StarDate 3/3
John A. Theisen
Record Sheets:
SL-23 Siren
SL-23L Siren
During the early days of the First Succession War, House Kurita designers sought to produce a light aerospacecraft with vastly different capabilities. Their objective was to develop a low velocity, medium-range ground attack fighter. Rather than building a model first and selecting its weaponry afterward, however, the entire design was constructed around the criterion of a nose-mounted PPC. The result, the SL-23 Siren, may just be the lightest AeroSpace Fighter ever equipped with such an armament.
Unluckily, the Siren has never been an outstanding success in combat, due to its horribly slow top speed and lack of adequate secondary armament. Only deployed occasionally in first-line units, the SL-23 is now used in second-line defense garrisons on a number of border worlds. It also has been seen in the Air Lances of a handful of regular House regiments serving along the Periphery frontier.
Capabilities:
The most obvious feature of the Siren is its nose, with the enormous PPC easily dwarfing the small laser also mounted there. This fighter lives and dies by its PPC; capable of inflicting moderate levels of damage at a respectable range, the SL-23 is rendered useless should the weapon be knocked out by battle damage. In fact, many pilots have ordered their PPCs removed in favor of a medium laser quad-mount and extra heat sinks, which actually give the craft more flexibility in target selection and better firepower (though at a slightly reduced range). At least the reliable medium laser mounted in the tail is satisfactory for a defensive weapon, considering the size of the craft. In hindsight, the PPC was a poor choice of weapon for a small fighter, and likely a design mistake that will not be repeated.
The fuel tanks are somewhat larger than average, but with such an underpowered engine, there is a good chance the SL-23 will never have to worry about running out of fuel; if any pursuing aircraft are near, they will shoot it down first. The armor is quite plentiful and allocated in excellent proportions, making the pilot feel his mission is attainable in theory, if not in practice. There are also enough heat sinks present to fire the main armament even while on overthrust, another positive design feature.
If used exactly as intended, the Siren is a fairly adequate ground attack craft. The greatest risk is in employing it where friendly air superiority has not been guaranteed. The SL-23, with its low speed and powerful PPC, can conduct effective attacks against enemy 'Mechs, armor and infantry. All too often, however, it has been seen in situations where enemy fighters are still present over the battlefield, a situation with which it simply cannot cope. This misuse has led much to the craft's negative reputation.
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