Lightning

The Lightning Air Superiority Fighter is a fast attack craft used by the Imperial Navy for the purpose of quickly assaulting and defeating the enemy in air combat in order to establish air superiority over the battlefield. The Lightning is smaller and much more maneuverable than the Imperial Thunderbolt fighter, and can be quickly scrambled during an enemy attack. The craft is both capable of STOL and VTOL, and when stationed on the ground, either in a permanent airbase or a forward base during a mission, the Lightning can use hydraulic ramps to get into the air even quicker. The Lightning is also able to be launched from ships in orbit to quickly enter anywhere on the battlefield.

History
The Standard Template Construct (STC) designs for the Lightning were found by Adeptus Mechanicus Exploration teams on the world of Karnak II after the Saint-Saen Crusade, which liberated twelve worlds in the Segmentum Obscurus. The designs were transferred to the Forge World of Cypra Mundi, once there the Lords of the Machanicum took readings with the Emperor's Tarot and followed the advice of their oldest and wisest technicians. The designs were cross referenced with the archive on Mars before it was decided to be a good omen, and work began on the Lightning with the favour of the Machine God. After nearly half a millinnia of trial and error, and devotions to the Machine God the Lightning saw its first service with Battlefleet Obscurus, and after all the problems with the Lightning's swept wing design were worked out the craft went into full production and was soon being supplied to the fleet's carriers and cruisers. The STC data was eventually shared with the major Naval centers of Bakka and Hydraphur, and now the Lightning is serving the fleets of the Segmentum Tempestus and Segmentum Pacificus along with the originals serving in Segmentum Obscurus.

Armament
The basic armament for the Lightning is 2 wing-mounted Lascannons, a single ventral-mounted long barreled Autocannon, and 4 wing-mounted Hellstrike Missiles. The "Strike" variant of the Lightning, which is the same as the regular Lightning with the exception of its weapons, replaces the Autocannon to save weight and adds additional Hellstrike Missiles. The "Strike" variant is mainly used to attack enemy armour on the ground and is used as a heavy support unit for ground forces such as infantry. The Lightning can replace its Hellstrike Missiles with Hellfury Missiles or the air-to-air Skystrike Missiles, it can also be equipped with bombs instead. The Lightning can also be outfitted with an ejector seat, flare or chaff launchers, an armoured cockpit, infra-red targeting systems, illuminations flares, and distinctive paint schemes and decals.

Known Users of the Lightning

 * The Imperial Navy - The Lightning is the Imperial Navy's primary interceptor and air superiority fighter, while less common than the Thunderbolt its manuverablility is higly prized during a fight.

Known Lightning Squadrons

 * 2774th Imperial Navy Fighter Wing, Wyrm Squadron
 * 3035th Imperial Navy Fighter Wing, Firedrake Squadron
 * 717th Imperial Navy Fighter Wing, Warhawk Squadron
 * 2872nd Imperial Navy Fighter Wing, Thunderbird Squadron
 * 484th Imperial Navy Fighter Wing, Talon Squadron
 * 1002nd Imperial Navy Fighter Wing, Red-hammer Squadron

Gallery
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