Combat: Fighter, Heavy - Hawk-class

History and Mission Overview

By the late 2380s Starfleet, in the aftermath of the Hobus incident within the Romulan Star Empire, began to see an increase in renegade pirates, marauders and other never-do-wells along its various borders. Additionally, these various threatening powers were advancing the level of technology equipped to their smaller interceptor craft.

One such incident in 2387, shortly after the Hobus incident, was recorded by the Mjolnir class heavy dreadnought USS Ark Angel. Under the command of Romulan Captain Drudoc Andone, the Ark Angel was assigned to track down and destroy a heavily armed Orion pirate outpost on the border of Federation space. However, the Ark Angel faced one key shortcoming, that in her fighter wing. The Orions that had been previously found used several heavily armed warp capable shuttles and escort fighters in their last attack, whereas up until that mission had ended most fighters in use around the Federation were solely sub-light capable beyond the aging Ranger bombers.

Captain Andone and her crew overcame this shortcoming and made history by launching 24 mark 1 Cutlass class fighters and then holding them safely within their warp bubble at high warp. This allowed the Ark Angel to have a full compliment of fighters ready for combat when she dropped out of warp to surprise attack the Orion pirates and their base. Up till then Starfleet had not considered a need for a warp capable fighter and only in after action reports did this herald the refit of the mark 2 Cutlass fighter, however, it remained without warp capabilities. This interceptor was only moderately armed leaving a gap in Starfleet’s fighter arm for a heavier armed and warp capable variant.

Answering the call for a modern warp capable heavy fighter the R&D shipyards within the Andoria system brought forth shelved plans for such a fighter and rolled it out to Starfleet for approval within a month’s time. Named the Hawk class heavy fighter due to its fast and arced shape, the new fighter was soon approved for fleet wide use three months later in September of 2387 built to replace the aging Templar heavy fighter.

Mission Profiles

The Hawk class fighter has a combat profile similar to the Templar class:

• Fighter to Fighter combat operations.
• Support of Capital Craft in Fighter operations.
• Reconnaissance and Patrol of contested/hazardous regions
• Convoy Escort
• Starbase & Outpost Support Operations
• Planetary troop support and atmospheric combat operations

Structure And Construction

The Hawk class fighter is a large fighter platform, though still only a single-seat vessel. It has a beak shaped nose cone and cockpit at the front, which slopes back to an egg shaped main hull. To either side of the main hull are the fighter’s integrated warp, impulse, and weapon mount structures.

The Hawk class fighter is slightly smaller than the Templar, spanning only 18 meters long by 20 meters wide, by 7 meters high. Access is gained to the fighter by a roll back cockpit hull piece at the front of the fighter. This is similar in design to old Terran propeller and early jet plane designs of the mid 20th century.

The entire frame of the Hawk is built around a reinforced Duranium framework, transporter welded to increase its strength. The frame is then layered by a dual hull framework with 2 cm thick titanium padding energized when in combat with emergency forcefields to reduce internal structure damage. Layered over the whole fighter in an easy to replace plating weave of 3 cm of Ablative armor.

Finally, the Hawk class is capable of landing on any surface by use of three recessed magnetic and gravity capable landing and grappling struts. Two of these are to the rear of the craft on the main body with the third at the front of the main body behind the cockpit.

Science And Remote Sensing Systems

Sensor Systems

The Hawk class comes with a Type-3 sensor system, with pallets arranged in rectangular pairs all about the main hull frame. The system has a short range scan of 1 light year and a long range scan of 2.4 light years. During combat operations the system also works as an ECM jamming system and can if needed jam localized communications systems out to a range of 1.5 light years. When so performed this equally blocks the Hawk’s own means of communication. The sensor system is also equipped with the latest generation of the emissions tracking system to aid in detecting improperly cloaked ships and auxilary craft.

Situated below the cockpit in a square shaped housing is the fighter’s main deflector dish.

Computer Systems

The Hawk class makes use of a single isolinear data/processor computer rack located directly behind the cockpit in the middle of the fighter’s main hull. Access hatches are available for easy removal either from within the cockpit or from the top or bottom of the fighter externally. The system makes use of the LCARS 7.0 operating system with MAJEL interface.

Warp Propulsion System

The Hawk class fighter makes use of a Class-2 starship grade warp core system. This system outputs 215 Cochranes. It has a cruising speed of warp 2, a maximum sustainable speed of warp 4, a maximum velocity speed for 12 hours of warp 5, and an emergency speed of 30 minutes of warp 5.8. The core is positioned at the rear of the fighter in the egg shaped main hull. Ejection systems propel it out the top of the fighter in an emergency.

Impulse Propulsion System

The Hawk fighter comes standard with two miniature impulse engines located in the wing tip pods. A third auxiliary engine is located at the rear of the fighter in the main body and is solely used as a supplemental power source, not for maneuvering. Coupled with high powered RCS thruster systems the Hawk has impressive maneuvering for its size almost matching that of the Cutlass mark 2 fighter.

The Hawk has a maximum impulse speed of .30c and can reach such within 12 seconds and come to a stop in that same time.

Tactical Systems

Shield Systems

The Hawk class fighter comes equipped with a Type-4 shield array system. The system has a maximum dissipation rate of 1.46x10^5 kW and a maximum graviton load of 537 MW. Emitters are arranged in clusters of two around the ship’s framework.

Phaser Systems

The Hawk class fighter makes use of a pair of Type-6 auxiliary class phaser cannons located one to either side in the wing pods. Power for the cannons are drawn directly from the third impulse reactor at the aft of the craft to free up main power for other systems. The system has a maximum energy output of 0.6 megawatt with a maximum effective range of 35,000 km. Each cannon has 5 emitters in a barrel shaped cone.

Coupled to this system the Hawk is also equipped with two standard Type-6 phaser arrays. One array each is positioned dorsal and ventral on the main body of the fighter providing a full 360 degree angle of fire in those areas with 15 emitters each. The like the phaser cannons, this Type-6 system has a maximum energy output of .6 megawatts and a maximum effective range of 35,000 km.

This combination system allows the Hawk to engage the enemy target in close to mid-range strikes closing in fast to deliver concentrated phaser fire, similar to the tactics used by daring helm officers on Defiant and Avenger class escorts and Federation attack fighters during the Dominion War.

Torpedo Systems

The Hawk class fighter is equipped with two Type-2 micro torpedo launchers. Both launchers are positioned forward one to either side of the main deflector dish under the cockpit. These two launchers can each fire a single micro quantum/photon/probe once every 4 seconds. The maximum effective range of these micro casings is roughly 175,000 km

As a standard load out the Hawk fighter is equipped with 10 micro quantum torpedoes, 14 micro photon torpedoes, and 4 micro Class-1 sublight probes. Optionally this load out can be changed pre-launch to accommodate other desired loads as the pilot or ship’s Captain may desire.

Additionally the Hawk class can mount 2 full sized photon or quantum torpedoes on the underside of its wings for heavier armed targets.

Command And Support Systems

Cockpit

The Hawk’s single person cockpit is arrayed similar to a normal Armadillo shuttle for ease of training and familiarity use. Weapons and Navigation controls are located directly forward of the pilot, with communications, and engineering status read outs located to left and right. Vocal command through the MAJEL interface is possible allowing the pilot to delegate automatic commands through pre-programmed macros to the computer if desired.

Utility Systems

Emergency Storage Unit

Located underneath the forward console by the pilot’s feet in the cockpit is an emergency storage locker, containing a Type-2 phaser with two charging packs, a backup uniform communicator, 3 days worth of field rations, a medical and engineering kit, a WTR-600 tricorder, and a crash location beacon with 3 day power source.

This unit when disengaged by a quick pull in an emergency transports the pilot in their EVA suit up to 15,000 km away from the craft or if within range to the nearest planetary body.

Tractor Beam Systems

The Hawk class fighter comes equipped with a single aft mounted tractor beam, able to haul a similar sized craft as itself out to a range of 1 km.

Transporter Systems

Embedded within the pilot’s cockpit seat is a single person emergency transporter, capable only of beaming the pilot out in an emergency out to a range of 15,000 km. The pilot cannot beam himself into his craft as this system is solely one way.

Crew Support Systems

Life Support Systems

The Hawk fighter carries enough power and life support to provide the pilot with two days of solo operations without resupply by a parent craft or allied base. The pilot is also expected to wear a fighter EVA suit during combat operations in case of emergency beam out into space ejection when needed.

Technical Specifications

Dimensions & Structure:

Length

18 meters

Beam (Width)

20 meters

Height

7 meters

Decks

1

Crew Complement:

Pilots

1

Computer Systems

Core

Isolinear Data Core

Software

LCARS 7.0 / MAJEL Interface

Warp Systems:

Power Plant

One 215 cochrane MARA core feeding two nacelles

Cruising Speed

Warp 2

Max Sustainable Speed

Warp 4

Max Velocity Speed

Warp 5 (12 hours)

Emergency Speed

Warp 5.8 (30 minutes)

Impulse Systems

Full Impulse

0.30c

Zero-0.30c

12 seconds

0.30c-Zero

12 seconds

Defensive Systems

Shield Maximum Graviton Load

537 MW

Shield Maximum Energy Dissipation Rate

1.46 x 10^5 kW

Offensive Systems:

Phaser Systems

2x Type-6 auxiliary phaser cannons

Phaser Systems

2x Type-6 phaser arrays

Torpedo Systems

2x Type-2 Micro Launchers

• 4 Micro Class-1 Probes
• 14 Micro Photon Torpedoes
• 10 Micro Quantum Torpedoes
• Optional: 2x Full sized photon/quantum torpedoes on wing mounted launchers

Shuttle Naming

Hawk class fighters are normally named after avian creatures from allied races around the Federation. However, because of their vast numbers built most are normally named by their pilots in whatever means they wish.

Conclusion

The Hawk class heavy fighter fulfills a gap within Starfleet’s fighter arm. The Hawk class is heavily armed, fast, and maneuverable, the equal of or superior in standard to known enemy forces. It stands ready to defend the Federation’s fleet carriers, outposts, starbases and colonies from all threats, known or otherwise.