SA-43 Hammerhead
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| SA-43 Hammerhead | |
|---|---|
 Squadron of SA-43 exiting Earth's atmosphere |
|
| First appearance | "Pilot" |
| Status | Active service, primary attack fighter |
| Affiliation | United States Marine Corps |
| General Characteristics | |
| Class | Endo/Exo trans-atmospheric attack jet |
| Registry | SA-43 |
| Armaments | railgun space-to-space missile bomb |
| Defences | LIDAR |
| Propulsion | 3He fuelled scramjet |
| Length | 11.5 m |
| Width | 12.5 m (wingspan) |
| Height | 1.7 m |
The Aero-Tech SA-43 Hammerhead or the SA-43 Endo/Exo-Atmospheric Attack Jet is a fictional strike fighter spaceplane in the setting of Space: Above and Beyond.
[edit] General Information
The SA-43 Hammerhead is the primary space combat aircraft used by the United States Marine Corps Space Aviation Cavalry and also the primary aircraft aboard the U.S. Navy space carriers. The SA-43 uses a modular cockpit and during carrier operation all the cockpits are kept together in a common bay and then each one is loaded into the plane prior to launch.
Although the SA-43 is not as fast as the Chig fighters, it has superior manoeuvrability thanks to the many adjustable thrusters installed on the wings, giving it VTOL abilities. The Hammerhead is also better armed than their Chig counterparts. The primary dogfight weapon is the railgun under the nose, there are also six hard points under the wings for missiles or bombs. The SA-43 also has a small turret on the back allowing it to engage any pursuing enemy craft.
The primary mission for the SA-43 involves engaging enemy air/spacecraft, providing air support for ground troops, escorting cargo or rescue vehicles (ISSCVs), and performing combat air patrols for the carrier. The SA-43 can also be used to launch small intelligence gathering satellites when needed.
