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Firehawk (Tiberium Wars)
 | For other Firehawks, see Firehawk. |
|---|
| Firehawk | |
|---|---|
| |
| Unit | |
| Affiliation | |
| Role |
Multirole Aircraft |
| Armament |
|
| Protection |
Medium |
| Production | |
| Cost |
1500 |
| Build time |
0:15 |
| Produced by |
Airfield |
| “ | Firehawk, docked and ready! - Firehawk | ” |
The Firehawk VTOL fighter attack jet is a GDI weapon system combining AI programming and human piloting skills that appears in Tiberium Wars.
Contents |
Background
Edit
The jet possesses a dynamically unstable airframe with downward-canted forward-swept wings with downward-canted canards requiring an AI controller to stay in flight while the pilot issues commands. However, it is capable of quickly altering the course and speed of the craft, making it an excellent air superiority fighter. The embedded AI functions as a highly sophisticated targeting system, threat assessment and tracking module as well as weapon control and navigation. The AI also controls the airframe stability during combat. the jet can also act on aircraft carriers where the catapult will launch the FireHawk at higher speeds giving it a better chance to engage air to air targets. Firehawks have a crew of two: pilot and weapons officer.
Firehawk attack jets have variable weaponry, and commanders can choose between two highly destructive Hellcat firebombs or four Rattlesnake missiles, allowing it to act both an anti-air unit or an anti-ground unit. The Hellcat bombs do massive damage to structures, but are not very effective against vehicles (Compare this to the Vertigo, which can kill a Mammoth 27 with only 4 bombs). A single bomb will also kill any infantry, provided it hits them (since the bombs themselves are unguided). The Rattlesnake missile is highly effective against other air units and only air units. 2 of them are enough to bring down a Venom. However, commanders must be careful, since the blast from the missile will also damage the Firehawk if it happens to fly through it. Firehawk can be assigned to patrol duty (althought with no specific command buttton) in a similar fashion that fighter planes from Command and conquer Generals did. Firehawks, due to their weapon, need to return to their base to rearm (and to choose their weapon).
UpgradesEdit
Added by DatadeleterThe fighter can also be upgraded with stratosphere navigation systems and special Stratofighter boosters, allowing it to move much faster through the battlefield by traveling through the stratosphere, outside line of sight of the theater, and engaging targets where they least expect it by dropping from stratosphere altitude. With the boosters the Firehawk can ascend to such a high altitude, and at such great speed, that it is untouchable by enemy anti-aircraft weaponry. The immense heat generated by this boost means that the pilot must wait a short period of time before he can utilize the Firehawk's boosters again. With proper planning, a Commander can have Firehawks utilize their boosters, pummel targets across a battlefield with impunity, then return them home in the same manner without retaliation. However, most of the time, these missions end up as suicide missions, since most commanders do not micro-manage the Firehawks to such a degree, and the AI will attempt to bring the Firehawk straight back to base in the absence of different orders once the aircraft is out of ammo. The upgrade costs 2500 credits and is bought at the Tech Lab.
Another upgrade for this versatile unit are additional Hardpoints. This new feature lets Firehawk carry more ammunition (2 more Rattlesnakes and 1 more Hellcat), allowing them to cause even more damage to a target. This upgrade is not available to ZOCOM, which opts for improved survivability instead of firepower. Instead, GDI ZOCOM has Ceramic armour aviable to upgrade its fighter-bombers.
Firehawks apparently lack ejection seats and pilots are often heard screaming through transmissions when shot down as a result. The Firehawk is somewhat akin to the Aurora fighter bomber employed by USA in Command & Conquer: Generals, with different game mechanics applied.
- Stratofighter booster - Allow Firehaws to avoid enemy defenses.
- Hardpoints - Increases Firehawk ammuniton capacity, but also increases reload time (GDI United Peacekeepers or Steel Talons only).
- Ceramic armour - Dramatically increases Firehawk durability (GDI ZOCOM only).
Service RecordEdit
- A Firehawk (piloted by Captain Hunter) tries to provide air support during the retaking of the Pentagon but is shot down and killed by two Venoms, much to the dismay of his fellow soldiers.
- During the retaking of the White House, a squadron of Firehawks from the newly recaptured Langley Air Force base carpet-bombs a large group of Nod forces in preparation for the ground assault.
- A squadron of veteran Firehawks guarded the Guns of the Amazon emplacement, operating from a GDI carrier.
- Firehawks were widely used during the destruction of the Nod supply depot at Albania.
- Several Firehawks were deployed to hold back the Scrin during the initial invasion, albeit largely unsuccessful.
- A squadron of booster equipped Firehawks played a suicidal but decisive assault on Scrin base over Berne. Their attack destroyed the Scrin's Signal Transmitter, denying Scrin from recalling their Mothership.
In-gameEdit
| “ | We're heating up! - An Unfortunate Firehawk | ” |
Pros
- Missiles are great at taking out even Scrin aircraft, second only to the Slingshot AA Platform.
- Bombs are devastating against structures and slow-moving targets.
- Even garrisoned infantry are not safe from bombs, which can kill them after destroying the structure.
- Stratofighter boosters allow it to penetrate heavily defended area.
- Extreme speed allows them to always have the first strike.
- Can carry up to 3 bombs or 8 missiles after Hardpoints upgrade.
Cons
- Needs to reload at Airfield.
- Only available at Tier 3.
- Relatively expensive.
- Has low armor unless upgraded.
- Lousy against tanks.
- Notoriously inaccurate against ground units.
- Even SAM Turrets and Mantis with upgraded Tiberium Core Missiles are fatal without armor upgrade or booster to escape.
- Firehawks tend to bunch together in an air-to-air fight - which is suicide, since the Firehawk missiles tend to fire at the enemy when the clumped Firehawks are right beside it.
QuotesEdit
Firehawk (Tiberium Wars)/Quotes
ReferencesEdit
- ↑ Command & Conquer 3 Xbox 360 unit profile, EALA, Los Angeles, 2007
- ↑ Command & Conquer 3 Xbox 360 unit profile, EALA, Los Angeles, 2007
