Jane's Aerospace Craft

Pac-Am Arm Aerospace Forces

F-87 Hellcat Block 11 Fighter
[1]
Type: Fighter Flight
Tech: 4
Cost: 32 IP
Upkeep: 4 Supply, 8 He3
DP: 4
+1 Agility
+1 Fusion Microthrusters
Base Purchase price: 34 Wealth
Availability: Open
A long-awaited replacement for the aged F-76 Mustang III, the F-87 Hellcat was introduced in the years immediately preceeding the ZOCU war after a particularly protracted development cycle. The rapid slide into war saw a massive increase in Hellcat production as the USASF fell back and then held against ZOCU Hoplites, pitting speed and agility against firepower and armor. Its frame progressively updated both during and after the war, the Hellcat remains an effective, modern design that has only now hit its stride.

A-41 Vigilante-II Strike Fighter
[2]
Type: Strike Fighter
Tech: 3
Cost: 40 IP
Upkeep: 4 Supply, 8 He3
DP: 4
+1 Smart Missiles
+1 Composite Armor
+1 Agility
Base Purchase price: 34 Wealth
Availability: Open
Most of the USASF fields extremely advanced, sleek designs-but the A-41 could have come from the Rim. Robust, heavily armored, agile, and incredibly heavily armed, the A-41 is slow, ugly, and much-derided by friend and foe alike. On the other hand, it proved its worth against Khemetian armor, Asakuran warships, and pretty much any target you can name. They even have a handful of mobile suit kills to their name, as although slow and plodding, their heavy weaponry and agility can allow a skilled or lucky pilot to pull a win in a dogfight. At the end of the First Space War, the motions to shelve or retire the A-41 all died on the vine, due to its performance under fire.

R/AV-25 Hopi Gunship
Type: Gunship
Tech: 4
Cost: 30 IP, 5 Metamaterials, 5 Condensates
Upkeep: 4 Supply, 2 He3
DP: 4
+1 Metamaterial Electronic Conceal System
+1 Smart Missiles
+1 Sensors
+1 Low-Observability Condensate Drive
Base Purchase price: 50 Wealth
Availability: Exclusive
The R/AV-25 is one of the most dangerous gunships in the Sphere, cloaked in ECS, armed with no less than 10 anti-armor smart missiles and a 20mm railgun, and powered by a condensate-enhanced drive system. Unlike the AV-89E or the Mi-99, the R/AV is not designed for engaging where ground fire is the thickest. Rather, it is intended to hit and fade, and it did this very well.
Although only publicly acknowledged in 2189, and denied to ever have seen service in the First Space War, there is circumstantial evidence that the 'Hopi' may have been used in strikes against Khemetian military bases in the closing days of the war.

F-84 Phantom Superiority Fighter

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F-84 in demonstration colors

Type: Super Fighter
Tech: 4
Cost: 72 IP, 12 Condensates
Upkeep: 4 Supply, 10 He3
DP: 2
+1 High Agility Missiles
+1 Reactionless Control System
+1 Fusion Microthrusters
+1 Stealth
Base Purchase price: 105 Wealth
Availability: Exclusive
In the early 80s, rumors of 'super-fighters' began to emerge from several ZOCU worlds. By the time these had been confirmed to actually be prototype combat-use mobile suits a number of Pacific states had already instituted a program to construct a true superfighter. Shrouded in secrecy and financed by a massive black budget, what eventually emerged as the F-84 Phantom blew all competition away - at a phenomenal price point. All the massive resources invested in developing and building the first Phantoms paid off however when ZOCU sent its Orbital Frames into battle, as only these craft could hope to engage them at rough parity.

It was only in 2190 that the United States officially unveiled these fighters and even today their full performance specifications remain highly classified.

B-8 Revenant Stealth Bomber
[3]
Type: Bomber
Tech: 4
Cost: 32 IP
Upkeep: 8 Supply, 16 He3
DP: 8
+2 Electronic Conceal System
+1 Extended-Range Cruise Missiles
+1 Heavy Payload
-1 High Upkeep
-1 Defensive Armament
Base Purchase price: 40 Wealth
Availability: Exclusive
The B-8 was the first test of the ECS system found in the R/AV-25 and several other Pac-Am designs. Armed with standoff cruise missiles and nearly invisible over most of the visual spectrum, the B-8 was instrumental in many naval engagements in the Pac-Am arm during the first space war. Crew of 'Revenants' found that although easily destroyed when discovered due to their lack of defensive armament (necessitated by the low-observability design), their ECS and long range weaponry meant that they could minimize risk.

Unfortunately, crew chiefs found that the ECS system was extremely finicky and was prone to catastrophic failure if pushed too long, necessitating replacement of critical components after every sortie.

EU Arm Aerospace Forces

AEF-7000B “Maelstrom” Interceptor Flight
[4]
Type: Intercept Fighter Flight
Tech: 3
Cost: 24 IP
Upkeep:
+1 Boosters
+1 Missiles
Base Purchase price: 20 Wealth
Availability: Open
The original Maelstrom Interceptor was the result of a long and somewhat lethargic development process to produce the next common fighter aircraft for the forces of the European Union, and the first production models were far from well received. Unfortunately for both the Maelstrom and its first pilots, the improved B variant had not yet entered service upon the outbreak of the ZOCU War. It’s poor performance during the conflict made the Maelstrom extremely unpopular amongst the EU’s pilots, and with the increasing use of advanced aerial and space mobile suits many of these disliked fighters are being placed up for sale rather than upgraded to modern standards.

Ge-03C Leonid Commander Mobile Suit
[5]
Type: Mobile Suit
Tech: 3
Cost: 20 IP
Upkeep: 2 Supply, 4 He3
+1 Boosters
+1 Maneuvering Thrusters
+1 Beam Rifle
Base Purchase price: 17 Wealth
Availability: Limited
While the standard issue Leonid provided for the greater portion of the mobile suits that would be employed by New Orenburg and later much of the core, with the threat of ZOCU’s advanced machines the need for a more capable suit with which to equip the UN’s elite pilots remained. The first answer to this question came in the form of the Ge-03C Commander variant of the Leonid, a fast and more maneuverable version of the original model.

A limited number of Leonid Commanders were produced and equipped a number of elite units like New Orenburg’s Independent Corps, seeing action in such infamous late war incidents as the antimatter attack against Haraway’s World. Further Commander suits were built in the post-war years, but as of late have largely been phased out in favor of newer models. As such a large number have become available to buyers outside the core, if they have the right connections.

Ge-179-DV Gundam Mk II Mobile Suit
[6]
Type: Orbital Frame
Tech: 4
Cost: 105 IP, 15 Rhenium, 15 Condensates, 15 B-Titanium
Upkeep: 5 Supply, 10 He3
+1 Rhenium-condensed Beam Rifle
+1 Gundanium Double-Beta Armor
+1 Combat Shield
+1 Condensate Flight System
+1 System Integration
Base Purchase price: 225 Wealth
Availability: Exclusive
The original Ge-79 Gundam was the European Union's first Orbital Frame. Designed with combat data from SIYAN's Satis OFs it was vastly more powerful than the Leonid Commanders it was designed to replace. Basic economics and interservice rivalry soon caught up however, and after the first two prototypes were hastily completed at immense cost and sent into combat the entire program was cut short in favor of additional heavy combat warships for the Union Fleet. Iconic of the turning tide against ZOCU, the Gundams were ultimately seen as little more than publicity stunts by the big-gun dominated Union Fleet.

Plans for a new, improved version floated as a paper project for most of a decade until disturbing rumors began to emerge from the Sirius states. Rumors of powerful Newtype-use orbital frames from ZOCU and machines built with posthuman technology from SIYAN. Quietly, the more progressive sections of the Union Fleet put resources towards the Gundam Mk II, acquiring the first prototype from ThyssenKrupp in late 2194.

AEB-300 “Super Lancaster” Heavy Bomber
Type: Bomber
Tech: 3
Cost: 40 IP
Upkeep: 4 Supply, 8 He3
+1 Bomb Bays
+1 Armor
+1 Boosters
Base Purchase price: 40 Wealth
Availability: Limited
For decades the Super Lancaster has been one of the symbols of the European Union’s military might. It is a superb war machine that has resisted all efforts to properly replace it, and served with distinction even on the battlefield against ZOCU’s high powered aerospace forces. It was a squadron of Super Lancasters that dropped the bombs that ended the war, and the status of these aircraft as a symbol has only increased because of it.

While the EU itself has continued to modernize its fleet of Super Lancasters, a number of the oldest airframes deemed unsuitable for further refit have been offered up to the militaries of the EU’s client worlds.

Sino-Russian Arm Aerospace Forces

Polikarpov LaG-11 Fighter Flight
[7]
Type: Fighter Flight
Tech: 3
Cost: 24 IP
Upkeep: 4 Supply, 8 He3
DP: 4
+1 Agile
Base Purchase price: 20 Wealth
Availability: Open
Special: Core states pay 1/2 supply for unmodified Polikarpov LaG-11 Fighters.
When it was first introduced in the years leading up to the war between the United Nations and ZOCU, the Russian Federation’s LaG-11 was largely dismissed as being a design outdated before it even hit the production line. Despite these critics the LaG-11 would become the single most widely used fighter aircraft of the war, and in the hands of a few superbly skilled pilots easily able to match ZOCU’s mobile suits. With its simple design and reputation for reliability, the LaG-11 was easily built and could be employed in even the most remote of battlefields.

Though even the most common ZOCU Hoplite was in theory far superior in performance, the sheer number of nimble LaGs and their increasingly capable pilots deployed on the Sino-Russian arm can claim to have stood up to the test of facing mobile suits. Both during and after the war large numbers of the basic LaG-11 have been delivered to any number of new owners in the region, especially to remote areas seeking a more modern alternative to the aging American Mustang.

Shenyang J-55 Strike Fighter
[8]
Type: Strike Fighter Flight
Tech: 3
Cost: 24 IP
Upkeep: 4 Supply, 8 He3
DP: 4
+1 Dual Railguns
+1 Armor
-1 Agility
Base Purchase price: 20 Wealth
Availability: Open
Special: Core states pay 1/2 supply for unmodified Shenyang J-55s. In the '60s, the PLAAF began looking for a new strike aircraft to provide air support on the colonies. With relations cooling between China and Russia, a repeat of previous collaborations was impossible. The resulting aircraft, the Shenyang J-55, was thus entirely domestic. Designed primarily for space combat, the J-55 has poor aerodynamics but excellent armor.

During the war they found themselves painfully outmatched by ZOCU Hoplites, though their dual heavy railguns could be quite dangerous in the hands of a skilled pilot. Mostly though they were tasked with antishipping strikes, where they proved highly effective as well as performing ground support, where their relative lack of agility proved to be something of a liability.

Mi-99 Ground Assault Craft Flight
Type: Gunship Flight
Tech: 4
Cost: 25 IP
Upkeep: 2 Supplies, 3 He3
DP: 4
+1 Railgun
+1 Armor
+1 Agility
Base Purchase price: 21 Wealth
Availability: Open
With their vast populations and territories, both the Russian Federation and Chinese governments have often found themselves facing the problem of insurrection and rebellion in their respective histories, and this problem has not gone away with the expansion of their dominions into space. The Mi-99 Assault Craft has become a favorite tool in use by both powers in quelling more dangerous disturbances. Heavily armed and armored, the Mi-99 can outright lay waste to all but the most heavily armed insurgents. Even groups that have gained access to more modern weapons such as surplus EU Mobile Suits find that against troops supported by the ever present Mi-99, direct confrontation can only end poorly.

ZOCU Aerospace Forces

OMF-06A Hoplite Alpha Mobile Suit
[9]
Type: Mobile Suit
Tech: 3
Cost: 12 IP
Upkeep: 2 Supply, 4 He3
+1 Microfusion Rockets
Base Purchase price: 10 Wealth
Availability: Open
Special: ZOCU states pay 1/2 supply for unmodified OMF-04A Hoplite Alphas.
The Hoplite was the primary mass-produced space combat suit of ZOCU during the war. While not the first or best mobile suit to be built by the ZOCU states, the Hoplite and its innumerable variants were by far the most common; 90% of all ZOCU mobile suits built between 2185 and 2188 were Hoplite variants. Even today it remains a backbone of the various ZOCU militaries and in a very real sense it is the archetypical ZOCU mobile suit.

One of the most heavily-produced variants, the OMF-06A Hoplite Alpha was the standard space-combat type. Fitted with powerful microfusion thrusters the Alpha model could outperform its nearest competitor, the Ge-03 Leonid. However, its particle cannon was no more effective than the Leonid’s railgun, forcing Hoplite pilots to make the most of their speed advantage.

OMF-07 Legionnaire Assault Mobile Suit
[10]
Type: Heavy Mobile Suit
Tech: 3
Cost: 18 IP
Upkeep: 6 Supply, 6 He3
+1 Armor
+1 Microfusion Rockets
-1 High Upkeep
Base Purchase price: 15 Wealth
Availability: Open
While the Hoplite was a solid performer, its ability to perform anti-shipping strikes in the face of increasingly effective Core anti-air defenses became a concern by April 2187. Even the deployment of the heavily-armored Hoplite Gamma model could not reverse this trend. This made the introduction of the OMF-07 Legionnaire in June 2187 an unpleasant surprise for Core shipping.

Thickly armoured in low-mass composites, the Legionnaire was a tough target for the Core ships’ railguns, making it popular with pilots. Unfortunately this popularity did not extend to the shipboard maintenance crews who were forced to replace overworked components after every mission. Postwar variants have vastly improved on this, as well as outfitting these powerful suits with mega particle rifles derived from that of the Sarissa.

OMF-09 Sarissa Ace Mobile Suit
[11]
Type: Mobile Suit
Tech: 3
Cost: 20 IP, 8 Sakuradite
Upkeep: 2 Supply, 4 He3
DP: 2
+1 Sakuradite Beam Rifle
+1 Armor
+1 Microfusion Rockets
Base Purchase price: 25 Wealth
Availability: Limited
The continuing deployment of increasingly superior models by both the Core and ZOCU eventually led to the introduction of the OMF-09 Sarissa, a high-performance unit intended for commanders and aces. The first mobile suit to feature a mega particle rifle, the sheer firepower of the Sarissa’s rifle led directly to the development of the high-agility Leonid Command – no armor that would fit on a Leonid frame could stop a mega particle strike.

MMA-03 Kuma Strike Armor
[12]
Type: Mobile Armor
Tech: 4
Cost: 250 IP, 100 Sakuradite
Upkeep: 20 Supply, 50 He3
DP: 20
+1 Sakuradite Beam Cannons
+1 Extended Range
+1 ECM
+1 Fusion Rockets
-1 Armor
Base Purchase price: 440 Wealth
Availability: Exclusive
An experimental mobile armor introduced during December 2187, the Asakuran-built MMA-03 Kuma Strike Armor was one of the most powerful aerospace craft to see service on the Pac-Am arm. Armed with a quartet of long-range mega particle cannons it had the ability to strike from outside the range of effective return fire. Powerful ECM generators could effectively blind hostile sensors, making defense all the more disorganized. While unfortunately rather fragile and necessitating escort during fleet operations, the Kuma proved to be a lethal commerce raider.
After the peace, Asakura has continued low-rate production of these powerful craft. While the armor deficiency did not prove to be correctable without a total redesign, this was judged an acceptable compromise. Currently, roughly a dozen Kumas serve in the Asakuran SDF with several more known to be in the arsenals of other ZOCU states.

Rim Aerospace Forces

F-76 Mustang III Fighter
[13]
Type: Fighter Flight
Tech: 2
Cost: 24 IP Upkeep: 4 Supply, 8 He3
+1 Ordnance
Base Purchase price: 16 Wealth
Availability: Open
Special: Rim states pay 1/2 supply for unmodified F-76 Mustang IIIs. The F-76 Mustang III is, bar none, the most common fighter on the Rim. Originally designed as a lightweight multirole fighter for the USASF it was widely deployed all along the Pac-Am arm. Left behind by the state of the art, its rugged simplicity and reliability endured it to local militias. In 2180 the plans were officially sold to Falken Aerospace of Olander, though by this time it was estimated more than a dozen Rim worlds were producing reverse-engineered Mustangs for domestic or foreign sales.

Rafale-5200 Interceptors
Type: Interceptor Flight
Tech: 3
Cost: 16 IP
Upkeep: 4 Supply, 4 He3
Base Purchase price: 14 Wealth
Availability: Open
Special: Rim states pay 1/2 supply for unmodified Rafale 5200s. Unmodified Rafale 5200s have reduced He3 requirements, already included in their statline.
One of the great successes of Dassault Aerospace, the Rafale 5200 has swiftly became one of the most popular fighter craft on the Rim. Originally intended to be a multirole fighter, progressive design changes eventually resulted in a well-performing, lightweight interceptor. Praised for its inovative and efficient scramrocket design, the low mass Rafale 5200 achieves an admirable lifetime cost-effectiveness, a trait that has done much for its Rim popularity. Even some inner worlds have taken up the design as a trainer or low-cost patrol fighter.

Ge-03 Leonid Mobile Suit
[14]
Type: Mobile Suit
Tech: 3
Cost: 8 IP
Upkeep: 2 Supply, 4 He3
Base Purchase price: 7 Wealth
Availability: Open
Special: Rim states pay 1/2 supply for unmodified Ge-03 Leonids. The Ge-3 Leonid is a symbol of the core's victory over ZOCU, as the Core’s first effective mass production mobile suit it saw service on nearly every front and helped turn the tide against the rebel mobile suit forces both in space and on land. Although not an exceptionally advanced machine, the Leonid maintained a reputation for reliability and its standard machine gun proved to be more than capable of destroying most mass production ZOCU units.

While now largely phased out of the core’s front line units in favor of newer models, a vast number of surplus suits have found their way to new owners. Leonids can be found in the hands of everyone from local militias on the frontier to pirates on the rim, and have been modified by some of these groups to considerable degrees. It is unlikely that they will disappear entirely from the battlefield anytime soon.

Ge-04 Leonid Gunner Heavy Mobile Suit
[15]
Type: Heavy Mobile Suit
Tech: 3
Cost: 24 IP
Upkeep: 3 Supply, 6 He3
+2 Heavy Cannon
Base Purchase price: 20 Wealth
Availability: Open
Faced with the danger posed by ZOCU’s extremely powerful mobile armors, the United Nations fielded a highly modified Leonid Mobile Suit to counter the new threat. The Leonid Gunner is a reinforced Leonid Chassis equipped with a heavy shoulder mounted cannon in addition to the suit’s standard machine gun. While perhaps somewhat less capable in suit to suit combat, the Leonid Gunner’s power on the battlefield was undeniable and it proved equally capable on both land and in space.

Like the Leonid Commander, the Leonid Gunner has now largely been replaced by new mass production mobile suits and is often seen amongst militias on the second stage colonies.

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