D-98 Osprey

The D-98 Osprey was an eight-engine, trans-atmospheric capable, vectored thrust dropship designed by Chevron Aerospace exclusively for the United Nations Space Command. The Osprey was utilised primarily to transport troops, vehicles and equipment between the surface of a planet and a deploying vessel in orbit, and was additionally used for in-atmosphere transport missions. The Osprey therefore provided a strategic and tactical airlift capability to the UNSC Army and Marine Corps, functioning much like the D-77 Pelican in this regard. Compared to the Pelican, the Osprey sacrificed close air support and other combat abilities for several times the range and payload, carrying only defensive armaments and functioning as a dedicated transport vessel. The D-98 was also comparable to the Pelican in that it relied only minimally on lifting surfaces to remain airborne, instead relying predominantly on multiple large thrust vectoring engines.
The Osprey was introduced in 2557 as a replacement for the ageing , operating in the same role of large trans-atmospheric transport. The Osprey was considerably more advanced than the Albatross, featuring modern avionics and the inclusion of a shield generator, as well as maintaining a higher maximum speed and effective range. The Osprey was also equipped with a cargo compartment several times the size, and able to accommodate four M6A1 Raiders, eight MV-14B Hornets or four hundred fully armed personnel, depending on its modular internal configuration. The Osprey was operated by the UNSC Army and Marine Corps as a personnel and cargo transport. In Army usage, much of the Osprey's operations consisted of moving materiél and troops across a planetary surface, both in normal and combat roles. In Marine Corps service, the Osprey's usage consisted of similar transport of materiél and troops, in atmosphere and between atmosphere and orbit. A major part of its role in combat operations was participating in amphibious assaults, moving large quantities of troops quickly and safely to the ground. A ground attack variant, the AD-98 War Osprey, was also produced to replace the , and offer ground forces greater fire support than the Pelican was capable of.
==History==
==Role==
==Layout==
==Armament==
==Shielding==
==Hull==
==Engines and Powerplant==
==Sensors and Electronics==
==Countermeasures==
Category:UNSC Aircraft