i think what we are looking at here is a doctrinal difference. The reason the Fox Hunter has no drop collars is that it is a fighter, not a transport, and drop collars are the one thing that a fighter cannot really afford, a weak point that can be easily targeted. Slicking those areas, pulling the Grav ring inside the armor, these are the things you do to make things safer. Like pumping down before jumping/combat.
As Cannonshop said, the canon Fox is basically an armed troop transport able to somewhat defend itself, and thats fine, except that what it makes it is a generalist platform. This Fox Hunter uses the same engines (Both transit and jump) and frame, for an almost identical profile and production time using almost identical production facilities, but is more heavily armed and armored. I would say that, (and if someone wants to check this i'll send the file over) that one Fox Hunter could take two standard Foxes in a stand up or running fight.
Now I'm not necessarily going to throw in the aforementioned assault dropships into the mix as well, again we are looking at a doctrinal difference. The Fox Hunter, as opposed to the Fox, is simply there to fight other warships, (again i would guess up to at least half again its mass) and win. Patrol groups of this would likely be three fox hunters and one fox tender.
Fox tenderr Corvette (3057)
Mass: 240,000 tons
Technology Base: Inner Sphere (Advanced)
Introduced: 3057
Mass: 240,000
Battle Value: 16,305
Tech Rating/Availability: E/X-X-E-F
Cost: 19,358,556,800 C-bills
Fuel: 6,000 tons (30,000)
Safe Thrust: 3
Maximum Thrust: 5
Sail Integrity: 4
KF Drive Integrity: 7
Heat Sinks: 338 (676)
Structural Integrity: 100
Armor
Nose: 94
Fore Sides: 80/80
Aft Sides: 71/71
Aft: 48
Cargo
Bay 1: Small Craft (6) 3 Doors
Bay 2: Fighter (12) 3 Doors
Bay 3: Cargo (Liquid) (24000.0 tons)3 Doors
Bay 4: Cargo (17387.374 tons) 1 Door
Ammunition:
816 rounds of Anti-Missile System [IS] ammunition (68 tons),
840 rounds of LB 5-X Cluster ammunition (42 tons)
Dropship Capacity: 5
Grav Decks: 1 (95 m)
Escape Pods: 0
Life Boats: 45
Crew: 30 officers, 107 enlisted/non-rated, 67 gunners, 54 bay personnel, 30 passengers, 30 marines
Notes: Equipped with
lithium-fusion battery system
4 MASH Equipment (1 theater)
480 tons of improved ferro-aluminum armor.
Weapons: Capital Attack Values (Standard)
Arc (Heat) Heat SRV MRV LRV ERV Class
Nose (9 Heat)
2 Anti-Missile System 2 1(6) 0(0) 0(0) 0(0) AMS
Anti-Missile System Ammo [IS] (24 shots)
2 Anti-Missile System 2 1(6) 0(0) 0(0) 0(0) AMS
Anti-Missile System Ammo [IS] (24 shots)
3 LB 5-X AC 3 2(15) 2(15) 2(15) 0(0) LBX AC
LB 5-X Cluster Ammo (60 shots)
2 Anti-Missile System 2 1(6) 0(0) 0(0) 0(0) AMS
Anti-Missile System Ammo [IS] (24 shots)
FRS/FLS (16 Heat)
2 Anti-Missile System 2 1(6) 0(0) 0(0) 0(0) AMS
Anti-Missile System Ammo [IS] (24 shots)
2 Anti-Missile System 2 1(6) 0(0) 0(0) 0(0) AMS
Anti-Missile System Ammo [IS] (24 shots)
3 LB 5-X AC 3 2(15) 2(15) 2(15) 0(0) LBX AC
LB 5-X Cluster Ammo (60 shots)
2 Anti-Missile System 2 1(6) 0(0) 0(0) 0(0) AMS
Anti-Missile System Ammo [IS] (24 shots)
2 Anti-Missile System 2 1(6) 0(0) 0(0) 0(0) AMS
Anti-Missile System Ammo [IS] (24 shots)
2 Anti-Missile System 2 1(6) 0(0) 0(0) 0(0) AMS
Anti-Missile System Ammo [IS] (24 shots)
3 LB 5-X AC 3 2(15) 2(15) 2(15) 0(0) LBX AC
LB 5-X Cluster Ammo (60 shots)
RBS/LBS (14 Heat)
2 Anti-Missile System 2 1(6) 0(0) 0(0) 0(0) AMS
Anti-Missile System Ammo [IS] (24 shots)
2 Anti-Missile System 2 1(6) 0(0) 0(0) 0(0) AMS
Anti-Missile System Ammo [IS] (24 shots)
3 LB 5-X AC 3 2(15) 2(15) 2(15) 0(0) LBX AC
LB 5-X Cluster Ammo (60 shots)
2 Anti-Missile System 2 1(6) 0(0) 0(0) 0(0) AMS
Anti-Missile System Ammo [IS] (24 shots)
2 Anti-Missile System 2 1(6) 0(0) 0(0) 0(0) AMS
Anti-Missile System Ammo [IS] (24 shots)
3 LB 5-X AC 3 2(15) 2(15) 2(15) 0(0) LBX AC
LB 5-X Cluster Ammo (60 shots)
ARS/ALS (16 Heat)
2 Anti-Missile System 2 1(6) 0(0) 0(0) 0(0) AMS
Anti-Missile System Ammo [IS] (24 shots)
2 Anti-Missile System 2 1(6) 0(0) 0(0) 0(0) AMS
Anti-Missile System Ammo [IS] (24 shots)
3 LB 5-X AC 3 2(15) 2(15) 2(15) 0(0) LBX AC
LB 5-X Cluster Ammo (60 shots)
2 Anti-Missile System 2 1(6) 0(0) 0(0) 0(0) AMS
Anti-Missile System Ammo [IS] (24 shots)
2 Anti-Missile System 2 1(6) 0(0) 0(0) 0(0) AMS
Anti-Missile System Ammo [IS] (24 shots)
2 Anti-Missile System 2 1(6) 0(0) 0(0) 0(0) AMS
Anti-Missile System Ammo [IS] (24 shots)
3 LB 5-X AC 3 2(15) 2(15) 2(15) 0(0) LBX AC
LB 5-X Cluster Ammo (60 shots)
Aft (9 Heat)
2 Anti-Missile System 2 1(6) 0(0) 0(0) 0(0) AMS
Anti-Missile System Ammo [IS] (24 shots)
2 Anti-Missile System 2 1(6) 0(0) 0(0) 0(0) AMS
Anti-Missile System Ammo [IS] (24 shots)
3 LB 5-X AC 3 2(15) 2(15) 2(15) 0(0) LBX AC
LB 5-X Cluster Ammo (60 shots)
2 Anti-Missile System 2 1(6) 0(0) 0(0) 0(0) AMS
Anti-Missile System Ammo [IS] (24 shots)
The fox tender maintains the five drop collars, but forgoes the heavy weaponry to carry enough supplies to resupply their entire patrol group once from scratch. Dropships would be determined by mission needs, (RCT landers, assault types, water carriers, CV's) but the four ships would be able to form the core of a task force that could patrol for around three-quarters of a year before having to return for maintenance and leave. This would be great for commerce raiding or deep strikes against enemy facilities.
Finally one thing you didn't comment on was the scanning and observational gear. These are ships that can sit outside the heliopause and observe from the black, and then choose their strike point and timing with what would be scary accuracy. hitting pirate points with surgical precision.
