The Shield
series of defense fighters is one the sturdiest front line
designs employed in the Kushan fleet. Drives and weapon
systems have evolved over time, but the basic hull design of
the original Shield strike craft has yet to be surpassed in
terms of economy and durability. A new state-of-the-art
targeting system and an upgrade to the gimbal-mounted turret
systems have been incorporated into the current Mark 3b
version of this classic strike craft, and should serve to
keep the Shield effective in combat for the foreseeable
future.
While Shield class fighters have been gradually replaced in
the offensive strike force by the Blade Interceptor, the
relatively low cost of producing the chassis and its
excellent weapons coverage has kept the Shield series in
service, in the fleet defense role. While more
resource-intensive strike craft engage and destroy enemy
assets, Kushan admirals will deploy Shield fighters in the
escort role to protect support ships such as Resource
Gatherers, Lab Ships and even Carriers from enemy counter
strikes. The extremely fast production time for Shields also
means they will often find themselves being thrown in as a
last ditch defense against a surprise attack when newer,
more powerful ships simply take too long.
Shield squadrons are crewed by an odd mix of dedicated
veterans serving out one last patrol cycle before
retirement, and new pilots fresh from the training crèches.
The irony of their deployment orders is that the majority of
them remain virtually untested in combat until the very
moment that they are all that stands between the Kushan
fleet and utter destruction.
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