F-302 fighter-interceptor

"Now, while many of the 302's systems were retro-engineered from Goa'uld technology, it is entirely human built."

- Samantha Carter

The F-302 fighter-interceptor is the production model of the X-302 hyperspace fighter, an air and space superiority vehicle operated by the United States Air Force, the Russian Federation and possibly the People's Republic of China.

Overview
When the experimental X-302 was added to the Tau'ri fleet, it became officially known as the F-302 fighter-interceptor. A space-worthy fighter-interceptor aircraft reverse-engineered from Goa'uld technology but entirely human-built, unlike its predecessor, the X-301. Earth now commands a fleet of F-302s. The BC-303 and Daedalus-class warships such as the Prometheus and the Odyssey carry one and two squadrons of these vessels respectively. The ships have been used in the defense of the planet, and they have also been stationed at off-world bases such as the Alpha Site on P4X-650 and the Gamma Site. F-302s can seat up to two pilots and are most often used in aerial combat situations, but they are also capable of transporting and deploying objects such as satellites into orbit.

Features
After the largely successful testing of the X-302, the craft entered production with only slight modifications. The hyperdrive, which had originally been intended to allow interstellar travel, was altered to provide only short intra-system hops. Also, the two jet exhausts were modified so as to function as rockets in outer-atmosphere combat.

The F-302 intercept fighter has four different sets of engines: air breathing jets, modified aerospikes for high altitude, a rocket booster, and a hyperspace window generator. The Goa'uld death gliders are not capable of entering hyperspace because the engine to create a hyperspace window would be much too large. But, because the F-302 uses naquadria to power the hyperdrive window generator, the F-302 has a more compact hyperdrive engine and thus became the first human-built space craft thought to be capable of interstellar travel. Because of the instability of the naquadria, however, the hyperspace window can only be generated for a very brief moment, thus greatly limiting the F-302's interstellar travel capabilities.

Because the F-302 cannot maintain a hyperspace window for a long period of time, it is not capable of prolonged interstellar travel. In order to get it from one planet to another within the galaxy, the SGC disassembles the aircraft and transports it through the Stargate. F-302s do not require a very long runway, possibly having VTOL capabilities, making them easy to adapt to various locations. Even with their limited hyperspace capability, the F-302s have proven their usefulness in battle situations and are stationed both on Earth and at off-world bases, such as the Alpha Site and the Gamma Site.

The X-302 reached the hypersonic speed of Mach 6 inside Earth's atmosphere at an altitude of 30 kilometers. The interceptor uses the modified aerospike engines in high altitudes. These capabilities were most likely inherited by the F-302. Along with inertial dampeners, the F-302 also has the maneuverability of an F/A-22 Raptor and the ride of a Boeing 747 airliner.

In addition to standard landing gear, it possesses three grappling cables that allow it to latch onto another object. The cables are able to withstand considerable strain, enabling the craft to tow objects far larger than the fighter itself. It also possesses a small cargo or bomb bay, which was used to deploy an anti-Replicator satellite over the Alpha Site.

The F-302 has hundreds of safety mechanisms to compensate for anything that could go wrong. It also has an autopilot which cuts in to ensure safety. As with other Earth aircraft, the F-302, like its predecessors, the X-301 and X-302, features an ejection system allowing the occupants of the craft to escape the vehicle.

When a F-302 is destroyed, it emits an electromagnetic pulse (EMP) which can easily interfere with electrical and communications signals. This was discovered during the clean-up following the battle with Anubis's al'kesh and death gliders in Antarctica. The phenomenon was studied by scientists at Area 51 and was determined to be caused by the concussive force of the craft's destruction interfering with the artificial gravity field generated by the inertial dampeners.

F-302's are armed with some form of projectile cannon in the nose (caliber, type, and number currently unknown, theorized to be dual railguns) and modified AIM 120A air-to-air missiles. The warheads on said missiles have been enhanced with naquadah and the missiles also have frequency modulators, allowing them to bypass shields. However, the effectiveness of said modulators is questionable. While they were not able to penetrate the shields of Anubis' Ancient technology enhanced shields, they were able to penetrate those of the Asurans. Whether this is due to Asuran technology being inferior to the mainstream Ancient technology (being from an earlier time than the latest Ancient tech) or not is unknown.

The F-302 has also been shown to be equipped with a payload bay on the underside of the craft, as seen when Teal'c piloted a F-302 to deploy a Replicator disruptor satellite in orbit over the Alpha Site. Whether this payload bay can be used to carry additional weapons remains to be seen.

The F-302 can also carry nukes. This is not a normal feature of the craft, but they can be retrofitted with them.

History
The F-302 saw its first use against the forces of Anubis, in which its hyperdrive was used to bypass the shields of his mothership and disable its primary weapon. Since then, it has handled itself well in combat against both the Goa'uld Death Glider and Wraith Dart.

Both the BC-303 and the 304-classes have been outfitted with a complement of F-302 fighter-interceptors. The Prometheus, the only BC-303 constructed, was outfitted with a squadron of eight F-302s. Additionally, every 304 carries twice as many fighters as the Prometheus.

In exchange for use of the Alpha Gate, the United States provided Russia with the plans for both the X-302 and 303. The Russian 304 Korolev carried a compliment of F-302s.

The F-302s have since been used actively by the Tau'ri fleet and have participated in most major battles of the Tau'ri.

In 2009 during the Battle of the ZPM powered Hive Ship, Colonel Sheppard decided to launch a first strike against the ZPM-powered hive ship with a squadron of F-302's that were on standby with Earth Defense. Sheppard had them equipped with nukes to make them more effective and hopefully powerful enough to take out the hive. The squadron was sucessfully fited with nukes, but were deployed instead to cover Area 51 from a Dart attack. All of the squadron except Sheppard's 302 were destroyed in the skirmish and Area 51 was destroyed. In a last desperate move, Sheppard flew his 302 into orbit and once the hive got close enough, blasted his way through the Dart Bay doors with a missile. He then landed his F-302 in the Dart Bay and prepared to detonate the nuke the fighter was retrofitted with. After being stopped by McKay, the nuke was rigged with a remote detonator and the F-302 was left by itself and apparently was never detected. Ultimatly Sheppard remote detonated his F-302's nuke, destroying the hive ship.

Later in 2009, David Telford engaged the fleet attacking Icarus Base in an F-302.

Alternate reality

 * At least three alternate realities possessed them as the reality jumping Daedalus used to have them, but the crew took them when they abandoned ship, and the reality under alien attack launched an attack against the alien fighters with them to rescue the nearly disabled Daedalus.
 * The alternate reality where Earth was originally attacked by the ZPM powered Hive Ship possessed them, as they combated darts above Earth's atmosphere.
 * In the alternate reality where the Stargate program became public during the Battle of Antarctica, F-302s bombed an Irish village.

Bases

 * Off-world bases
 * Alpha Site
 * Atlantis
 * Gamma Site
 * Icarus Base
 * Area 51
 * USS Prometheus
 * Daedalus-Class warships
 * USS Daedalus
 * USS Odyssey
 * RFS Korolev
 * USS Apollo
 * PLA Sun Tzu
 * USS George Hammond

Fighter wings

 * 1st SFW - "Snake Skinners"
 * 201st Space Fighter Squadron - "Darkstar Titans"
 * 510th Space Fighter Squadron - "Death Angels"
 * 701st Space Fighter Squadron - "Dragon Riders"
 * 901st Space Fighter Squadron - "Flying Tigers"
 * 1st TFW - "Wraithwaxers"

Pilots

 * Jack O'Neill
 * Samantha Carter
 * Teal'c
 * Cameron Mitchell
 * John Sheppard
 * Redmond
 * Adam Banks
 * Alec Colson (on a joy ride)
 * David Telford