ENLIST CITIZEN

Aegis Vanguard Warden, Harbinger, Sentinel

• A hard-charging bulldog of a fighter that features extensive forward-mounted weaponry designed to tear through the shields and armor of other spacecraft. So-named because their multiple-jump range allows them to form the vanguard of any military expedition, Vanguards have seen extensive service against the Vanduul. The Vanguard Warden is a deep space fighter created by Aegis Dynamics for the United Empire of Earth Navy (UEEN). Its base model is a twin-engine, multi-crew ship designed to perform long-duration missions that would otherwise be outside the reach of shorter-range fighters. Though it is less maneuverable than other Navy spacecraft like the Hornet, it is capable of taking more damage and carrying more munitions. Other variants of the Vanguard include the Harbinger fighter-bomber, the Sentinel electronic warfare platform, and the Hoplite dropship.
• The Vanguard Harbinger is Earth’s standard fighter-bomber, converting the standard Warden model’s escape pod into a potent bomb bay. The extended range of the Vanguard and the relatively small profile means that it can go where carrier-based planes or larger strategic bombers don’t… and then strike hard and make it back to frontier bases. The Vanguard Harbinger is a powerful bomber that can operate out of the roughest forward operating bases. The Vanguard Harbinger is a variant of the Vanguard deep space fighter developed by Aegis Dynamics. Aegis removed the standard Vanguard Warden’s escape pod for the Harbinger, allowing the addition of a bomb bay. The United Empire of Earth Navy (UEEN) uses the Harbinger as a dedicated fighter-bomber. The Warden, Harbinger, and Sentinel variants of the Vanguard can operate together as escort, bomber, and support ship for long-range operations with a reduced overhead for support and maintenance.
• The Vanguard Sentinel is a ship that’s designed to fight smart instead of taking enemies head-on. The conversion features an AR cockpit, an external e-War pod, decoy missiles and a set of EMP charges. Vanguard Sentinels often provide necessary combat support for combined operations. A lone Sentinel assigned wild weasel tasks is frequently paired with Harbinger bombers and Warden escorts for large attack missions. The Vanguard Sentinel is a variant of the Vanguard deep space fighter developed by Aegis Dynamics. An electronic warfare platform, it was created to be used in the suppression of enemy air defense and tracking capabilities. The remodel replaces some of the Vanguard’s direct armament with an external electronic countermeasures pod, decoy missiles, and a set of electromagnetic pulse (EMP) charges to be used in asymmetrical warfare operations. While it was designed to United Empire of Earth Navy (UEEN) specifications, Aegis has made the Vanguard Sentinel available for civilian and corporate users.

Here is a short history of publications about the series from the RSI website.

Vanguards: And Then There Were Three

This is an excellent video of the history of the in-game lore behind Aegis Ships, by The AstroPub. Please subscribe to his channel as he produces the most thorough and best Star Citizen lore content.