Fukiya Hovercraft

**Key Features** | »» *"Daikyu"* missile launchers (x4)»» Lightweight nano-alloy frame»» Vector jet engines provide thrust»» Enclosed cockpit protects pilot»» Targeting A.I. handles combat

## Tactical Analysis

* **I’ll protect you now**: A lightweight amphibious hovercraft created to escort its larger brethren, the Fukiya provides aerial protection and harassment with its four missile launchers.

* **Please stop firing**: Against heavy firepower the Fukiya can launch a missile that releases a cloud of specialized nanites that jam and freeze all weapons inside it for a short time.

* **I’m only an escort**: The Fukiya is not meant to take on cruisers and battleships, at least not head-on. Such duties should be left to the noble Naginata cruisers and mighty Shogun battleships.

* **Meet my new friends**: The latest Fukiyas carry a pair of repair drones, allowing their attached fleet, or mechas when on land, to stay in action much longer without having to head back to the docks for an overhaul every time they suffer a dent.

## Background

By the end of the Third World War, the mighty Imperial Navy was in shambles. Many ships had been lost during the war; Naginata cruisers, Yari mini-subs, Seawing submersibles. Even the mighty Shogun battleships had taken significant losses; over six battleships were lost during the Battle of the Bering Strait alone.

Given the losses, it was necessary to re-evaluate Imperial naval strategy. A.I.s were put to the task of analysing all the data from the Third World War, while Imperial officers discussed what had gone wrong and why. They soon arrived at several conclusions; one of them being that the Imperial Navy had been inadequately protected from air attacks. While many ships had died to the guns or torpedoes of other ships, all too many had fallen to foes they had no defence against.

During the war, the Imperial Navy had relied on its fighter aircraft and Seawing submersibles to fend off any attacks from the air. However, this had not been enough. Allied Sky Knight drones would attack Imperial ships without concern for their losses; in littoral operations, Apollos and MiGs would drive off fighter support, leaving ground attack aircraft to repeatedly bomb vessels until they sank. Fighter planes were only available during coastal operations or in the vicinity of a Takamori-class carrier or Floating Fortress; this meant that all too often the only protection the Imperial fleets would have against the heavens were the Seawings. While the submersibles could easily destroy any aircraft with their missiles, the time they took to surface and open fire, and the fact it requires the commander to upgrade their docks first, proved a crippling factor.

To address, this deficiency, the Imperial Navy soon contracted several companies to begin constructing anti-aircraft vessels to replace the Seawing. While the new Ryusei-class cruisers were introduced as the final word in air defence, the considerably smaller and swifter Model 66 **Fukiya Hovercraft** was introduced as a light harassment craft and speedy anti-air platform.

Mounting a set of *"Daikyu"* missile launchers and held aloft by powerful vector jets, the Fukiya has the speed to chase aircraft and the firepower to bring them down, an can easily chase them on land if needed. The extensive use of artificial intelligence in the craft means only a single pilot is needed. In battle, a targeting A.I. handles all combat; once the pilot has designated targets as hostile, the A.I. will automatically engage them with volleys of missiles without need for any further human input. Additionally, taking cue for the Allied Nations’ hydrofoils, the Fukiya carries a limited number of nanite jammer missiles. These missiles work by identifying and targeting a craft’s weapons and covering them in short-lived nanites, freezing them for a short amount of time. And while it lacks the ability to constantly shut off the targets weaponry, since the effect ends by the time the A.I. loads a new missile, it makes up for it with both a longer range and being able to affect units around the target as well, meaning a well-placed shot can easily neuter a fleet before combat begins.

Capable of operating in deep water with support from Imperial logistical vessels, Fukiyas are often seen escorting naval convoys, their all-purpose missiles making them suited to fending off most attackers. Though the new hovercraft has yet to prove itself in combat, it has performed well thus far in simulations and war exercises, and it is hoped that it will prove superior to the Seawing in performance.

However, recent tests have also begun to show a minor problem with their fleet. Despite the Fukiya’s power aircraft can still swarm them, and in some cases, there were A.I. that was willing to sacrifice aircraft so that at least one could drop its ordnances. The results show that, in time, waves of aircraft can would either defeat their naval fleet through attrition or force the fleet to stay near the docks, since most of the time the fleet was too far from the Instant Docks and most aircraft can easily catch up. Thus they needed a way to repair their fleet while away from shore. Soon the solution was found that, with some modification, the Fukiya can hold two repair drones, the same ones stationed at the docks and mecha bay, to provide repairs to surrounding naval crafts and vehicles. But since it requires reshuffling the insides to fit the drone compartment means that experienced pilots are prioritised.