User:SPARTAN 119/F/A 712 Scimitar Multirole Fighter

Operational History
The F/A 712 Scimitar was designed as a multi-role fighter, for space-to-space, air to air, and air to ground combat Shortly before the Second Battle of Earth in 2552. The Scimitar was deployed in practically every major battle on the North American continent including New York, Los Angeles, Toronto, Montreal, Philadelphia, and many others, as well as in space battles with Covenant Seraph fighters. The ASGM-12 beyond visual range missiles proved effective against Seraphs and other covenant air/spacecraft at long ranges, destroyeg them before they were even visible to the firing Scimitar pilot. For closer encounters, the Laser Cannon, which was basically an oversized Spartan Laser, proved to be less effective, as, in spite of doing more damage than the Seraph's pulse laser, The Scimitar's laser had a shorter range. This deficiency cost the lives of many Scimitar pilots. Against larger spacecraft, Shiva missiles equipped with new antimatter warheads annihilated several Covenant capital ships, including an Assault Carrier. However, the Covenant Fleet still broke through as only six antimatter warheads existed in the UNSC arsenal at the time. Scimitars also proved effective against large ground targets such as Scarabs and Drinols, though they were largely inneffective at attacking anytrhing smaller. The Scimitar was used less extensively in the African campaign and the assault on the Ark, though a Scimitar armed with an antimatter warhead did destroy a Brute cruiser in the space battle over the Ark. All in all, the Scimitar proved itself to be one of the best human-made fighters of the Human-Covenant War, inspite of it's defeciencies.

Description
The Scimitar has a flying wing design similar to that of a modern B-2 bomber. One large internal ordinace bay is located in the fusalage. The laser is mounted in a chin turret capable of rotating 180 degrees. The Scimitar looks similar to the Shortsword Bomber, but as it is designed as a fighter, the Scimitar is smaller, and unlike the Shortsword, is capable of spaceflight.

Weaknesses
In order to fit the spacecraft's heavy armament, the Scimitar lacks any form of sheilding and has minimal armor. Also, the Laser cannon had a shorter range than a Seraph's Pulse Laser, thus, once the ASGM-12 supply was exhausted, the Scimitar proved less effective in combat. Also, only about 150 Scimitars existed in the UNSC arsenal at the time.

Remarks
''"If we had the Scimitar and the antimatter Shiva when we first encountered the Covenant, we could have cut the length of this war in half, at the very least." '' - Admiral Terrence Hood, UNSC Navy

"Finally, A UNSC spacecraft as good as anything the Covies can throw at it." - then-Major Ross East, Scimitar pilot, UNSC Air Force

Links
SPARTAN 119

F/A 712 Scimitar Multirole Fighter