Attack Craft

"Gryphon, this is Meteor Wing. Attack runs complete, target well struck."

— Squadron Leader Sinclaire, defence of Port Wander against WAAAGH! Gulgrog

Attack Craft is a catch-all term used for the small spacecraft and aircraft that are deployed from larger starships' launch bays in support of naval warfleets during combat operations. They are divided into five general categories depending on their size and role:

• Fighters - Fighters, along with Interceptors, are the smallest Attack Craft, using their speed and firepower to intercept and destroy other enemy Attack Craft and ordnance.
• Bombers - Bombers are lumbering spacecraft that lack the speed of fighters, but carry enough firepower to threaten capital ships.
• Assault Boats - Assault Boats are small, spaceborne transports designed to pierce the hull of an enemy starship and deposit a single or multiple squads of soldiers for a quick hit-and-run attack.
• Aeronautica - Aeronautica includes all small crafts that are designed to support planetary military operations, including atmospheric fighters, interceptors, and bombers along with troop transports and military cargo transports and drop ships.
• Support Craft - Support Craft are small spacecraft designed to support diplomatic and mercantile operations either on a planet's surface or for transport between different starships.

The most notable Attack Craft of all the major starfaring species in the galaxy are listed below.

Imperial Attack Craft

Imperial Navy

• Fury Interceptor
• Faustus Interceptor
• Starhawk Bomber
• Shark Assault Boat
• Marauder Bomber
• Lightning Air Superiority Fighter
• Thunderbolt Heavy Fighter
• Aquila Lander
• Arvus Lighter
• Boarding Torpedo
• Devourer Dropship
• Scapula-class Deep Space Fighter

Space Marines

• Thunderhawk Gunship
• Storm Eagle Gunship
• Stormraven Gunship
• Stormbird Gunship
• Stormtalon Gunship
• Thunderhawk Transporter
• Fire Raptor Gunship
  • Fire Raptor Destroyer
• Boarding Torpedo
• Astartes Landing Craft
• Eagle-class Shuttle
• Argo-class Dropship

Chaos Attack Craft

• Swiftdeath Fighter
• Doomfire Bomber
• Hell Blade
• Hell Talon
• Dreadclaw Assault Boat
• Harbinger Super-Heavy Bomber
• Heldrake Daemon Engine
• Boarding Torpedo
• Doom Wing Daemon Engine
• Fire Lord Daemon Engine

Dark Eldar Attack Craft

• Raptor Fighter
• Razorwing Bomber
• Slavebringer Assault Boat
• Impaler Assault Module

Eldar Attack Craft

• Darkstar Fighter
• Eagle Bomber

Necron Attack Craft

• Doom Scythe
• Night Scythe
• Night Shroud
• Tomb Blade (older variant modified for spaceflight)

Ork Attack Craft

• Fighta-Bommer
• Ork Assault Boat

Tau Empire Attack Craft

Tau

• Barracuda Fighter
• Tiger Shark
• Tiger Shark AX-1-0
• Manta Missile Destroyer
• Razorshark
• Sun Shark

Tau Allies

• Demiurg Attack Craft

Tyranid Attack Craft

The Tyranids use a wide variety of organisms that are roughly equivalent to the other starfaring species' fighters and assault boats, but their vast diversity defies categorisation into distinct classes.

See Also

• Battleship
• Cruiser
• Escort
• Raider

Sources

• Battlefleet Gothic Rulebook: Ships of the Gothic Sector
• Battlefleet Gothic Armada: Vessels of the Imperium
• Battlefleet Gothic Armada: Xenos Fleets
• Battlefleet Gothic Armada: Necron and Tyranid Fleets
• Battlefleet Gothic Armada: Tau Fleets
• Imperial Armour Volume Three - The Taros Campaign
• Imperial Armour Volume Ten - The Badab War - Part Two
• Rouge Trader - Battlefleet Koronus (RPG), pp. 10-15
• Astartes Landing Craft - Games Workshop