Raptor 909

Raptor 909 - "Wild Weasel"
[show/hide spoilers] Spoilers hidden in infobox by default only.
Race:	Colonial
Type:	Military
FTL:	No
Propulsion:
Crew:	Oliver "Fanboy" Bear (Deceased) William "Husker" Adama (Pilot) Coker "Coker" Fasjovik (ECO)
Capacity:
CO:	{{{co}}}
XO:	{{{xo}}}
Role:	Recon
Weapons:	{{{weapons}}}
Armaments:	• Ship-to-ship missiles • Aft "Toaster Slayer" cannon
Defenses:	• Electronic countermeasures
Aircraft:	{{{aircraft}}}
Aviation facilities:	{{{facilities}}}
Fate:	Crashed, Battle of Djerba, 42 BCH (58YR) (First Cylon War, 10th year)
Emblem:	[[File:{{{patch}}}|175px|Ship's patch]]
Other Images:	Gallery
Dimensions
Length:	{{{length}}}
Width:	{{{width}}}
Height:	{{{height}}}
Weight:	{{{weight}}}
Wingspan:	{{{wingspan}}}
Other:	{{{otherdi}}}
Game Information
Cost:	{{{construction}}}
Construction Time:	{{{construction}}}
Hull Size:	{{{hull size}}}
Hull:	{{{hull}}}
Mobility
FTL Cooldown:	{{{ftl cooldown}}} turns
Speed:	{{{speed}}} m/s
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Armor Sum
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Armor Left:	{{{armor left}}}
Armor Right:	{{{armor right}}}
Armor Front:	{{{armor front}}}
Armor Rear:	{{{armor rear}}}
Armor Top:	{{{armor top}}}
Armor Bottom:	{{{armor bottom}}}
Armament
DRADIS Range:	{{{dradis range}}} m
Processing Power:	{{{processing power}}}
Munition Slots:	{{{munitions}}}
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Squadron Slots:	{{{squadrons}}}
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Special Abilities:	{{{special abilities}}}
Additional Information

Raptor 909, also known as Wild Weasel, is a sublight-only Raptor attached to the battlestar Galactica (BS 75) in the tenth year of the First Cylon War.

History

Closeup of Weasel's nose art.

Wild Weasel was crewed by Lt. Oliver Bear, and ECO Coker Fasjovik. However, Lt. Bear is killed when the Weasel has a run in with Cylon forces. ECO Fasjovik was in the process of cleaning up Bear's blood stains when his replacement, Ensign William Adama, who was "fresh off the boat," is assigned by the ship's CAG, Captain Armin Diaz.

Mission Assignment

Shortly after his assignment to Wild Weasel, Adama and co-pilot Fasjovik are ordered by Commander Silas Nash to escort Graystone Industries scientist Doctor Becca Kelly to the Scorpia Shipyards. En route, however, Kelly reveals new orders to rendezvous with the battlestar Archeron in Sector 12, near Cylon-controlled space.

Archeron Engagement

Upon arrival at the designated coordinates, Adama, Fasjovik and Kelly discover Archeron destroyed and are pursued by Cylon forces. They escape after leading the Raiders through the debris, and outwit them after Adama pilots the Weasel through the still active FTL drive.

Ghost Fleet Rendezvous

With Archeron destroyed, Dr. Kelley orders the Raptor to break radio silence and make contact with an unknown source. Once a reply was received Adama was ordered to take the craft into Cylon held space, where a Colonial fleet was parked, hiding away. After a brief run in with the fleet's CAP, the Weasel is directed to contact the LSO aboard the battlestar Osiris (BS 54), and land.

Djerba Mission

Main article: Battle of Djerba

Soon after, Osiris is tasked by Colonial Admiralty with a combat jump to Djerba, in order to deliver Kelly to a Cylon comm relay where it is believed she is to upload a malicious command to the Cylon network. Two Viper pilots from battlestar Valkyrie (BS 41), Jim "Sunshine" Kirby and Zachary Elias, are tasked with escorting the Raptor to the surface.

Soon after launch, all three are followed down by Cylon Raiders and engaged. Elias is killed, and Kirby abandons the battle, leaving the Raptor crew alone. While Adama is successful once more in destroying their pursuers, the Raptor takes damage and is forced into a crash landing into a large glacier on the surface of the moon. Despite being in fixable condition, the Raptor was abandoned by the crew shortly afterwards ^{(TRS: "Blood and Chrome")}.

Design and Equipment

Wild Weasel represents a typical First Cylon War-era Raptor configuration, featuring several distinctions from the later Re-imagined Series era craft. The ship lacks FTL capability, making it dependent on larger vessels for faster-than-light travel. Its armament includes ship-to-ship missiles and an aft-mounted "Toaster Slayer" cannon, reflecting the more aggressive combat role of Raptors during the war period.

The craft features distinctive nose art depicting a weasel, along with the ship's name "Wild Weasel" and number "909" prominently displayed on its sides. The 10th Raptors Squadron logo is also visible, indicating its unit assignment within Galactica's air wing.

Operational History

The Wild Weasel served as part of Galactica's air wing during some of the most intense fighting of the First Cylon War. Under the crew of Oliver Bear and Coker Fasjovik, the ship participated in numerous combat missions before Bear's death in action against Cylon forces.

Following Adama's assignment as pilot, the ship's final mission took it deep into Cylon territory as part of the operation surrounding Becca Kelly's classified assignment. The mission, while ultimately successful in its broader strategic objectives, resulted in the loss of the craft on Djerba's surface, marking the end of Wild Weasel's service record ^{(TRS: "Blood and Chrome")}.

Notes

Behind the Scenes

Wild Weasel is a redress of the Raptor from the Re-imagined Series, one of the few practical set pieces seen in Battlestar Galactica: Blood and Chrome. A departure from previously seen Raptors in the Re-imagined Series, Wild Weasel features its name, nose art of a weasel, as well as unit markings and Raptor number (909) on its sides.

The production team deliberately designed the First Cylon War-era Raptors to appear more militaristic and aggressive than their later counterparts, reflecting the different operational requirements during active wartime. The nose art and unit markings were added to give the craft more personality and to show the human element within the war machine.

Cultural References

"Wild Weasel" is a real-world United States Air Force term denoting an aircraft tasked with baiting and destroying enemy air defenses. The name choice reflects the Raptor's role in Blood and Chrome as a reconnaissance and electronic warfare platform operating in dangerous Cylon-controlled territory.

The Wild Weasel mission profile typically involves deliberately exposing the aircraft to enemy detection in order to locate and eliminate air defense systems - a fitting parallel to the Wild Weasel's mission in the series, where it operates deep behind enemy lines to accomplish covert objectives.