A combat hull that can explore — for far more money than the ships that do it better
The Kestrel is a small-pad combat ship pressed into exploration. It docks anywhere, mounts four utilities and takes a class-5 scoop, so it will reach deep space and honk stars — but a size-4 FSD dragging a 190 t combat hull jumps only ~48 LY engineered, its combat plant runs warm, and its internals are shallow. At ~13.8M Cr it is dear for that, when a <2M Cr Diamondback Explorer jumps further. It rates 50: a capable-but-compromised explorer you fly only if you already own one.
Kestrel Mk II · Saud Kruger
50/100
~48 LY
Max jump (engineered)
7
Optional internals
190 t
Hull mass
~13.8M Cr
Hull price
~30M Cr
All-in engineered
Rating methodology
This ship's 1–100 suitability rating reflects its fully-engineered fit for this role, scored against every ship in the role. See how ships are rated.
01
Role & Overview
The Kestrel Mk II is a small-pad combat hull — three large hardpoints and a strong shield are its reason to exist. Stripped of guns and fitted with a scoop, a Guardian FSD Booster and a survey kit, it will explore: it lands at any outpost, carries four utility mounts for heat sinks, and takes a full — if modest — expedition suite. There is nothing wrong with taking a Kestrel into the black.
But it is a poor value explorer. Its FSD is only class 4, and a 190 t combat airframe is heavy for its size, so engineered range tops out near ~48 LY — about what a Cobra Mk III reaches at a twentieth of the price. Its combat-grade class-5 power plant runs warmer than a purpose-built explorer, its optional internals are shallow (one size-5, one size-4, the rest small), and the single military slot is dead weight for survey work. It scores 50 because it does the job at a premium the mission never asks for.
Where this hull shines
Dual-use: a commander who already owns a Kestrel for combat and wants to re-role it for an occasional expedition without buying a second ship — small-pad reach, exobiology and casual deep-space touring, at a price only justified if the hull is already paid for.
What the Kestrel actually brings to an expedition:
Small-pad access. It docks at any outpost and on fleet carriers — the same universal reach a dedicated small explorer gives.
Four utility mounts. Room for two heat-sink launchers and a landing shield booster — generous for the class, useful for a warm-running scooper.
A complete kit, if tight. Seven optionals carry a class-5 scoop, the Guardian booster, twin AFMUs, an SRV bay and a scanner — self-sufficient, just short on redundancy.
Real speed. 271 / 360 m/s keeps in-system travel and gravity-well climbs brisk.
The ceiling, stated honestly
Range is the problem: a class-4 FSD on a 190 t hull yields only ~48 LY engineered, so it trails cheaper, lighter explorers on the one stat that matters most. The combat plant runs warm, the fixed size-4 fuel tank keeps jump chains short, and one shallow size-5 slot caps the scoop at class 5. None of it is bad — it is simply expensive, mediocre exploration you can buy for a fraction elsewhere.
03
Why This Rating
Scorecard
A small-pad combat hull that explores at a premium: ~48 LY engineered range, a warm combat plant and shallow internals hold it to 50, with small-pad access and four utilities the only real upsides.
The 50/100 headline is a verdict against the exploration role's priority-ordered factors. Each factor carries a weight (its share of 100); this hull earns part of each based on how it performs against the whole field. The points sum to the rating.
Role factor
Score
Why this score
Engineered jump range
16/35
A class-4 FSD dragging a 190 t combat hull yields only ~48 LY engineered even with an SCO drive and Guardian booster — about what a Cobra Mk III or Adder reaches for a fraction of the price, and far behind the DBE (~68) and the dedicated mediums (~62-85). The heaviest-weighted factor and this hull's clear limiter.
Heat profile
8/15
A combat-grade class-5 power plant on a 190 t airframe runs warmer than purpose-built explorers; G5 Low Emissions + Thermal Spread and two heat-sink launchers across four utilities tame scooping heat, but it never approaches cool-runners like the Dolphin or Diamondbacks.
Fuel tank & reach
7/10
A fixed size-4 fuel tank keeps jump chains short, and the single size-5 optional caps the fuel scoop at class 5; refuel cadence is decent but comes a touch earlier than a dedicated explorer's larger tank and scoop allow.
Canopy & visibility
6/10
A serviceable forward combat canopy gives adequate sightlines for honking and surface approaches, but it lacks the panoramic wraparound glass of the Asp Explorer or a transparent floor for first-try exobiology landings — mid-field at best.
Internals
10/20
Seven optionals (5·4·3·2·2·2·1) plus one class-4 military slot carry a class-5 scoop, Guardian booster, twin AFMUs, an SRV bay and a scanner — a complete but tight kit with only one size-5 and one size-4 slot, little redundancy, and a military slot that is dead weight for survey work.
Comfort & cost
3/10
Small-pad access and no rank or permit gate help, but a ~13.8M Cr hull (~30M all-in) for a ~48 LY explorer is poor value when a sub-2M Cr Diamondback Explorer jumps far further; only one crew seat, and it is justified solely as a re-roled combat hull already owned.
Weighted total
50/100
Matches the headline suitability rating for this ship in this role.
How to read it
Weights are an editorial decomposition of the role's stated priority order — not an in-game formula. Bar length shows how fully each factor is earned; the longest factors carried the score, the shortest are where it gave points away. See how ships are rated.
04
How It Compares
Every table rates ships for exploration specifically, split by landing-pad class. The Optional cap. column is total optional-internal capacity — room for scanners, AFMU and fuel; the rating is the same 1–100 suitability verdict used across the site.
9 small-pad exploration hulls carry a rating, led by Diamondback Explorer (88). Every same-pad rival lands where this one does — the direct field to shop.
The large-pad exploration field (5 rated), led by Anaconda (94) — bigger pads and bankrolls. They out-muscle this hull on the numbers, but sit a pad class away.
The medium-pad exploration field (9 rated), led by Mandalay (96) — cheaper hulls and tighter pads. They undercut this hull on the numbers, but sit a pad class away.
05
Cost & Access
Hull
~13.8M Cr
A-rated explorer
~22M Cr
Engineered
~30M Cr
Pad
Small
Rank
None
Permit
None
At ~13.8M Cr the Kestrel is a costly hull for what exploration asks of it, with no rank or permit gate. A full expedition fit — class-5 scoop, Guardian booster, twin AFMUs, SRV bay and scanner — brings it to roughly 30M Cr all-in.
That is the whole problem: a Diamondback Explorer reaches ~68 LY fully engineered for around 12M Cr all-in, and a Cobra Mk III matches the Kestrel's range for a fraction. The Kestrel only makes financial sense as a second job for a hull already bought and paid off for combat.
Dual-use, not a purchase
Do not buy a Kestrel to explore — buy it to fight, then re-role it for the occasional expedition. As a standalone explorer at ~30M Cr all-in it is beaten on range and price by ships costing a fraction.
06
3-State Loadout
An exploration fit wrung out of a small combat hull. Initial is a jump-capable buy-only starter; A-Rated is the best buy-only expedition fit; Engineered is the long-range end state — everything trimmed for mass around a size-4 SCO drive and a Guardian booster. Plans and costs follow in the sections below.
5D keeps mass down — with no guns to feed, output is not the limit; Low Emissions cuts heat and draw on a hot combat plant, Thermal Spread bleeds more.
The whole build — a 4A SCO drive for maximum range and fast in-system travel; Increased Range + Mass Manager is the single biggest roll in exploration, but a size-4 drive caps the ceiling.
The lone military slot cannot take a scoop, booster or scanner, so it is wasted mass for an explorer; a light Module Reinforcement protects internals on rough exobiology landings, or leave it empty for a little more range.
Copies the raw Ship Loadout Export Format for that state.
A combat hull pressed into exploration
The Kestrel jumps around ~48 LY engineered — short for the price, because a size-4 FSD dragging a 190 t combat hull can't match a dedicated explorer. The Guardian FSD Booster (a flat range gain) and the class-5 fuel scoop are the two modules that make it viable; the single military slot is dead weight for an explorer, so treat the module reinforcement there as optional.
07
Initial Loadout — Buy-Only Plan
Buy the hull (~13.8M Cr) and fit only the cheap essentials: a stock 5E Fuel Scoop in the size-5 slot, the buy-only E-rated core internals (the FSD stays stock 4E for now), the stock 4C Fuel Tank, and a 0I Heat Sink Launcher for heat dumps. The hull's default Lightweight Alloybulkheads are the right plating for an explorer — lowest mass, no spend.
7Bi-Weave Shield (3C) + landing booster — A light shield and one shield booster to cushion hard touchdowns; keep it minimal to protect range. low cost
Complete, but heavy for its range
A full A-rated Kestrel is a self-sufficient small-pad explorer — but the combat airframe and size-4 FSD mean it jumps no further than ships costing far less. The single military slot is best left empty for range, or filled with a light module reinforcement for rough landings.
Engineered, the Kestrel jumps ~48 LY with a complete, if tight, expedition kit and small-pad access — but at ~30M Cr all-in. The size-4 FSD is the hard ceiling; no roll closes the gap to the lighter dedicated explorers. Stock Lightweight Alloybulkheads and D-rated cores shave every kilo they can, and even so the range only matches ships a fraction of the price. The value equation, not the capability, is what caps it.
11
Key Activities & Where To Do Them
Getting started
Re-roled expeditions. A quick way for a combat Kestrel owner to take an occasional trip into the black without a second ship.
Exobiology and surveys. Its SRV bay and DSS suit planetary mapping and sampling from any outpost.
Small-pad deep-space touring. Docks anywhere en route, with real speed for in-system hops.
Advanced
Casual bubble-edge exploration. Short-to-mid expeditions where ~48 LY per jump is acceptable and range is not the priority.
Guardian-site runs. Small-pad access and an SRV bay make Guardian ruin visits straightforward.
Carrier-supported trips. A small pad docks on fleet carriers and every station en route.
Generic example destinations
Any deep-space target is reachable, but expect more jumps than a dedicated explorer needs. For serious range to the galactic rim, take a Mandalay or Krait Phantom instead.
12
Field Notes — What Else To Know
Range is the story: a class-4 FSD on a 190 t hull caps engineered jumps near ~48 LY — matched by ships costing a fraction.
The combat plant runs warm; carry two heat sinks and go Low Emissions to scoop safely close to a star.
Leave the military slot empty for range, or fit a light module reinforcement to protect internals on rough landings.
The fixed size-4 fuel tank keeps jump chains short — refuel a touch more often than a dedicated explorer.
Buy it to fight; explore in it only because you already own one.
Verdict
The Kestrel Mk II explores the way a sports car tows a trailer: it can, but it is the wrong tool at the wrong price. Small-pad access, four utilities and a complete kit are genuine, yet ~48 LY on a ~30M Cr hull is beaten on range and cost by a Diamondback Explorer, a Cobra Mk III or any dedicated explorer. It rates 50 — capable, but only sensible as a second job for a combat hull you already fly.
13
Sources
Figures on this page are verified against the sources below.
Elite Dangerous (official)Frontier's official Kestrel Mk II ship page — manufacturer specs, feature overview, and the ship render used on this page.elitedangerous.com/.../kestrel-mk-ii
E:D Black Box