Overview:       The Jagger is a mid-age fighter built in Commonwealth space. Designed with speed in mind over weapons and shielding, the Jagger remained an average fighter with high and low points. Never very popular, the Jagger has fallen out of favour with most units in the Commonwealth Navy, and now operates in significant numbers only in Homeguard units and a few Renegade squadrons.       One reason for this unpopularity is definitively its tumultuous first years of service. Through a series of unlucky events, the Jagger acquired a reputation as a problematic and un-capable fighter. Poor code writing in many of the manufacturing robots (which was copied and supplied to all manufacturing sites) caused not any single problem, but instead the new fighters each had a chance to contain several small defects, everything from a few missing pieces to whole armour panels falling off. The code was extensively searched, and the problems eventually fixed, of course, but the Jagger could never lose its fragile tag. Added to this was several disastrous military operations in which the Jagger was to play a pivotal role. Unwilling to blame anyone or anything else, the commanders pointed the finger of defeat squarely at the Jagger. They cited its weak shielding and poor quality as the cause of the staggering fighter losses and the failure of the whole operations.       Whether the cause or not, the Jagger now had a black mark on it forever. Few pilots wished to fly in them, and the Commonwealth eventually transferred most of them to the Homeguard forces. Capabilities:       In reality, now that the quality problem has been fixed, the Jagger is not a horrible fighter. Its speed is slightly higher than most heavy fighters, with a maximum sustainable acceleration of 6gs. As well, it's streamlining is excellent, making it highly maneuverable in atmosphere. Four Magitech SunBlossom lasers, two 7.5/6s and two 7.5/5s, give it excellent close in and long range firepower, allowing it to quickly penetrate the adversarial armour to achieve internal hits, though due to the narrow beam, a single killing volley is unlikely. Supplementing the lasers at long range is a Krik'shh Class 16 heavy neutron particle cannon, mounted in the nose. Finally, a single hard point is mounted underside, often mounting an ECM pod.       Though well protected with 38 tons of SterroSlab armour, the Jagger's shields are its biggest disappointment. Carrying a single 70 mounted fore, a 60 stern and only 50s to the sides, the Jagger is shielded averagely more for a medium, not heavy fighter. While it's slightly higher acceleration helps in offsetting this shortfall, it cannot do so completely. This weaker shielding is perhaps the single biggest reason for the Jaggers honestly lost in combat. (Honestly as in not due to construction glitches.       In the end, however, the Jagger's current assignment suits it very well. As a homeguard unit, the Jagger fills its role perfectly. With its excellent atmospheric handling and its four powerful lasers, the Jagger makes a superb strafer. As well, it can power its way to engage incoming units and attack from long range. Though it may not destroy the enemy fighters outright, statistics have shown that even slight internal damage can swing the tide due to pilot apprehensiveness or the units returning to base. Deployment:       One can expect to find a squadron or two of these fighters in nearly every Homeguard unit along the Alaric front. Several renegade squadrons also posses the Jagger, and have used them to great effect, often coupled together in flights with other fighter types. Though unpopular with the Commonwealth, the Jagger has not died and should continue to play a role in the battle for years to come.

Class: Heavy Fighter Mass: 197 Tons Cost: $4,119,900 Rating Power Mass Cost Right Engine 800 800 8 800000 Cntre Engine 800 800 8 800000 Left Engine 800 800 8 800000 Links 2 2 2 400000 Thrust: 6 Shields Rating Front 70 48 2 35000 Right 50 12 2 25000 Left 50 12 2 25000 Stern 60 24 2 30000 Armour Points Front 100 0 10 500 Right 90 0 9 450 Left 90 0 9 450 Stern 100 0 10 500 Weapons Location 7.5/6 Left Wing 23 23 276000 7.5/5 Left Wing 20 20 240000 7.5/6 Right Wing 23 23 276000 7.5/5 Right Wing 20 20 240000 NPC 16 Bow 10 23 154000 Hard Point Bow 0 3 10000 Crew and Cockpit Cockpit 1 1 1 10000 Crew 1 1 1 1000 Accel Comp 6 4 4 6000 Atmospheric Controls Streamlining 1 0 10 1000 Power Mass Cost Totals: 200 200 $4,119,900 Excess Power: 2200

	Page design/contents © Kannik, 1996 Last Updated: 09 26 97