Gaiaterra: Elysea's Conflict/Fukiya Hovercraft

"Hovercraft leaving."

-Fukiya Hovercraft

The Fukiya Hovercraft is an highly fast AA hovercraft vessels used by the Protectorate. Planned to be voiced by *TBA*

Tactical analysis

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History
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By the end of the GVAW, the mighty Protectorate Navy was in shambles. Many ships had been lost during the war; Akizuki destroyers, Myoko cruisers, Amagi battlecruisers and Kitakamis. Even the mighty Yamato battleships and Hakuryu aircraft carriers had taken significant losses; over six battleships were lost during the Battle of the (Insert) alone.

Given the losses, it was necessary to re-evaluate Protectorate's naval strategy. A.I.s were put to the task of analyzing all the data from the GVAW, while Imperial officers discussed what had gone wrong and why. They soon arrived at several conclusions; one of them being that the Protectorate Navy had been inadequately protected from air attacks. While many ships had died to the guns or torpedoes of other ships, all too many had fallen to foes they had no defense against.

During the war, the Protectorate Navy relied on its fighter aircraft and Seawing submersibles to fend off any attacks from the air. However, this had not been enough. Drones would attack Katsuragi ships without concern for their losses; in littoral operations, Xiphon Interceptors and Sukhois would drive off fighter support, leaving ground attack aircraft to repeatedly bomb vessels until they sank. Fighter planes were only available during coastal operations or in the vicinity of a Takamori-class carrier or Floating Fortress; this meant that all too often the only protection the Protectorate fleets would have against the heavens were the Seawings. While the submersibles could easily destroy any aircraft with their missiles, the time they took to surface and open fire, and the fact it requires the commander to upgrade their docks first, proved a crippling factor.

To address, this deficiency, the Protectorate Navy soon contracted several companies to begin constructing anti-aircraft vessels to replace the Seawing. While the new Maya-class cruisers were introduced as the final word in air defense, the considerably smaller and swifter Model 66 Fukiya Hovercraft was introduced as a light harassment craft and speedy anti-air platform.

Mounting a set of "Daikyu" missile launchers and held aloft by powerful vector jets, the Fukiya has the speed to chase aircraft and the firepower to bring them down, and can easily chase them on land if needed. The extensive use of artificial intelligence in the craft means only a single pilot is needed. In battle, a targeting A.I. handles all combat; once the pilot has designated targets as hostile, the A.I. will automatically engage them with volleys of missiles without the need for any further human input. Additionally, taking a cue from the Andora’s hydrofoils, the Fukiya carries a limited number of nanite jammer missiles. These missiles work by identifying and targeting a craft’s weapons and covering them in short-lived nanites, freezing them for a short amount of time. And while it lacks the ability to constantly shut off the targets weaponry, since the effect ends by the time the A.I. loads a new missile, it makes up for it with both a longer range and being able to affect units around the target as well, meaning a well-placed shot can easily neuter a fleet before combat begins.

Capable of operating in deep water with support from Imperial logistical vessels, Fukiyas are often seen escorting naval convoys, their all-purpose missiles making them suited to fending off most attackers. Though the new hovercraft has yet to prove itself in combat, it has performed well thus far in simulations and war exercises, and it is hoped that it will prove superior to the Seawing in performance.