Tomcat Starfighter

The Tomcat Starfighter, Also known as the Mk. IV Starfighter, is the current front-line ship-based Starfighter used by Starfleet, Starfleet Marine Corps, and Starfleet Starfighter Corps.

GENERAL SPECIFICATIONS
Crew: 1 Pilot

Length: 19.1 m

Wingspan: Spread: 19.5 m Swept: 11.58 m Height: 4.88 m

Wing area: 54.5 m²

Powerplant: Sublight, 3 x Boeing/General Electric BGE-195-AB-110 Impulse Engines, 177.928 Kilonewtons Each. 1 x M/ARA Warp Drive

Armament: 4 x Type IV-C (Mk. 97) Pulse Phaser cannons,

1 x Type IV-B (Mk. 8) Phaser cannon,

2 x Mk. 17 Microtorpedo tubes (150 torpedoes total),

2 photon torpedo tubes (6 weapons total),

exterior hardpoints for numerous torpedoes or missiles

HISTORY
The Tomcat Starfighter is based on the successful US Navy F-14 Tomcat. The design was chosen because of it's size and internal volume. When modified for Starfleet service, the Fighter had surplus internal volume, which has been converted into spaces for weapons and fuel. The fighter has 2 fewer pulse phaser cannons than it's predecessor, the Peregrine, but makes up for it with versatility in weapons.

Pulse Phaser Cannons
The Tomcat carries 4 Mk. 97 pulse phaser cannons, mounted in twin groupings port and starboard. These are fitted in the space above what was the engine air inlet (now that space is reserved for internal weapons and sensors). Each pair of weapons has a 45 degree targetting angle. One unique feature is the independant targetting system, which allows the pilot to lock onto two seperate targets.

Phaser Cannon
Under the nose, the fighter has a Mk. 8 Phaser cannon, which fires a traditional beam. The weapon has a 165 degree firing arc, allowing the pilot to hit targets attacking at an oblique angle, or from below. the weapon is also well suited to precision ground attack.

Micro Torpedoes
Two microtorpedo tubes are fitted just forward of the cockpit, on the underside of the fuselage. these weapons are primarily for anti-fighter use, although they are well suited for anti-personnel ground attacks. these two launchers can clear their magazines in less than 2 minutes.

Internal Weapons Bays
Fitted into the spaces that, on the old USN F-14 Tomcat would have been engine air inlets, are two torpedo tubes and their magazines and targetting systems. A total of 6 torpedoes, either photon or quantum torpedoes, can be carried internally. Smaller weapons can also be carried with only minor modifications to the launchers. Tomahawks, because of their size, are not internally carryable, but can be carried externally under the wing gloves.

External Ordinance
A number of externally mountable weapons are currently under development for Tomcat. Among them are guided bomb systems and rockets for use in ground attack, as well as Anti-Starfighter Missiles.

Currently, Starfleet does have a Multi-Role missile under production for Tomcat. This missile measures 3.5 meters long, 5 inches in diameter, and has a matter/anti-matter warhead roughly half the size of that on a Photon Torpedo. fully loaded, Tomcat can carry 12 of these missiles externally.

PROPULSION SYSTEMS
Each of the Tomcat's three Impulse Engines are of a new design. The engines use two larger inpulse fusion reactors, along with a more powerful accelerator. This allows the engines, which are massive for a ship this size to begin with, to produce 23% more thrust than other, similarly sized impulse engines. The Tomcat is fully twice as fast at sublight as a standard shuttlecraft, and can outpace most contemporary fighters.

The visible part of the engines are the thrust vector nozzles. All three nozzels can vector fully. This, combined with the highly responsive Reaction Control System Thrusters mounted strategically on the space frame, make the Tomcat one of, if not the most, menueverable craft in the Starfleet inventory.

The fighter also has a powerful warp core, allowing the fighter to achieve an emergency speed of warp 9.981. At warp speeds, the fighter has a range of some 20 light years, allowing it to conduct long range patrols or strike missions away from the carrier.

COMPARISONS
Compared with Starfleet's previous front-line fighter, the Peregrine (Which fought in the Dominion War), the Tomcat is a smaller, faster, lighter, and more agile space frame. It's phaser armament is less than that of a Peregrine, but it carries more secondary weapons, and in a greater variety.

Wargames have been conducted, and all else being equal, the Tomcat wins 98.7% of engagements. The Tomcat has not, however, had to face the riggors of a long combat tour, although that test won't be long in coming with the advent of the Banor invasion.