AC-205 Mk I Valkyrie

The AC-205 Mk I Valkyrie was the first of the Valkyrie class warp capable multimission class fighters mass produced by Starfleet.

Image: AC-205 Mk I Valkyrie

The original Valkyrie - the Mk I - first appeared as a new warp fighter aboard an experimental Typhon-class carrier. The Valkyrie was intended to replace the ageing fleet of Peregrine-class fighters currently in use throughout the fleet. Smaller and more agile, Valkyrie-class fighters were used for a variety of missions. Unlike the Peregrine-class, the Valkyrie was intended to be used in small groups, which made it ideal for fighter wing groups. The Valkyrie, and its predecessor, the Peregrine, were a part of the formation of Starfleet Astronautical Command.

The AC-205 Mk I Valkyries were deployed in the final months of 2375, and arrived too late to contribute to the Dominion War. These fighters were assigned to the USS Typhon (TNG game: Star Trek: Invasion). They were initially designed as a carrier-based fleet engagement craft. The design proved successful, with a high survivability rate matching the heavy fire power available to bring down larger ships. In learning that a full squadron of Valkyries would still require a lot of support from for engagements of a Dominion-War level threat, Starfleet deemed that the attack fighter needed an upgrade

Another development at the time was that a group of influential admirals in the fleet demanded to form a new division that hand-picked the Conn officers with the most tactical training. It was the only way, they reckoned, to ensure that the fleet used the right kind of pilots for the Valkyrie Program. The original score of 400 personnel - the fleets new Tactical CONN officers - served as the foundation for a new and more organised department for fighter pilots. They accepted only the highest scoring CONN or fight-trained Security or Tactical Cadets, and then dealt them another year of training in the fields they lacked from their Academy training. White became the chosen color for the Starfleet Astronautical Command Division, and the admirals that rode this project into history became the core of the Aerospace Command.

Both the Mk I and II Valkyries used Rear Intercept Officers (RIOs). The efficiency in which the attack fighters were operated were doubled by allowing the pilots to focus solely on the manoeuvres and weapons employment of the craft during a fight, allowing the RIO to handle comm traffic, emergency repairs and tactic simulations. Among the improvements for the Mk II Valkyrie were a new ablative armour compound, improved power plant, and the employment of a hardpoint system beneath the wings. With the Mk II, the Valkyrie truly stepped into a class of her own.

By 2381, the Mk I fighters were still in use and were being deployed in fairly limited numbers - shuffled around the fleet until enough Mk II Valkyries become available to replace them.