Redhawk Missile

A Redhawk missile in a publicity photo supplied by the manufacturer

The Redhawk Missile is the standard light space-to-space anti-starfighter missile in use by Earth Fleet and most other human military forces. It is mainly carried by starfighters themselves, but it is sometimes seen on board the defense platforms of an Orbital Defense Network, or jury-rigged onto a retrofitted civilian starship pressed into service in wartime. The SF-16 Warhawk starfighter was essentially designed around this missile, and carries ten of them in special semi-recessed launchers, five on either side of the cockpit. Most other fighters can carry the Redhawk either on external hardpoints or in internal weapons bays.

The Redhawk carries a combination active LIDAR and passive electro-optical seeker head, and has an advanced AI on board to help it avoid decoys and jammers. It has a smaller warhead and less on-board fuel than its larger Blackhawk cousin, but its lower mass means it can make tighter turns to follow a jinking fighter or avoid enemy point-defense fire. Although not primarily intended for use against capital ships, its accuracy and relatively small warhead mean it can be used to cripple rather than kill enemy ships one wants to capture or investigate. Its accuracy even allows it to be used as a sort of long-range point-defense against incoming salvoes of Lance Torpedoes or other projectile weapons.

The Redhawk missile is manufacutred in the Phoenix system by the Blackbird Yards divivision of Harrington Industries. It's rough equivalent in Eastern Bloc service is the Wakizashi Missile.

Behind the Scenes

The Redhawk missile is named for a missile Martin used to build out of transparent-red LEGO blocks.