Shilone SL-17R

         The SL-17 Shilone is a medium fighter used throughout House Kurita’s armed forces. Unusually large for a medium fighter, it carries an impressive array of weapons and is better-armored than most aerospace craft of its weight class. The Shilone is affectionately known as “the Boomerang” by its pilots, who often boast of their craft’s capabilities.

         Though the Shilone is better-armed than some smaller heavy fighters, its defensive armor and tonnage put it in the medium class. The nose-mounted Shigunga LRM rack and Diverse Optics Type 10 large laser give the fighter real punch at distances most aerospace weapons systems cannot reach. At shorter ranges, the wing-mounted Diverse Optics Type 20 medium lasers add to the hitting potential of the Shilone’s nose-mounted weapons. To the rear, the Shilone can fire its NCK “Thornbush” short-range missile rack to keep opponents at a distance.
         Early models of the Shilone suffered from one major structural defect; they experienced severe wing rippling and other stress damage during high-powered atmospheric flight, which led to a number of fatal crashes caused by wing joint separations. After extensive tests, Wakazashi Enterprises rebuilt the wing joints with a new duroplastic alloy that provided the necessary resilience. By 2802, all operational Shilone fighters were refitted with these new wing joints and the problem has not recurred.

         During the initial stages of the famous invasion of Kentares IV in March 2796, the Davion aerospace forces were greatly surprised by the appearance of the SL-17 Shilone fighter. Though outnumbered, the Shilones delivered a series of long-range missile barrages that disrupted the Davion fighters enough to permit Kurita DropShips to reach orbit and land their ‘Mechs without interference.
         An air lance of Shilone fighters attached to the Third Benjamin Regulars suffered an ignoble fate during the first Battle of Barlow’s Folly. During refueling efforts on a new airfield thought to be well out of range of defending Davion ‘Mechs, the fighters were attacked by a recon lance that had hidden in a natural cave while the main Kurita invasion force passed by. As the Dieron pilots scrambled for their half-fueled planes, the Davion ‘Mechs stomped on the fighters sitting in their revetments and shot up the ground crews and repair/supply shops. One Kurita plane managed to take off, but was quickly shot down before it could gain altitude.