Gaiaterra: Elysea's Conflict/Heartwind-class Drone Carrier

"Heartwind drone carrier leaving port!"

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The Heartwind-class Drone Carrier is the bombardment ship of the Federation of Aquila. This unit will set to be voiced by Andrew Love

History
"We shall end this quickly!"

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Many of those living in the free nations have remarked that the sight of an Aquilan Heartwind-class Drone Carrier docked at the harbor is a thing of beauty. These bold, seafaring beasts are some of the most sophisticated naval vessels ever created and are the culmination of a joint 10-year military design effort between Aquilan, Dwarven, Fereldan, and Orlais engineers and scientists. This famous collaboration drew some flak for being reactionary to increased Voshkod aggression. However, the results soon spoke for themselves, as reports of Guardian aircraft carriers effortlessly securing contested waterways and borders soon began to spread in Allied nations and even the Voshkod.

Today's aircraft carriers are of course dramatically different than the relatively bloated, cost-prohibitive floating-fortress-style aircraft carriers blueprinted but never successfully launched due to the lack of a sufficient power source to fuel their voyages. The speculative design of old-style carriers was eventually abandoned when a Dwarven-engineered breakthrough in unmanned combat air vehicles (UCAVs) proved to be the missing link in the carrier's design.

Though considered as a support carrier and a bombardment ship rather than the actual Aircraft Carrier like the Gerald R. Ford, Aquilan Drone Carriers forgo the thousands of crew demanded by previous proposals for an elaborate network of automated drone manufacturing-and-launch bays, maintained and operated by a modestly-sized (and expertly-trained) crew. The result is another shining example of the Aquilan's commitment to efficient, specialized design and conservation of precious resources.

Now in active service worldwide as the Heartwind-class Drone Carrier, any given Drone carrier contains a full complement of Sky Knight-class UCAVs, air-to-surface fighter drones proven to be highly effective in long-range engagements against fortifications and installations. Rather than suffer wear and tear and other unnecessary exposure to harm from being left out on the decks of Carriers, the Sky Knights are concealed in launch bays belowdecks, in facilities made to monitor, control, and maintain full complements of drones at all times. The drones are fast and precise, and each is armed with a powerful 500 lb. armor-piercing bomb similar to Jethroes commonly used by the Andora's Century Bombers. After releasing its payload, a given drone must return to its carrier, where it can rearm.

The drone carrier itself is heavily armored (though not much as the Gerald R. Ford aircraft carrier) and its hull can even take a direct hit from a Voshkod Akula sub torpedo. Its primary armament lies with its Sky Knight squadrons, although the carrier also possesses a firing mechanism for the Blackout Missile, a tactical warhead whose blast overloads all known electrical systems in its area of effect. Overall, the sheer power wielded by these spectacular ships of war means that to helm them is one of the most prestigious posts in the entire Aquilan military hierarchy.

Trivia

 * The Heartwind is the renamed Aircraft Carrier from Red Alert 3/Paradox