F-34 "Black Lightning" Interceptor

A next generation low observability intercept and interdiction craft, the Black Lightning series of fighters are single-seat vessels. The hull coating reflects less than one one-hundred-thousandth of the light which strikes it; a nano-scale honeycomb of noble metals underlies the visual coating and distorts and diffuses sensor signals to a similar extent. Vanguard's Marine Aerospace Group is the first forward deployed unit to receive the Black Lightning.

Design History:
Space battles belong to the big ships. Even the Galaxy class large exploration cruisers, designed and built in a time of peace for the Federation, has more than a dozen phaser emplacements capable of virtually unlimited shots. Larger Matter / Anti-matter Reactor Assemblies mean more power for weapons; more energized plasma to feed to larger warp coils, resulting in higher velocities with which to close for battle or evade engagement.

And yet...

From the earliest days of the Star Fleet, shuttles were in use in combat. Sometimes as decoys, or programmed bombs, or as fireships. Emplaced facilities used these small craft for over-the-horizon scouting and defense.