The Hunter is a scout JumpShip, designed to seek out enemy fleets and explore new star systems. Developed by Clan Ghost Bear shortly after the founding of the Clans, the small vessel has a weak jump signature, which makes it ideal for reconnaissance work. Hunters are often the first vessels to enter a potentially hostile star system. Once the vessel has entered, its crew can communicate with their main fleet by using the Hunter's HPG.
         The Hunters were originally constructed without lithium-fusion batteries, which seriously impaired their usefulness. But by the mid 30th century, most Hunters had been fitted with the advanced system, although the modification reduces a Hunter's cargo capacity. A few unmodified Hunters remain, apparently serving with freebirth units. Wolf's Dragoons aerospace fleet contains several Hunters as well, but it is not known whether these vessels are equipped with lithium-fusion systems.
         Massing just under 100,000 tons, the Hunter is somewhat larger than the Scout Class JumpShip. Although it lacks the Scout's acceleration capabilities, the Hunter has a distinctive edge in endurance. Like ComStar's Magellan, the Hunter's fuel tanks are designed to supply the vessel for over a year, making the Hunter seemingly ideal for extended operations: However, the cargo capacity of modified Hunters rarely accommodates sufficient supplies for a year-long mission, and most Hunters cannot spend more than six months away from a base.
         The Hunter lacks a grav deck and must rely on the acceleration method to provide the crew with artificial gravity. Without this gravity maneuvering, the health and morale of the crew rapidly deteriorate, and so most Hunter captains consider the fuel expended during the procedure worth the benefits.
         The Hunter is lightly armed compared to other Clan designed JumpShips. The ship mounts a handful of pulse lasers and Streak SRM systems and a single anti-missile system that enables the Hunter to engage and destroy missiles. However, the system's placement in the Hunter's nose prohibits it from protecting the engineering module and the Kearny-Fuchida drive from missile fire.