Hydrospan’s Reef Raider (see Fluid Mechanics, p. 104 (v2) or Player’s Guide, p. 264 (revised)) is one of the premier fighter subs in the Sol and Serpentis systems. The Mod C version (cetacean-modified, also known variously as C-Reef Raider, C-Raider and Sea Raider) was originally built on request of Hydrospan’s own security forces. As the name suggests, the Mod C adapts the standard Reef Raider for use by cetacean pilots.
Placing a cetacean soldier at the controls of a submersible may appear paradoxical and like a waste of ressources at first. However, one has to consider the specific situation of Hydrospan.
For one, the incorporate has a uniquely cetacean outlook and contrary to many other organisations, it does not suffer a lack of cetaceans in the ranks of its security forces.
Secondly, while cetaceans equipped with combat harnesses, torpedo cannons and other military hardware are frightenly effective in their own right, there are things which they cannot do of which a strike sub like the Reef Raider is capable such as carrying heavy weapons like full scale torpedoes.
Thirdly, as the designers and manufacturers of the standard model, it was comparatively easy – and cheap – for Hydrospan to equip their forces with the Mod C.
And last but not least, the modification with all the myriad of individual changes it entailed resulted in a noticeable increase in combat power of the already fearsome Reef Raider.
Some of this increased effectiveness is simply due to their pilots natural affinity to underwater combat and maneuvering. This, however, is further enhanced by the use of new VR control software built from the ground up to facilitate cetaceans moving the sub like they would their own bodies. The pressure hull was redesigned, as protection was now mostly required for technical systems and no longer for the crew. This obviously also allowed the life-support to be drastically simplified and combined with the structural redesign this provided the necessary extra room for the bulk of the cetacean pilot (although size restrictions still limit the Mod C pilots to small, lightly build bottlenose dolphins and smaller species).
Due to these changes, the handling of the Reef Raider Mod C is increased by 1 compared to the standard model.
Hydrospan offers the Mod C at a mark-up of 15% from the standard model.