Tex Talks Battletech Episode TG: The TF-1, the littlest aerospace fighter.
Welcome back class. Today we're going to be covering a somewhat different topic than normal. Because for all we mechwarriors like to ignore them, the sky-cancer does play a role on the modern battlefield, and unless you are ready to counter them; you're in for a headache. Unlike my lectures on battlemechs, we're going to start from the smallest and work our way up. More specifically we're going to be discussing the sole ultralight ASF in existence; that somehow is also a viable (and incredibly annoying to fight) combat platform. I am speaking of course about the TF-1 Tac Fighter.
Chapter 1: Flying too fast, and flying too high.
"If you push the stick forward, the houses get bigger. If you pull the stick back, they get smaller. That is, unless you keep pulling the stick all the way back, then they get bigger again."
-Advice from an ASF veteran to the 'nuggets'.
With the arrival of the Terrans, their industry and technology, Dumassas gained a new lease on life in all kinds of ways. First and most obliviously, any future pirate attacks would be stopped dead by their new neighbors who on average, had a rather poor opinion of said behaviors. This (and technical support from the Terrans) allowed the planet the first chance in centuries to actually rebuild what the destruction of the Succession Wars had cost them. To no surprise, Governess Victoria Nica and her jumped at this opportunity feet first. After all, the planet had long memories of what it used to be capable of and she was eager to regain even a portion of that. Though when she signed the Dumassas-Koprulu Agreement with Doctor Ariel Hanson and Commander James Eugene Raynor, she probably had no real idea of just how far her world's star would rise. And not just because of the paradigm-breaking technologies that the Terrans practically gave away because they considered said sci-fi-grade insanity 'normal'.
Because the Governess didn't want to rely on the generosity of the Raiders and the new city-state of Haven to protect Dumassas, and it would need protection. After all if you have something nice, you need to be able to convince everyone that they shouldn't and/or can't take it from you. Otherwise you won't be able to keep said nice things for very long. And when (not if, since these sorts of things always leak eventually) the knowledge of them producing the CFC fusion engines and the Star League double heat sinks got out, everybody would be bee-lining towards Dumassas. To claim said technology for themselves (legitimately or by force) and/or with the intent of burning everything to the ground to prevent 'the other guy' from getting it.
To that end, Nica turned to K&G Enterprises, Ajax industries and every other military production company on the planet (even subsidizing the creation of new ones) for the purpose of drastically expanding the available hardware of the planetary defense forces. At the same time she reached out to the Raiders (and any reputable/willing mercenaries) to serve as trainers to help get said expanded forces up to speed. While initially centered around combat vehicles (mechs were a far more distant dream at the time), there was the issue of being able to protect the skies. And while VTOLs could potentially serve in this role, the consensus was that a proper Aerospace Superiority Fighter would be needed. And it was from that need that the very first domestically designed and produced ASF was created on Dumassas; the TF-1 Tac Fighter.
Of course having the desire, willingness to roll up your collective sleeves, and a budget doesn't automatically equal a successful product. After all, while Dumassas had been building combat vehicles and limited experience working with battlemechs; aerospace fighters were very different creatures in creed and design. Even more problematic was that the planet didn't have any real history with using the ASFs that they'd made. Instead they would produce off-world designs and sell them to their clients. So they turned to the closest and most knowledgeable people they know that had experience with aerospace fighters, Haven and Raynor's Raiders. This was the prime reason for many of the resulting design choices and...mentality of Dumassas's ASF core to-be.
Chapter 2: Fear the black wings of death.
"Why so basic? You were the first people that had full access to the Terran's technology. Surely you could have made something more advanced."
"Because we wanted something that was made by our people from the ground up. And as for 'basic', last I checked the last two war games had you hanger queens running home, crying for the First Prince to save you."
-Conversation between ASF pilots from the AFFS and Dumassas Legions
Now when Dumassas set about creating the TF-1, what they ultimately wanted was something that could convince pirates and similar sorts that they should try their luck elsewhere. At the same time they wanted something that they could produce 'in-house' relying on outside help as little as possible. Sure, the Terrans probably could have handed over some of their toys but it was a point of pride for these folks. At the same time they weren't above out-right copying the aesthetics of the Terran's ASF that even shares the same name. You see originally the idea had been the Terrans selling their version of the TF-1 to Dumassas only for the counter offer to be that they help with the creation of a native fighter (and train the initial pilots) which would then take over ASF duties for the planet. The result was something that looked more or less the same (with any changes made due to having to accommodate 'normal' technology) but with no components that Dumassas couldn't make themselves.
At a mere 15 tons, the TF-1 is officially the smallest aerospace fighter on record but this was apparently an intentional design choice on Dumassas's part rather than the inability to make a heavier frame. Of course at the same time, the light frame greatly limited what the fighter could carry. A pair of nose-mounted medium lasers serve as its sole armament while a four ton 120 rated fusion reactor granting a thrust rating of ten over fifteen, four tons of reaction mass for space flight and three tons of standard armor. Amusingly this is 50% more protection than carried by fighters five tons heavier like the Seydlitz and the Trident, This creates a tiny fighter that constantly surprises people by not dying the moment it's shot with anything bigger than a small laser. And while it doesn't have the sheer thrust as the previously mentioned fighters (eleven over seventeen and twelve over eighteen) considering it's five tons lighter than either it is incredibly agile.
Now I can see you all looking down at your papers and wondering if I misspoke. After all with the cockpit, all these parts add up to sixteen tons and not fifteen; and normally you'd be right. However the TF-1 was the first aerospace fighter to include what we'd refer to as a 'small cockpit'. You see, thanks to Terran experience, Dumassas managed to streamline the control scheme and life support systems for the TF-1 resulting in a cockpit that was 50% lighter than normal. Everything needed to pilot and fight is present, but pretty...compact compared to what most fighter pilots are used to. The setup should make you feel like a sardine crammed into a can. But pilots have described it as 'surprisingly comfortable.' I guess having actual ergonomically designed and properly padded seats counts for a lot. Ironically Dumassas nowadays consider this to be a normal cockpit while a 'standard' sized one is only used on vehicles built for multi-day flights where you might need to take a nap, make food and have a place to do your business.
And before anyone points out about the limitations imposed by that, here's something important to consider about the TF-1 and Terrans. If and when they have their ASF in the air, they're not expecting them to be loitering for who knows how long for a target to pop up. Much like the rest of the insanity that is the Koprulu sector, and for once they have something in common with the Clans; is that their ASF are designed for what the sphere would consider short, high to extreme intensity combat. To the ground-pounders among you, this means combat lasting a couple of hours at most, before having to come back to land. They aren't leaving the hanger unless you're knocking on the door or the travel time to get to wherever your dropship is landing means the can fight the moment they arrive.
The fighter does have one more trick up its sleeve. It might seem like a minor thing but the wings can fold up when parked reducing the amount of space the fighter takes up. Why is this important? Well between that and the fighter's small size you can stuff two of the things into the same allotted hangar space that a single ASF would normally require. This has resulted in some hilarious BattleROMs as TF-1 carriers resemble clown cars, releasing swarms of the fighters when by all conventional knowledge they could never have that much hanger space. Opposing radio chatter tends to devolve to 'Where are they all coming from?!'.
Chapter 3: Death from above, you're under fire.
Your wing-men are absolutely indispensable. Look after your wing-men and they will look after you. It's more set of eyes looking out for danger and splitting the enemy's attention in every direction. That the defensive part. Offensively, it gives you a lot more firepower. We work together. We fight together. Every wingman knows what their responsibilities are, and knows what yours are. Wars are not won by individuals. they're won by teams.
-Opening statement by TF-1 veteran and flight trainer Aaron Ashraf to new class.
But while the machine might be different than other ASF in varying ways, it's the pilots that really make the TF-1 such a mess to fight. First is that you're never going to come across just one Tac Fighter. Well, you might. But that means that it's retreating for some reason; or (far more likely) the fighter is bait and all its buddies are about to bum-rush your inattentive ass from every direction. You see the TF pilots are the little guy in any fight and they know it. So instead of fighting 'conventionally' they form up in a coordinated group and dog-pile any given target they come across.
Sure, they can be just as bat**** as any ASF pilot out there but you're never going to find a loner or glory hog as part of a TF-1 flight. Hell, from what's been said; kill markers tend to be communal for a lot of these groups. And that 'wolf pack' attitude is how these things punch well above their weight, because enemy fighters are almost always outnumbered by the TF-1 in dogfights. And it can be really hard to line up a shot on a wildly dodging ultralight ASF when two or more pairs of medium lasers from its buddies are suddenly blasting away at your rear armor. It's the same story when attacking mechs but those are even bigger sitting ducks unless they manage to get into cover which limits strafing angles.
And that is the most dangerous thing about veteran TF-1 pilots. Every bit of the training from day one focuses on working like a precision machine with their wingmates while driving the enemy to utter distraction. It's actually caused more than one incident with Great House aerospace wings the few times they've worked together. The 'normal' pilots see the Tac-ers as cowards trying to steal kills while the Tac-ers see them as jackasses who will happily let wingmen die for the chance to paint that nice shiny kill marker on their fighter.
Chapter 4: Suddenly appears, confirming all your fears.
"I would...suggest that you reconsider your stance on this. My superiors have a long reach and and refusing this generous offer could result in it becoming...difficult for you to continue to acquire contracts."
"Sure, but I'll still be alive to try and find work. You want me and my boys to burn down that planet? Get me a lance or three of Pikes with flak ammo as backup. I am not fracking with all those Taccy's otherwise."
-Overheard conversation between leader of the Mercenary band 'Golden Might' and an unidentified individual.
While the Tac Fighter is a dangerous machine when used correctly; much like the Urbanmech and Rifleman, it suffers when forced to work outside of its comfort zone. Four tons of reaction mass means short legs (though not as bad as the Seydlitz) so the machine needs a nearby place to land and refuel. Also it needs to be present on large numbers if it wants to do more than scare off lone bugmechs and light vehicles. As a result they're mostly used in a defensive role to convince people that no, you don't want to send boarding parties/ASF strikes against a given dropship or jumpship. And on a planet-based airfield you don't really have much in the way of space restrictions for how many of the little bastards you can field.
Of course that doesn't mean that the Tac's will win wars all by their lonesome. They can put in the work but like any machine they have their limitations. The re-introduction of LB-X autocannons to the Inner Sphere was something of a shock to the ASF's pilots and until tactics could adapt, there were a lot of shredded ultralights falling from the sky. On the other hand, apparently the aerospace fighter pilots from each and every Clan have collectively called for a Trial of Annihilation on each and every TF-1 factory and training group to 'wipe their stain from the universe'. Something about them always refusing to get into one-on-one duels with planes at least twice their weight, loaded down with super-advanced armor and weapons. The nerve of some people you know?
But for all that the fighters and their pilots pulled, the real insanity was from the Dumassas government regarding this little war machine.
Chapter 5: Guns are blazing, as the sky is turning red.
"You're offering all that, to us? For that little? What's the catch."
"My good sir, I can assure you the East Dumassas Trading Company is not Quikscell. Yes, our monetary gains from this deal aren't as high as they could be but we are improving the safety and stability of the region, increasing future trade potential and thus long term profits."
-Meeting between EDTC representative Haroud-An-Bazzar and the governor of the independent world of Baltar regarding the sale of TF-1 fighters along with maintenance and pilot training.
You see normally when a nation, be it a Great House or anybody else invents and/or designs a new war machine it's held tight to the chest for a while. In comparison when Dumassas had worked all the kinks out of the Tac Fighter's production and training methods, they started selling to all their neighbors. As long as you weren't a pirate or dealing with pirates, you could purchase one or more production runs of the TF-1 along with training programs, airbase constructions, the whole nine yards. This might seem crazy but there was method to their madness. Remember that with its limitations, the TF-1 was of limited use in an offensive conflict without a lot of support equipment that few in the region had. It was however, very easy to be setup as part of the planetary defense forces on even an independent world with limited infrastructure.
And while this made it a hot commodity for everyone in the vicinity (even the Taurians, Canopians and Aurigans bought in) raking in good profits, Dumassas had a secondary objective in this; screwing over pirates. After all, they'd been a thorn in the side of just about every world in the region and Dumassas, Haven and the Raiders would be happy to see them wiped out. The problem with pirates is that they're a lot like cockroaches; doesn't matter how many you hunt down and smash, there are always going to be more sneaking into the now de-populated 'hunting grounds'. But at the same time pirates don't like getting into fights that they risk taking too much damage, instead focusing on 'soft' targets that have a few Quikscell combat vehicles and man-portable guns. But go up against a planet defended by a few wings of TF-1 and you're likely to take damage to your mechs and potentially even dropship; damage that can't easily be repaired.
So not being interested in a fight where they aren't curb-stomping the opponent, the pirates go to other potential targets...only to find out that the fighters have spread all over the place like a bunch of laser-equipped dandelions. End result is that the various surviving pirate bands slowly left the region on their own since they couldn't 'safely' raid any more planets. It's amazing how much you can get done when you don't have to constantly deal with a bunch of assholes trying to break down your door and steal everything. Rumor has it that the Davions and Steiners have seen the effect and are in discussions to lease the design to start up local production lines for the purpose of economical wide-spread planetary defense. Just when you thought Clanner blood pressure couldn't get any higher.
AN: internet cookie for the people that can figure the shout-outs in the chapter titles without doing an internet search.