View source for Vulture Gunship

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{{Ambig|subject=Vulture Gunship|disambiguation=Vulture}}
[[Image:Vulture.jpg|thumb|270px|right|A Vulture Gunship]]
The '''Vulture Gunship''' is an attack gunship based upon the [[Valkyrie]] troop carrier, with similar hover and VTOL ('''V'''ertical '''T'''ake-'''o'''ff and '''L'''anding) capabilities.

==Overview==
[[File:Vulture Gunship Zaebes City.jpg|Vulture Gunship during the [[Battle of Balhaut]].{{Fn|5}}|right|thumb]]
Like the Valkyrie, the Vulture is operated by the [[Imperial Navy]] and attached to [[Imperial Guard]] units, particularly [[Drop Regiment]]s lacking heavy armour and artillery support. The Vulture is operated by a crew of two, a pilot to fly the craft and a weapons operator to aim and fire its armament. A single Vulture will typically fly in support of a flight of Valkyries whose variable weapon configurations allow a variety of missions to be fulfilled: anti-tank, infantry suppression or bombing enemy strongpoints. They often remain after the Valkyries' passengers have disembarked and the transports have retreated acting in a direct air support role, aiding the drop troops in tougher firefights. Although they can mount extra fuel tanks to accompany Valkyries on long-range operations, this does reduce their weapons payload.{{Fn|1a}} Vultures also operate as protection for air-to-surface landing operations and find usage in deep-range attacks, ground strafing runs against massed infantry and urban combat, supplanting the less-flexible armed [[Vendetta]] in these roles. Vultures are build in large numbers on the [[forge world]] of [[Voss (Forge World)|Voss]] and other strategic location.{{Fn|4}}

The standard armament on the Vulture is its nose-mounted [[Heavy Bolter]], with four wing hardpoints, along with [[Extra Armour]] and a [[Searchlight]]. The two inner wing hardpoints, besides extra fuel tanks, typically mount [[twin-linked]] [[Multi-laser]]s, although these can be replaced with [[Lascannon]]s, [[Missile Launcher]]s, [[Autocannon]]s, or [[Rocket pods]]. The two outer wing hardpoints, besides extra fuel tanks, typically mount two [[Hellstrike Missile]]s, but can also be replaced with two [[Hellfury Missile]]s,{{Fn|2}} two Rocket Pods, two bomb racks for a total of six [[Heavy Bomb]]s or Heavy [[Smart Bomb]]s, or two missile racks for a total of six [[Hunter-killer Missile]]s.{{Fn|1b}} For extreme firepower, the Vulture can replace all of its wing-mounted munitions for a twin-linked [[Punisher Gatling Cannon]], while all gunships can be modified with [[Imperial Aircraft Upgrades|additional upgrades]].{{Fn|2}} The Vulture also incorporates [[Suspensor|suspensor vanes]] to help keep it afloat.{{Fn|4}}

==Technical Specifications==
{{Imperial Aircraft
|Type=Attack Gunship{{Fn|1c}}
|Vehicle Name=Vulture{{Fn|1c}}
|Forge World of Origin=[[Mars]], [[Voss]], [[Artemia]], [[Estaban VII]], [[Agripinaa]], [[Phaeton]], [[Lucius (Forgeworld)|Lucius]]{{Fn|1c}}
|Known Patterns=I-X{{Fn|1c}}
|Crew=Pilot, Weapons Operator{{Fn|1c}}
|Powerplant=1x F200-KW4 Afterburning Vector-Turbojet{{Fn|1c}}
|Weight=9 tonnes empty{{Fn|1c}}
|Length=19.2m{{Fn|1c}}
|Wingspan=14.2m{{Fn|1c}}
|Height=4.9m{{Fn|1c}}
|Operational Ceiling=11,000m{{Fn|1c}}
|Max Speed=1100kph{{Fn|1c}} at 5,000 feet{{Fn|3}}
|Range=2,000 km in atmosphere{{Fn|1c}}
|Main Armament=Nose mounted [[Heavy bolter]]{{Fn|1c}}
|Secondary Armament=4x under wing hardpoints for various weapon systems{{Fn|1c}}
|Main Ammunition=200 rounds{{Fn|1c}}
|Secondary Ammunition=Varies by weapon type{{Fn|1c}}
|Superstructure Armour=75mm{{Fn|1c}}
|Hull Armour=75mm{{Fn|1c}}
}}

<gallery heights="170px" widths="300px" mode="packed" caption="">
Vulture Gunship.jpg|Vulture Gunship{{Fn|1c}}
</gallery>

==Known units that include Vultures==
*[[2nd Imperial Navy Tactical Wing]]{{Fn|1d}}
*[[Elysian 9th Drop Troops Regiment|9th Elysian Drop Troops Regiment]]{{Fn|1d}}
*[[Elysian 15th Drop Troops Regiment|15th Elysian Drop Troops Regiment]]{{Fn|1d}}
*[[33rd Imperial Navy Tactical Wing]]{{Fn|1d}}
*[[Elysian 64th Drop Troops Regiment|64th Elysian Drop Troops Regiment]]{{Fn|1d}}
*[[81st Imperial Navy Tactical Wing]]{{Fn|1d}}

==See also==
*[[List of Imperial Aircraft]]
*[[Vulcan Gunship]]

==Sources==
*1: [[Imperial Armour Volume One - Imperial Guard and Imperial Navy]]:
**{{Endn|1a}}: pg. 249
**{{Endn|1b}}: pg. 254
**{{Endn|1c}}: pg. 250
**{{Endn|1d}}: pgs. 252–253
*{{Endn|2}}: [[Imperial Armour - Apocalypse II]], pg. 24
*{{Endn|3}}: [[Aeronautica Imperialis Game Rulebook]], pg. 52
*{{Endn|4}}: [[Imperial Armour - Apocalypse II]], pg. 24
*{{Endn|5}}: [[The Sabbat Worlds Crusade (Background Book)]], pg. 43
{{ImpShips}}

[[Category:Flyers]]
[[Category:Imperial Aircraft]]
[[Category:Vehicles (Adeptus Mechanicus)]]
[[Category:Vehicles (Astra Militarum)]]

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