The Heavy Raider is a Cylon multifunctional spacecraft, used to attack colonial ships and transport Cylon fighters on boarding missions. Like a Cylon Raider, this spacecraft is sentient and self–flying. It can also be piloted by Centurions or human-form Cylons, but its lack of windows forces the pilot to rely on electronics only to navigate.

The Heavy Raider is well-armed, carrying tri-barreled automatic cannons, which are able to sustain high rates of fire, and can equip ship-to-ship missiles. It is lethal in dogfights and can be converted into anti-aircraft batteries for attacks on planetary surface.