E-456 Xiphos

The is a UNSC vehicle. 
==Description==
The Xiphos is vital support vehicle that provides Airborne Early Warning & Control (AEW&C), providing a massive sensor range, with precision not seen on any other UNSC space or aircraft. Using this, and advanced communication systems, it directs the flow or battle, guiding supporting fighters to their target. It also provides a vital reconnaissance resource, providing overwatch for a battlegroup, or support an air unit from a planetary base. 
The mounts an active electronically scanned array held in a radome above the fuselage, capable of covering a area of around 120,000 kilometers, far outside the range of every combat aircraft in the arsenal of every faction and even most warships, making its RADAR capacities on par with carriers. This RADAR can detect incoming aircraft far outside of missile range and its RADAR can be used to direct both air and ground RADAR homing missile systems to their targets. It can also pick up even well hidden air and ground emitters, allowing it to act as jam homing as well. 
The Xiphos' primary role is battle management, and through its RADAR it can provide real time intelligence for infantry on the ground, allowing forces on the ground to patch into its intelligence gathering systems to provide increased situation awareness or guide naval fire, air engagement, air bombardment or ground based artillery systems. By using a mixture of visual and electronic observation gear, mixed with IFF signalling, and threat analysis, they can determine what kind of enemy forces are travelling in which direction and what speed and how many and rely this to friendly units. From its position at a Low Earth Orbit at 90 kilometres above the action (or at the boundary of the Thermosphere). 
It can provide aerial battle management, increasing situational awareness for aircraft, added stealth by allowing them to turn off their RADARs, increased range and increased terminal guidance, by feeding telemetry data to missiles. It is also a vital instrument in suppression of enemy air defences operations, being able to detect, designate and jam enemy RADAR instruments. It can also direct naval fire with startling accuracy, and direct surface to air fire against enemy targets, working in sync with ground based sensors to find, and destroy, enemy air units. 
It is crewed by a pilot, radio operator, co-pilot, electronic warfare operator, and carries 10 'mission' crew who operate the battle management and sensor systems. There is also a rest area where crew can work in shifts, or take meals, extending operational time. These are all supported by a single Seventh Generation 'Dumb' A.I. who not only is designed to operate all the systems and translate them, but also aid the intelligence officers and the communication officers.
Its well shielded, studded with point defence lasers and has a highly stealthy design, which is compounded by advance Electronic Warfare and Counter Warfare systems along with stealthy design and active camouflage. As a result, even when operating at full capacity, it can be difficult to locate, visually and technically. When its systems are off line and its 'running silent' it is near impossible to detect.
The 's airframe is constructed from a basis of superplastic-shaped diffusion-adhered metal matrix composites. These light, oxidation resistant light-matrix composites are formed from high modulus and high strength gold doped zirconium oxide fibres and a titanium/aluminium laminate matrix, formed by heat bonding layers of titanium, aluminium and titanium aluminide, forming high strength crystal matrices, the results forming a high strength, yet flexible and light airframe. The skin is formed from four layered plates attached to the frame. The inside layer is a high strength carbon nanotube nanobud mesh composite, which does not melt on re-entry and protects the ship and occupants. Above this is a environmental layer, which regulates internal and external heat, preventing layers from outright melting or freezing, and protecting the occupants. The third layer is a resin bonded layer of structural titanium aluminide with a titanium mesh insert. The fourth layer is a outer layer of AEGIS tiles, built on a non-newtonian shock absorbing layer, providing thermal and oxidation protection. The cockpit is situated in titanium-AEGIS compound armoured 'tubs'. These give limited protection against enemy fire. The windscreen is bullet-proof diffusion-bonded self-regenerating stretched-acrylic, with a coating of liquid glass, with a variable electronically controlled gold tinted setting, which protects it from solar rays, laser dazzles and electronic interference. These give limited protection against enemy fire. The skin is painted with thermal diffusing paint, heat controlled hull to generate a black body exterior, infra-red suppressors on the engines, RADAR absorbent paint, liquid glass composites and LASER absorbent laminates, which when compounded with its stealth design, gives it excellent stealth abilities.
The Electronic Warfare systems consists of two pods, the AN/ALQ-57 VANGUARD jamming system, capable of intercepting and deciphering radio systems, intercepting RADAR transmissions and intercepting MASER transmissions and then tracking the source and jamming it through low detectable directed narrow ban jamming or wide area jamming, at the cost of stealth. It has the added functionality of being able to feed false information to any of the above sensor or communication systems, further confusing enemy forces or preform active cancellation, sending out directed, well timed signals on the correct wavelength to 'cancel' enemy RADAR, Radio or MASER signatures, resulting in a 'silence'. The second pod is a Electronic Protection Pod, the AN/ALQ-61 PACK RAT that interferes with enemy attempts to intercept and jam communication and detection systems by producing narrow beam 'burn outs' that confuse and jam enemy attempts to jam them. Along with that, it uses a CPU driven decryption system that protects against attempts to intercept communication systems or preform cyber warfare attacks, usually through vicious back hacks and maze barrier systems. Its tail assembly has been modified with lightweight and low impact signals receiver and directional finder. It also carries multiple NEMESIS Decoy Launcher pods for deterring direct attack. 
==UNSC Remarks==
==Notable Squadrons==
Category:UNSC Aircraft