The XV02 Pilot Battlesuit is a unique and experimental prototype T'au Battlesuit developed specifically for use in conjunction with T'au vehicles, most notably the Hammerhead gunship. The "0" in its prefix designation represents its form-fitting design, for it is no larger than standard Fire Warrior Combat Armour, whilst the "2" represents its experimental status.
Due to his unerring aim, Shas'la T'au Sha'ng, better known as Longstrike, was chosen to test the newly designed battlesuit. With its upgraded interface, he could become one with his vehicle -- reacting instantaneously alongside various artificial intelligence (AI) functions within the Hammerhead. He could also now be able to make better use of incoming Marker Light data, enabling him to lock on to targets with even greater accuracy.
The battlesuit pilot works in tandem with his vehicle's AI by processing the cadre tactical network and incoming data quickly so that the pilot can react extremely rapidly to enemies attacking their vehicle or nearby units. This allows them to support nearby Fire Caste teams in ways that vehicles, even those equipped with Advanced Targeting Systems, never could before.
The combination of Longstrike's formidable skills and the XV02 Pilot Battlesuit has made him deadlier than ever. The battlesuit also features a multitude of specialised systems, plug sockets, vents, and a wrist-mounted control panel that all allow Longstrike to pilot his Hammerhead by himself without the need for additional crew members. The battlesuit also incorporates a Blacksun Filter, which is an optical filtering suite that allows the battlesuit pilot to target enemies at full efficiency and range, even during night fighting operations.
Sources[]
- Codex: Tau Empire (6th Edition), pp. 62, 72
- Codex: Tau Empire (7th Edition), pg. 100
- White Dwarf 400 (AUS), “Longstrike”, pg. 22