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Battlestar Galactica (2003)/Viper
The various models of Colonial Viper can be used as scouts, bombers, starfighters, and whatever else is needed by Galactica and the fleet. Currently there are two models of Viper in use by the Battlestar Galactica, primarily the Viper Mark II. The Mark II Vipers were meant to be used as exhibits in the Galactica museum, but when hostilities with the Cylons broke out the Mark IIs, the only fighters available not susceptible to the Cylons' ability to deactivate enemy ships, were moved to the working hangar pod, fueled, armed, and launched. Galactica has very few of the advanced late-model Viper Mark VIIs. All but one of the aging battlestar's fighter squadrons had been removed in anticipation of its decommissioning. The one squadron of Mark VIIs that they did have were remotely shut down and massacred by the Cylons.
Vipers
Viper Mk. II
Viper Mark II
Viper Mk. II cockpit readouts, missiles armed
Viper Mk. II cockpit readouts, guns armed
The Viper Mark II is an old, reliable fighter dating back to the First Cylon War. It has analog controls and gauges, as opposed to the Mk.VII's digital readouts, and is apparently without onboard integrated computer systems, rendering it immune to the Cylon remote shutdown. Commander William "Husker" Adama's old Mk.II is among Galactica's fighter complement.
Viper Mk. VII
The Viper Mark VII, such as that flown by Captain Lee "Apollo" Adama on his arrival at the Galactica in the miniseries, was presumably the state of the art at the time of the fall of the Colonies. Unfortunately for those flying them, they were also vulnerable to the Cylon remote shutdown virus. At least one squadron is seen shutting down completely and being wiped out by a Cylon missile spread, and it can be presumed that this is what happened all over the fleet. In the second season, there are 6 flight-capable Mark VII left in the fleet, and apparently they have deactivated its integrated defense computer, since they have flown into combat against the Cylons multiple times without an untimely shutdown.
