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CVT-GS39 'Shrike' Combat Aircraft . . CVT-GS39 ‘Shrike’ Combat Aircraft™
Lore: The Shrike is a highly versatile combat VTOL fighter, and is technically designated for close air support and precision strikes in support of land based systems. The CVT-GS39 was designed to replace the CVPA-F34k ‘Naja’, an atmospheric ground support craft in use by the Colonies since the Contact War. The Shrike has a higher flight ceiling, greater top speed, heavier armor, and superior armament flexibility than the Naja. More often than not though, it performs missions side by side with the vehicles it was intended to replace due to cost implementation and the sheer number of the older craft in service. One of the greatest improvements is the aircrafts ability to perform atmospheric insertions, launching from orbiting carriers the CVT-GS39 uses an automated flight computer to calculate trajectory and can enter atmosphere using an ablative heat shield. However, once affected by gravity the craft is limited to a combat effective altitude of 22,000 feet and cannot achieve escape velocity, thus requiring a transport lifter to return them to an orbiting capital vessel. Shrikes are powered by two paired Gryphon 110C7 thrusters, for VTOL mode the thrusters are rotated to point directly down, however with its wheeled landing configuration a 45 degree angle can be used for a rolling short takeoff or landing (STOL). The engines can also be rotated past 90 degrees for rearward flight.
The twin weapon pods allow a high degree of customization and mission specific combat loads and in lieu of the pods surveillance and electronic warfare packages can be added allowing the fighter to perform roles that would usually require entirely separate and highly specialized aircraft. Shrikes are outfitted with a CROSSUNICOMM suite and can easily and effectively coordinate its involvement in combat scenarios with all facets of the UCM and UCNC. The targeting system can piggyback itself onto designated land based, man portable, or other aircrafts systems and deliver its ordinance from well beyond line of sight, making cooperative high altitude precision strikes with ease. The weapon pods can also be replaced with external ordinance racks, extended fuel tanks, and supply drop canisters. These multirole aircraft are almost always deployed to support armor and infantry formations. They also commonly escort transports as well as other atmospheric craft during planetary operations and orbital insertions.
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