Vulture

The Vulture is a VTOL gunship of the Imperial Guard and the Imperial Navy, and is used as a heavy support vehicle for ground units and the Valkyrie transport. The Vulture is very similar in appearance to the Valkyrie transport, but with a drastically different role on the battlefield. The Vulture is capable of equipping a large variety of weapons and is able to engage both infantry and armoured units, and is also able to attack fortified enemy structures and bunkers.

Uses
The Vulture is an attack gunship, and its main role is the support of Valkyrie transports while in flight and while their troops are disembarking, the Vulture will often stay after the Valkyries have left in order to provide heavy support to the infantry on the ground. Regiments such as the Elysian Drop Troops make heavy use of Vultures due to being deployed into hostile territory without heavy armour or artillery support. Vultures are not used as air superiority fighters due to their relatively slow air speed, this role is better left to the Imperial Lightning and Thunderbolt fighters, it is also unable to operate in the vacuum of space and thus cannot be used during any void battles.

Armament
The Vulture is able to be equipped with a vast amount of weapon systems and upgrades, the default armament consists of a nose-mounted Heavy Bolter, Twin-linked Multi-Lasers, and 2 Hellstrike Missiles. The craft has two weapon hard-points on each of its wings, and can equip two different weapon systems which are linked to their counterpart on the opposite side of the craft. The inner hard-point, closest to the center of the craft is capable of exchanging the Twin-linked Muti-Laser for external fuel tanks for longer operational time and distance, Twin-linked Lascannons for anti-armour firepower, Twin-linked Missile Launchers, with either fragmentation or krak warheads, Twin-linked Autocannons, or Twin-linked Rocket Pods. The outer weapon hard-point is capable of exchanging the Hellstrike Missiles for external fuel tanks, 2 Bomb Racks, with up to 3 bombs each, 2 Heavy Smart Bomb Racks, with up to 3 Heavy Smart Bombs on each, 2 Missile Racks with 3 Hunter Killer Missiles per rack, 2 Hellfury Missiles, or 2 Multi-Rocket Pods. Both wing hard-points can be used for a single Twin-linked Punisher Gatling Cannon on each wing. The Vulture can also be equipped with ejector seats, flare or chaff launchers, an armoured cockpit, a searchlight, extra armour plating, an infra-red targeting system, illumination flares, and distinctive paint and decals.

Regiments Known To Make Use of Vultures

 * 81st Imperial Navy Tactical Wing - Fought against Tau forces on Dolumar IV
 * 15th Elysian Drop Troop Regiment - Used during the Yarant II Campaign
 * 64th Elysian Drop Troops Regiment - Used during the fifth ill-fated Ymgarl Insertion
 * 2nd Imperial Navy Tactical Wing - The Defense of Cadia during the 13th Black Crusade
 * 9th Elysian Drop Troop Regiment - Fought against Hive Fleet Kraken on Veridian Prime
 * 33rd Imperial Navy Tactical Wing - Part of the Planetary Defence Forces of Betalis IV
 * 23rd Elysian Drop Troop Regiment - Fought against the Tau during the Taros Campaign
 * 226th Elysian Drop Troop Regiment - Fought against the Eldar on Betalis III

Gallery
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