Zuiun-class landing craft

The Mitsushishi **Zuiun-class** landing craft is a transport used primarily by Yamatai to transport troops, small vehicles, and supplies from orbit to ground. It is capable of travelling between planets and adjacent star systems by itself, allowing for light interstellar transport or military raids. It is operated by the Yamatai Imperial Navy, but primarily transports forces of the Yamatai Imperial Army or the SNLF, making the craft a rare example of inter-service cooperation.

## Design

The Zuiun-class landing craft is heavily based on the Egusa-class shuttle, with its folding wing configuration and near-matching cockpit module. However, unlike its counterpart, the landing craft's exterior is encased in armour plating 25% heavier than the armour of a Egusa-class. Despite its large size and heavy weight, the Sentinel-class is as fast as its smaller counterpart due to its powerful engine array, mounting four ion engines for optimal output, though it is not as agile. The class is equipped with an FTL drive capable of moving between planets and adjacent star systems under its own power, though deployment from carrier ships is generally favoured.

The vehicle's sensor suite, located in the cockpit, allows for navigation in nearly all conditions and features infrared imaging, motion detectors, and life-form indicators. The vessel's computer also features an automatic mapping function and an on-bard AI that helps in piloting functions and can even pilot the vessel towards a Yamataian garrison, starship, or homing beacon during emergencies. Powerful communication arrays are included, enabling contact with all Imperial starships and garrisons around and on a planet, and beyond.

The interior of the shuttle can be customized for each mission, removing or adding seating. In its standard configuration, a Zuiun-class can carry 54 troops, 20 heavy machine guns and ammunition, and either 12 Zu-120 120mm mortars, or 2 Type-90 light trucks. When its seats are removed and it is converted to carrying supplies, it can transport 18 Type-90s or 12 compact assault vehicles such as Type-4 Tokage walkers or Type-11 Burai mechs. Its total cargo capacity is 180,000 kilograms.

Zuiun-class landing craft can also carry tanks and artillery vehicles into battle. Zuiun-class ships are also used to deploy SNLF or Marine landing forces onto enemy starships.

The landing craft is considered heavily armed, with a weapons load consisting of eight beam guns, two missile launchers, a retractable turret-mounted pulsed laser, and two retractable 30mm rotary cannons for landing zone suppression. Three gunners were responsible for manning these weapons, which are all linked to the shuttle's precise targeting computers. Since the Sentinel-class is heavily armed, it may also serve as a combat support vehicle or a strike craft, though it is not ideal for this role.

The Zuiun-class relies on a six-man crew consisting of a pilot, a co-pilot and sensor officer, as well as three gunners. The minimum crew required for flight is just one, aided by the on-bard AI. The head gunner handles the eight fire-linked laser cannons, while the remaining gunners manned the ion cannon, the repeating blasters and the fire-linked missile launchers.

## Operational use

Following the great success of the Egusa-class shuttle in 2350, Mitsushishi created a larger version capable of carrying a larger amount of troops in 2362.

## Specifications (Zuiun-class Block 240)

* Crew: 6
* Passenger Capacity:
	+ Standard: 54 passengers
* Cargo Capacity:
	+ Standard: 20x heavy machine guns and
		- 12x Zu-120 120mm mortars or
		- 2x Type-90 light trucks
	+ Supply mission:
		- 18x Type-90 light trucks or
		- 12x Type-4 Tokage walkers or
		- 12x Type-11 Burai mechs or
		- 2x Main Battle Tank or
		- Various
* Length: 38m
* Height: 19.8m
* Wingspan: 42m
* Propulsion: 4x RaMe-204 ion engines in 2 arrays

**Armament**

* Forward:
	+ 8x Type-33 Beam Guns
	+ 2x missile launchers
	+ 1x retractable turret-mounted pulsed laser
* Sides:
	+ 2x retractable 30mm rotary cannons

## See also

* Egusa-class shuttle
* Tenzan-class landing craft