The Kestrel Mk II arrived in Elite Dangerous as a significant upgrade over the original Kestrel, addressing the community’s feedback on the ship’s limitations while preserving the qualities that made the original compelling. Named after one of the most manoeuvrable raptors on Earth, the Kestrel design has always emphasised agility and speed over raw firepower or cargo capacity. The Mk II takes this philosophy further and adds the engineering and outfitting flexibility that modern Elite Dangerous demands. This is a full review after extensive time in both combat and mixed-use operation.
What Is the Kestrel Mk II?
The Kestrel Mk II is a medium-size multirole ship with a combat-forward design philosophy. Its hardpoint arrangement is aggressive — more firepower than you would expect at its size class — while its module bay gives enough flexibility for a reasonable cargo hold or exploration suite. Think of it as a Cobra Mk III that prioritised combat capability over pure versatility, or an Alliance Chieftain that is slightly more accessible and cheaper to outfit.
Combat Performance
In combat, the Kestrel Mk II impresses. Its agility is genuinely excellent for its size — it out-turns most medium ships and can hold position on heavier targets effectively. The hardpoints are well-placed for convergence, which means your shots consistently hit where you aim. At Medium RES sites, the Kestrel Mk II is a highly efficient bounty hunter — fast enough to catch most targets, manoeuvrable enough to stay on them, and armed well enough to eliminate them before shield regeneration becomes an issue.
Standard vs Stellar vs Galactic Variants
Like several ships in Elite Dangerous, the Kestrel Mk II comes in multiple variants. The Standard variant is the base model available for credits. The Stellar variant includes cosmetic and minor performance enhancements available through Arx. The Galactic variant is the premium tier, featuring exclusive livery and the best out-of-the-box performance stats. For practical combat purposes, the Standard Kestrel Mk II fully engineered outperforms both premium variants without engineering — engineering always matters more than variant tier.
Engineering Priorities
For the Kestrel Mk II in a combat role: Dirty Drive Tuning on thrusters is the top priority, significantly increasing boost speed and agility. Reinforced or Thermal Resistant shields protect against the burst damage that the ship’s agility alone cannot always dodge. Overcharged weapons maximise the damage output of your hardpoints. The power plant should be engineered for Armoured or Low Emissions depending on your preferred engagement range.
Is the Kestrel Mk II Worth It?
Yes — particularly for commanders who want a step up from the Cobra family into dedicated combat without committing to the larger, more expensive combat ships. The Kestrel Mk II sits in an accessible price range, engineers well, and delivers a combat experience that feels genuinely rewarding. If the Vulture is too focused on pure close-range combat for your taste, the Kestrel Mk II offers more flexibility without significant compromise in effectiveness. The Ricardos Gaming YouTube channel has a dedicated Kestrel Mk II build video covering the Standard, Stellar, and Galactic variants in detail.
