Minbari fighter

The Minbari fighter (named Nial-class in B5Wars) is the primary starfighter of the Minbari Federation.

Specifications

Minbari fighters carry three beam weapons mounted around the central cockpit. Based on their performance against meteoroids,^[1] these weapons carry at least hundreds of gigawatts of firepower.

Minbari fighters use the stealth technology typical of Minbari military craft. At "maximum stealth", a Minbari pilot was able to fly his fighter right up to the hull of a Centauri warcruiser, land on the ship's hull, and siphon air from the it.^[2] The ability to siphon atmosphere from enemy ships indicates that long-range reconnaissance is one of the missions for which the fighter was designed.

Minbari fighters apparently employ "magnetic and gravitational principles" in their propulsion systems. This allows them to accelerate far harder than their pilots would normally be able to tolerate. Consequently, Minbari fighters are the fastest and most maneuverable starfighters built by the Young Races.

These craft are somewhat more than 12 meters in length. In spite of its size, the fighter carries a rather limited air supply, indicating that the fighter's power supply, propulsion system, and weaponry leave little space for life support.

The pilot of a Minbari fighter lies down in the cockpit, facing a window at the front of the craft. Minbari pilots typically don't wear pressure suits when operating their fighters.

Notes

1. ↑ B5 "Meditations on the Abyss", see the BabTech article
2. ↑ B5 "Darkness Ascending"