Cylon Heavy Raider

The Cylon Heavy Raider is a heavy fighter used by the Cylons, in the television series Battlestar Galactica.

History
The first Heavy Raider encountered by the Fleet crash landed into Galactica's non-operational starboard hangar bay, and a boarding party of Cylon Centurions exited the wreck to begin their assault. This small unit transport ability demonstrates it is more closely related to a colonial Raptor, than it is any fighter craft. They were first seen, however, searching for Helo and Athena on Caprica during the events of Tigh Me Up, Tigh Me Down.

Little is known about this type of space vessel. It is primarily used for transporting troops, boarding enemy ships and assaulting planetary surfaces. It is capable of FTL jumps and may have a capacity for ten or more Cylons.

On Caprica, Sharon managed to acquire a Heavy Raider, which she used to evacuate a resistance movement team rescuing Starbuck from a Cylon "hybrid farm". However, the interior was not seen. This Heavy Raider was used by Sharon, Starbuck and Helo to finally return to Galactica and her Fleet by jumping to Kobol where Laura Roslin and her faction of the Fleet were waiting. Later, the Heavy Raider's computer is used to plot jumps so that a rescue team sent to Caprica can get there much faster.

During a joint attack on the Cylon Resurrection Hub launched by Cylon rebels and Colonial pilots, the rebels flew Heavy Raiders in combat against loyalist Cylon Raiders. The Heavy Raiders fought alongside the Viper pilots and even towed them into battle to give them the element of surprise. Deadlock showed the Heavy Raider's cockpit for the first time. In that episode, Heavy Raiders are flying CAP with the Viper pilots and the Heavy Raider pilot (a Six) identifies the pilot of the mysterious Raptor that appears as an Eight (not realizing it's Boomer).

Propulsion

 * 8 sublight engines and an advanced FTL drive system.

Armaments

 * 6-barrel KEW (Kinetic Energy Weapon) mounted beside cockpit capable of extreme firing rates.

Original continuity analogue
In the original continuity, Galactica 1980 featured the "AB Raider", which was a large and more advanced Cylon Raider, instead of the new continuity troop transport.