Overview:
A fascinating conventional fighter which has recently become popular is the Striga. It has been designed to keep AeroSpace fighters busy, and to provide air support for garrison forces. It can also be effective against BattleMechs. The offensive capabilities of this fighter are surprising. Most people believe that a conventional fighter cannot take on an Aerospace fighter of equal tonnage. The designer of the Striga must not have known that.
The fuel capacity is one of its other surprises. It can stay in the battlefield for over twice as long as its competitors, especially on full burn (maximum thrust). Like all its brethren, its armor is weak, an inherent problem with conventional fighters.
This new design appeared in 3030. It is produced by Hammerdown Industries, a company which specializes in designing aircraft and VTOLs. This particular design has caught the eye of many people who need defensive firepower, but cannot afford to buy the Mechs to take care of it. Close to 7,000 have been produced so far. The Striga can be found in all of the Successor House defense forces, and in some parts of the Periphery too.
The firepower on this fighter is astounding. The wingmounted Longbow LRM-10s provide the necessary long range cover fire that is called for in this type of fighter. The five Strongarm SRM-4s guarantee the devastation of almost any target they hit. The designers decided to install a Laranger Machine Gun just in case the attackers had sent infantry along with the more powerful forces.
With this much firepower, you'd think that the targeting system would be one of the most advanced in the Inner Sphere. Actually, the Ghost Tracker is relatively simple. It works on a headup display which informs the pilot how far the target is; when there is a lock-on, an audible beeping sound begins. There is also a safety feature that tells the pilotwhen he has someone behind him who may have a possible lock on him. This loud buzzing sound informs him that such a target is in range of his rear SRM-4.
The engine is a basic GM-1 50 turbine which is designed for optimum fuel consumption. Take this together with its oversized fuel tanks and you will see that the Striga has excellent staying power in the dog fighting arena of the skies. The plane unfortunately sacrifices speed for this extended time in the air, but many pilots do chose range over speed.
Battle History:
In the last fifteen years, the Striga has been in many different fights. In all of them, it has performed exceptionally well. One of the most interesting battles that this plane has been in took place on the planet Enif in 3042.
A group of mercenaries had bought a dozen of these fighters to aid in the defense of their base located in the Valley of the Winds. The Kuritans had decide that this independent world would make an excellent training base for their new mechwarriors. The Outworlds Alliance made a punitive raid at the same time, thinking to insure that this new group of mercenaries would not think of making water raids against them. So the battle began.
The Striga wing started by striking at two columns of Mechs coming from the south. Ten of the fighters were assigned to this harassment duty. As the invading forces came closer, the Striga pilots went to alternative landing sites to refuel and to reload their weapons. The Kuritans and the OWA sent strike teams out to destroy these refueling bases. At one base, all three groups met, and a three-corned fight began. The two Striga fighters had taken off; they attacked until they were out of ammunition. Then the pilots sacrificed themselves to make sure that non of the attackers survived. One pilot ran his Striga right into the fuel tank, which was two thirds full. He blew it to kingdom come, along with several of the enemy. The other pilot dived right into the commander of the Kuritan force, destroying the commander and himself. Their actions broke the Kuritan assault. The remaining Draconian troops offered to help the mercenaries eliminate the Outworld Alliance forces. The offer was accepted; together they destroyed the Outworld Alliance Assault Forces.
Variants:
There are two interesting variants of the Striga design. The first one involves removing the wing-mounted SRM 4packs. This is a common variant in Marik space. Another fascinating variant involves the elimination of all of the wingmounted weaponry and ammunition. They are replaced with four medium lasers, along with the appropriate heat sink system to keep the plane cool. This particular variant is popular with Draconis Combine pilots even though it does decrease long range firepower severely.
Notable Pilots:
Lt Horace Calin
This pilot had been aiding in the defense of Fomalhault with his fighter 'The Lady', which he has been flying for the past seven years. He handles it with as much care as if it were a small child. In combat the claws come out and this 'child' resembles a demon from hell.
Sgt Shekla Zapotec
This pilot lost her Shilone Aerospace fighter during the Enif raid; she was reassigned to a foot infantry company for the rest of that campaign. Her company was able to capture one of the Striga fighters which had not been able to refuel and reload. Shekla is a skilled pilot; she got into the cockpit and flew the plane at once. This confused the defenders long enough for her to drop a sizable bomb on the main complex. She was awarded the plane, and has been flying it ever since.
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