Tomahawk (Aerospace Fighter class)

The Tomahawk was designed as a dogfighter, with a good combination of maneuverability and armament. With 6Gs of thrust, five tons of fuel, and weapons that lack ammunition stores, the Tomahawk excels in patrol and escort duties, while ten tons of Ferro-Aluminum armor provides protection superior to other designs of its weight class. Early models suffered from a poor heat dissipation system, a fault that would be largely rectified with the release of the THK-63 model in 2680, with most earlier models similarly upgraded.

The Tomahawk would remain in service with the Star League Defense Force for over a hundred years as a key part of its aerospace forces. However, the destruction caused by the Amaris Civil War and the resulting exodus of the SLDF would see the loss of a significant number of Tomahawks, with many more destroyed in the Succession Wars that followed. ComStar was able to maintain a secret stock of Tomahawk fighters, a few of which were donated to the DCMS and FWLM, while the Clans maintained some for their second-line units. The rest of the few surviving Tomahawk fighters could be found in private collections and museums. The Clan Invasion however prompted ComStar to restart production of the Tomahawk with the activation of the Wangker factory on Mars and began upgrading them to advanced models, some of which fell into the hands of the Word of Blake.

Weapons and Equipment
With an armament consisting entirely of laser weaponry, the Tomahawk is a capable air-to-ground combatant as well as a dogfighter. Two Maxell SR Large Lasers give the Tomahawk good firepower, while the single Exostar Small Laser was largely added because the designers feared pilots would balk at a craft without a nose armament.

Variants

 * THK-33 : A prototype first released in 2642, this early model featured only ten single heat sinks and used standard armor. BV (2.0) = 1,069


 * THK-43 : The original model, the THK-43 had twelve single heat sinks and less armor, though it was upgraded to Ferro-Aluminum. BV (2.0) = 1,038


 * THK-53 : The THK-53 Tomahawk was the initial attempt to control the unusual heat difficulties. This variant replaces each wing-mounted Large Laser with a trio of Medium Lasers and two additional heat sinks.  The nose-mounted Small Laser is replaced with additional armor. BV (1.0)= 1,078, BV (2.0) = 1,105


 * THK-63-EC : A relatively simple update swapped out the large lasers for Improved Large Lasers and added two extra double heat sinks thanks to the lighter weapons. (Note: EC is an abbreviation used by historians to designate "Early Clan" designs.) BV (2.0) = 1,038


 * THK-63b : The THK-63b Tomahawk, deployed exclusively among SLDF Royal commands, replaces the PlasmaStar 270 Fusion Engine with an XL Engine, using the extra tonnage to upgrade the Small Laser to an ER PPC and adding a half-ton of armor to the wings and rear. BV (2.0) = 1,481


 * THK-63CS : A ComStar variant of the Tomahawk THK-63, the standard lasers are replaced by Extended Range Lasers. However, the additional strain placed on the heat dissipation system has led to the return of pilot complaints regarding heat management. BV (2.0) = 1,204


 * Tomahawk C : The first Clan upgrade of the THK-63, the standard lasers are replaced by Clan versions of ER Laser technology, with the freed-up space used for a superior internal structure supporting additional armor and double heat sinks. This model suffers less from heat management problems than the THK-63CS. BV (2.0) = 1,648


 * Tomahawk CH : The Clan's Heavy Laser variant of the Tomahawk C, this version is armed with two Heavy Large Lasers mounted on the wings, and a Heavy Small Laser mounted in the nose for point-defense purposes. Armor, Internal Structure, and heat sinks are carried over from the first Clan variant. BV (2.0) = 1,589


 * Tomahawk CX-11 : The Tomahawk CX-11 was a prototype produced by one of ComStar's Acolytes. The craft carries a pair of ER Large Lasers and an ER Small Laser in the nose. To mitigate heat concerns, the Large Lasers are equipped with Laser Insulator systems. Protection is provided by nine tons of Reflective Armor.

Design Quirks
The Tomahawk CX-11 variant is subject to the following Design Quirks:
 * Bad Reputation
 * Easy to Pilot
 * Prototype