The Esperia Blade is a Vanduul light fighter replica produced by Esperia for military use. They are often used for training for the UEE pilots.[1] The maneuverability of the Blade is beyond anything else out there which makes up for its lacking armor.[2][3]
Currently, only the version 2 (V2) model is available in-game.
The following images are screenshots of the Inside Star Citizen episode "Enemy Mine", which showed a work-in-progress third version model. This version will not be made available until Squadron 42 is released.
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For some decades, United Empire of Earth aggressor squadrons have operated replica Blade fighters produced under exclusive contract by Esperia Inc. These spacecraft, produced in great quantity, have been used to train generations of fighter pilots for Vanduul engagements. Today, Esperia manufactures Scythe and Glaive clones for training and testing purposes, with most former Blades having been returned to the manufacturer for storage and disassembly. The so-called "Esperia Boneyard" (location classified) contains hundreds upon hundreds of used examples in varying states of disassembly. In the wake of the recent attack on Uriel, many of the Blade trade-ins produced in the past decade are being outfitted for frontier defense use, part of an extremely controversial program aimed at better-arming those threatened by alien attack.
The current crop of Blade spacecraft available was manufactured between 2930 and 2940 under a lease agreement with the United Empire of Earth's military. Per Esperia's Naval contract, Blades have been returned to Esperia's care as more advanced aggressor designs are manufactured at a 1:1 basis. While each of these Blades is already a veteran of Humanity's war on the Vanduul, each has been restored to factory settings and features a full manufacturer's guarantee.[1]
In 2018-06-30, with the release of Star Citizen Alpha 3.2.0, the ship became Flight Ready.[4]
In CitizenCon 2023, CIG announced that the owners of the Vanduul ships will get the reworked version without an unspecified date.[5]
