Fighter

Fighters in Aurora are classed as vessel massing 500t or less. While they are designed as normal they are manufactured via the industry screen and not in shipyards.

Designing a fighter

• Fighters REQUIRE Fighter Engines, otherwise your fighter factories won't build them.

There are a number of tech advancements tailored to fighter production.

1. Fighter Engines - Each new engine breakthrough enables the research of a dedicated fighter version.
2. Crew Quarters - Fighters typically have around a dozen crew, this tech produces smaller and smaller life support modules.
3. Engineering spaces - A series of advancements along this branch will provide viable maintenance units for long term operations.
4. Fuel Storage - from the initial 50,000ltr down to a more compact 10,000ltr
5. Reduced size weaponry - Box launchers can give even lower tech fighters an big offensive punch.

Remember - Vessels massing 1000t or under do not require a bridge, so make sure your fighter doesn't have one. You might also think about omitting Engineering Spaces, as fighters usually don't spend a of of time outside their hangars. But remember that maintenance facilities do not service fighters - they need hangar space.

Building a fighter

Fighters are fabricated by Fighter Factories, a type of installation. From the Industry screen (F2) there is a pull-down menu called Construction Options. Select Fighters.

A list of all your fighter designs will appear. Select one, and just like ordinary construction, place a number and a percentage. Unlike ordinary construction, you also have to give define a task group for the new production. It is important that you do this, as any fighters made without a task group designation will be lost.

Fighter Squadrons Window (F7)

Fighters operate from motherships. These might be huge Carrier leviathans, small cruisers or even Planetary Defence Centres. The common denominator is the presence of boat bays, hangar decks or both. These provide a capability to house fighters.

Once fighters are produced, the next step is the Fighter Squadrons Window (F7) and select the 'Reorganize Squadron's' tab. Your new fighter will appear here. Click on the 'New' button at the bottom left. This will create a new squadron. Then simply click on the fighter under 'no assignment', and click on the left arrow to move it to the squadron.

Now the squadron has a fighter, but the squadron itself needs a home.

Open up the motherships' dropdown and select a home for the squadron, click on the squadron and then on the assign button. The fighter, and its squadron have been assigned a base.

All that is left is to 'Recover' the squadron to place them safely in their hanger or boat bay. It is advisable to keep them in a hanger or boat bay as the maintenance clock is off while they are stored.