Thunderhawk

The Thunderhawk gunship is used by the Adeptus Astartes as their primary means of deploying forces during combat as well as their primary source of air support. The Thunderhawk gunship is often considered the lynchpin of any Space Marine Chapter, as it is able to fulfill many combat roles. The Thunderhawk is fully capable of functioning as an orbital drop ship, a heavy ground attack gunship, or as a bomber. The aircraft is able to quickly carry Space Marine forces from orbiting starships down into the midst of a battle, while at the same time providing supporting fire against enemy ground or air targets. Even though the Thunderhawk is a large vehicle, it is controlled with a relatively small crew, which includes the pilot, co-pilot, gunner, and navigator.

History
The Thunderhawk gunship has served the Adeptus Astartes since the early days of the Emperor's Great Crusade in the late 30th Millennium, when it was designed and introduced into Imperial service to replace the aging Warhawk VI strike craft, better known as the Stormbird. Early on, the Thunderhawk was not popular with the Space Marine Legions, as they had grown attached to their Stormbirds and their ability to transport more units into battle than the smaller and more compact Thunderhawk. The Thunderhawk was widely used by all 18 of the Legiones Astartes during the Great Crusade, and later during the Horus Heresy by Loyalists and Traitors alike. As a testament to the craft's design, the Thunderhawk has far outlived the Stormbird in usefulness and is still the main assault-craft used by both the Loyalist Astartes of the Imperium and the Traitor Legions of Chaos after nearly 10,000 standard years.

Construction
The Thunderhawk gunship is amongst the most advanced and technologically sophisticated machines in use by the Imperium. Each and every Thunderhawk is packed with advanced targeting, sensory, communication, avionics, and navigational equipment, all of which is protected by its thick hull. The armour used in the construction of the Thunderhawk is the same as that used in the creation of the Land Raider. This special armour plating is comprised of a composite of ablative ceramite, absorption and dissipation materials, thermoplas fibre mesh, titanium rolled plates, and an adamantium inner hull all layered together to provide excellent shielding against heat, during orbital entry and exits and from energy-based weaponry. This armour has given the Thunderhawk a reputation as a very robust aircraft, and it is capable of taking large amounts of damage while still remaining in the air. The aircraft is capable of smashing its way past enemy interceptor craft and anti-air fire and safely landing its cargo of Astartes behind enemy lines, or deploying them into the midst of the foe.

The Thunderhawk's internal systems are just as robust as its outer protective armour; the vehicle's primary narrow-band, long-range communications Vox transmitter is situated on top of the aircraft's fuselage and is controlled by the vehicle's navigator and co-pilot. This system, along with its sensor array and electronic countermeasures, is capable of jamming enemy sensors and tracking equipment, making it difficult for enemy aircraft to lock-on to the aircraft. The Thunderhawk's navigational equipment, which allows the craft to easily find its landing coordinates and safely reach its destination whether it is in space or on a planet's surface, is also capable of relaying data to other Space Marine forces. If a Thunderhawk is ever shot down during combat, the vehicle will activate its emergency locator beacon, which will start broadcasting its position to the rest of the Space Marine forces, allowing the quick rescue of any survivors, and the recovery of the aircraft itself. The Thunderhawk is equipped with traditional flare launchers that are located on the lower rear section of the aircraft's fuselage, allowing it to have a better chance of evading enemy heat-seeking air-to-air weaponry.

The Thunderhawk features many unusual features: one such is its two "attack wings". These small wings are located above the craft's main pair of larger wings. These attack wings are locked down to the main wings during normal flight, but during an attack run the wings are released and while they are unlocked they are able to provide the aircraft with additional directional stability, making the Thunderhawk a very stable strike platform for the accurate engagement of enemy ground forces from the air.

Engines
While in atmosphere the Thunderhawk is powered by triple RX-92-00 Mars Pattern engines, each of which combines a rocket engine with afterburning air-breathing turbofans. These engines are mounted on the rear fuselage of the aircraft, and under both of its main wings. These engines allow the aircraft to reach atmospheric speeds of upwards of 2,000 kilometres per hour, depending on planetary conditions such as gravity and air pressure. The Thunderhawk is capable of flying in-atmosphere faster than the Imperial Navy's Marauder Bomber, yet is not as fast as a true interceptor such as the Thunderbolt or Lightning fighters. While the Thunderhawk is in space, its three engines are used as rocket boosters, with the air-breathing turbofan components of the engines isolated from the rest while the hydrogen fuel used by the aircraft's on-board fusion reactor is pumped into the combustion chamber, where it burns to create a highly pressurised, high-velocity stream of gases. These gases flow through the engine's shaped exhaust nozzle, and the forces generated by the gases leaving the engine is able to rapidly propel the craft forwards.

The Thunderhawk also features several retro exhaust nozzles that are positioned around the aircraft's hull, and these are used to vent of some of the gases from the engines and to control the aircraft's movements while it is in zero-graviy.

Machine Spirit
The Thunderhawk's many electronic systems are governed by the aircraft's M33 "Cygnus"-class Machine Spirit (onboard computer), which has a cognition speed of 40,000 co/sec and a maximum contemplation capacity of 10,000 kilobrains. The machine also contains aetheric feeding coils, alembic shielding arrays, pseudo-synaptic relays, and phlogiston feed coils. This powerful Machine Spirit is a highly revered item, and is comparable to that used in a Reaver-class Titan.

Transport Capacity
The Thunderhawk may be smaller than the Stormbird it was designed to replace, yet it is still capable of transporting a great deal of cargo. The Thunderhawk can carry up to 30 Power Armoured Space Marines, or 15 Space Marines in Terminator Armour, as Terminator Armour takes up nearly twice as much space as the normal patterns of Power Armour. The craft can also carry vehicles, such as a single Dreadnought, which takes the place of 5 normal Space Marines, or a single Assault Bike squadron, where each Assault Bike takes up the room usually used for 3 Space Marines. The craft can also take Attack Bikes into combat, where each Attack Bike takes up as much room as 4 Space Marines. When the Thunderhawk lands it opens the forward ramp located under the aircraft's cockpit, allowing all those aboard to deploy under the covering fire of the vehicle's forward fuselage-mounted twin-linked Heavy Bolters. The aircraft also has two smaller doors located on its sides, which allow infantry to exit in more peaceful circumstances.

Armament
The Thunderhawk gunship is capable of carrying a fearsome array of weaponry depending on which type of mission it has been tasked for and is able to undertake a wide array of battlefield roles. The basic armament of the Thunderhawk gunship is that of 4 twin-linked Heavy Bolters located near the front of the craft's fuselage and under the aircraft's main wings, 2 Lascannons located under the wings, and a dorsal-mounted Battle Cannon known as a Thunderhawk Cannon. The aircraft can also be outfitted with up to 6 Hellstrike Missiles, and 6 triple bomb pylons, for a total of 18 bombs. The aircraft can replace its dorsal-mounted Thunderhawk Cannon with a Turbo-Laser Destructor for extra firepower. The craft is also capable of carrying large guided bombs with various warheads, which are used during bombing missions. The Thunderhawk can also be outfitted with an amoured cockpit and illumination flares. The Thunderhawk's weapon systems are able to be changed to better suit what combat role it has been given and the basic armament of the Thunderhawk (as described above) is usually used for standard troop insertion missions. There are several other standard mission loadout packages the Thunderhawk can be outfitted with, including the following:

Troop Insertion Mission

 * 1x dorsal-mounted Thunderhawk Cannon, or Turbo-Laser Destructor
 * 2x wing-mounted Lascannons
 * 2x front fuselage-mounted twin-linked Heavy Bolters
 * 2x wing-mounted twin-linked Heavy Bolters

Close Air Support Mission

 * 1x dorsal-mounted Thunderhawk Cannon, or Turbo-Laser Destructor
 * 2x wing-mounted Lascannons
 * 2x front fuselage-mounted twin-linked Heavy Bolters
 * 2x wing-mounted twin-linked Heavy Bolters
 * 6x wing-mounted Hellstrike Missiles

Saturation Bombing Mission

 * 1x dorsal-mounted Thunderhawk Cannon, or Turbo-Laser Destructor
 * 2x wing-mounted Lascannons
 * 2x front fuselage-mounted twin-linked Heavy Bolters
 * 2x wing-mounted twin-linked Heavy Bolters
 * 18x wing-mounted bombs, including several incendiary bombs

Long-Range Bombing Mission

 * 1x dorsal-mounted Thunderhawk Cannon, or Turbo-Laser Destructor
 * 2x wing-mounted Lascannons
 * 2x front fuselage-mounted twin-linked Heavy Bolters
 * 2x wing-mounted external auxiliary fuel tanks
 * 4x wing-mounted large guided bombs, delayed fuse
 * 2x wing-mounted large guided bombs, Melta warheads

Naval Intercept Mission

 * 1x dorsal-mounted Thunderhawk Cannon, or Turbo-Laser Destructor
 * 2x wing-mounted Lascannons
 * 2x front fuselage-mounted twin-linked Heavy Bolters
 * 6x wing-mounted large guided bombs, Plasma warheads
 * 2x wing-mounted large guaided bombs, Melta warheads

Variants
The Thunderhawk gunship has a small number of known variants:
 * Thunderhawk Transporter - The Thunderhawk Transporter is a logistical support variant of the Thunderhawk. The Thunderhawk Transporter is used to quickly transport a Chapter's vehicles from their orbiting Battle Barges or Strike Cruisers to a planet's surface. The Thunderhawk Transporter is not designed for battle and is only armed with two sets of wing-mounted twin-linked Heavy Bolters for self-defense. The Thunderhawk Transporter is similar in appearance to the standard Thunderhawk with the exception of the missing dorsal-mounted heavy weapon and the addition of an extra engine mount. Additionally, the aircraft's 4 engines are mounted on its wings as opposed to having one mounted on the rear fuselage. The aircraft's troop compartment is removed and replaced with a set of large magnetic clamps to hold on to its cargo of vehicles. The Thunderhawk Transporter is capable of carrying up to two Rhino-sized vehicles or a single Land Raider-sized vehicle. The aircraft also sports a powerful winch which allows it to recover Drop Pods from the field.
 * Grey Knights Thunderhawk Gunship - Thunderhawks used by the Grey Knights Chapter of Space Marines differ from the standard pattern Thunderhawk. The Grey Knights Thunderhawk's armour, like most of the Grey Knights' vehicles, makes use of psycho-reactive armour plating as well as the psychically-active Aegis system, which provides the aircraft with extra protection from daemonic and Warp-based weaponry. The aircraft's standard Heavy Bolters are often replaced with devastating Psycannons and the vehicle's Hellstrike Missiles are replaced with Mindstrike Missiles. These changes allow the Grey Knights to be more effective in combat against Chaos Daemons and Renegade psykers and Chaos Sorcerers.

Known Users of the Thunderhawk Gunship

 * All Loyalist Space Marine Chapters
 * All Chaos Space Marine Legions and warbands
 * All Renegade Space Marine Chapters and warbands

Notable Known Thunderhawk Gunships

 * Gladius - The Gladius is the personal Thunderhawk of the Ultramarines 2nd Company's Captain Cato Sicarius.
 * Xiphos - The Xiphos is a famed Thunderhawk gunship of the Ultramarines Chapter.
 * Pilum - The Pilum is a well-known Thunderhawk gunship of the Ultramarines Chapter.
 * Harald IV - The Harald IV is a well-known Thunderhawk gunship of the Ultramarines Chapter.
 * Stormwalker - The Stormwalker is a Thunderhawk gunship of the Fire Angels Chapter.
 * Sunderer - The Sunderer is a Thunderhawk gunship of the Raptors Chapter.
 * Khorma - The Khorma was a Thunderhawk gunship of the White Scars Legion during the time of the Great Crusade and the Horus Heresy.
 * Perfection's Flight - The Perfection's Flight was a Thunderhawk gunship of the Emperor's Children Legion during the tme of the Great Crusade and the Horus Heresy.

Notable Users

 * Avenging Sons - The Avenging Sons Space Marine Chapter deployed 5 Thunderhawks during the Taros Campaign against the Tau.
 * Raptors – The Raptors Space Marine Chapter deployed 8 Thunderhawks during the Taros Campaign against the Tau, and several during the Badab War against the Seccessionist forces.
 * Red Scorpions – The Red Scorpions Space Marine Chapter deployed 3 Thunderhawks to the planet Beta Anphelion IV to combat escaped Tyranids, and they deployed several during the Siege of Vraks and during the Badab War.
 * Dark Angels – The Dark Angels Space Marine Chapter deployed 16 Thunderhawks during the Siege of Vraks against the Traitor Forces of Apostate Cardinal-Astra Xaphan, and several during the Relief of Rael's World, and many more during the Great Crusade and Horus Heresy.
 * Grey Knights – The Grey Knights Space Marine Chapter deployed several Thunderhawks during the Siege of Vraks to combat the daemonic forces unleashed upon the planet by the Forces of Chaos.
 * Angels of Absolution – The Angels of Absolution Space Marine Chapter deployed several Thunderhawks to Vraks Prime during the Siege of Vraks.
 * Raven Guard – The Raven Guard Space Marine Chapter deployed several Thunderhawks during the Imperial raid on the Ork-held world of Kastorel-Novem, and many more during the Great Crusade and Horus Heresy.
 * Fire Angels – The Fire Angels Space Marine Chapter deployed several Thunderhawks during the Badab War to combat the Secessionist Forces of the Tyrant of Badab, Lufgt Huron.
 * Star Phantoms – The Star Phantoms Space Marine Chapter deployed several Thunderhawks during the Badab War.
 * Salamanders – The Salamanders Space Marine Chapter deployed 7 Thunderhawks during the Badab War, and many more during the Great Crusade and Horus Heresy.
 * Minotaurs – The Minotaurs Space Marine Chapter deployed 2 Thunderhawks during the Badab War.
 * Space Wolves – The Space Wolves Space Marine Chapter deployed several Thunderhawks during the defense of the Imperial Mining World of Betalis III against the Eldar of Craftworld Mymeara, and many more during the Great Crusade and Horus Heresy.
 * Blood Ravens – The Blood Ravens Space Marine Chapter deployed several Thunderhawks during the Tartarus Campaign, the Dark Crusade, the Kaurava Campaign, and the Aurelian Crusades.
 * Ultramarines – The Ultramarines Space Marine Chapter deployed several Thunderhawks during the Devastation of Boros, the Damnos Campaign, the Joran Retaliation Force, and many more during the Great Crusade and the Horus Heresy.
 * Dark Hands – The Dark Hands Space Marine Chapter deployed several Thunderhawks during the Chinchare Hrud Infestation.
 * Black Templars – The Black Templars Space Marine Chapter deployed several Thunderhawks during the Third War for Armageddon against the Orks and during their many Crusades.
 * White Scars –The White Scars Space Marine Chapter deployed five Thunderhawks on the planet of Cernis IV and another nine on the world of Quintus during Kor'sarro Khan]'s [[Hunt for Voldorius.

Notable Conflicts
Thunderhawk gunships were widely used during these famous Imperial military campaigns and Crusades:
 * Great Crusade
 * Horus Heresy
 * Third War for Armageddon
 * Achilus Crusade
 * Assault on Black Reach
 * Hunt for Voldorius
 * Damocles Gulf Crusade
 * Battle of The Fang
 * Siege of Vraks
 * Badab War
 * Aurelian Crusades
 * Macharian Crusade

Also See

 * Imperial Vehicles

Gallery
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