Gaiaterra: Elysea's Conflict/Hachiman Aerial Transport

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The Hachiman Aerial Transport is an high speed transport aircraft operated by the Katsuragi Protectorate. Planned to be voiced by.

Tactical analysis

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History
"Clear out the landing zone!"

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During the GVAW, after their success in securing a foothold on the Voshkod western coast during their initial invasion of Eorzea, the Katsuragi Protectorate began to cut a trail of blood and destruction across the Mor Dhona wilderness, striking deep into the heart of the Voshkod. However, the Protectorate underestimated just how treacherous the Mor Dhonan terrain could be.

With forests so thick that only infantry could pass through and the few roads and rail lines throughout the region rendered unusable by Voshkod scorched earth tactics, the Voshkod were eventually able to organize an effective resistance, fighting the Protectorate to a bloodied stalemate and then pushing them all the way back to the Aionysus, in spite of all of the Protectorates advantages.

This unexpected defeat concerned Protectorate officers enough that after the war, they set several A.I.s to analyze the data and figure out what had gone wrong. Eventually, the A.I.s came to the conclusion that the Protectorate forces lacked one thing; air transports. While their air transports already in its Protectorate, this was basically imports from Aquila and Andora, which is a difficult task for surface-bound tanks and infantrymen. The Twinblade, and now the Hunchback, helicopter had given the Voshkod an edge in tactical mobility, allowing them to quickly transport forces to wherever they were needed the most. The A.I.s reasoned that if the Protectorate had something like it, they might have had more success in their invasion.

The transport would have to have a high maximum speed, the ability to carry a decent amount of infantry, and weapons to allow it to support ground forces. With other defense contractors busy with other projects, Nakajima Aeronautics was the first to respond, proposing the KTI-07 Hachiman Aerial Transport. With few contracts in recent times, Nakajima’s design was a desperate bid to stay afloat and proved quite unconventional. Instead of the rotors on most helicopters used by the SDF, Nakajima’s design used a pair of swiveling vector jets mounted on stubby wings, somewhat like the Allied Pelican.

The designers incorporated a sealed, computerized cockpit, with external feeds from cameras, eliminating the need for the traditional glass canopy of other aircraft. An embedded A.I. would serve as the co-pilot as well as the gunner, controlling the two kinetic burst machine guns mounted on the sides of the helicopter. After considering an alternate design from Tenzai, the Protectorate military selected Nakajima’s design, placing an order for two hundred and fifty Hachiman's. Though the Hachiman remains untested in battle, Protectorate officers have good hopes for it.