Defender

Two-seat medium fighter made by Banu
Quick facts:
Defender
Defender - Firing over Delemar.jpg
Flight ready
Defender
Banu Souli (BANU)
Role
Medium Fighter
Size
Small (S2/XS)
Capacity
Crew
1 – 2
Cargo
0 SCU0 KµSCU <br />0 µSCU <br />
Stowage
650 KµSCU0.65 SCU <br />650,000 µSCU <br />
Cost
Standalone
$ 220.00€ 222.20 <br />£ 187.00 <br /> ($ 185.00€ 186.85 <br />£ 157.25 <br />)
Warbond
$ 200.00€ 202.00 <br />£ 170.00 <br /> ($ 170.00€ 171.70 <br />£ 144.50 <br />)
Availability
Time-limited sales
Claim
13m 36s
Expedite
4m 32s
Expedite fee
6,168 aUEC
Specifications
Length
24.5 m0.0245 km <br />2,450 cm <br />
Width
24.5 m0.0245 km <br />2,450 cm <br />
Height
5 m0.005 km <br />500 cm <br />
Mass
122,930 kg122.93 t <br />
Scm speed
202.5 m/s729 km/h <br />
0 to scm
2.23 s
Scm to 0
5.211 s
Max speed
1,200 m/s4,320 km/h <br />
0 to max
13.217 s
Max to 0
30.885 s
Roll rate
128 °/s
Pitch rate
42 °/s
Yaw rate
42 °/s
Hydrogen capacity
430,000 L430 SCU <br />
Hydrogen intake
0 L/s0 SCU/s <br />
Quantum capacity
2,750 L2.75 SCU <br />
Cross section
None
Electromagnetic
None
Infrared
None
Physical
- 50 %
Energy
None
Distortion
None
Thermal
None
Biochemical
None
Stun
- 100 %
Health
14,100 ❤️
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The Banu Defender ( Banu: oktæ banu(oktæ Banu); ) is a small two-seat combat ship utilized by the Banu to provide protection and fly alongside the Merchantman. Its design features Xi'an thrusters, Tevarin shields, and four Singe tachyon cannons. As a result, with a light-weight hull, it allows the ship to be agile and fast. Though cargo space is limited, the Defender features modest accommodations for its crew and provides easy access to components.[1][2]

Although the shape, hull, and design of the Defender remains consistent across all Defender models, features can be different from different manufacturers. The below features are based on the Human export model manufactured by Jannue Mon-Li.[3]

Features

Dual cockpit
The Defender utilizes the Banu's different style of piloting and co-piloting, where the co-pilot can control the main armament of the ship alongside the pilot in the dual cockpit system of the Defender. If desired, the co-pilot could focus on engineering or other ship matters to free up the pilot's attention.[1] Different from the Human variant, the Defender built for Banu have isolated functions on the pilot seats so responsibilities cannot be shared between pilot and co-pilot. This is because the Banu pilot prefer to specialize in one task, while Human pilots prefer flexibility and an ability to assign functions as needed.
Phalanx shield
The Tevarin Phalanx shield combined with light oxus composite armor keeps the fighter light and fast, which is ideal for quick maneuvering during combat.
Minimalistic interior
With its emphasis on combat, the Defender has minimal cargo space and small sleeping quarters. Engines and components are shielded by cascading spinal shutters. Doors and shutters are molded into the walls to create a smooth, seamless aesthetic while still providing operator access.
Extended range
The Banu developed the Defender to provide protection and fly alongside the Merchantman, so its design includes a much improved range over other fighters of similar size due to its fuel intakes, dual fuel tanks, large quantum drive, and a powerful, efficient jump drive.[4]
Additional Storage
The Banu defender has racks for up to 2 handheld weapons.

Specifications

Sc-icon-radar.svg Radar
2x
S1
Military (C)
Sc-icon-scanner.svg Scanner
1x
S0
Scanner
Sc-icon-cooler.svg Cooler
2x
S1
Military (B)
Sc-icon-powerplant.svg Power plant
2x
S1
Civilian (B)
Sc-icon-selfdestruct.svg Self destruct
1x
S1
5,000 🗡️ · 50 m0.05 km <br />5,000 cm <br />
Sc-icon-shieldgenerator.svg Shield generator
1x
S2
Military (C)

Model

Ship profile

Isometric Above Port-side Front Rear Below
Defender in Space - Isometric.jpg
Defender in Space - Above.jpg
Defender in Space - Port.jpg
Defender in Space - Front.jpg
Defender in Space - Rear.jpg
Defender in Space - Below.jpg
Isometric Above Port-side Front Rear
Defender in SelfLand - Isometric.jpg
Defender in SelfLand - Above.jpg
Defender in SelfLand - Port.jpg
Defender in SelfLand - Front.jpg
Defender in SelfLand - Rear.jpg

Paints

"Harmony" "Ocellus" "Platinum" "Polar" "Stormbringer" "Wanderer"
Defender Harmony in space - Isometric.jpg
Defender Ocellus in space - Isometric.jpg
Defender Platinum in space - Isometric.jpg
Defender Polar in space - Isometric.jpg
Defender Strombringer in space - Isometric.jpg
Defender Wanderer in space - Isometric.jpg

Acquisition

Pledge price history

Date Pledge cost (USD) Insurance Availability Sale
2017-04-21 185 (Warbond - 170) LTI Time-limited Concept sale [5]
2020-06-12 220 6 months Time-limited 2020 Alien Week[6]

Tactics

The Defender has an edge in maneuverability over human fighters like the Super Hornet and Sabre, which themselves have edges in durability and armament, respectively. Defenders excel in distracting and confounding would-be attackers, giving their charges (like the Merchantman) the chance to slip away to safety. Their speed and mobility make them good for holding the point position, intercepting threats, and reacting quickly to flanking maneuvers. These traits make the Defender a formidable opponent. They present attackers with a dilemma; expend precious time and fuel trying to pin down an agile escort, or try to weather their fire while focusing on the Merchantmen? Since raiders often favor fast, heavily armed, but lightly armored ships, the choice can be a difficult one.[4]

Lore

While the Merchantman boasts a cavernous cargo area, it lacks the offensive capabilities to ward off large numbers of attackers. The Defender is designed to defend and escort the Merchantman. The ship has been around since Humanity's first contact with Banu in 2438, it has changed since then. Since the Banu have traded heavily with other species for hundreds of years, the Defenders have a patchwork design that incorporates elements of tech from other cultures. In the latest iteration, the shield were originated from the Tevarin's Phalanx shield, and the previous Human thrusters were abandoned because Xi'an's design has superior performance. This approach highlights one of the key points of Banu engineering, if the technology works better for the overall design, the Banu will use it.[3]

The name "Defender" is chosen by individual manufacturers that manufacturers Human variant of Defender in an attempt to appeal to the Human market.[3]

Gallery

Development

The concept was designed to introduce an alien interceptor and prototype the look and feel of Banu materials, processes, and controls that will eventually carry over to the larger Merchantman implementation.[7]

According to Ben Lesnick (Director of Ship Concepts), the Defender was originally pitched as the "Banu Minuteman" with the idea that it was intended specifically to protect Merchantmen (and larger trade ships) at a moment's notice. The name had ultimately changed because "Minuteman" is such a specifically American historical reference that it wouldn't really make sense for an alien race.[8]

2017-04-21 Concept sale.[9]
2019-03-07 Delayed to be flight ready from Alpha 3.5.0 to Alpha 3.6.0.[9]
2019-07-21 Delayed to be flight ready from Alpha 3.6.0 to Alpha 3.7.0.[10]
2019-10-11 Flight ready in Alpha 3.7.0.[11]

Aims & Aesthetic
Aims
  • Banu combat ship, nimble fighter
  • Designed as a multi-crew escort fighter/interceptor for the Banu Merchantman
Aesthetic
  • Banu design with cobbled-together parts from other alien races. Should be using Tevarin shields, for example
Approximate statistics
Length 28 Meters Longer than the Gladius, but sleeker and has to fit two crew and a small interior.
Mass 18,000 kg Larger than the Gladius (16,000 kg) but lightly armoured.
Crew 2 Seats a dedicated pilot and a support seat. The Banu specialise in their roles, so one usually takes on the role of firing the weapons or managing power/shields, while the other concentrates on flying.
Engine 1 x Medium One medium engine which powers four main nozzles, using Xi'an engine technology.
Thrusters 12 x Fixed Thrusters 4 on top, 4 on the sides and 4 on the bottom to cover all angles of movement. Uses fixed thrusters to improve ship agility.
Power Plants 2 x Small Enough to power all ship systems. It uses one more than most light fighters as it has an interior, additional seat and a larger shield.
Weapon Hardpoints 4 x Size 2 Weapons (Gimbal – Nose)

2 x S3 Missile Hardpoint (4 x S2 Missiles)

Gimballed weapons on the nose for the co-pilot to more easily control (if co-pilot is controlling weapons) while the pilot is flying. Weapons on the nose have fixed gimbal mounts, fixed mounts. Weapons of larger sizes cannot be equipped.
Shield 1 x Medium Large ship for a light fighter. Uses advanced Tevarin shields as a unique feature of the ship, so these need to be powerful.
Armour Light Very nimble fighter. More defensive focus is on the advanced Tevarin shields to keep it light and fast.
Metric & Templates
A list of all components, templates and measurements that the concept artist needs to adhere to.
Animation Templates
  • Seat template: Gladius (low tech, static ejection seat).
  • Enter/exit animation for the seat: New (entering from the rear, might require a new anim to get in and out of the seat).
  • Enter/exit animation for the ship: None, transport-style entrance via ramp.
Ship Components

Components that need to be accessible behind walls or floor panels, or have the interior built around them:

  • Power Plants: 2 Small (0.5m x 0.75m x 0.5m)
  • Shield Generator: 1 Medium (0.5m x 1.5m x 0.5m)
  • Avionics: 1 Small (0.75m x 0.5m x 0.375m)
  • Coolers: 2 Small (0.5m x 0.75m x 0.25m)
  • Gravity Generator: 1 Small (0.5m x 0.5m x 0.5m)
  • Jump Drive: 1 Small (0.5m x 0.75m x 0.75m)
  • Life Support: 1 Small (0.5m x 0.5m x 0.25m)
  • Radar: 1 Small (0.5m x 0.5m x 0.25m)

Components that don't need to be accessed but are somewhere on/inside the ship:

  • Fuel Tanks: 2 Medium (1.0m x 2.0m x 1.0m)
Interior Spaces Basic interior space for a crew of 2 to enter, walk around in, access components and access the cockpits.
Cargo No cargo requirements
Requirements
Separate Cockpits & Ejection
  • Cockpits need to be doored off from the rest of the interior, so crew aren't exposed to depressurisation when the ramp is opened.
  • This also prevents the entire interior from depressurising when a crew member ejects from the ship.
  • Keeping the cockpits separate means each crew member may choose when to eject, rather than being ejected when the other crew member is.
Cockpit View – Suggestion
  • Banu crew work closely together to merge their specialised roles. It would be nice to keep crew members in view of each other from either cockpit
Ejection Capable Cockpit/Seat
  • Banu seat needs to be capable of ejecting.
  • Cockpit needs quick release/open capability.
  • Clearance for the seat to eject without colliding with the ship.
Support Cockpit & Controls
  • This cockpit needs to be nearly identical to the pilot's in terms of screen and UI layout.
  • It needs a joystick for controlling ship weapons. No throttle required.

See also

References

  1. 1.0 1.1 Around the Verse - The Banu Defender. Transmission - Comm-Link
  2. The Banu Defender - Ship Page. Pledge Store
  3. 3.0 3.1 3.2 The Defender - Ship Brochure
  4. 4.0 4.1 4.2 Q&A: Banu Defender. Transmission - Comm-Link
  5. Banu Defender. Transmission - Comm-Link
  6. Alien Week 2950. Transmission - Comm-Link
  7. "Visual Dictionary: Alien Ships". Jump Point. Vol. 8 no. 11. pp.23. Retrieved 2020-11-28.
  8. 8.0 8.1 8.2 Jan Urschel, David Ladyman and Ben Lesnick, Work in Progress: Banu Defender, Jump Point, vol. 5, no. 4, pp. 3-49, 2017-04-22.
  9. 9.0 9.1 Banu Defender concept sale. Transmission - Comm-Link
  10. Star Citizen Alpha 3.6.0 - Patch notes. Comm-Link. Retrieved 2023-06-15
  11. Alpha 3.7.0 - Into the Depths. Transmission - Comm-Link
  12. "Developer Interview: Esperia Prowler". Jump Point. Vol. 8 no. 3. pp.3–10. Retrieved 2020-04-07.
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