Originally posted by Robtard
Dropships have mini nukes now?
http://avp.wikia.com/wiki/UD-4L_Cheyenne_Dropship
Weaponry
Two main weapons bays fold out on extended pylons to deploy weapon hardpoints each capable of carrying 16x150mm unguided rockets, 6x7mm unguided rockets and 4x120mm guided rockets. Two secondary weapon bays on the port side and starboard side of the fuselarge house a further 14 hardpoints for ATA and ATS missiles. The dropship mounts a dedicated 25mm gatling gun in a powered cupola beneath the nose, which can be rotated 180 degrees side to side and by an angle of 60 degrees downwards.
The GAU-113/B is a six barrel weapon driven by a pneumatic motor turned by the engines at 6000 rpm and geared down to the rear of the gun. Rounds are caseless, and do not carry their own propellant. Instead, the GAU-113/B system uses hypergolic liquid fuels, stored and loaded separately, as a binary propellant. When fed into the chamber via the spray nozzles, they react simultaneously to explode and propel the shell.
Ammunition comprises a mix of Armour Piercing Incendiary (API), Armour Piercing Discarding Sabot (APDS) and High Explosive Incendiary (HEI) and is fed from a 900-round drum beneath the cockpit. It is standard practice to carry at least two spare ammo drums on board. These can be reloaded manually by a crew member from inside the cockpit.
MissilesEdit
AGM-204A TSAM: The TSAM (Threat Suppression Attack Missile) is a low-cost self-protection weapon designed to defend strikeships and dropships against airborne missiles, early warning radars, SAM sites and AAA. Small, short ranged and lightweight, the TSAM design trades off the loiter mode of most modern Threat Suppression Missiles for speed, in order to eliminate a threat rapidly. The Tekell solid motor is a high impulse unit that will accelerate the missile to hyper velocity in less than two seconds; after burnout, the missile coasts to the target. Range varies considerably with launch speed and altitude, though practical limits in an Earth-density atmosphere are 20 km at sea-level up to 60 km at high altitude. The TSAM is guided but cannot be fired at. It is designed to attack incoming missiles. It locks on automatically.
AGM-220C Hellhound II: The Hellhound II is a multi-role tactical missile designed for use against point targets such as vehicles, armor, buildings and bunkers. Based around a greatly enlarged version of the Hellhound I airframe, the missile employs a three-stage motor consisting of a launch boost engine, and in flight sustained motor and a third-stage booster designed to accelerate the weapon during its terminal attack phase. The weapon can be launched in two different modes: in the first, the dropship Weapons Officer locks the missile's seeker onto a target before launch and provided he maintains the lock until the moment of launch the weapon will then be guided to that target; in the second, the weapon is directed to a grid reference where it then commences a search for a pre-designated target, or one selected from an internal menu of potential targets, or for a target of opportunity. The dual-seeker system combines a high-resolution millimeter-wave radar and infrared imager linked to a sophisticated 12 Mb processor which determines the missile's optimal attack profile and warhead fusing to ensure a kill. The 'C' variant of the AGM-220 incorporates a new, jam-resistant radar and improved countermeasures refection logic to bring it in line with the 'F' version employed by the USASF. This is a guided weapon.
Mk. 16 150mm BANSHEE 70: The Banshee 70 system constitutes one of the most important unguided weapons in US service. In the Colonial Marines, it is most commonly associated with the LAU-190/A 16-tube launcher mounted on the UD-4L Cheyenne dropship. Each rocket is spin stabilized by a fluted exhaust nozzle and has three spring-mounted wrap-around fins at the rear. The Mk. 16 model has a high-impulse rocket motor, giving a burnout velocity in excess of 1800 m per second, providing excellent stand-off range and accuracy in the air-to-surface role.
AIM-90E Headlock: The AIM-90E is a short-ranged air-to-air missile optimized for dogfight engagements. Guided by a dual optical/active radar seeker, the Headlock missile accelerates to hyper velocity speeds after launch and then glides the remaining distance to the target. The warhead consists of thirty four explosive darts that are released by the missile as it approaches the target. To ensure a kill, the AIM-90's unique fusing system directs these flechettes into an optimum attack pattern upon release, dependent on the target's current aspect. The 'E' variant of the missile incorporates changes to the countermeasures software and enlarged aerodynamic surfaces to improve lift at high altitudes.
Mk.10 70mm ZEUS: The Mk.10 ZEUS is a 70mm unguided rocket system that has been the mainstay of USCM service for some sixty years, in its various forms. A small, spin-stabilized rocket, the ZEUS is now supplied with only two types of warhead: a smart fused antipersonnel fragmenting warhead and a smoke warhead for laying particulate smoke screens.
Mk.88 120mm SGW: The Mk.88 is a 120mm, short ranged (under 1500m) weapon designed as a low-cost alternative to the Hellhound versus light armor and prepared positions such as hangars or gun emplacements. A simple weapon, it comprises a rocket with a low-impulse motor steered by fold-out fins. Guidance is by an imaging infra-red seeker in the nose, and a 2.2kg shaped-charge warhead is positioned just behind. The SGW is a fire-and-forget weapon - once locked-up by the dropship, the missile self-guides to the target.