Aurora Bomber

Radar won't pick us up!

Energy bomb (Townes)

Strategy Center

90 (Granger and Ironside)

### Experience Value

Alexander: 109, 145 (Veteran), 193 (Elite), 257 (Heroic)Townes: 92, 133 (Veteran), 195 (Elite), 280 (Heroic)

Granger and Ironside: 71, 95 (Veteran), 126 (Elite), 168 (Heroic)

### Experience Required

Alexander: 326 (Veteran), 434 (Elite), 578 (Heroic)Townes: 276 (Veteran), 400 (Elite), 585 (Heroic)

Granger and Ironside: 214 (Veteran), 284 (Elite), 378 (Heroic)

### Cost

$3,500 (Alexander and Townes)$3,000 (Granger)

$2,000 (Ironside)

### Build Time

30s (Alexander, Granger and Townes)20s (Ironside)

### Build At

American AirfieldLevitation Pad (Granger)

### Ground Attack

EMP fuel air bomb: 600 (primary), 200 (secondary)Fuel air bomb: 500

Energy Bomb: 550

### Damage Radius

Fuel air bomb: 20EMP fuel air bomb: 20 (primary), 50 (secondary)

Energy bomb: 25 (primary), 50 (secondary)

### Notes

Cannot be intercepted while attackingMost vulnerable when done dropping payload

### Upgrades

CountermeasuresEmitters (Alexander)

EMP Rockets (Alexander)

## Introduction

The **Aurora** is an American supersonic bomber. All American generals except Ironhand have it in their arsenal but it comes in different variants with different purposes and different firepower following their respective commander.

## Overview

The Aurora is a bomber with an aerodynamic chassis that looks stranger than its similar counterparts: its shape is almost like a triangle with a flattened tail wing installed at the rear end of its afterburner that does not point out. With the exception of the cockpit and its vital components, the aircraft looks extremely thin compared to other jet fighters in order to reduce weight. Its main payload is a fuel air bomb (or EMP-fuel air bomb)/energy bomb to decimate structures or slow-moving vehicles. To carry out the bombing run, it has a supersonic/hypersonic afterburner which allows the bomber to fly at extremely fast speeds, so fast that any AA unit cannot aim properly at the bomber, resulting in missed shots or AA ammo deflecting from the chassis thanks to the giant momentum acting on the bomber's surface when the ammo hits it. However, after the bomber drops its bomb, the afterburner will be turned off to prevent overheating, making the bomber vulnerable to AA fire as its armour is very thin. Experienced players can force attack a region of an enemy base and then force attack a further area before the bomber drops its bomb and then return safely for reconnaissance.

Once an Aurora Bomber locks on a target, no AA defense can harm it until it drops its payload. Hence, it is advisable to only use Auroras to snipe down superweapons or "open a hole" on enemy defense lines. There is no effective counter to the bomber, unfortunately. However, any player should destroy the bomber as soon as possible after the bomb is dropped to negate the cost lost by the destruction of a structure, as Auroras are very expensive (which in turn will further decrease the opponent's funds).

## Variants

* **Aurora Alpha**: Variant fielded by General Granger and General Ironside. Armed with an extremely powerful fuel air bomb.
* **Aurora Beta**: Variant fielded by General Alexander. Armed with a slightly less powerful fuel air bomb, but can be upgraded to carry an EMP effect.
* **Aurora**: Classic variant fielded by General Townes. Armed with a powerful energy bomb.

## Assessment

Pros:

* Very fast, cannot be intercepted on bombing run.
* Very powerful bomb load, highly effective against structures.
* An effective counter to superweapons or slow moving super units.
* Can increase firepower and survivability via Pilots.
* Can be used as a scout unit by force attacking an area and change the force attack area before it attacks.

Cons:

* Ineffective against mobile targets.
* Very expensive (between 2000 and 3500$).
* After bombing run, afterburners are turned off, leaving it vulnerable to AA weapons again.
* Paper thin armor, very easy to kill with AA weapons.
* Cannot retaliate against aircraft.
* Late game unit, requires Rank 5 + Strategy Center to build.

## Quotes

The Aurora reuses its vanilla *Zero Hour* quotes.

### When Selected

* Aurora in flight.
* Avionics online.
* Supersonic aircraft.
* Radar won't pick us up!
* Breaking the sound barrier!
* Fuel air Aurora. (Granger & Ironside)
* Fuel air bombs armed and ready. (Granger & Ironside)
* Fuel weapon ready for deployment. (Granger & Ironside)

### When Ordered to Move

* Entering coordinates.
* Roger that.
* Designation set.
* Flight path confirmed.
* Stabilizers engaged.
* Navigation systems check.

### When Ordered to Attack

* Target confirmed.
* Discharging munitions.
* Bombing bays cleared.
* Delivering payload.
* Passing overhead!
* Ready the fuel air bomb! (Granger & Ironside)
* Dropping off the fuel air bomb. (Granger & Ironside)
* The fuel air bomb should be enough. (Granger & Ironside)

### When Crashing

* Eject to safety!
* HUAAAAAAAA!
* AAAAAAAAAH!

## Trivia

* The Aurora was possibly based on the top-secret supersonic aircraft of the same name, built in the late-1980s as a possible replacement to the SR-71, The U.S. Government has consistently denied such an aircraft called Aurora was ever built.
* Aurora is a Latin word for "dawn". It is also a name associated with a Roman goddess.
* In the vanilla ZH version of Alexander's Aurora, it is said that the fuel air bomb drop is so powerful that it could damage aircrafts, including the bomber itself (four ZH Aurora Alphas bombarding a target and one of them got caught in the blast radius). However, *Contra*'s version of this bomber does not encounter such issues.