Gu-97

Not to be confused with The Hunter.

In September, Gutamaya Shipyards released a new version of the enduringly popular Eagle. This month, the company has announced the launch of a new fighter designed specifically for the CQC Championship – the Imperial Fighter. Gutamaya has said that the small, manoeuvrable vessel will be ideally suited to close-quarters dogfights, and more than capable of going toe-to-toe with other CQC fighters.

— Galnet News, 06 DEC 3301

The Imperial Fighter, also known as the GU97 Fighter, is the standard Empire small-class single man ship. It is as noted for its high manoeuvrability and firepower as it is for its low shielding and range. It is typically launched as support craft for an imperial cruiser, and is useless on its own if outflanked or outnumbered. It is most commonly seen in conflict zones which include an imperial faction, or patrolling space stations in imperial territory.

The Imperial Fighter is currently accessible in Close Quarters Combat, and will added as a Ship-Launched Fighter alongside the F63 Condor and Taipan Fighter in the Elite Dangerous: Horizons 2.2 update.

Variants

Like the F63 Condor and Taipan, the Imperial Fighter is available in 5 variants, which differ only in weapons and utility slot.

Variant	Weapons	Utility	DPS
Aegis F	2x fixed pulse laser	Point defence	44
Rogue F	2x fixed plasma repeater	Chaff launcher	36
Gelid G	2x gimballed beam laser	Heat sink launcher	25
Rogue G	2x gimballed pulse laser	Chaff launcher	12
Gelid F	2x fixed beam laser	Heat sink launcher	45

Notes

• The Imperial Fighter is the most maneuverable of the three Ship-Launched Fighters, and once it is added it will be the most maneuverable ship in the core game.

Gallery

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  Blueprint for the Imperial Fighter
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  Alternate blueprint
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  Concept art for the Imperial Fighter
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  CQC Imperial Fighter
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  Imperial Fighter Blueprint [Updated]