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{{ambiguousAstraMilitarumPortal}}{{Ambig|subject=Vulture Gunship|disambiguation=Vulture}}[[Image:Vulture.jpg|thumb|270px|right|A Vulture Gunship]]The '''Vulture Gunship''' is a VTOL ship used by an attack gunship based upon the Imperial Navy Manufactured on many worlds. It is armed with a Chin-mounted [[Heavy BolterValkyrie]] troop carrier, with similar hover and various weapons mounted in pairs on 4 under-wing hardpoints. Alternatively external fuel tanks may be fitted to increase flight time. The Vulture Gunship is most often used in a support role, supplementing the VTOL ('''V'''ertical '''[[Valkyrie]]sT''' lack of hardake-hitting fire power. A flight of Valkyrie's will often be escorted by a single Vulture Gunship which will attack the tougher targets such as tanks ''o'''ff and AA installations to protect the more fragile Valkyries. They often remain after the Valkyries' passengers have disembarked and the transports retreated to act in a direct air support role, aiding the drop troops in tougher fire fights''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 gunshipGunship{{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 operatorWeapons 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=2,000km 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=Sources"300px" mode="packed" caption="">Vulture Gunship.jpg|Vulture Gunship{{Fn|1c}}</gallery> ==Known units that include Vultures==*[[2nd Imperial Armour Volume One - 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 Guard and Navy Tactical Wing]]{{Fn|1d}}*[[Elysian 64th Drop Troops Regiment|64th Elysian Drop Troops Regiment]]{{Fn|1d}}*[[81st Imperial NavyTactical Wing]]{{Fn|1d}}
==Related ArticlesSee also==
*[[List of Imperial Aircraft]]
*[[List of named Imperial AircraftVulcan 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:Imperial NavyFlyers]]
[[Category:Imperial Aircraft]]
[[Category:FlyersVehicles (Adeptus Mechanicus)]][[Category:Vehicles(Astra Militarum)]] [[de:Vulture (Flieger)]][[fr:Vulture]]
