French Bufer class Fighter

French Bufer class Fighter

Original Date of Design: August 3, 2289
First Example Laid Down: October 12, 2291
First Example Completed: December 3, 2293
Fleets of Service: France
Number in Service:12 (Bufer, Barineau, Giraud, Hasbrouck, Ducat, Dodier, Morace, Nugent, Pepin, Rosier, Senesac and Segur - named after previous fighter captains)




The Bufer is the a French fighter design which uses carried ordnance as its only offensive weapons. Originally the design called for four magnetically harnessed LL-2 submunitions launchers, then the most common submunition in the French arsenal. Now, however, most Bufers have been refitted to accept the updated LL-5 (Type 2285 or Big Clip), LL-7 (Type-2286) or LL-8 (Type 2290) designs which boast more powerful warheads.

In order to carry several launchers, the Bufer design had to be somewhat on the large side. The ship itself is 20 meters from nose to tail and has a wingspan of just over 15 meters on a 8m diameter hull. The four launchers are carried magnetically on the underside of the wings and the launchers can be dropped. The weapons are limited all controlled by one fire control system and may all fire in a single turn.

The hull is streamlined and is composed of advanced composites. Sufficient material has been added to the hull to give it noticeable armor resistance. Masking the hull has made the ship virtually invisible to enemy passive detection, and the design is not so large that the ship suffers from having too great a profile.

Bufers are currently deployed sparingly along the French Arm. Their numbers are rumored to be somewhat low, but actual figures have never been released by the French government. To date there
have been no Bufers sold to any other nation.

It lacks a solar array and medic, and thus is not suitable for extended cruising. Deployments are mainly to carriers in the strike role.

Crew: Commander and XO, nav and 2nd, helm and 2nd, comm and 2nd, comp and 2nd, passive operator, gunner, and 6 engineers.

Streamlining: as spaceplane, external droptanks used for lift

Performance

Warp efficiency: 3.75-3.98 on full military power (depending on fuel)
Power Plant: 10 MW MHD Turbine
Turbine Fuel: 96 tons (16 hours at full military power)
Range: 7.7 ly
Mass: 497.8 tons unfueled and unloaded with ordnance
Cargo Capacity:minimal
Crew: 18
Passengers: nil
Comfort: -2
Total Life Support: 90 days
Cost: MLv 16.83

Ship Status Sheet

Move: 8

Screens: 0

Radiated Signature: 1(4) (down to -2 when powered down to 1 MW)

Radial Reflected: 4

Lateral Reflected: 5

Target Computer:0

Radial Profile: -2

Lateral Profile: -2

Armour: 5

Hull hits: 50/10

Power Plant Hits: 20/4

Active: nil

Passive: 6

 

Weapons

Ordnance Load: 4 Submunitions Launchers of any type (usually Big Clip)

Sensors and Electronics: Navigation Radar and Passive-6

Crew Hits: Bridge (Commander, Helm, Navigator, Comms, Comp), TAC (passive operator and gunner)

Damage Control:8 (3 teams)