CS Pukov

**CS Pukov** (KK Пуков) is a Coalition class 1 carrier in *Starlancer*.

## Description

The Pukov and her sister ship the Varyag are new additions to the Coalition's carrier fleet. Both are big hitters with a mandate to move freely on seek and destroy operations. Well armed and defended with the latest the Coalition has to offer in carrier technology, these ships can only be tackled in numbers. Only the latest Alliance Strike carriers can hold their own against them, but losses at the outset of the conflict have meant a shortage in such craft. The Pukov is believed to have the highest kill rate in the Coalition Fleet, and is also home to the infamous and deadly Black Guard squadron led by Ivan Petrov, son of Admiral Petrov Senior, commander of the Pukov.

The Pukov would remain the nemesis of Alliance forces throughout the Sol War. On May 25, 2161, just as the Alliance seemed to start to turn the tide of the war, the Pukov spearheaded Coalition counterattacks, striking deep into Alliance lines. The Pukov destroyed the ANS Valiant, commanded by Admiral Jacobs, taking yet another carrier out of commission.

Although the Alliance managed to continue the offensives, capitalizing on the destruction of CS Volga by Captain Foster, the Pukov, Ivan Petrov, and the Black Guard managed to ambush them and the ANS Bremen, destroying the Alliance's best fighter squadron, one of the most advanced carriers, and apparently killing the Alliance's top ace, Klaus Steiner on July 11, 2161. The Pukov was finally destroyed shortly after Steiner was saved from the Saladin, in a brutal pitched battle between it and the ANS Yamato on February 16, 2162. The Black Guard was virtually wiped out, denying the Coalition its most valuable and decorated squadron.

## Encounters

* Mission 23: In a deadly battle with the ANS Yamato, the Pukov is destroyed and the Black Guard nearly completely wiped out.

## Gallery

* Ventral side
* Another shot of the ventral
* Dorsal side
* Torpedo launch; due to tech limitations, torps are launched like fighters, not missiles from the torpedo tubes
* Derriere of the Pukov

## Trivia

* Pukov may be named after Nikolai Pukhov, a Soviet general who distinguished himself during the battle of Kursk and subsequent Chernigov-Pripyat Offensive, receiving the Order of Lenin and the title of Hero of the Soviet Union.

## References

1. ↑ Transcripts: "*May 25, 2161. Alliance forces have had several notable victories over the last few weeks. Coalition forces, however, have hit back, striking deep into Alliance lines. Supply routes were cut as our convoys were attacked and destroyed. In one skirmish, the ANS Valiant, commanded by Admiral Jacobs, was destroyed.* *This Coalition attack group was lead by the Carrier CS Pukov, base ship of the Black Guard. The Pukov has since returned to Coalition lines.*"
2. ↑ Transcripts: "*July 11, 2161. The last few weeks in the war have been a mix of great sorrow and fortune for the Alliance. This week brings the worst news for the Alliance since the beginning of the war. Klaus Steiner, top Allied ace and hero, along with the rest of the Vampire squadron were ambushed and killed by Ivan Petrov and the Black Guard. Their carrier the ANS Bremen was also destroyed.* *The news has shaken morale throughout the Alliance, as Steiner and his squadron were rated as the Alliance's best. Their demise at the hands of the Butcher Petrov has added insult to injury, for an Alliance that only weeks ago seemed to be turning the tide of the war.* *Admiral Caldwell called on Alliance forces to redouble their efforts in the wake of Steiner's death, calling on squadrons such as the Tigers to step up and help drive the Coalition out of the occupied territories.*"
3. ↑ Mission 23