Kainan Wolfe
Shadow of War
OUT OF CHARACTER INFORMATION
- Intent: To create a balanced starfighter for the CIS and Shrouded Republic
- Image Source: Star Citizen
- Canon Link: N/A
- Restricted Missions: N/A
- Primary Source: N/A
- Manufacturer: Wolfe Design Bureau, Rinzler-Zetta Shipyards, Karavin Concern
- Model: T-77 "Talon" Stealth Interceptor
- Affiliation: Shrouded Republic,
Ancient Eye,Confederacy of Independent Systems - Production: Limited
- Material: Fiberplast, Transparisteel, Duralumin
- Classification: Starfighter, Interceptor
- Length: 8.5 Meters
- Width: 13.8 Meters
- Height: 4.2 Meters
- Armament: Average
- 2x Rapid-fire Laser Cannons
- 1x Proton Torpedo Launcher
- 1x Ion Cannon - Defenses: Moderate
- Starfighter Deflector Shield
- Fiberplast Armored Plating, overlayed onto honeycombed duralumin frame which improves thermal dissipation - Squadron Count: Low: 8
- Maneuverability Rating: High
- Speed Rating: High
- Hyperdrive Class: Slow: 7
- Starfighter Sensor Package
- Starfighter Sublight Engines
- Starfighter Hyperdrive
- Starfighter Deflector Shields
- Starfighter Repulsorlift Engine
- Starfighter Maneuvering Thrusters
- Starfighter Communications Package
- Starfighter Life Support System
- Starfighter Ejection Seat
- Starfighter Inertial Dampeners
ADVANCED SYSTEMS
- Sensor Negation Suite: The T-Wing features an advanced array of sensor negation equipment which renders it invisible to ships without advanced sensor systems at medium-to-long ranges
- Gravitic Sensors: Designed to function as a stealth killer, the T-77 Talon is equipped with gravitic sensors which will detect starships that do not feature a gravitic modulator
- Gravitic Modulator: The T-77 is outfitted with a gravitic modulator to mask its gravitational footprint
Strengths:
- Stealth: The T-77 features advanced stealth systems designed to reduce the chance of detection both visually and by sensors
- Hunter-killer: Fast and maneuverable, in the right hands the Talon can swiftly catch up to a target and stay on its tail
- Sophisticated Sensors: The inclusion of advanced gravitic sensors render the Talon into a very capable reconnaissance vessel
- Expensive: Every single T-77 interceptor is crammed full of the most advanced technology available and painstakingly assembled to make sure that everything performs flawlessly. This drives the price of a single T-77 up to a level comparable to that of a corvette or small frigate
- Maintenance Nightmare: Due to the sheer number of advanced technologies incorporated into this fighter and the care with which they must be handled, performing even the most standard maintenance is an exhausting, time consuming process that requires specialized facilities and equipment
- Git Gud: As a consequence of the design requirements of this fighter, the Talon is a difficult spacecraft to fly, suitable only for elite pilots and requiring a lengthy, difficult training process
- Radio Silence: A key component of the T-Wing's stealth capability, relies on it maintaining radio silence during combat, in order to avoid giving away its position. As such, T-Wing pilots need to be trained to operate under radio silence, which presents another obstacle that prevents regular pilots from flying this ship
- Kentucky Fried Microchip: Due to the amount of highly sophisticated and delicate electronics crammed into its airframe, the Talon is extremely vulnerable to any weapons designed to damage circuitry, from ion cannons to EMP blasts. As such, a single ion cannon shot will completely disable the T-Wing
Following the Second Battle of Nibelungen, which featured the prominent use of StealthX fighters by the Jedi-led coalition, the need for an advanced starfighter capable of hunting down stealth ships and performing alpha strikes against enemy formations, became aparent.
The Advanced Strike Interceptor project started out as nothing more than a list of required specifications and a pile of debris from some of the StealthX-es damaged during the battle, but through a combination of reverse engineering and the developers' own ingenuity, progress was swiftly made.
Early on in the development process, the T-77 was not intended to feature stealth capabilities, but upon further consideration, the Shrouded Navy's Requisitions Committee designed to include this feature into the list of requirements. As a result, the Talon had to undergo a major redesign and two prototypes that were already being constructed, had to be scrapped.
A new breed of starfighter coming out of Wolfe Design Bureau's Advanced Concepts Division, the affectionately named "T-Wing" by its pilots, features a number of extremely advanced technologies, such as a top-of-the-line sensor negation suite which reduces its observability, although this feature becomes less effective at shorter ranges. Propelled by a pair of ion engines not unlike those featured on a TIE/Reaper, the Talon is capable of reaching respectable speeds and maneuvering is aided by the inclusion of directional thrusters at various points around the ship's hull.
Its communications and sensor package is one of the most advanced found on a starfighter, featuring an impressive array of detection and targeting equipment such as gravitic sensors. As it was designed to perform the role of a "StealthX killer", the Talon's design enables it to share targeting data with other starfighter in its squadron.
Outfitted with a hyperdrive, the Talon requires an astromech droid for proper operation, although unlike typical X-Wing designs, the Talon's droid socket is protected by a hatch. In addition, the hyperdrive is not very powerful, drastically limiting its capability for independent operation, usually to scouting missions a short jump away from its support ship.
One feature which is both a huge advantage in the hands of an experienced pilot and a huge drawback for someone who is not familiar with the T-Wing, is the ability to manually control each individual directional thruster of this starfighter. This allows talented pilots to perform maneuvers which wouldn't otherwise be possible with a more user-friendly starfighter, however it makes it prohibitively difficult for new pilots to become accustomed with it.
The Talon's advanced technologies and sophisticated sensors come at a huge cost however, putting its price tag in the low millions, comparable to that of a corvette or small frigate. Coupled with the difficult and costly maintenance requirements and the steep learning curve required of its pilots, the T-77 Talon is limited to a few elite starfighter squadrons, such as the Shrouded Republic's Reaper Squadron and a few high ranking officers. As such, it is never fielded in large numbers, rendering it vulnerable to swarm tactics.
Nevertheless, when placed in the right hands, the Talon can be a dangerous opponent and its wide range of armament types lends it a certain versatility. Aside from the two TIE fighter-esque rapid fire laser cannons, the T-77 also features an ion cannon and a proton torpedo launcher.
