MD-3 Storm Petrel

MD-3 Storm Petrel

"The Storm Petrel is a good example of SOCOM's "fuck it, I want it do everything" approach. Because boy does the Storm Petrel do everything."

- Anonymous Air Force Aviator

The D-3 Petrel is a heavy UNSC dropship, designed to cover a number of roles required by UNSC SOCOM. Operating under the umbrella of UNSCAF, the Storm Petrel performs the role of Combat Search and Rescue (CSAR), gunship support, and fuel tanker. Designed to support UNSC forces deep into enemy terrain, the Storm Petrel accompanies squadrons of Pelicans and other aircraft, providing fuel to extend their range. Using it's ground reading RADAR and night vision sights, it can also perform low altitude missions, flying to drop supplies and medical personnel, or performing medical evacuations. Lastly, with its upgraded armament, it can perform gunship missions, using a heavy nose gun, and a payload of missiles, rockets, and bombs to provide direct fire support.

The 's airframe is constructed from a basis of superplastic-shaped diffusion-adhered metal matrix composites. These light, oxidation resistant light-matrix composites are formed from high modulus and high strength gold doped zirconium oxide fibres and a titanium/aluminium laminate matrix, formed by heat bonding layers of titanium, aluminium and titanium aluminide, forming high strength crystal matrices, the results forming a high strength, yet flexible and light airframe. The skin is formed from four layered plates attached to the frame. The inside layer is a high strength carbon nanotube nanobud mesh composite, which does not melt on re-entry and protects the ship and occupants. Above this is a environmental layer, which regulates internal and external heat, preventing layers from outright melting or freezing, and protecting the occupants. The third layer is a resin bonded layer of structural titanium aluminide with a titanium mesh insert. The fourth layer is a outer layer of AEGIS tiles, built on a non-newtonian shock absorbing layer, providing thermal and oxidation protection. The cockpit and troop bay are situated in titanium-AEGIS compound armoured 'tubs'. These give limited protection against enemy fire. The windscreen is bullet-proof diffusion-bonded self-regenerating stretched-acrylic, with a coating of liquid glass, with a variable electronically controlled gold tinted setting, which protects it from solar rays, laser dazzles and electronic interference. These give limited protection against enemy fire. The skin is painted with thermal diffusing paint, heat controlled hull to generate a black body exterior, infra-red suppressors on the engines, RADAR absorbent paint, liquid glass composites and LASER absorbent laminates, which when compounded with its stealth design, gives it excellent stealth abilities.

The vehicle is studded with point defence lasers in recesses for cruising and numerous DECEPTION Countermeasure launchers, giving it effective all round cover. It features a high power AESA RADAR, LIDAR, a cannon on the nose for LZ supression along with a full TADS/PNVS suite for the co pilot.

The 's primary sensor is a AESA wave RADAR in the nose of the aircraft, which operates both as ground reading and forward facing, allowing it to identify aircraft directly ahead and targets on the ground, along with mapping them. This is supported by two flat pane RADARS on each side of the aircraft which scan to the sides and rear, giving a roughly spherical view of the aircraft. All RADARs can operate doppler and pulse, against ground targets and air targets respectively. These allow it to map its surroundings, detect aircraft 200km away, detect missiles up to 100km away and provide threat detection and target acqusition for missile ordnance and onboard weaponry. This information can be directed to marine ground teams, providing support and early warning. The forward RADAR also acts as the fire control, though that can be passed to the other RADARS in situations where it may occur.

Along the sides it carries several AN/ASQ-144 FINDER Distributed Aperture Systems. These act as a missile warning system, reports missile launch locations, detects and tracks approaching aircraft spherically around the aircraft and provide additional navigation systems. They consist of pairs of short range thermal and monochrome TV cameras with steadied autotracking and display systems. It can lock onto multiple targets designated by the weapons officer and by passing from one camera to another, maintain a optical lock.