Simurgh

Description
Designed for the Republic of the Sphere's Armed Forces, the Simurgh is a Heavy Class OmniFighter first produced after the Jihad. The fighter was built by Boeing Interstellar on Terra, and was loosely based on the Word of Blake's Spectral Series OmniFighter, the Striga. The Simurgh was built to support the Republic's assault and Pocket WarShip types of DropShips, giving them additional firepower, and the fighter was extensively used in Squadron formations.

The Simurgh would go on to serve with the RAF's navy, as well as with various planetary militias. Most fighters of this design would serve with forces that had withdrawn to Prefecture X, within what would later become known as Fortress Republic. During the late 3130s and 3140s, a few of these fighters would serve outside the remains of the Republic, within its affiliated faction known as the Republic Remnants.

Weapons and Equipment
Although not the fastest of fighters for its weight class, the Simurgh does have a very spacious capacity, made possible by the use of a large Strand-Martin 340-rated Extra-Light Fusion Engine. 47 tons of OmniPod capacity can hold great amounts of equipment and weapons. Intended for combat with well-armed opponents, Boeing engineers would have the fighter's fuselage encased with 16.5 tons worth of Reflective Armor, giving the craft a significant edge against enemies using energy based weaponry.

Designed for fire-support and assault roles, the Simurgh's OmniPod space is typically dedicated to a few but very powerful weapons. The Primary Configuration utilizes exclusively ballistic-based weapons. These weapons come in the form of a single Heavy Gauss Rifle teamed with a pair of Class 5 Rotary Autocannons, all of which are mounted in the nose of the fighter. Three tons of ammunition is allotted to the Rifle, while six tons are given to feed the autocannons.

Alternate Configurations

 * Alt. Config. A : Configuration A is configured to be a close-range combatant, with principle firepower coming in the form of a heavy battery of missiles. A pair of Apollo FCS-guided 40-tubed Medium-Ranged Missile Launchers are mounted in the nose with a single Class 5 Rotary Autocannon. Each of the weapon systems is given an allotment of 4 tons of ammunition. To help curb the heat of the weapons, the fighter is given four additional Double Heat Sinks. BV(2.0) = 2,622


 * Alt. Config. B : A powerful long-range configuration, featuring firepower that can threaten any 'Mech or — when in a squadron — even a DropShip which may cross its path. The B's only weapons are a pair of nose-mounted Improved Heavy Gauss Rifles, with seven tons of ammunition split between them. BV(2.0) = 2,864

Design Quirks
The Simurgh features the following Design Quirks:
 * Easy to Pilot
 * Non-Standard Parts
 * Difficult to Maintain