Longsword Interceptor (Specops306)

GA/TL-1 Longsword Interceptor

Strictly speaking, the term "Longsword" can be applied to any of dozens of different aircraft in service with the UNSC during its extensive lifespan. Introduced into service in 2460, extensive (and sporadic) modernisations campaigns have ensured that even almost a century after the design was adopted the Longsword has remained at the forefront of the UNSC's aerial and space campaigns. Adopted by UNSC Navy and Marine Corps Aviation Wings and UNSC Air Force Wings, the Longsword is the most visible and memorable symbol of space warfare, and their successful record against enemy counterparts has been one of the few advantages the UNSC has enjoyed in space warfare against the Covenant. Even after the introduction of the C800 Blackburn Claymore Space Superiority Fighter, the Longsword in all its variety still remains the most flexible and adaptable weapons platform in service in the UNSC Air Force, Navy and Marine Corps.

Development and Introduction
Although the period of time between 2164 and 2490 is generally regarded as a peaceful era, the truth was anything but - Koslovic and Frieden holdouts persisted until long after their relevance had faded away, committing terrorist acts within the Sol System against UNSC targets. Pirate and privateer groups established bases of operations near profitable merchant routes, intercepting and capturing valuable freight for sale on the black market. The use of small, hastily armed shuttled by Frieden forces during the Jovian Moons campaign had proven to the UNSC that the concept of space fighters had some merit, and their continued spread was beginning to outpace the abilities of UNSC Navy corvettes, frigates and destroyers designed to intercept them, especially the use of "kamikaze" tactics, crashing a remote-piloted "fighter" into a UNSC ship, turning it into a makeshift missile. By 2550, it was readily apparent that the UNSC desperately needed their own equivalent of the concept, if only to keep up with their opponents.

Established in 2455, the LONGSWORD Initiative was originally a modernisation effort by the UNSC Air Force to replace many of its aging and outdated designs in the face of new technologies and innovations, and especially with new combat philosophies. Rather than a dedicated exoatmospheric fighter, the Longsword, then codenamed "GA/TL-X", was conceived as an atmospheric multirole fighter, capable of engaging enemy aircraft, hitting stationary or moving targets with missile or autocannon strikes, and supporting soldiers and Marines on the ground with close air support. Interest from the Navy would lead to LONGSWORD becoming a shared project, with Naval research and development being combined with Air Force experience and doctrines to produce a far better fighter. Over time, the two branches would cooperate on a number of craft and equipment, but the Longsword would be the most successful of these.

When one looks at a Longsword, it is difficult to think of it as a fighter. Indeed, its profile is more reminiscent of some of the largest bombers of previous wars, such as the B-2 Spirit or the B-44 Renegade. Partially, this is a concession to its space role - layers of thick armour plating and internal compartments are designed to prevent explosive decompression in the event of a hull rupture, and protect the occupants from environmental threats, such as the radiation that UNSC starships regularly have to endure during patrols. Partially too, this is an adaptation to its flexible nature - with a few small modifications, Longswords can operate in virtually any colonial environment, taking into account atmosphere pressure and composition, local gravity, and other factors. During the Insurrection, this ability would prove to be crucial to the UNSC's suppression campaign, allowing the deployment of Longsword strikes in virtually all combat theatres. Internally, the Longsword can carry virtually any payload, ranging from missiles and rockets held within hull-recessed missile pods, to wing-mounted recessed 110mm or 120mm rotary turrets for strafing runs. Dedicated CAS, Ground Attack, Reconnaissance, Air Superiority and Space Superiority, and even transport variants all require little hardware modification, a product of its extreme modularity - it takes very little time, technical specialisation, and expense to convert a Longsword from one variant to another. This same modularity also allows constant upgrades to its performance, replacing equipment as improvements enter service. Given the huge span of space the UNSC must patrol, these upgrades do not all enter service at once, or even on all Longswords, producing a patchwork of ability - Longswords based closer to the Inner Colonies generally recieve upgrades quicker than those stationed further out, and upgrades to the entire fleet require significant time to recall affected units, install upgrades and improvements, and redeploy them.

Insurrection
These factors would prove absolutely crucial after the introduction of the GA/TL-1 Longsword into active service. Within its first twenty years of service, the Longsword had proven itself more than capable of holding its own against anything that the enemies of the UNSC could throw against it. Even before the Insurrection, Longsword deployments against pirate vessels proved the crafts performance to be without match. When conflict erupted right across the Outer Colonies, Longsword deployments proved a crucial factor in the UNSC's campaign to pacify the rebellious colonies. Air support from Longswords would allow UNSC soldiers and Marines superior firepower in ground campaigns against enemy armour and artillery, and the Longsword's high speed, huge and flexible payload, and ability to launch from orbit rather than being confined to landbased airstrips allowed it to be deployed in a capacity more like a bomber than a fighter, retaining the ability to engage airborne gunships or fighters, and even larger capital ships in-atmosphere. During the Epsilon Eridani portion of Operation: TREBUCHET, Longsword strikes would target training and bomb manufacture camps, support the main ground campaign, and play a vital role in a number of orbital engagements.

The Longswords would prove themselves so effective that they became a much-sought after commodity for Insurrectionists themselves - shipments of Longsword parts and equipment would find their way into rebel hands, largely through contacts among the CMA, allowing the Insurrection to construct and field their own cheap knockoffs, though they would still prove effective. Even in Insurrectionist hands, the Longsword would prove to be an adaptable and flexible weapons platform, easily accepting non-standard armaments and equipment, at the cost of standardisation - rebel Longsword forces would often differ in composition and capability, producing mismatched units that, while certainly effective, still failed to live up to their UNSC variants. Colonel Robert Watts' campaign of eluding the UNSC while coordinating hostile actions would be supported by a squadron of customised Longswords, outfitted with advanced equipment and armaments stolen or bartered from the CMA or bought on the black market - though rumours of Sierra Space Systems providing such material to the Insurrections have circulated, so far they remain unsubstantiated. Suffice it to say that Longswords fought on both sides of the Insurrection to dramatic effect.

Human-Covenant War
The beginning of the Human-Covenant War instantly rendered many UNSC technologies out of date. Directed energy weapons cut through UNSC battleplate like a knife through butter, and energy shields withstood even the most powerful human weapons - the only weapons capable of penetrating a cruiser's shield are nuclear warheads of MAC rounds. While the UNSC possessed superior tactical and strategic capabilities on the ground to counter the Covenant sheer superiority in numbers, the battle for space was virtually lost at hte outset. During the early engagements with the Covenant, virtually the only successes the UNSC enjoyed were in small-scale skirmishes between light capital ships and fighter formations - against the small, nimble and fast Seraphs, the Longsword would prove remarkable adept. The combination of large payloads, multiple autocannons with independent targeting vectors, and the ability to slave these systems to onboard or external "dumb" AI constructs would allow Longswords unmatched kill-to-death ratios against Covenant fighters, and especially against their light capital ships - in such battles, a ship would use a MAC shot or missile salvo to cripple the shield, deploying Longswords to deliver ordnance to damage the ship's hull. It would prove to be an effective and popular tactic.

Nevertheless, even the Longsword was beginning to show its age. Efforts before 2542 to modernise the fleet's fighter complement were, as mentioned, sporadic and produced a mixture of performances that FLEETCOM was unsatisfied with. Development of the YSS-1000 Saber and C800 Claymore was begun, hoping to find a better alternative to in space combat, incorporating developments in energy shield technology, but the Longsword would continue to be upgraded to remain the UNSC's mainstay multirole fighter. In 2542, Project EXCALIBUR was begun by the UNSC Navy, using assets from the Army and Air Force, to introduce "game-changing" technologies into service - as part of these technologies, several Longsword squadrons were reassigned to serve as testbed prototypes for next generation armaments and defences. Elements of VFA-306 "Hellbringers" were instrumental in the testing of various missiles, such as the RIM-442 Anubis, REM-226 Gungnir, REM-225 Eris and AIM445 Thanatos for compatability issues with the Longswords internal missile compartments and external hardpoints, as well as the incorporation of prototype Solid Light Barriers to radically improve defensive capabilities. The squadron saw heavy combat during Operation: HOT GATES, the first successful combat deployment of the next-generation Longswords, and saw further action during the Battle of Earth as the Covenant invaded. Still more participated in Operation: BLIND FAITH as the UNSC and Sangheili Fleet of Retribution launched a concerted attack to follow the Covenant to the Ark, eliminate crucial ground positions, and locate and kill the Prophet of Truth, finally ending the war. Longsword strikes would destroy heavy anti-air emplacements and deal with Phantom and Seraph aerial threats, though a number were brought down by enemy fire. When the UNSC and Sangheili began retreating most of the Longswords that had participated had been destroyed by the overwhelming firepower of the Covenant - but despite this, the survivors achieved higher kill ratios than in any other battle, proving once and for all the effectiveness of the design.

Post-War Era
With the conclusion of the Human-Covenant War

Variants

 * Close Air Support:
 * Air Interdiction:
 * Space Superiority:
 * Air Superiority:
 * Reconnaissance:
 * C709 Pillar of Autumn:

Remarks

 * "My dad was a Longsword pilot. His dad was one too. His dad was a test pilot for the prototypes. I guess it runs in the family!"
 * "We're pinned down by a platoon of Wraiths, lobbing plasma mortars onto us."