TYPE:	SA-23E Mitchell-Hyundyne Aurora Class Starfury Short Range
LENGTH:	10m
SPEED:	1 km/s^2 linear thrust
MANOEUVRE:	Class A 4 Wing Vector Thrusters
CREW:	1
GRAVITY:	None
ARMOUR:	Auto-Repair
ARMAMENTS:	4 Copeland Pulse Cannons Missile Hard Point
HYPERSPACE:	Jumpgate
VARIANTS:	Thunderbolt Black Omega

The SA-23 Mitchell-Hyundyne Starfury is the standard Earth Alliance non-atmospheric fighter utilised by the Earth Alliance for short range defence operations, which comes in several configurations. The version used on Babylon 5 is the SA-23E, the standard lightweight version, launched from cobra bays located near the front of the station. Starfurys are single-seat nonatmospheric fighter craft with eight ion engines, giving a maximum linear thrust of 1kps, mounted at the ends of its four wings.

The engines are arranged in the form of a letter X around a central cockpit, in which the pilot sits almost perfectly vertically, operating the vessel by a combination of hand, foot, and voice activated controls. They are highly manoeuvrable, being able to execute 180º turns in less than a second with lateral, vertical, and complex roll manoeuvres also possible, there are also has afterburners for quick acceleration with the ship's fuel stored in the wings.

The weaponry is mainly forward mounted, and consists of two primary (below the cockpit, one on each side) and 2 secondary (above the cockpit) Copeland-JC 466/A 20MW pulse cannons controlled by a Duffy 1018MJS smart targeting computer. There seem to be at least two different types of cannon; one firing larger, slower, more powerful projectiles, while the other fires quick bursts of small projectiles.

The Starfury also has a grappling hook on its ventral surface. The cockpit module may not have extensive life support systems since the pilots wear space suits, although these may simply be serving as pressure suits to enable the pilot to survive the extreme g-forces exerted on them during these manoeuvres. Right below the forward cockpit window is a multi-function monitor, capable of displaying co-ordinates and tracking information from the ship's scanners, though these are not very long range. They can jam communications around them. In case of severe damage to the ship, the cockpit module will jettison away from the fuel and power plant, acting as an escape pod.

One of the most intriguing facets of Starfury operations from Babylon 5 is the launch sequence; the pilot enters the cockpit by a short ramp, wearing a pressure suit. As he prepares for launch, the bay is depressurized and when all is ready, the fighter pivots point-down into launch position, and is launched by the inertial forces created by station rotation, once clear of the station the main engines can fire without affecting the hull.

	Other variants of the vessel exist, including a dual seat (fore and aft) version (Pictured Left), a stealth version known as the Black Omega and an atmospheric capable version, the Thunderbolt. There are four fighter wings on Babylon 5, each consisting of a nine Starfurys.
	The Black Omega (Pictured Left) is a variant of the Starfury equipped with advanced stealth capabilities and used by Psi Corp. Black Omega pilots are all hand-picked for their skill and telepathic potential which makes them very deadly. Black Omegas are difficult and expensive to maintain and are used primarily as an infiltration unit for covert operations rather than defense.