The Viper MkIII is the most recent development of the most successful fighter classes ever built. The original Viper Defence Craft was designed by Faulcon Manspace in 2762 in the Reorte shipyards. The basic model was beefed up with the Viper MkII by Faulcon deLacy. The Viper III was a revitalised model with a new, more armoured look, which has been taken further with the recently released MkIV. Despite the competition from its more advanced sister model, the MkIII remains a top class fighter found in many well-equipped police and naval forces.
— In-Game Description
The Viper MkIII is a light fighter craft designed for agile ship-to-ship combat. Its minimal design combined with excellent modularity make it a popular choice for security units and bounty hunters. At a relatively low cost of just over 140,000 credits, it is also a great combat ship for entry-level Commanders.
The Viper has a delta-shaped hull which tapers to form two prongs at the front. The cockpit is situated just behind the bow, slightly raised. This gives the pilot an excellent view without exposing the canopy to potential damage.
The Viper lands on two small rear struts and one large front strut which doubles as a boarding ramp to the cockpit.
The Viper, like all modern ships, is powered by a nuclear fusion reactor. It is propelled by two primary fusion/plasma engines which provide forward thrust and are capable of reverse thrust. Smaller thrusters act as stabilizers and provide force for pitch, roll, and yaw manoeuvres.
Heat is dissipated through radiators at the rear of the ship.
The weapon hardpoints are located as follows: 2 small hardpoints in front of cockpit on upper surface, 2 medium hardpoints on the underside of the ship with one on each side of the cargo scoop. This provides a range of options for weapons loadouts.
The Viper MkIII has an available 16 piece cosmetic Ship Kit that can be purchased from the Frontier store which allows you to "remodel your ship in your personal style". The ship kit does not affect gameplay.
Tactical Considerations
The Viper MkIII made its first appearance in Standard Beta 1. It is a vessel used by Station security forces and law enforcement, and is currently one of the fastest ships available to purchase. It is primarily intended for combat; compared to the multi-role Cobra MkIII, it has the same weapons capacity, slightly stronger shields per shield class, slightly weaker hull, marginally slower turn rate, much faster strafe speed, faster speed under normal thrust and slower speed under boost.
Its main drawbacks are that its heat dissipation, power generation and hyperspace capacity do not equal that of the Cobra, which limits the value of having the same hardpoint capacity; mounting the ship's full weapon weight makes it very short-ranged, and an energy-heavy armament causes it to either overheat or use all available power very quickly. Fuel is also an issue as the ship comes with capacity of only four tons.
In addition to its official police/security role, the Viper's speed, range, and combat capability make it ideal for bounty hunters, small-load couriers, mercenaries or smugglers, while its small cargo capacity makes it a very poor choice for traders, and a survivable but inadequately profitable platform for pirates.
With proper fitting, the Viper is an excellent fighter capable of standing its ground against more expensive ships.
Purchase Locations
| System | Station | Date Seen | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 44 B Ophiuchi | Feustel Gateway | 2015-06-12 | 10% discount |
| AC +26 37030 | Culbertson Port | 2015-12-27 | |
| Achenar (Permit) | Baker Terminal | 2015-04-25 | |
| Agarla | Wilson Port | 2015-07-07 | |
| Alioth | Irkutsk | 1.06 | |
| Amahu | Kondratyev Orbital | 1.06r | |
| Asellus Primus | Beagle 2 Landing | 2017-01-22 | |
| Asgaa | Wheeler Horizons | 2015-04-20 | |
| Aulin | Aulin Enterprise | ? | |
| Biliri | Fan City | 2015-08-23 | |
| Calor | Julian Hub | Release 1.03 | |
| Cerktondhs | Bluford Gateway | 2015-01-01 | |
| Chamunda | Gidzenko Ring | 2015-01-09 | |
| Contii | Sucharitkul Vision | 2015-07-25 | |
| Chona | Smoot Terminal | 2015-08-17 | |
| Cubeo | Medupe City | 2015-08-17 | |
| Cupis | Armstrong Station | 2015-10-09 | |
| Derrim | Nachtigal Hub | 2017-07-29 | |
| Eravate | Cleve Hub | 2015-10-12 | |
| Faust 68 | Slipher Hub | 2015-06-04 | |
| GD 219 | McKee Ring | 2015-04-29 | |
| Gliese 563.1 | Matteucci Ring | 2015-07-23 | |
| Kats | Truman Hub | 2015-08-20 | |
| Keliuona | Wenzel City | 2015-08-19 | |
| Kumata | Vishweswarayya Enterprise | 2015-01-01 | |
| Leesti | George Lucas | 2015-04-03 | |
| Lembava | Goldstein Port | 2016-07-27 | 15% discount |
| LHS 1197 | Chretien Terminal | 2016-07-26 | |
| LHS 149 | Anning Enterprise | 2016-07-27 | |
| LHS 283 | Khan Port | 2015-09-28 | |
| LHS 3262 | Louis de Lacaille Prospect | 2015-07-07 | |
| LHS 3505 | Olivas City | Release 1.03 | |
| LP 102-320 | Shepard Hub | ? | |
| LP 445-22 | Trevithick Horizons | 2015-06-23 | |
| LP 908-11 | So-Yeon City | 2015-03-16 | |
| LTT 1598 | Qushji Gateway | Gamma 2.02 | |
| LTT 15574 | Haxel Port | 2016-01-20 | |
| Macabi | Read Orbital | 2014-12-30 | |
| MANJI | Nicholson Ring | 2015-10-30 | |
| Marduk | Amar Station | 2016-7-27 | |
| Nang Ta-Khian | Hay Point | ? | |
| Opila | Temple Dock | 2015-04-03 | |
| Ovid | Bradfield Orbital | ? | |
| Panoi | Garan Hub | 2014-12-30 | |
| Parnut | Meyrink Dock | 2016-7-27 | 15% Discount |
| Q1 Eridani | Windt Terminal | 2014-03-18 | |
| Rakapila | Stone Enterprise | ? | |
| Rho Cancri | Dekker Base | ? | |
| Sol | Li Qing Jao | May 12, 2016 | |
| Sorbago | Hencke Orbital | 2014-12-30 | |
| Styx | Wingrove Platform | ? | |
| Thosiao | Foster Orbital | 2015-05-11 | |
| Tote | Whitelaw Enterprise | Gamma 1.03 | |
| Turir | Brooks Terminal | 2014-12-29 | |
| Uszaa | Guest Installation | 2015-04-03 | |
| Uszaa | Clauss Dock | 2015-04-16 | |
| v1688 Aguilae | Thomson Terminal | 9/4/2015 | |
| Wolf 1301 | Saunders's Dive | 3/12/2015 | |
| XI Ursae Majoris | Durrance Dock | 27/4/2015 | |
| Yakabugai | Serebrov Station | 1/4/2015 | |
| Zhao Jin | Wilson Ring | Aug 18, 2015 | |
| wolf 562 | hopkins port | Dec 11, 2016 | 10% discount with zachary hudson |
| Shinrarta Dezhra | Jameson Memorial | January 26, 2018 | 10% Discount, Founders Permit Needed |
Outfitting
- Main article: Outfitting
All ships are customisable through the Outfitting menu of Station Services. Listed below is the default load-out for the Viper MkIII.
| Category | Default System | Default Rating | Default Class | Max Class |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Small Hardpoint | Empty | -- | -- | 1 |
| Empty | -- | -- | 1 | |
| Medium Hardpoint | Pulse Laser (L) | F | 1 | 2 |
| Pulse Laser (L) | F | 1 | 2 | |
| Utility Mount | Empty | -- | -- | 0 |
| Empty | -- | -- | 0 | |
| Bulkheads | Lightweight Alloys | I | 1 | 8 |
| Reactor Bay | Power Plant | E | 3 | 3 |
| Thrusters Mounting | Thrusters | E | 3 | 3 |
| Frame Shift Drive Housing | Frame Shift Drive | E | 3 | 3 |
| Environment Control | Life Support | E | 2 | 2 |
| Power Coupling | Power Distributor | E | 3 | 3 |
| Sensor Suite | Sensors | E | 3 | 3 |
| Fuel Store | Fuel Tank [x4] | C | 2 | 2 |
| Internal Compartments | Cargo Rack [x4] | E | 2 | 3 |
| Shield Generator | E | 3 | 3 | |
| Empty [m] | -- | -- | 3 | |
| Empty | -- | -- | 2 | |
| BDS | E | 1 | 1 |
- (L) = Loaned
- [x#] = Capacity
- [m] = Military Compartment reserved for Hull Reinforcement Package, Module Reinforcement Package, or Shield Cell Bank.
Videos
Gallery
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