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{{ShipInfobox
{{ShipInfobox
| image              = Kestrel Mk II at Gas Giant.jpg
| image              = Kestrel Mk II with Weapons.jpg
| manufacturer        = Core Dynamics
| manufacturer        = Core Dynamics
| yearsproduced      = 3312-Present
| yearsproduced      = 3312-Present
| type                = Combat
| type                = Combat
| cost                =  
| cost                = 12,525,276
| insurance          =  
| insurance          =713,691
| factionreq          =  
| factionreq          =  
| factionrank        =  
| factionrank        =  
| expansionreq        =Odyssey  
| expansionreq        = Odyssey  
| landingpad          = Small
| landingpad          = Small
| dimensions          =  
| dimensions          =49.4 m x 40.01 m x 9.07 m
| seats              = 1
| seats              = 1
| multicrew          = No
| multicrew          = No
| fighterhangar      = No
| hullmass            =190
| hullmass            =  
| masslock            =  
| masslock            =  
| armour              =  
| armour              =126
| armourhardness      =  
| armourhardness      =55
| shields            =  
| shields            =293
| heatcapacity        =  
| heatcapacity        =276
| fuelcapacity        =  
| fuelcapacity        =16
| manoeuvrability    =  
| manoeuvrability    =8
| topspeed            =  
| topspeed            =278
| maxtopspeed        =  
| maxtopspeed        =313
| boostspeed          =  
| boostspeed          =342
| maxboostspeed      =  
| maxboostspeed      =418
| jumprange          =  
| jumprange          =13.32
| maxjumprange        =  
| maxjumprange        =30.49
| cargocapacity      =  
| cargocapacity      =4
| maxcargocapacity    =  
| maxcargocapacity    =70
| utility            =  
| utility            =4
| small              =  
| small              =2
| medium              =  
| medium              =  
| large              =  
| large              =3
| huge                =  
| huge                =  
| size1              =  
| size1              =1
| size2              =  
| size2              =3
| size3              =  
| size3              =1
| size4              =  
| size4              =1
| size5              =  
| size5              =1
| size6              =  
| size6              =  
| size7              =  
| size7              =  
| size8              =  
| size8              =  
| reservedic          =  
| reservedic          =1× Class 4 [[Military Compartment]]
|arx=|scooptimised=}}
| arx                 =16,520
| scooptimised       =Yes
|fighterhangar=No}}
{{quote|The Kestrel is a purpose-built combat fighter engineered for speed, agility and lethal efficiency. Its compact frame and high-thrust maneuverability make it exceptionally effective in close-combat, interception, and rapid strike operations. The ship's sharper handling and turn of speed is also complemented with its ability to handle supercharged FSDs. In the hands of a skilled fighter pilot the Kestrel will prove itself to be unmatched.|In-Game Description}}


{{quote||In-Game Description}}
The '''Kestrel Mk II''' is a small combat [[Ships|ship]] produced by [[Core Dynamics]]. Designed with maximum agility in mind, the Kestrel is the most maneuverable ship to date.<ref name=":1">[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lNYo_yRsSws Kestrel Mk II Review – Medium-Ship Firepower in a Small Frame | Elite Dangerous] - Mile 13 Gaming - YouTube - 22 Feb 2026</ref> Early access for [[ARX]] began on 24 February 2026.<ref name=":0">[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nf2wuh_09eo Elite Dangerous | Developer Log - 16 February 2026] - YouTube</ref><ref>[https://forums.frontier.co.uk/threads/elite-dangerous-kestrel-mk-ii-update-out-now.645581/ Elite Dangerous | Kestrel Mk II Update Out Now!] - 24 Feb 2026 - Frontier Forums</ref> It became available to [[Elite Dangerous: Odyssey|Odyssey]] owners for [[credits]] on 25 June 2026.<ref name=":2">[https://www.elitedangerous.com/news/galnet/kestrel-fighter-enters-full-production Kestrel Fighter Enters Full Production] - 25 June 2026 - Elite Dangerous</ref>


The '''Kestrel Mk II''' is a small combat [[Ships|ship]] produced by [[Core Dynamics]]. Early access purchase with [[ARX]] will begin on 24 February 2026.<ref name=":0">[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nf2wuh_09eo Elite Dangerous | Developer Log - 16 February 2026] - YouTube</ref> It becomes purchasable with [[credits]] after 3 months for all [[Elite Dangerous: Odyssey|Odyssey]] owners.<ref name=":0" />
==Overview==
The Kestrel Mk II is an extremely agile fighter developed by Core Dynamics for the [[Federal Navy]], intended to replace the aging fleet of [[Vulture|Vultures]], and counter [[Gutamaya]]'s new [[Corsair|Corsairs]].  
 
The Mk II is a reimagining of the original Kestrel Airfighter of ''[[Frontier: Elite II]]''. The Kestrel was derived from an atmospheric fighter and featured high marks for acceleration. It was often used as a fast courier or, in large numbers, a planetary attack craft.  
 
[[File:Convergence kestrel.png|thumb|250px|Kestrel Mk II hardpoints convergence]]
The Kestrel Mk II features a generous array of weapon [[Hardpoint|hardpoints]]: two Class 1 hardpoints are located on both sides and slightly in front of the cockpit, one Class 3 hardpoint behind the cockpit on top of the fuselage, as well as two Class 3 hardpoints underneath the front wings. The ship also features four Utility Mounts.
 
Core Dynamics chose to sacrifice the Kestrel’s internal space and raw armor protection, in pursuit of maximum speed and maneuverability. The wing-mounted reaction thrusters share design similarities with that of sentry skimmers, such as the [[S4 Sentry]] or the [[S9 Goliath]], although the Kestrel's thrusters do not deflect nearly as much as those of the drones.


==Overview==
The ship features a size 5 [[Power Plant]] and a size 5 [[Power Distributor]]. A polymer weave hull structure enables full use of [[Frame Shift Drive (SCO)|Supercruise Overcharge]] technology, and is equipped with a Size 4 [[Frame Shift Drive]] bay. Size 1 Life Support and Size 2 Sensors round up the Core Internal selection.
The Kestrel Mk II is a reimagining of the original Kestrel Airfighter of ''[[Frontier: Elite II]]''. The Kestrel was derived from an atmospheric fighter and featured high marks for acceleration. It was often used as a fast courier or, in large numbers, a planetary attack craft.
 
The Kestrel, due to its stripped-down nature, features a rather limited selection of optional internals. Featuring eight internal compartments, of which there are: one Size 5, two Size 4, one Size 3, three Size 2 compartments, and one Size 1 compartment. It should be noted that one of the Size 4 compartments is restricted for military modules only.
 
The Kestrel Mk II also continues the trend of ships featuring unique modules. The Kestrel coincidentally features two modules exclusive to it: the Mk II Maneuvering Thrusters, and the Plasma Shock Accelerator Mk II.
 
The Kestrel Mk II received the green light for full production and distribution on 25 June 3312.<ref name=":2" />
 
== Capabilities ==
 
=== Combat ===
The new drives give the Kestrel Mk II incredible maneuverability, allowing it to simply run circles around larger vessels like the [[Anaconda]] or the [[Imperial Cutter]], and even if the bigger ship does manage to land a hit, the Kestrel packs surprisingly durable shields. The Plasma Shock Accelerator Mk II functions much like the standard [[Shock Cannon]], although it is fully automatic, and has a much larger ammunition reserve. It excels at short range, although its forgiving spread pattern allows for reasonably effective mid-range fire. It must be noted that the Plasma Shock Accelerator Mk II cannot be engineered at the time of writing this article.
 
Many players have noted that the ship is ''too'' maneuverable, making target acquisition very difficult, especially while boosting.
 
=== Other ===
The Kestrel Mk II is a pure-bred combat ship, and is wholly unsuitable for other roles, such as [[Trader|trading]] or [[Miner|mining]], and its undersized FSD bay limits is capability as an [[explorer]].  
 
Its only secondary role is as a racing vessel, where its maneuverability and speed shine that much brighter, similarly to the [[Viper Mk III]].


== Purchase Locations==
== Purchase Locations==
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==Outfitting==
==Outfitting==
{{main|Outfitting}}
All ships are highly customizable through the [[Outfitting]] menu of Station Services. Listed below is the default loadout for the Kestrel Mk II.
TBA
 
{| class="article-table" style="text-align: center;" border="1"
! style="text-align: center;" |Category
! style="text-align: center;" |Default System
! style="text-align: center;" |Default Rating
! style="text-align: center;" |Default Class
! style="text-align: center;" |Max Class
|-
| rowspan="2" |[[Hardpoint|Small Hardpoint]]
|[[Pulse Laser]]
| F
| 1
| 1
|-
|[[Pulse Laser]]
| F
| 1
| 1
|-
| rowspan="3" |[[Hardpoint|Large Hardpoint]]
|''Empty''
| --
| 3
| 3
|-
|''Empty''
| --
| 3
| 3
|-
|''Empty''
| --
| 3
| 3
|-
| rowspan="4" |Utility Mount
|''Empty''
| --
| --
| --
|-
|''Empty''
| --
| --
| --
|-
|''Empty''
| --
| --
| --
|-
|''Empty''
| --
| --
| --
|-
|[[Bulkheads]]
|[[Lightweight Alloys]]
| I
| C
| 1
|-
|Reactor Bay
|[[Power Plant]]
| E
| 5
| 5
|-
|Thrusters Mounting
|[[Thrusters]]
| E
| 5
| 5
|-
|Frame Shift Drive Housing
|[[Frame Shift Drive (SCO)]]
| E
| 4
| 4
|-
|Environment Control
|[[Life Support]]
| E
| 1
| 1
|-
|Power Coupling
|[[Power Distributor]]
| E
| 5
| 5
|-
|Sensor Suite
|[[Sensors]]
| E
| 2
| 2
|-
|Fuel Store
|[[Fuel Tank]] [x16]
| C
| 4
| 4
|-
| rowspan="10" |[[Internal Compartment|Internal Compartments]]
|[[Shield Generator]]
| E
| 5
| 5
|-
|''Empty [Restricted]''
| --
| --
| 4
|-
|[[Cargo Rack]] [x8]
| E
| --
| 4
|-
|''Empty''
| --
| --
| 3
|-
|[[Cargo Rack]] [x4]
| E
| --
| 2
|-
|''Empty''
| --
| --
| 2
|-
|[[Advanced Docking Computer]]
| E
| 2
| 2
|-
|[[Supercruise Assist]]
| E
| 1
| 1
|-
|(PAS)
| I
| 1
| 1
|}
 
* ''(L) = Loaned Module''
* ''[x#] = Capacity''
* ''(PAS) = Reserved solely for the [[Planetary Approach Suite]] or [[Advanced Planetary Approach Suite]]''


== Development ==
== Development ==
The Kestrel Mk II was unveiled during the Developer Log on 16 February 2026.<ref name=":0" />
The Kestrel Mk II was first teased on the Elite Dangerous account on the site X (x.com) on 14 February 2026.<ref>[https://x.com/elitedangerous/status/2022340171434222074 Elite Dangerous - A new hangar door is opening] - 13 Feb 2026 - on X</ref> unveiled during the Developer Log on 16 February 2026.<ref name=":0" />


==Videos==
==Videos==
<gallery>
<gallery>
File:Elite Dangerous - Developer Log - 16 February 2026
File:Elite Dangerous - Developer Log - 16 February 2026
File:Elite Dangerous- Kestrel Mk. II - Available Now
File:Elite Dangerous - Kestrel MkII- comparison to FDL, Cobra MkV. Performance tests. MkII modules review
File:Elite Dangerous - more Kestrel's MkII combat builds and tests
File:Kestrel Mk II Review – Medium-Ship Firepower in a Small Frame - Elite Dangerous
File:Kestrel Successful - Core claims Federal Navy interest (Elite Dangerous)
File:Kestrel Mk II Cinematic Presentation - Elite Dangerous Odyssey -
</gallery>
</gallery>


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<gallery>
<gallery>
File:Kestrel Mk II at Gas Giant.jpg|Kestrel Mk II at a Gas Giant
File:Kestrel Mk II at Gas Giant.jpg|Kestrel Mk II at a Gas Giant
File:Kestrel Mk II with Weapons.jpg|Kestrel Mk II with weapons
File:Kestrel Mk II Features.jpg|Kestrel Mk II Features
File:Kestrel Mk II above planet.jpg|Kestrel Mk II above planet
File:Kestrel Mk II Bow and Hardpoints.jpg|Kestrel Mk II bow and hardpoints
File:Kestrel Mk II in atmosphere.jpeg|Kestrel Mk II at an icy body
File:Kestrel Mk II Ventral.jpg|Kestrel Mk II Ventral
</gallery>
</gallery>


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[[zh:Kestrel Mk II]]
[[zh:Kestrel Mk II]]
[[uk:Kestrel MkII]]
[[ru:Kestrel Mk II]]
[[Category:Core Dynamics]]
[[Category:Core Dynamics]]
[[Category:Fighters]]
Retrieved from "https://elite.mistflux.co.uk/wiki/Kestrel_Mk_II"