KF-402 Krant
| KF-402 Krant | |
|---|---|
| |
| Type | Medium Fighter |
| Primary User | Kilrathi Empire |
The Krant was a Kilrathi medium fighter. It was included in Joan's Fighting Spacecraft Vega Sector Supplement for 2654.092.
A pre-war design with a round-about success story, the Krant was initially put into service as a short-range interceptor. The design proved largely unimpressive and ultimately the initial model saw very little service. As the war began in earnest both sides scrambled to find new ways to deliver antimatter torpedoes―and outfitting the Krant as a light 'dive bomber' proved successful. Dedicated Kilrathi bomber pilots developed a famous tactic in which they would bear straight down on capital ships without reacting to enemy fighter cover. The bomber also proved adaptable to the suicide tactics popular among early war commanders. A single-use jump drive could be mounted on-board a Krant for launching such attacks from a system away. The Krant has no ejection system.
The Krant space-frame was later re-used as a capable medium fighter which served throughout the Vega Campaign and beyond. The top-scoring Kilrathi ace of his era, Khajja nar Ja'targk ("The Fang"), accumulated 99 kills flying a Krant before his death in 2654. The Krant would ultimately go on to serve on the front lines for the majority of the Terran-Kilrathi War. It was also a popular choice among the elite guard units; a Krant squadron was among those defending Vukar Tag in 2667.
Specifications
| Class | Medium Fighter |
|---|---|
| Length | 32 meters |
| Mass | 16.6 tonnes |
| Max Velocity: | 360 KPS |
| Cruising velocity: | 280 KPS |
| Afterburner Velocity: | 1360 KPS |
| Acceleration: | Good |
| Max. YPR | 7/10/7 DPS |
| Weapons | Laser Cannon (2) |
| Stalker HS (3) | |
| Claw IR (1) | |
| Fang FF (1) | |
| Armor (Fore/Aft/Sides) | 9/10/8 cm |
| Shields (Fore/Aft) | 8 cm |
| Shield Recharge: | 5 seconds |
| Missile Decoys: | none |
| Jump Capable: | No |
Official Authorized Wing Commander Confederation Handbook
| Class | Medium Fighter |
|---|---|
| Length | 11 meters |
| Mass | 11 tonnes |
| Max Velocity: | 360 KPS |
| Cruising velocity: | 280 KPS |
| Afterburner Velocity: | 1360 KPS |
| Acceleration: | Good |
| Max. YPR | 7/10/7 DPS |
| Weapons | Laser Cannon (2) |
| Missile (4) or Torpedo Mount (2) | |
| Armor (Fore/Aft/Sides) | 6/6/5 cm |
| Shields (Fore/Aft) | 6 cm |
| Shield Recharge: | 5 seconds |
| Missile Decoys: | none |
| Jump Capable: | No |
The Krant seems to have predated the current conflict, but Intelligence believes that it was relatively little used, until it proved useful against Confed cap ships.
The Krant is more heavily defended, but much less maneuverable, than the Dralthi. It appears to have been originally designed for cap-ship defense. When the development of meson shielding made capital ships effectively immune to conventional ship-to-ship missiles, the Kilrathi pressed the Krant into service as a dive-bomber, capable of delivering a pair of antimatter torpedoes to a meson-shielded target. In that capacity the Krant has become (along with long-range strategic missiles) the Kilrathi's primary anti-cap-ship asset, a function which has currently nearly displaced their original purpose.
When configured for defensive operations the Krant deploys with four missiles and no torpedoes; when attacking an enemy cap ship it mounts torpedoes but no missiles. Krant bombers are virtually unique among Kilrathi pilots, in that they do not dogfight an enemy―they deliver their load to their target, and immediately return to their carrier to reload. (If possible. The Kilrathi have also been known to send Krant through jump points with one-use jump drives on suicide missions against Confed targets.)
Under normal mission conditions Krant are not jump-capable. They possess the same targeting and tractor systems as the Dralthi. Their life-support systems are capable of supporting a Kilrathi for about 15 hours. Like all Kilrathi ships, they possess no ejection system.
Krant as seen in Super Wing Commander
Krant-class line drawing from Joan's Fighting Spacecraft.
