F-104 Bearcat

F-104 Bearcat
Type	Heavy Fighter
Manufacturer	Douglas Aerospace
Primary User	Terran Confederation
Additional Users	Black Lance
Length	27 meters
Mass	14 metric tonnes
Max Velocity	550 k/s
Max Afterburner Velocity	1400 k/s
Max Afterburner Acceleration	1200 k/s^2
Max Y/P/R	90/80/90/ DPS
Guns	Light Tachyon Cannon (4)
Missiles	4x2 (2HS/2IR/2IR/2HS)
Armor	150 cm
Shields	280 cm
Decoys	24
Cloak	None
Jump Drive	None
Crew	1
Devices	None

F-104 Bearcat Target Designation, circa 2673.

The F-104 Bearcat was a heavy fighter in the service of the Terran Confederation.

Overview

Designed and manufactured in the aftermath of the Terran-Kilrathi War, the Bearcat was to be the next top-of-the-line heavy fighter in the Terran Confederation Space Force. A peacetime design, it was to defend the Confederation against future enemies and against Kilrathi raiders who were still intent on continuing the war with the Confederation. With a standard armament and fair speed, it had potential as a formidable dogfighter on the frontlines.

History

The Bearcat was one of many new Terran innovations to come forth during the peacetime era. By 2673, several combat-ready prototypes of the Bearcat were in testing. A number of them fell into the hands of the Black Lance, who used them in an attempt to provoke war between the Confederation and the newly-independent Union of Border Worlds.

One notable action undertaken by the Bearcats was their role in the Black Lance assault on the Peleus System, where they were charged with defending a jamming ship that was creating a communications blackout across the system. They also were present at the BWS Intrepid's assault on Ella.

In Speradon, a trio of Confederation pilots sympathetic to the Border Worlds defected to the Union after hijacking a squadron of Bearcats. The Union, in desperate need of fighter pilots, acted quickly to rescue the defectors before the Black Lance could intercept them.

• 

  The F-104 Bearcat in the prototype stage in 2673.

Appearances

Games:

• Wing Commander 4: The Price Of Freedom

Novels:

• Wing Commander 4: The Price Of Freedom (novel)