Lightning Strike
The Lightning 'Strike' is a variant to the Lightning air superiority fighter which has been modified to fulfil a ground-attack role.[1a][6]
Overview
The main difference between the Strike variant and the original is its weapons loadout.[6] While it retains the twin-linked lascannons mounted on the wing tips, the Strike removes the long-barrelled ventral-mounted autocannon for two additional hardpoints, which carry either two Hellstrike Missiles or two bombs. It also retains the four wing hardpoints, allowing it to carry four additional Hellstrikes or bombs, four Hellfury Missiles or six Skystrike Missiles. Like the Lightning it can also mount additional equipment.[2]
Lightning Strikes are used purely for dedicated ground attacks, primarily targeting enemy armour formations. During major operations in conjunction with the Imperial Guard, a 'taxi rank' of Lightnings will circle the battlefield awaiting requests from Guard commanders for assistance. Once received, the Lightning Strike will then swoop down on the enemy target and destroy it before climbing back into the rank to await the next request.[1a][6]
The Lightning Strike is vector-thrusted, needing only a short ramp-way to launch and allowing it to ascend or descent vertically. It is also capable of aerial acrobatics such as spinning, tumbling and flipping loops. The Lightning Strike is equipped with a vox and thermal scanners.[5]
| Type | Ground Attack Fighter[1b] | Operational Ceiling | 36,000m, with jet engines[1b] |
|---|---|---|---|
| Vehicle Name | Lightning Strike[1b] | Max Speed | 2400kph[1b] at 5,000 feet[4] |
| Forge World of Origin | Cypra-Mundi[1b] | Range | 8000km[1b] |
| Known Patterns | III-XI[1b] | Main Armament | 2x wing-mounted Lascannons[1b] |
| Crew | Pilot[1b] | Secondary Armament | 6x Hellstrike Missiles[1b] |
| Powerplant | 2x F100-XB Afterburning Turbofans[1b] | Main Ammunition | 30 shots from battery packs[1b] |
| Weight | 9.8 tonnes empty[1b] | Secondary Ammunition | N/A[1b] |
| Length | 10.8m[1b] | Armour | |
| Wingspan | 13.75m[1b] | Superstructure | 45mm[1b] |
| Height | 3.4m with landing gear down[1b] | Hull | 30mm[1b] |
- 484th Imperial Navy Fighter Wing - Talon squadron[1c]
- 1002nd Imperial Navy Fighter Wing - Red-hammer squadron[1c]
- 2872nd Imperial Navy Fighter Wing - Thunderbird squadron[1c]
See also
Sources
- 1: Imperial Armour Volume One - Imperial Guard and Imperial Navy:
- 2: Lighting Strike (saved archive page, dated Apr 2012, last accessed 30 July 2015)
- 3: Imperial Armour - Apocalypse II, pg. 25
- 4: Aeronautica Imperialis Game Rulebook, pg. 42
- 5: Wings of Faith (Short Story) — Inferno! Presents: The Emperor's Finest
- 6: Epic 40,000 Magazine Issue 6, pg. 3
