Federation Fan Fiction
Text ©2001 Domenico Bettinelli, Jr. All Rights Reserved. All Images © Andrew Hodges.
Viper Class Fighter
Overall Length: 23.4 m
Overall Beam: 17.5 m
Overall Draft: 5 m
Displacement: 122 mt
Complement: 2 crew (pilot, ops)
Phasers: 4 Type IV phaser emitters
Missiles: 2 microtorpedo launchers + 36 torpedoes
Velocity: Cruise: Warp 4.6
Max Cruise: Warp 5.5
Max Rated: Warp 6.5
Endurance: 8 days at Warp 4.6
The Viper Class fighters fill a niche between the larger Peregrine Class fighters and the lightly-armed runabouts and shuttles and are primarily deployed with ground forces. The Viper is faster and more maneuverable, especially in atmospheric flight, than the Peregrine while carrying slightly less powerful weapons. The larger vessels are often sent into fleet-to-fleet combat and, in squadron strength, have been known to take down cruiser-class enemy vessels. The Vipers are typically tasked with in-system combat, fighting similar size vessels in orbit, in atmosphere, and near planets, and supporting ground troops although they are not limited to such roles. At the Battle of the Velasta Nebula, the 527th Marine Fighter Squadron, flying from the Curry Class Shuttlecarrier USS Shelley was credited with the neutralization of six Jem’Hadar fighters and 14 Cardassian strike fighters. Other Vipers in the battle, six squadrons or 72 fighters, accounted for two Galor Class cruisers, 15 Jem’Hadar fighters, and 55 Cardassian strike fighters with 32 total losses.

The Vipers are also used as escorts for planetary assaults, protecting troop carriers from enemy fighters and conducting bombardment of ground emplacements. A typical multi-layered assuault would see six Omega class Corvettes protected by 12 Evader Class assault shuttles, two squadrons of Vipers, and several atmosphere-capable capital ships such as the Saber Class Scout, the Defiant Class Escort, the Thunder Class Interceptor, or the Tomahawk Class Patrol Combatant.

While the Vipers have an eight day endurance at cruise, giving it a wide range inside the Federation, the lack of personnel facilities on board means that for most missions outside of a two-day average range they are carried on-board a large-deck vessel. The Curry Class Shuttlecarrier can embark up to 96 Vipers or 8 squadrons in addition to the other standard embarked craft.The Viper has also been selected for use in several planetary defense systems. One squadron, the 27th Intereceptor, was assigned to Deep Space Nine at the end of the war.

There were 60 tactical squadrons and 38 planetary defense squadrons of Vipers in active service at the height of the Dominion War, in addition to two training and research squadrons. Including active and spare fighters, there have been 1,300 Vipers built to date, with 625 lost during the war, from both combat action and non-combat accidents.

A Viper of the 323rd Interceptor Squadron patrolling the Betazed system following the liberation of the planet from the Dominion in 2375.
An 81st Marine Fighter Squadron Viper firing on a Cardassian strike fighter in orbit of New Bristol.
URL is http://www.bettnet.com/startrek/reference/viper.html.
Revised June 3, 2001.