D-79I Pelican

D77I-TC Pelican

"Hard to believe you could actually improve this old girl anymore, isn't it?"

- Captain Scott Gillott

The D77I-TC Pelican is the ninth iteration of the venerable Pelican Dropship/Gunship. The I has changed little from the H previously used by the UNSCMC but what few changes increased its capability heavily.

Changes

 * Forward Gunstation: The Forward gun is kept in a unfolding canopy on the under carriage of the cockpit, with it folding in to make it aerodynamic during flight.
 * TADS/PNVS: The gun turret now contains a wide plethora of systems directly linked into the co pilots helmet, which also directs the movement of the turret. This system contains optical and thermal systems along with a LIDAR scanner.
 * Millimeter wave RADAR: The nose cone now contains a Millimeter wave RADAR, providing advance detection systems for the Pelican.
 * Powerplant: The Pelican now uses high powered turbines with a plasma hydrogen fusion drive, providing it with high speeds.
 * Self Defence: The Pelican now contains three self defence systems
 * Point Defence Lasers: A pair of point defence lasers hidden in recesses in the underside of the hull. During cruising they are kept within the hull but during drops, both are activated manually, providing a defence against SAMs.
 * Active Protection systems: The CARAPACE DAPS provides both a temporary and near impenetrable shield and a plasma counter guidance system.
 * Countermeasures:The Pelican holds 80 launchers for DECEPTION Countermeasures, for protection from missiles.
 * Armour: The D77I frame is constructed from superplastic-formed diffusion-bonded metal matrix composites. These light, oxidation resistant matrix composites are formed from high modulus, high strength gold and chrome doped zirconium oxide reinforced fibres and a titanium aluminide matrix. The skin is formed from four layerd plates attached to the frame. The inside layer is a carbon composite bonded to the middle layer of single crystal carbon, which does not melt on reentry and protects the ship and occupants. The third layer is a ceramic outer layer providing themral and oxidation protection. The top layer is a composite buffer system, with a depleted uranium mesh insert. The troop bay and the cock pit are situated in titanium alluminide 'tubs'. These give limited protection against enemy fire. The windscreen is bullet-proof diffusion-bonded stretched-acrylic.

Over previous models it is both more heavily armoured, faster, greater of carrying heavier weights and a much more potent vessel.