold up to two torpedoes each. Coupled with the same pulse phaser cannons mounted on the Valkyrie, this gives the Apsara tremendous forward firepower. Defensive coverage is provided by four Type-VIII phaser arrays mounted on the wings, as well as an aft-firing microtorpedo launcher, but these vessels are almost always escorted by fighters. The cockpit has two stations, one for the pilot and another for a tactical officer. Entry is provided by a hatch on the underside, as well as a docking port on the top.

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