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The Federation Starfleet rarely uses smaller craft in what combat it has experienced to date. In the last war, it simply refitted existing shuttlecraft with better weaponry to serve as distractions and harassment tools in the most dire of circumstances. Simply put, the Federation had no specialized type of attack fighter craft. Now it does.
The Hornet-class attack fighter represents a cutting-edge turning point in the Federation's development of swarm tactics. At a third the size of a conventional shuttlecraft, the Hornet-class fighter is cheap and easy to manufacture in mass quantities. Its miniscule size allows starbases and larger starships to maintain a squad or two of fighters at all times, greatly enhancing defense, despite the fact that the Hornet was originally designed for offensive purposes.
Supporting a single pilot, the fighter carries a great deal of armament for its size, borrowing several design elements from the Defiant-class warships. Like the Defiant-class, the warp nacelles are integrated into the body of the ship, and is armed with the same forward pulse phaser cannons as the Defiants, of course, on smaller scale. The Federation cares greatly for the welfare of the fighter pilots, and has integrated new safeguard technologies into the vessels. First, the warp nacelles are not only integrated into the body of the ship, but are protected by an additional wraparound frame of duranium alloy as well as protected by the special geometric design of the ship. Targeting the engines in a direct frontal attack would almost be impossible as a protruding 'lip' of the wing would absorb any such attack. An attack from the rear would harmlessly graze the side due to the ship's angular design.
Possibly the most important safeguard is the cockpit's design. Should the fighter become disabled, the cockpit can detach from its ruined outer shell, thus allowing the pilot to return safely to base. The cockpit is propelled by the ship's impulse engine and contains two phaser strips on the underside for protection.
Its armaments include: (higher the type number, higher the energy)
[Fore Weapons] 6 type-6 pulse phaser cannons, 2 type-6 fixed point phasers, 2 front-loaded micro torpedo launchers.
[Aft Weapons] 2 type-6 fixed point phasers, 3 type-5 phaser strips.
[Lateral Weapons] 2 type-5 phaser strips.
[Top Weapons] 2 type-6 phaser strips.
[Bottom Weapons] 4 type-5 phaser strips.
Torpedo cache limited to 2 micro-photon torpedoes.
Note: Full-size photon torpedo in drawing only for size comparison with fighter.
