Unreviewed Howler-class superiority fighter

[FN-999 (restored)]

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• Intent: To create a more capable starfighter for skilled First Order pilots.
• Image Source: ArtStation - TIE Seeker by Elliot Davis
• Canon Link: N/A
• Permissions: N/A
• Primary Source: ArtStation - TIE Seeker by Elliot Davis

• Manufacturer: Alge Imperial Shipyards Incorporated
• Affiliation: The First Order
• Market Status: Closed-Market
• Model: Howler-class superiority fighter
• Production: Minor
• Material:
  • Hull & Engines: Percidium frame and plating, transparisteel viewport, wiring & electric components
  • Wings: Percidium, wiring & electric components
  • Solar Panels: Quadanium steel, wiring & electric components

• Classification: Superiority Starfighter
• Length: 17.2 meters
• Width: 11.5 meters
• Height: 8.6 meters
• Armament: High
  • 4x heavy laser cannons [Wing-mounted, 2 per wing]
  • 8x missile hardpoints [Wing-mounted, 4 per wing] [8 missiles total]
    • Each hardpoint is capable of holding 1 of the following:
    • Advanced concussion missiles
    • Cruise missiles
    • Proton torpedoes
    • Mag pulse warheads
    • Brilliant missiles
• Defenses: Average | Low [Afterburners engaged]
  • Basic deflector shielding [Disabled when afterburners are engaged]​
  • Electronic Countermeasures Suite​
  • Percidium hull​
• Squadron Count: Average [12]​
• Maneuverability Rating: Very High | High [Afterburners engaged]
• Speed Rating: High | Very High [Afterburners engaged]
• Hyperdrive: None​

• C-3A Mercury Class Communications Suite
• LS-132 Terra Life Support Systems
• A-6 Starfighter Internal Tracking System
• 2 days of standard rations

• Afterburners: The six smaller engines flanking the Howler’s main ion engine function as afterburners. When activated through a console in the cockpit, the afterburners give a ~20 second speed boost at the cost of diverting power from the Howler's deflector shields to fuel its additional engines. There is a five minute cooldown between afterburner uses to prevent reckless fuel consumption.
• Winglets: The Howler has a pair of winglets near the back of its elongated wings. When raised, the winglets provide an additional control surface to improve handling in atmospheres. When lowered, the winglets fold into the main wing, allowing the Howler to make a belly landing.
• IE-10 Event Horizon Ion Drives
• Anti-Ion Emission Tracers
• Armament Duplicators
• M.I. Scan-Jam Package

• Dogfighter: The Howler-class superiority starfighter is a superb dogfighter thanks to its great maneuverability and ample firepower, allowing it to easily go toe-to-toe with most of its contemporaries.
• Jack of All Trades: While Howlers do not excel in any one area aside from maneuverability, their pilots can match nearly any starfighter in combat with clever use of their missiles and afterburners.
• Gotta Go Fast: When its afterburners are engaged, a Howler gains a brief but significant burst of speed, allowing it to quickly escape a pursuer or evade a fatal strike.

• Mothership Needed: Lacking a hyperdrive, Howler squadrons are reliant on larger carrier craft or a specialized hyperspace transport ring to transport them into distant battles.
• Find Someone Your Own Size: The Howler is equipped primarily with anti-starfighter weapons, making it highly inefficient in combat against any capital ship larger than a corvette.
• Fragile Speedster: The deflector shields on the Howler are disabled while its afterburners are running, leaving its hull exposed.

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Representing the best balance of quality and quantity that Alge Imperial Shipyards can manage, the Howler-class superiority starfighter is a nimble yet well equipped vessel that allows individual First Order pilots to fight on equal or near-equal terms with most higher-end general production starfighters.

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Originally developed when Alge Imperial Shipyards was still a private corporation carrying out contracts for the Imperial Confederation, the Howler incorporates lessons learned from earlier AISI starfighters such as the TIE Meteor and TIE Vindicator. A longer, thinner profile gives the Howler improved handling in atmospheres and reduces its profile from behind, making it more challenging to target. Its lack of an onboard hyperdrive and large missile pods reduce its weight considerably, increasing agility without requiring more expensive engine components.

Like the more elite Vindicator, the Howler has seven engines, making it technically not a true TIE (twin ion engine) fighter. Unlike the Vindicator however, the Howler has one large primary ion engine that provides the majority of its thrust. The other six engines function as afterburners and can be engaged by the pilot to provide a burst of speed at the cost of maneuverability and shielding.

In combat, the Howler-class superiority fighter often complements the more common TIE Reaver, serving as wing leaders or the core of more experienced, veteran-led formations. In the hands of a First Order ace, a Howler is a potent instrument of war that can tear apart even corvettes with a precise application of lethal cannon and missile fire, speeding away with its afterburners before a foe can properly retaliate.