Banshee Ground Support Aircraft

The is the latest version of the Banshee series. Released from the technological oppression of the Prophets, the Banshee has flourished, becoming more advanced, and more deadly. 
==Description==
After the Sangheili civil war, many Armouries, Merchant Guilds and the Justiciars looked to the existing technology of the Covenant and Sangheili and finally had a chance to sit down, look at deficiencies and flaws found in the designs over the last thirty-five years and attempt to rectify them. Many of these researchers looked at the venerable Banshee and sought to improve the design. The first to get a vehicle in the air was the Shuril Armoury on Hesduros. These were soon supplied to the Storm Covenant in massed numbers. However, the design fell into the hands of the Swords of Sanghelios, who between defectors, and captured vehicles, had as many as the Storm did. The design was copied, and soon the Sword were producing their own Type-54 Banshees. 
The T-54 Banshee utilises many design features from the Banshee and Banshee interceptor. It is space and atmosphere capable, and features decent armour, with the new inclusion of energy shielding. It still features twin plasma cannons and two fuel rod cannons. It also carries new components, such as enlarged twin tail assemblies, larger repulsor engines optimised for atmospheric conditions, new wing design, each with their own articulation, and can also be folded up for ease of transport. This allows it to be faster, and more agile in-atmosphere while maintaining some degree of low-end anti-gravity capability. Its cannons are also much more accurate, with high velocities as well, allowing it to engage targets from further out. It also has small incremental upgrades to armour, which combined with the shielding, allows it to survivor much more harm. 
The Banshee is still used in large numbers as a close air support vehicle, providing frontline support for infantry, and escorting dropships, or the larger and more powerful A-64 Yűrei gunships. It vastly outclasses the older Banshee, and often tears apart opposing formations of Covenant Banshees and Interceptors.
==Variants==
===Sword Banshee===
The Sword-pattern Banshee steadily began to overtake the standard design taken from Hesduros. This variant featured heavier armour, and more powerful motors to compensate. 
===Ultra Banshee===
A heavily upgraded Banshees, each one was fantastically expensive but incredibly deadly. They featured heavier armour, and more powerful shielding, teamed with new rapid-fire fuel rod cluster bombs. These were delivered only to proven Sword aces, and each was carefully directed to only the most important actions. 
===Temple Banshee===
A masterwork Banshee, used by the Sky-Chevaliers, the Temple Banshee is built from hand-crafted materials, with prayer-strips wrapped around the engines and weapons, and the whole craft anointed by priests. The craft is faster, and more agile than any production Banshee, and features an advanced weapon system that can fire and boost without delay. 
==UNSC Remarks==
Category:Covenant Aircraft