The F-3 Maverick is an obsolete starfighter used in the early years of the Bug War by the first Earth Fleet starships. Withdrawn from service in the late 2100's, many of them remain in junkyards, mothball fleets, and even in private hands. Two squadrons of them were reactivated from storage for use by a group of Jewish Volunteer Militia in a privately-funded campaign against the Christian Federation of "Bad Andy" Tremont during the later stages of the Third Civil War, but this was the last time they were used in quantity in any official military operations.
The Maverick has three main engines in a triangular pattern around a slim fuselage, a heavy Railgun beneath the nose, and a two-seat tandem cockpit for pilot and navigator/sensor operator. It also has a single pylon for Redhawk Missiles on either side of the rear fuselage, and a third one beneath capable of carrying the larger Blackhawk Missile.
Behind the Scenes
The Maverick was designed by Martin Hohner at the Request of Ed Stasheff, and was inspired in part by the AH-1 Huey Cobra helicopter.