Lightning Strike
The Lightning 'Strike' is a variant to the Lightning air superiority fighter which has been modified to fulfill a ground-attack role.[1a]
Overview
The main difference between the Strike variant and the original is its weapons loadout. While it retains the twin-linked Lascannons mounted on the wing tips, the Strike removes the long-barreled ventral-mounted autocannon for two additional hardpoints, which carry either two Hellstrike Missiles or two Bombs. It also retains the four wing hardpoints, allowing it to carry four additional Hellstrikes or bombs, four Hellfury Missiles or six Skystrike Missiles. Like the Lightning it can also mount additional equipment.[2]
Lightning Strikes are used purely for dedicated ground attacks, primarily targeting enemy armor formations. During major operations in conjunction with the Imperial Guard, a 'taxi rank' of Lightnings will circle the battlefield awaiting requests from Guard commanders for assistance. Once received, the Lightning Strike will then swoop down on the enemy target and destroy it before climbing back into the rank to await the next request.[1a]
Type | Ground Attack Fighter[1b] | Operational Ceiling | 36,000m, with jet engines |
---|---|---|---|
Vehicle Name | Lightning Strike | Max Speed | 2400kph |
Forge World of Origin | Cypra-Mundi | Range | 8000km |
Known Patterns | III-XI | Main Armament | 2x wing-mounted Lascannons |
Crew | Pilot | Secondary Armament | 6x Hellstrike Missiles |
Powerplant | 2x F100-XB Afterburning Turbofans | Main Ammunition | 30 shots from battery packs |
Weight | 9.8 tonnes empty | Secondary Ammunition | N/A |
Length | 10.8m | Armour | |
Wingspan | 13.75m | Superstructure | 45mm |
Height | 3.4m with landing gear down | Hull | 30mm |
- 484th Imperial Navy Fighter Wing - Talon squadron
- 1002nd Imperial Navy Fighter Wing - Red-hammer squadron
- 2872nd Imperial Navy Fighter Wing - Thunderbird squadron
Related Articles
Sources
- 1: Imperial Armour Volume One - Imperial Guard and Imperial Navy
- 2: Lighting Strike (Saved archive page, dated Apr 2012, last accessed 30 July 2015)
- 3: Imperial Armour - Apocalypse II, pg. 25