Any small craft can be designed as a refueler. Follow the normal rules for designing small craft. The "Refueling Equipment" weighs 5 tons and costs 50,000 C-bills. Refueling Equipment does not add BV, but the larger fuel tank does as per normal BV rules.
To begin the refueling process, both the Refueling Shuttle and the fighter or small craft being refueled must end the turn in the same hex with the same heading and velocity. The following turn consists of hooking the fighter/craft to the refueling hose from the refueling shuttle. To make the hook-up, both the refueling shuttle and the fighter/small craft must make a Control Roll (use standard modifiers). For every additional turn spent making the hook-up, give a -1 bonus to the Target Number (TN) for both craft's Control Rolls. For "stacking" purposes, the two craft are considered "stacked" in the same hex.
If either craft fails the Control Roll, with a Margin of Failure (MoF) of 1 or 2, it is considered a "miss", and the craft may attempt a hook-up again the following turn, or disengage. If the MoF is 3 or more, the two craft "bump" and each takes 10 points of damage, to the Rear on the refueling shuttle, and to the nose on the fighter/small craft. The craft must then disengage for at least 1 turn before attempting again.
Once the two craft hook-up, refueling begins the following turn, at a rate of 1 ton per turn. Once refueling is complete, both craft must spend 1 turn "disengaging". Disengaging does not require a Control Roll.
From the "hook-up" turn through the "disengaging" turn, both the refueling shuttle and the craft being refueled must maintain the same heading and velocity. If something happens to cause both craft to lose the same heading and velocity, refueling ends immediately, the refueling shuttle loses 1 ton of fuel (i.e. the fighter/craft does not receive it), and the "break-off" both destroys the Refueling Equipment on the refueling shuttle and causes 5 points of damage to the refueling shuttle's rear.
If the refueling shuttle or fighter craft are attacked during refueling, the Attacker may choose either craft as the target, and enjoys a -2 bonus to the TN for his attack rolls. A successful hit to the fighter/small craft's nose or the refueling shuttle's rear will cause an automatic "break-off", destroying the Refueling Equipment and causing the 5 points of damage to the refueling shuttle's rear (in addition to the attack damage). In addition, there is a 9+ risk on 2d6 that the attack will cause a minor fuel explosion, which does not affect either craft's fuel tank, but will cause 20 points of damage to both the fighter/small craft's nose and the refueling shuttle's rear, in addition to all other damage.
The KC-25 Refueling Shuttle is an example of a refueling shuttle.
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Page last modified 31 December, 2003