Shrike UCAV

(Terran Sphere) A Novan Shrike UCAV

More info here-www.omniverseone.com/forum/vie…


"For their crimes against the empire we shall make the very skies the subject of their nightmares, for we shall fill them with with our eyes and talons"
-NIA Brigadier General Nikita Yamashiro, 5/5/2268, in a pacification campaign against partisans on the Delta swamplands of the Sub Continent of Alicia, New Florida
DRA-74 Shrike Light Unmaned Combat Air Vehicle
Introduced-1/15/2266
Weight-(unloaded) 287.2kg (unloaded)
Maximum altitude-(Terra Gravity) 6,300 meters
Range-4,500 kilometers
Top speed-650 kilometers per hour
Weapons-One AVW-25 5mm Machine gun (800 rounds of ammunition)
-Four GP-28 Missiles
-Self Destruct Charge (2kgs)
Armor-Front-5mm
Side and rear-None
Undercarrage-5mm
Turret-none
Production Run-12,800,000,000

The Novan Military makes extensive use of Combat Robots, from Robotic Supply Trucks to the overwhelming hordes of Attrition Series Robotic Infantry. Among one the most prolific areas in which robots are employed is in one of the oldest feilds, that of Unmaned Ariel Vehicles. Many varients have been used, but recently the most widespread of these has been the Shrike. Only outnumbered in terms of sheer number of units in service or reserve by the attrition the Shrike is prolifically employed by the Novan Military. Most Companies have at least one Shrike assigned to them for ariel recon.

The Shrike is not the first Combat UCAV employed by the Novan Military, several other models have been employed. The Shrike was put into production due to the advent of countergravity systems. This allows the Shrike the ability to be much more energy efficient than if it relied exclusively on it's jets, especially when hovering in place. There small size and VTOL capacity allows shrikes to operate with a notable amount of flexibility. Shrikes are powered by a of High Density Power Cell which can be swaped out fairly quickly and recharged by vehicle reactors. Mechanical systems are highly modular and can easily be repaired.

While ususally used for recon, Shrikes are also used for patroling areas and supression. Their mobility has also proven adventagious in urban combat. Shrikes can be remotely controlled but are generally operated by their AIs under supervision of a human commander. On occasion large forces of thousands of Shrikes have been employed to scower large areas of forest or similar enviroments for targets such as partisans. In combat they are capable of laying down respectable fire as well as being able to launch missiles against targets (either fragmentation or anti armor), but are fragile. Shrikes on combat missions often have a Kamikaze program installed, if they are shot down they will try to fly into whatever shot them down and explode.