Bkowe'nei-pattern Vampire
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| Bkowe'nei-pattern Support Fighter | |
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Class: |
Ground-attack aircraft[3] |
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Role: |
Anti-air support[4] |
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Height: |
5.1 meters (16.6 ft)[2] |
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Mass: |
18.7 tons (17 tonnes)[2] |
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Engine(s): |
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Armament: |
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Crew: |
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The Bkowe'nei-pattern Support Fighter[2] (UNSC Type classification: Type-29 Close-Support Fighter),[1] more commonly known as the Vampire, is an atmospheric anti-aircraft fighter formerly in service with the Covenant military.[3] Manufactured by Assembly Forges, the Vampire was used during the early years of the Human-Covenant War. However, its role was eventually overtaken by better-armed and more versatile vehicles, leading to the Vampire seldom seeing deployment in the war.[1]
Overview[edit]
Design details[edit]
The Vampire is a specialized ground-attack aircraft,[3] with impressive anti-air support capabilities in part due to its speed and maneuverability. Sleek and swift,[7] the Vampire has a semi-circular shape and a concave maw, making the aircraft one of the more recognizable vehicles formerly in service with the Covenant.[3] The Vampire is generally crewed by a single pilot,[1] though the aircraft can also be operated with the aid of a second pilot.[4] Like most Covenant military vehicles, the cockpit is located toward the rear of the Vampire in an environmentally sealed pod, with all weapons and heaviest armor directed towards the front of the aircraft.[3]
The Vampire is equipped with a space-capable impulse drive, allowing the aircraft to achieve hypersonic velocities. However, the impulse drive is rarely utilized due to the Vampire typically being used in atmospheric environments.[3] While the Vampire was not as powerful as other aircraft employed by the Covenant military, the Vampire still served as an extremely effective anti-air support vessel.[7]
Armaments[edit]
The Vampire mounts a mix of seemingly disparate weapons on its heavy flying chassis.[3] The Vampire's primary armament is a forward-facing needle cannon,[1][7] an augmented version of the blamite-based weaponry typically employed by Covenant infantry. The cannon fires large shards of self-tracking blamite capable of detonating in a massive combined explosion when multiple shards are impaled in the same area.[3] The heavy needle cannon allows the Vampire to quickly overwhelm enemy air forces with a large barrage of blamite.[4] The Vampire is also armed with two medium plasma cannons, with one mounted on each side of the aircraft. These plasma cannons, serving as the Vampire's secondary armament, automatically track and fire on enemy targets via an actuator plug, over which the pilot has intermittent control.[1]
In addition to the aircraft's already impressive armament, the Vampire is also equipped with a stasis cannon mounted in front of the cockpit,[1] though this cannon is not a standard feature on all Vampires.[3] The cannon renders targeted vehicles immobile and their weapons inert by way of an electromagnetic pulse. The Vampire's stasis cannon is quite adaptable, offering several upgrades at the operator's discretion.[1]
Operational history[edit]
Human-Covenant War[edit]
Though infrequently encountered,[3] the Type-29 Vampire was in service with the Covenant during the early years of the