1. Navy Service: “The Radar Hunters” (2944–2954)

Squadron 217 was a specialized asset attached to UEE Special Operations. While other pilots tried to avoid enemy radar, the “Spectres” tried to be seen.

Flying the Aegis Vanguard Sentinel, their mission profile was SEAD (Suppression of Enemy Air Defenses)—also known as “Wild Weasel” missions. They would fly ahead of the main fleet, deliberately broadcasting noise to bait enemy missile turrets into turning on their radars. Once the enemy lit up, the Spectres would use their EMP (Electromagnetic Pulse) generators to fry the radar systems or destroy them with anti-radiation missiles.

The “Glitch” Reputation: The Spectres were feared by friend and foe alike. Their powerful jamming arrays often caused “snow” on the HUDs of friendly ships flying too close. Navy pilots joked that you always knew when Squadron 217 was nearby because your music playlist would start skipping.

1. The “Friendly Fire” Incident & Deactivation (2954)

The squadron’s aggressive use of EMP weaponry eventually became their undoing.

In mid-2954, during a fleet exercise near the microTech orbital ring, a Spectre pilot detonated their EMP charge to disable a simulated enemy drone swarm. However, the pulse was stronger than calculated and accidentally surged through a nearby civilian luxury liner that had strayed into the exercise zone.

• The Fallout: The liner lost power and drifted for six hours. No one was hurt, but the PR damage was massive. The civilian sector demanded accountability for “reckless military discharges.”
• The Deactivation: UEE High Command reacted by grounding the Vanguard Sentinel fleet. They argued that dedicated E-War fighters were “indiscriminate” and that electronic warfare should be handled by capital ship systems (like the Javelin) which offered finer control. Squadron 217 was disbanded to appease the Senate.

III. The Transfer to CSG-3 (Early 2955)

Retired Rear Admiral Glenn “Pappy” Wade knew that capital ship jamming was too slow. He needed a knife fighter who could get in close and shut down shields.

• The Acquisition: The Navy had stripped the classified “Sentinel” AR (Augmented Reality) avionics from the ships before putting them up for auction. Wade bought the hollowed-out hulls for cheap.
• The “Black Market” Upgrade: Wade couldn’t get the official Navy E-War software, so he turned to the private sector. He equipped the ships with “Revenant” hacking suites—highly illegal, gray-market tech used by data runners to break encryption.
• The Recruitment: Wade found the disgraced Squadron Commander, Lt. Colonel Jace “Ghost” Varra, drinking in a bar on Area 18. Wade offered him a simple deal: “Come fly for me, and I won’t ask you to turn down the jamming frequency.”

1. Current Status: December 2955

As of today, Squadron 217 serves as the Electronic Warfare & SEAD wing of Carrier Strike Group 3.

• Tactical Role:
  • The “Breach”: Before the Angry Angels (Bombers) or Narwhals (Torps) make their run, the Spectres go in first. They use their EMP charges to drop enemy shields and confuse point-defense turrets, creating a “safe corridor” for the bombers.
  • Hacking: Utilizing the Sentinel’s advanced e-war suite, the Spectres can hack the doors of enemy ships to lock them open or closed, causing chaos for boarding crews.
• Combat Style: They fight dirty. A favorite tactic is to fake a retreat, lure an enemy interceptor into a chase, and then trigger an EMP blast to shut down the pursuer’s engines, leaving them drifting dead in space for the Wildcards to finish off.