Arvus Lighters making an unusual combat drop from orbit for the Imperial Army's Solar Auxilia during the Horus Heresy.
The Arvus Lighter is a small, general purpose, surface-to-orbit cargo shuttle that is widely used by the Imperium of Man for many tasks, both in space and on the surface of planets. The Arvus is commonly used by both the Aeronautica Imperialis of the Navis Imperialis and Imperial merchant vessels, including Rogue Traders.
The Arvus Lighter is just one of many types of small, void-capable shuttles used by the various organisations of the Imperium. The Arvus is piloted by a single pilot, and is not normally equipped with any weapon systems; in fact, the Arvus possesses only the most basic navigation equipment, external augur sensors, and proximity alarms. The Arvus has a powerful plasma engine that allows it to carry heavy cargo and sometimes passengers to and from a planet's surface.
An Arvus Lighter landing during the Horus Heresy.
The Arvus is mostly used as a cargo shuttle, ferrying supplies and sometimes personnel from ship-to-ship and from high orbit to the surface of planets. The Arvus can also be used to transport cargo and personnel already on a planet to different locations on the surface if the terrain is too treacherous.
The shuttle can be modified to carry special types of cargo, such as replacing the cargo bay with a fuel tanker or expanding it to carry larger loads. The Arvus can transport up to 12 people in its cargo hold, but any Imperial official of importance will most likely make use of the Aquila Lander instead, as the Arvus is designed as a workhorse and not a luxury voidcraft.
The Arvus is not a combat vehicle and was never intended to engage an enemy, although if times are desperate enough the Arvus can be used as a makeshift assault boat for boarding actions during void combat, or as a transport ship during ground engagements. This was however not always the case, as numerous accounts testify that during the Great Crusade an armed variant of the Arvus saw extensive use in support of Solar Auxilia cohorts.
An Arvus Lighter delivering supplies to Anphelion Base.
The Arvus has been called the Trojan utility vehicle of the Navis Imperialis, as the two vehicles share similar roles and uses with their respective arms of the Imperial military. The Arvus has earned several nicknames such as the "Hog", the "Little Pig", the "Flying Swine," and the "Onager", the last stemming from the belief that the Arvus' Machine Spirit is particularly truculent and stubborn. This is largely owed to its surprisingly resilient armour and powerful engines, which ensure elite troops and officer cadres can be deployed right at the front lines without ground fire posing too much of a problem.
A lack of weapons and other fancy equipment might seem like a drawback, but the sheer frugality of the Arvus design is its greatest strength. Cutting back on resource-intensive upgrades means commanders can field them in considerable numbers for much greater operational flexibility, while losses are easily replaced.
An Arvus Lander as seen from the starboard side.
It has a longer range, too, carrying full life support systems for orbital travel and hazardous planetary environments. In some reported cases, crews of a downed Lighter even survived for several solar weeks before rescue by using their voidcraft as a makeshift shelter.
The Arvus was especially prized by the Veletaris Storm Sections of the Solar Auxilia troops of the Imperial Army during the Great Crusade and Horus Heresy, whose powerful short-ranged weapons worked best from behind enemy lines. Variants of the Arvus used for these air mobile assaults behind enemy lines often carried a rear-hatch-gunner armed with a lascannon to clear the landing zone of any opposition before deploying its precious cargo of elite troops.
Notable Users of the Arvus Lighter[]
An Arvus Lighter that was shot down by an Asuryani Nightwing on the planet Betalis III.
- Imperium of Man - The Imperium uses the Arvus shuttle for many different tasks all across the galaxy, from the cargo holds of Navis Imperialis warships, Mining Worlds, and even Holy Terra itself.
- The Lost and the Damned - Due to the wide usage of Arvus Lighters across the galaxy by the Imperium, many have been used by Traitors and Heretics for their own cargo transport needs.
- Adeptus Mechanicus - The Arvus Lighter was used to deliver supplies to the main Adeptus Mechanicus base on Beta Anphelion IV from orbit. This base was engaged in classified research concerning Tyranid bio-forms that was ultimately deemed forbidden by the Inquisition's Ordo Xenos. After being delivered to the main base the supplies would be flown via an Arvus shuttle to the other Imperial installations scattered across the world due to the hazardous terrain surrounding the bases.
- Betalis III - The Arvus was regularly used to transfer supplies across the ice wastes to the Imperial mining colonies on Betalis III.
Armament[]
An Arvus Lighter
The Arvus Lighter is not a combat spacecraft, but it has been pressed into combat on several occasions. When the Arvus is needed for a combat role it can be equipped with an improvised forward-firing twin-linked Multi-Lasers, twin-linked Autocannons, or 2 twin-linked Heavy Stubbers. It can also be outfitted with 2 Hellstrike Missiles.
An Arvus Lighter modified to carry a rear-hatch-gunner outfitted with a lascannon to clear a landing zone before deployment of the Lighter's troop complement. The crewmen are provided by the Navis Imperialis' Aeronautica Imperialis.
Arvus Lighters in service of the Solar Auxilia during the Great Crusade were known to have been armed with twin-linked lascannons and a rear-hatch gunner also armed with a lascannon for landing zone clearance.
The Arvus can receive the following upgrades, including an ejector seat, an armoured cockpit, a flare or chaff launcher, an illumination flare launcher, or a searchlight.
Adeptus Mechanicus Technical Specifications[]
| Type | General Purpose Cargo Shuttle - Small | Operational Ceiling | N/A |
|---|---|---|---|
| Vehicle Name | Arvus | Max Speed | 1600 kph |
| Forge World of Origin | Bakka | Range | 22,000 kilometres in atmosphere |
| Known Patterns | IV - XXVII | Main Armament | N/A |
| Crew | 1 Pilot | Secondary Armament | N/A |
| Powerplant | 2 RX-60-22 Rocket Engines | Main Ammunition | N/A |
| Weight | 15.0 Tonnes | Secondary Ammunition | N/A |
| Length | 8.52 Meters | Armour | |
| Wingspan | 8.2 Meters | Superstructure | 15 millimetres |
| Height | 3.68 Meters | Hull | 15 millimetres |
| Transport Capacity | 12 Humans or 6 Ogryns | Access Ports | 1, Rear Ramp |
Sources[]
- Aeronautica Imperialis (Rulebook), pg. 24
- Imperial Armour Volume Four - The Anphelion Project, pp. 113-115
- Imperial Armour Volume Eleven - The Doom of Mymeara, pg. 17
- Imperial Armour Aeronautica, pg. 19
- Imperial Armour Apocalypse Second Edition, pg. 40
- The Horus Heresy Book Four: Conquest (Forge World Series) by Alan Bligh, pg. 271
- The Arvus Lighter Returns to Show the Horus Heresy that Frills Don’t Pay the Bills
- Warhammer Community - The Complete Guide to the Arvus Lighter: What it is, and how to use it
- Warhammer 40,000: Rogue Trader (PC Game)
See Also[]
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