Following the Jihad and the flight from the Homeworlds Clan Jade Falcon's Tourman was badly battered, and whilst it was tempered and forged by the brutal fighting, the Clan's holdings were barely keeping up with losses and many units had to be stood down and absorbed into other formations to keep up their fighting strength. It is felt that the Falcon's large number of surviving WarShips saved them from greater calamity be it Lyran assaults or attacks from their 'brother' Clans. In truth though, the Falcons immediate neighbours were in no fit shape to do anything. The Horses and Lyrans were both in equal if not worse state following the Jihad and were too focused on rebuilding to attempt any military adventurism which might well rapidly escalate.
The Falcon's Aerospace arm had taken a severe battering in the Jihad, forced largely to rely on a top-heavy mix of Scytha assault fighters and a wide range of front and second line craft filling out other roles the generally lighter Falcon craft had suffered fearsome losses. This situation was made worse by the lack of facilities to replace OmniFighters and the Falcons, like the Bear's found themselves buying up as many Ammon's as the Sharks could provide to bulk out numbers, even going so far as to use Spheroid craft in some cases.
In an effort to reduce the cost of rebuilding Khan Samantha Clees mirrored what she'd heard the Ravens were doing and ordered her Scientists to develop a new fighter that could act as a replacement for older craft like the Avar, Batu and other light craft. It was to take the lessons learned from the Jihad to heart and would use more commonly available equipment to reduce production and development costs.
Settling on a 40-ton design as a suitable compromise the new fighter was very quickly and unofficially nicknamed the 'Fatu' due to its similar performance to the older Batu, but its wings, based on the Tyre Aerospace fighter and its enlarged fuel tank made it look like a fatter, bulkier Batu. The design featured two more tons of armour than the older craft as well as a fuel tank that was two tons bigger, giving it a greater range without sacrificing performance. The powerful 280 rated XL engine allowed it to run rings round all but the fastest Inner Sphere fighters which would be heavily outgunned, and the 10 tons of Ferro-Aluminium gave it considerable protection.
Although its lack of advanced electronics, especially a targeting computer was seen as a negative, the endurance and survivability as well as the simple fact that the Falcons would actually be able to build this new fighter themselves without having to patch up battle damaged craft won out. Entering production at what would eventually become the Falcon's Roost Orbital Assembly Plant in the Sudeten system the newly named Seljuk OmniFighter was assigned to front line pilots even before being completed and the bulk produced fighter began to fill out the Falcon's Tourman.
Variants
Prime - An interceptor and dogfighter like the Batu, the Seljuk Prime was built to get in close and shred an opponent in a welter of firepower. Eschewing the heavy pulse lasers battery of the Batu the Prime featured paired ER medium and Heavy Medium lasers in the wings with the heavy lasers giving the fighter a nasty punch at short range. For long range work a pair of ER large lasers were mounted in the nose, allowing it to savage an opponent at long range, but with 12 double heatsinks, a pilot had to be careful with their weapons fire.
New Prime
Base Tech Level: Standard (Clan)
Level Era
-------------------
Experimental -
Advanced -
Standard 3145+
Tech Rating: F/X-X-X-D
Weight: 40 tons
BV: 2,300
Cost: 7,237,600 C-bills
Movement: 9/14
Engine: 280 XL
Heat Sinks: 12 (2 Pod) [24]
Fuel Points: 0/400 (5.0 tons)
Structural Integrity: 9
Armor: 192 (Ferro-Aluminum)
Armor
-------------------
Nose 54
Left Wing 50
Right Wing 50
Aft 38
Weapons Loc Heat Omni
-----------------------------------
ER Medium Laser LWG 5 Pod
ER Medium Laser RWG 5 Pod
Heavy Medium Laser RWG 7 Pod
Heavy Medium Laser LWG 7 Pod
ER Large Laser NOS 12 Pod
ER Large Laser NOS 12 Pod
A - Built to be an interceptor the A's armament was limited but it still had a heavy punch and was very heat efficient, making it popular with less experienced pilots. Armed with a large pulse laser in the nose for 'hole punching' and a pair of Streak SRM-6's, one under each wing the remainder of its firepower the A also had multiple hardpoints for ordinance and most A's carried a quartet of Arrow IV AAMs under their wings when on mission. With its weapons out-ranging most Inner Sphere weapons found covering a fighter's tail, if a Seljuk A got behind a target it was in for a hard time.
New A
Base Tech Level: Standard (Clan)
Level Era
-------------------
Experimental -
Advanced -
Standard 3145+
Tech Rating: F/X-X-X-D
Weight: 40 tons
BV: 1,680
Cost: 6,939,100 C-bills
Movement: 9/14
Engine: 280 XL
Heat Sinks: 10 [20]
Fuel Points: 0/400 (5.0 tons)
Structural Integrity: 9
Armor: 192 (Ferro-Aluminum)
Armor
-------------------
Nose 54
Left Wing 50
Right Wing 50
Aft 38
Weapons Loc Heat Omni
------------------------------------
Streak SRM 6 None 4 Fixed
Streak SRM 6 None 4 Fixed
Large Pulse Laser None 10 Fixed
Ammo Loc Shots Omni
----------------------
B - In theory the 'support' version of the Seljuk, the B was also a fearsome dogfighter. At long range it could harass with its Artemis IV enhanced LRM-10's, one under each wing, but at short to medium range a pilot could also use a blistering array of 4 ER Medium lasers which were more than capable of boiling through a targets armour. Initially the fighter did mount a 5th laser, but this was removed in favour of an additional ton of heatsinks to help the fighter remain cool whilst using its lasers.
New B
Base Tech Level: Standard (Clan)
Level Era
-------------------
Experimental -
Advanced -
Standard 3145+
Tech Rating: F/X-X-X-D
Weight: 40 tons
BV: 2,109
Cost: 7,423,600 C-bills
Movement: 9/14
Engine: 280 XL
Heat Sinks: 11 (1 Pod) [22]
Fuel Points: 0/400 (5.0 tons)
Structural Integrity: 9
Armor: 192 (Ferro-Aluminum)
Armor
-------------------
Nose 54
Left Wing 50
Right Wing 50
Aft 38
Weapons Loc Heat Omni
--------------------------------
LRM 10 LWG 4 Pod
LRM 10 RWG 4 Pod
ER Medium Laser NOS 5 Pod
ER Medium Laser LWG 5 Pod
ER Medium Laser NOS 5 Pod
ER Medium Laser RWG 5 Pod
Ammo Loc Shots Omni
----------------------------------------------------
LRM 10 (Clan) Artemis-capable Ammo LWG 12 Pod
LRM 10 (Clan) Artemis-capable Ammo RWG 12 Pod
Equipment Loc Omni
-------------------------
Artemis IV FCS LWG Pod
Artemis IV FCS RWG Pod
C - Seen as a very offensive minded craft the C forgoed the usual Clan range advantages and instead focused on close range firepower. A heavy large laser could punch through the thickest hides and even worry a DropShip whilst a pair of heavy medium lasers added to the firepower at short range. These three lasers also made the C a vicious ground attack craft as a strafing run could rip open a Mech's back armour in moments. Six tons of heatsinks and an expensive and rare targetting computer made this craft cool running and accurate, but the rarity of the electronics and systems for the targetting computer system (most of which had to be imported and this was not resolved until 3100) made the C variant a fortunately rare sight.
New C
Base Tech Level: Standard (Clan)
Level Era
-------------------
Experimental -
Advanced -
Standard 3145+
Tech Rating: F/X-X-X-D
Weight: 40 tons
BV: 1,667
Cost: 6,838,600 C-bills
Movement: 9/14
Engine: 280 XL
Heat Sinks: 16 (6 Pod) [32]
Fuel Points: 0/400 (5.0 tons)
Structural Integrity: 9
Armor: 192 (Ferro-Aluminum)
Armor
-------------------
Nose 54
Left Wing 50
Right Wing 50
Aft 38
Weapons Loc Heat Omni
-----------------------------------
Heavy Large Laser NOS 18 Pod
Heavy Medium Laser LWG 7 Pod
Heavy Medium Laser RWG 7 Pod
Equipment Loc Omni
------------------------------------
Targeting Computer [Clan] NOS Pod
D - Similar to the original Batu the D uses a quartet of medium pulse lasers to provide a blistering torrent of firepower but it lacks the Batu's targetting computer. But its firepower is increased thanks to the nose mounted particle cannon. Unfortunately the heavy weight of the ER PPC meant that there was no room for additional heatsinks and the pilot of a Seljuk D must make careful choices when engaging targets.
New D
Base Tech Level: Standard (Clan)
Level Era
-------------------
Experimental -
Advanced -
Standard 3145+
Tech Rating: F/X-X-X-D
Weight: 40 tons
BV: 2,327
Cost: 6,889,600 C-bills
Movement: 9/14
Engine: 280 XL
Heat Sinks: 10 [20]
Fuel Points: 0/400 (5.0 tons)
Structural Integrity: 9
Armor: 192 (Ferro-Aluminum)
Armor
-------------------
Nose 54
Left Wing 50
Right Wing 50
Aft 38
Weapons Loc Heat Omni
-----------------------------------
ER PPC NOS 15 Pod
Medium Pulse Laser LWG 4 Pod
Medium Pulse Laser RWG 4 Pod
Medium Pulse Laser LWG 4 Pod
Medium Pulse Laser RWG 4 Pod
E - Based in part on the Vandal B the E acts as a heavy scout and ground attack aircraft. Equipped with a range of electronic equipment including an active probe, ECM and TAG, the E can also attack targets its spotted with a battery of six ER small lasers, two ER Medium lasers and one ER Large laser. The twelve heatsinks don't counter the full heat of this battery but simply dropping the ER Large laser makes the heat concerns largely go away.
New E
Base Tech Level: Standard (Clan)
Level Era
-------------------
Experimental -
Advanced -
Standard 3145+
Tech Rating: F/X-X-X-D
Weight: 40 tons
BV: 2,022
Cost: 7,458,850 C-bills
Movement: 9/14
Engine: 280 XL
Heat Sinks: 12 (2 Pod) [24]
Fuel Points: 0/400 (5.0 tons)
Structural Integrity: 9
Armor: 192 (Ferro-Aluminum)
Armor
-------------------
Nose 54
Left Wing 50
Right Wing 50
Aft 38
Weapons Loc Heat Omni
---------------------------------
ER Small Laser LWG 2 Pod
ER Small Laser RWG 2 Pod
ER Small Laser LWG 2 Pod
ER Small Laser RWG 2 Pod
ER Small Laser LWG 2 Pod
ER Small Laser RWG 2 Pod
ER Large Laser NOS 12 Pod
TAG [Clan] NOS 0 Pod
ER Medium Laser NOS 5 Pod
ER Medium Laser NOS 5 Pod
Equipment Loc Omni
------------------------------
Active Probe [Clan] NOS Pod
ECM Suite [Clan] AFT Pod
As always, thoughts/comments are most welcome.
