Wildcat Class

A variant of the Lynx Class, the Wildcat trades a Disruptor Cannon and her Heavy Disruptor battery for a pair of Light Disruptor Cannons, an improved sensor array and a basic Electronic Warfare package. The Wildcat is the eyes and ears of the Imperial Lyran Navy, and is also seen on patrol duties with Lynx Class Frigates in the picket role.

## Development

As with many powers in the 2230s and 2240s, the Imperial Lyran Navy discovered in one of their many border conflicts with the Mirak Star League that a lighter warship to act as a picket and scout for their larger Cruisers. Updating a system patrol craft design with heavier weaponry, warp drive and an enhanced M/AM reactor (housed in a "warp bustle" to the rear of the hull, similar to early Earth M/AM designs), the initial design for the Lynx Class had problems with power consumption. These were solved with a rather ingenious, if potentially troublesome solution. The Heavy Disruptor Cannons were moved to mounts on the front of the warp nacelles, and drew their power directly from the warp reactor. (as Federation designs later would with the Langley and Type II Projects in the 2270s). As Starfleet engineers later discovered, this system does allow greater power to be focused through to weapons systems, but a destabilisation or loss of warp power renders any weapon systems attached in such a manner (without a weapons capacitor) immediately inoperable. Lyran engineers and tacticians considered this to be a reasonable risk, given that a loss of warp power would likely lead to a loss of the warship anyway.

In 2269, following Klingon practice (and the practice of most galactic powers at that time), the Imperial Lyran Navy modified the Lynx Class into a specialised Scout Frigate variant, the Wildcat Class.

The conversion process was not without it's problems, as the Lynx Class was already quite packed with equipment and at the limit of her development potential. A highly sensitive sensor array was developed and mounted on an extended sensor pylon, projecting from the bow of the ship in place of the centreline Disruptor Cannon. The port and starboard Disruptor Cannons were replaced with Light Disruptor Cannons, with the warp nacelle mounted Heavy Disruptor Cannons replaced with standard variants. This reduction in firepower reduced overall power consumption to acceptable levels, and permitted the fitting of a basic (ECM Only) Electronic Warfare suite to the nacelle pylons.

## Operational History

The Wildcat entered service in 2269, and became the eyes and ears of the Imperial Lyran Navy. She also proved invaluable in covert, intelligence gathering operations, with many becoming employed by the Imperial Espionage Service on clandestine duties. She was often teamed with her Lynx Class progenitor, with a pair of the more heavily armed Frigates escorting the [[[Scout Frigate]] on sensor sweeps and picket duties.

The great test of the Wildcat came during the Organian Conflict. The Imperial Lyran Navy bore the brunt of the resurgent Hydran Royal Navy. The Wildcat was tasked with gathering critical battlefield intelligence against the foe, and although her crews attempted to avoid the brunt of the fighting, losses were inevitable. During both the Organian Conflict and the subsequent War of Pacification, the Wildcat and her Lynx Class stablemate were the most numerous Lyran warships in service, and although outclassed by their ISC Type FF-IV and Type FF-IVsc counterparts, they met with some successes after adopting wolfpack tactics, much like Klingon E12 B'Rel (Bird of Prey) Class Escorts.

Although an older design by the time of the Interregnum‏‎, the reformed Imperial Lyran Navy made extensive use of the Lynx, pending development of a newer design. Due to the rebuilding and reformation of the Star Kingdom in the wake of the Interregnum‏‎, the Imperial Lyran Navy did not participate in the General War, although some Ducal fleets close to the Klingon border mobilised during the Gorn counter-invasion, believing the Gorn Royal Navy may have chosen to continue their advance across the border.

## Apocrypha

Economic difficulties in the wake of the General War and the geopolitical changes that followed meant that the Imperial Lyran Navy never replaced the Lynx, Wildcat or Bobcat Class Frigates. After the annexation of the Lyran Star Kingdom by the Klingon Empire in 2314 and the creation of the Lyran Autonomous Region, the Lyran Autonomous Defence Force‏‎ continued to make use of these reliable Frigates until rendered entirely obsolete in the 2330s and replaced on internal policing duties by Lyran-crewed Klingon designs.

## Specifications

* **Class:** Scout Frigate
* **Hull Type Designation:** LFS
* **Length:** 112m
* **Crew:** 37
* **Warp Nacelles:** 2

* **Maximum Sublight Speed:** 4200 k/s (42 Mk/s)
* **Cruise** **Warp Factor Speed:** wf 7.0
* **Safe** **Maximum Warp Factor Speed:** wf 8.6
* **Hull Rating:** 180 HSF
* **Shield Rating:** 280 FSP

* **Sensor Rating:** 800 SRU

* **Armament and Equipment:**
	+ Primary
		- 2 × Light Disruptor Cannon
		- 2 × Disruptor Cannon
	+ Secondary
		- None
	+ Heavy
		- None
	+ Advanced
		- None
	+ Equipment
		- Tractor Beam Emitter
		- Probes
		- Electronic Countermeasures (ECM)

## Ships in Service (2292)

LSS Wildeye

LSS Wilderness

LSS Venture

LSS Sharpeye

LSS Gooth

LSS Garnt

LSS Trenosh

LSS Porlon

LSS Parathek

LSS Tookith

LSS Mewlith

LSS Ereith

LSS Ookth

LSS Tarlk

LSS Bornoth

LSS Emalth

LSS Adhaherra

LSS Shissa

LSS Elanna

LSS Ashsrin

LSS Khadasha

LSS Vanjivva

LSS S'ura

LSS Harssa

LSS Ahdura

LSS Tsrahni

LSS Shajahirr

LSS J'qanar

LSS Dar'iska

LSS Vasrjo