Rex Brynen <75040.472@compuserve.com> asks:
> 1) Given the ease of tracking objects in space, the absence of
> factors affecting projectile weapons trajectories, and the
> possible use of beam weapons, wouldn't (capital) shipboard
> countermeasures have a decisive advantage? If they don't, wouldn't
> it be better to "swarm" ship defences with automated missiles of
> some sort? 2) Given their size, could they really deliver much
> firepower? If they could, shouldn't "carriers" (such as the EA
> destroyers in SD) deploy their fighter squandrons at some
> distance from the intended target? And screen themselves from
> enemy counterattack? 3) At StarFury speeds, wouldn't some form of
> guided missile be preferable to line-of-sight projectile or pulse
> weapons for fighter-to-fighter combat?

Starfuries serve a *lot* of functions which we've shown before
on the series.

They can take out a ship's defensive screens and
countermeasures, allowing access by the big ships' armaments. In a
group, they can take out a good sized ship on their own (a la the
Centauri cruiser in "Fall of Night"). They also serve to protect the
station's defense grid from aggressor starfuries.

Also, a number of small support ships, including a Hyperion
class ship came through as part of the "carrier group" that went after
the station. It was up to the starfuries to take care of those ships
while B5 and the other destroyers took out the biggest threats.

jms