Wave Tanto/Jet Tanto

**Key Features** | »» Water-glider (x2)»» 1500 PS engine (x2)»» Missile pods»» Cargo bay for single vehicles»» On-board computer with simple games

*"Can't catch me!"*

- Unknown Tanto pilot
## Tactical Analysis

* **(Title 1):** (Overview)

* **(Title 2):** (Secondary)

* **(Title 3):** (Miscellaneous capabilities)

* **(Title 4):** (Upgraded nature)

## Background

In the present, the **Wave/Jet Tanto** is a frail but versatile combination of a hit-and-run burst rocket speedboat and a hit-and-run burst rocket fighter. The Tanto is used to quickly destroy members of an enemy fleet by striking at their weaker rear armor before fleeing away on the seas in its speedboat Wave Tanto form, and to shoot down enemy fighters in a volley of rockets before dropping to the seas to escape retaliation by survivors.

However, it has had an unusual and interesting past. Named by the tradition of naming units from weapons of the past, the Tanto originally was designed as a lightly armed scout for the Empire capable of flying over any terrain at high speeds as a jet while avoiding enemy ships and evading enemy fighter patrols as an equally fast speedboat. Yet once the war had begun the more heavily armored and battle-worthy Tengu proved itself capable enough in the Tanto's roles to trivialize it, and the Tanto saw very limited service.

After the discovery that their *"divine destiny"* that they had fought for was a delusion due to the death of the Emperor, the Empire of the Rising Sun fell into a state of shock. Due to unforeseen circumstances, the militaristic rule of the Empire began to erode, though their society still clung to the old codes that led them to war.

Once the war ended, a greater amount of freedom was granted and tolerance for excess overtook the Empire (Though the Japanese are still considered quite frugal compared to most others, by their standards they have become somewhat extravagant). The Tanto quickly became popular as a luxury jet and speedboat. The Tanto that were hardly used in the war were sold to the public to offset the costs of war. With a new war on the horizon and the vengeful Atomic Kingdom of China setting its sights on Japan, the Imperial Navy once again have to defend the seas of the Empire.

The current Emperor has offered the pilots of commercial Tanto to join the ranks of the Empire, and armed the Tanto of those who accepted with a new variant of the infamous VX-rocket pod. This new *"burst rocket"* version unleashes a volley of rockets considerably larger than its predecessor, but it is limited by a far longer reloading time.

This and the fact that its reloading system takes up room and weight normally reserved for armour makes it unsuitable for weapons without the Tanto's ability to escape retribution. Still, if it had been available to the Tanto originally the Tanto may have proven a valuable asset in the previous war, even though the shift of the rocket pod mount after a transformation forces a reload on the weapon.

However, there exists a rivalry between the pilots of Tengu who joined the army for the vision of a divine destiny, and the pilots of the Tanto which have their origins set in peace and preserving the Empire. They are at odds with each other, both because of vastly different reasons for fighting and a simple rivalry between fighters and fighter pilots, this rivalry encourages both sides to constantly improve on their skills.

It is not uncommon for Tengu pilots to ridicule Tanto pilots as cowards for their dishonorable hit-and-run tactics, even moreso than the Tengu pilots themselves. Regardless, the new Tanto is proving to be a much greater asset to the Empire than it ever has been before, and it threatens to overtake the Tengu in effectiveness as a fighter.