Badger Light Starfighter:

The Badger light star fighter is designed and constructed by New Coventry. New Coventry uses the starfighter as their main light star fighter and it is also exported in moderate numbers. It has an inexpensive price tag adding to the ships popularity. It was originally designed to fill the same role as the C.A.F Scorpion starfighter but due to modifications, is superior to the scorpion in most respects. A Badger starfighter could likely take on two Scorpion fighters with a good chance of victory. Some senior C.A.F. fleet officers would like to replace their Scorpion fighters with the Badger but due to political reasons, they have been unable to. One item of note is that the Badger starfighter frame has found to be very adaptable and he Strategic Arms SA-257 'Runt' Class Starfighter uses virtually identical the same frame but is enlarged over the Badger.

The Scorpion was studied by engineers hired by the New Coventry Military looking at the fighters strengths and weaknesses. In effect, the Badger keeps all the good characteristics of the Scorpion yet improves in the areas that the Scorpion is lacking. The Badger carries the same heavy rail gun that the Scorpion does but adds light lasers to support the Rail Gun. The ship is meant to be able to engage opponents at a greater range than the Scorpion and as such it was decided that in place of of mini-missile launchers, the fighter would carry medium range missile launchers. The usual tactic is to engage with medium range missiles before dogfighting to reduce the number of attacking fighters. Originally, all versions of this starfighter have racks for cruise missiles but the racks have been modified to be able to carry either two cruise missiles or four long range missiles. The Cruise missiles are carried when making attacks on capital ships and the long range missiles are carried when on an interception or anti-fighter mission. The lack of shields on the scorpion can become a severe problem in combat so light shields were added to the Badger. The Scorpion starfighter is very blocky so it is very slow in the atmosphere and the Badger corrects that problem by be constructed in a streamlined frame. This gives the fighter a faster atmospheric speed that the Scorpion. The engines are slightly more powerful allowing the fighter slightly more acceleration in space.

This fighter design uses modified starship speed and ranges. See Revised Starship Rules for Phase World for more details

(Note: The power system is fusion not anti-matter because the author's opinion is that anti-matter is to dangerous to be used in vehicles that may be used in an atmosphere. If a starship powered by anti-matter was to detonate in an atmosphere it would cause huge planetary damage. At GM option, this can also be applied to all starfighters or this fighter can be changed to anti-matter.)

Model Type: CSF-4
Vehicle Type: Light Interceptor and bomber
Crew: One.

M.D.C By Location:
Nose GR-Cannon:50
Wing Light Lasers (2):30 each
Belly Medium Range Missile Launcher:250
[1] Main Body:500
Cockpit:125
[2] Variable Force Field:200 per side (1,200 total)

Notes:
[1] Depleting the MDC of the main body will put the fighter out of commission. All internal systems will shut down, including life support and internal gravity. The ship itself will be an unsalvageable floating wreck.
[2] Shields positions can be varied and all could be combined in one shield. Shields regenerate at the rate of 5% (60 MDC) per melee

Speed:
Driving on the Ground: Not Possible.
Sublight: Has a special sublight engine that allows the ship to travel up to 40 percent of the speed of light. Fighter can accelerate/decelerate at the rate of 2 percent of light per melee.
Atmospheric Propulsion: Maximum speed is Mach 10 (6,700 mph / 10,800 kph), can enter an atmosphere because flight system is by contra grav. When starfighter is carrying cruise missiles, speed is limited to Mach 2 (1340 mph/2160 kmh)
Maximum Range: Effectively Unlimited by drive system but only has supplies for pilot for two weeks.

Statistical Data:
Length: 35 feet (10.6 meters)
Height: 11 feet (3.4 meters)
Width: 34 feet (10.4 meters)
Weight: 7.5 tons (6.8 metric tons) without cruise missile [With cruise missiles, weight is 9.5 tons (8.6 metric tons)]
Power System: Advanced Fusion with 10 year life span.
Cargo: Minimal Storage Space, place for a rifle, handgun, small survival kit, signal flares, and food rations.
Market Cost: 35 million credits.

WEAPON SYSTEMS:

  1. GR-1000 Rail Gun: The Rail gun is mounted in the nose of the starfighter and is the fighters primary weapon system. The rail gun is the same rail gun as is carried in the C.A.F. Scorpion Starfighter. Weapon is mainly used as an anti-starfighter and strafing weapon. Projectiles come out of launchers at close to the speed of light. Cannon uses a 30 mm projectile.
    Range: 16 miles (26 km) through atmosphere and 1,600 miles (2,575 km) in space.
    Mega-Damage: 40 round burst does 4D6x10 M.D.
    Rate of Fire: Equal to the combined hand to hand attacks of the Pilot (usually 4 or 5).
    Payload: 10,000 Rounds (500 Bursts).
  2. Light Lasers cannons (2): On each wing of the starfighter are light short range lasers. They are designed to be used to conserve ammo when a target does not need the full fire power of the rail gun such as shooting down missiles and is for emergencies when the rail gun is damaged or out of ammunition.
    Range: 4000 feet (1219 m) through atmosphere and 78.8 miles (121.9 km) in space.
    Mega-Damage: 1D6x10+20 for both cannons (5D6+10 if one is destroyed)
    Rate of Fire: Equal to the combined hand to hand attacks of the Pilot (usually 4 or 5).
    Payload: Effectively Unlimited
  3. Missile Racks: Under each wing are racks to carry and launch either one cruise missile or two long range missiles. The fighter will not normally carry both but will instead carry all the same type of missile. Cruise Missiles are carried on anti-capital ship missions and Long Range Missiles are carried on ant-starfighter and interception missions.. Cruise Missiles has a top speed of Mach 25 in an atmosphere and in space has an acceleration of 10% of light per turn (far faster than any starship). Long Range Missiles has a top speed of Mach 20 in an atmosphere and in space has an acceleration of 8% of light per turn (faster than any starship). Since starships will no longer engage at rock throwing distances, whether weapons can be shot down is calculated from the speed of target, launcher, and missile. When drive goes dead, missile will still cruise unless set to self destruct but has very low odds of hitting starships (Great for hitting bases and planets because target does not move and missile when dead at -25% to detect.) Cruise missiles have minuses to hit small targets but are all considered smart missiles. Weapon system can be used on multiple targets.
    Range: Cruise Missile range is 8000 miles (12,875 km) in an atmosphere and 4,000,000 miles (6,437,376 km/ 21.5 light seconds) and Long Range Missile range is 3400 miles (5470 km) in an atmosphere and 1,800,000 miles (2,89700 km/9.7 light seconds) in space.
    Mega-Damage & Properties: See Phase World Missiles (Cruise Anti-Matter does 4D6x100 MDC and Long Range Fusion does 2D4x100 MDC).
    Rate of fire: One at a time or in volleys of two, three, or four missiles.
    Payload: 2 Cruise Missiles (1 each wing) or 4 Long Range Missiles (2 each wing)
  4. Medium Range Missile Launchers (2): Inside the belly of the fighter is a medium range missile launcher. Weapon system is used for hitting enemy robots, fighters, and missiles. Weapon system is also used for anti-cruise missile. Missile has a top speed of Mach 15 in an atmosphere and in space has an acceleration of 6% of light per turn. Normally used for anti-fighter and point defense. Weapon system can be used on multiple targets.
    Mega-Damage: varies with medium range missile type (See Phase World Missiles).
    Range: 160 miles (257.5 km) in an atmosphere and 80,000 miles (128,750 km/0.43 light seconds)
    Rate of fire: Can fire missiles one at a time or in volleys of 2, 4, or 8 missiles.
    Payload: 16 medium range missiles


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