F/A-306 Harrier

2536 was an unfortunate year for the UNSC. It not only marked the fall of the last of the Outer Colonies, and the deaths of billions of colonists and military personnel, but it also saw the near economic ruin of the UNSC, brought from the brink only barely. It came as no surprise to Sierra Space Systems when their submission for Project: ICARUS, the XF300 Falcon, was not adopted for cost concerns. Its reliance on stealth metamaterials made it a costly option, when the UNSC needed a reliable and, most of all, cheap alternative, and instead chose to update the Skyhawk Strike Fighter.
As the Covenant poured into the Inner Colonies, the UNSC found itself increasingly forced to turn to alternative means to their goals. As metamaterial development progressed, Sierra submitted an improved design, the F/A-306 Harrier, as a supplement to the venerable Skyhawk. With its use of the proven Tarnhelm and Ancile metamaterials, the Harrier was approved in 2551, though it would enter service only in the later part of 2552 and 2553.
==Development==
After the Falcon fighter was shelved from production, a number of the prototypes were requisitioned by Sierra Space Systems for further development. Initially serving as testbeds for experimental technology, they were used to develop new technologies for the UNSC Navy and, later, the Air Force. The results of these, such as improved target acquisition and designation systems, rudimentary AI autopilots, improved avionics, and the Hydra missile system, were later incorporated into other craft, such as the SkyHawk and the Longsword, but it wasthe first craft constructed by Sierra Space Systems to use its patented stealth metamaterial. Once an electric current was run through it, the material would render the craft totally invisible from optical, LDAR, Radar and Maser sensors. Such a breakthrough in stealth technology was immediately noticed by the Office of Naval Intelligence, who purchased it in exchange for the exclusive rights to construct a new strike fighter to supplement the SkyHawk.
Using the same basic design as the Falcon, the Harrier was quickly rushed into production, and had entered frontline service in 2551 among the UNSC Air Force and the Army, Navy and Marine Corps Aviation branches. It saw its first action at Minorca, where it conducted stealth tactical strikes against Covenant targets, prodived close air support for ground forces, and served as an electronic warfare platform for naval ONI operators. With the rest of the UNSC's 30th Fleet, the entire line was recalled to Earth, with most of them being stored within the Troop Ship Behemoth, though a single squadron was stored aboard the UNSC Aeneas.
==Design==
Unlike the SkyHawk, which is a dedicated ground attack aircraft, the Harrier is the first UNSC fighter produced after 2525 that is capable of air superiority missions. Once its stealth systems are enabled, it is undetectable to all but the most advanced sensor packages, and is capable of slipping unnoticed deep within Covenant territory, delivering its payloads, and withdrawing. During the year-long Minorcan Campaign, only two Harriers were lost to enemy fire, and it is debatable whether this was intentional.
The Harrier uses a swept-forward wing design, meant to improve stability in steep dives, especially during the delivery or ordnance against ground targets. Underneath each wing, attached to the hull, is an air intake vent and a pod of ASGM-442 Hydra missiles. At the rear of the craft are two inward-angled horizontal stabilisers, with vertical stabilisers situated on the dorsal hull, aft of the cockpit. Landing gear is attached to the wingtips, and can be retracted to improve aerodynamic efficiency. Thrust vectoring is accomplished by adjustable jet engines at the rear of the craft, which also provide horizontal thrust, as well as a turbofan located underneath the ventral hull.
In terms of armament, the standard Harrier fighter carries a payload of twelve ASGM-442 Hydra missiles, as well as a nose-mounted 40mm guass cannon and a ventral payload of four GBu-77 "Gungnir" bombs. Specialised variants exist, used for different roles, operated by the UNSC Air Force, Army, Navy and Marine Corps.
==Variants==
*F/A-306 - UNSC Navy and Marine Corps version
**F/A-306A - VTOL-capable variant
**F/A-306B - CATOBAR-capable variant
*F-306 - UNSC Air Force variant
*A-306 - UNSC Army variant
==Quotes==
*"My brother pilots one of these. Apparently, Navy Harriers are still launched from sea- or space-borne Aircraft Carriers, while the Marines use VTOL fighters."
*"I flew my bird over a Covenant Division - broad daylight, not a cloud in the sky. They still didn't see me until I'd dropped my payload and hightailed it out of there!"
*"The LT says that they use the same stuff they're using on the new IX-991 Prowlers. Its about time we got some air supremacy back! Banshees can clutter up the skies, but they can't do anything against a flock of Harriers!"
*"The Army outfit their Harriers with much heavier payloads - more kill power, but it means they need runways. Still, since they're stealthed and have a helluva long operational range, it doesn't seem to hinder its effectiveness!"
*"I heard there was a jet called the Harrier hundreds of years ago. Pioneered VTOL, apparently. Some coincidence, huh?"