Autonomous Kill Vehicle

Abbreviated to AKV, a type of small uncrewed attack craft commonly carried aboard larger ships for use in battle. They act as drone fighters to engage enemy craft with less risk to the mothership.

Appearance varies between manufacturers. Some are spheres or cylinders, while others are complex angular or cone-like shapes.

Propulsion

AKVs are equipped with fusion torches for thrust, which typically peaks in the 5-20 gees range in full boost mode.

Weapons & Armament

Primary armament is phased-array laser plating. While power output is much less than that a of a full-sized ship, AKVs make up for this by attacking from closer range. Many also carry torpedoes or ballistic bombs for kinetic attack.

Armor and defense

Due to their low mass and small size AKVs are not very well defended. Most mount thermally superconducting armor to counter enemy laser fire, but their best defense is maneuverability and numbers.

Rarity

Common parasite craft aboard military ships