Pluto Airmobile Submarine

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## Tactical Analysis

* **If not by sea**: One the oddest craft in Syndicate’s arsenal, the Pluto submarine is armed with torpedoes that, while slow to load, are highly effective at sinking enemy ships.

* **Then if by air**: The Pluto may also surface and convert into a flying gunship. Doing so converts its torpedoes into air to air missiles effective against other gunships and it can also drop cluster bombs effective against most foes, tho they struggle to crack open buildings.

* **Flying brick**: It takes time for Pluto to fully transform between sub and copter modes. Also it’s rather sluggish in the air, it can actually swim faster than it can fly.

* **New and improved**: The latest model of Plutos’ sport improved engines allowed for quicker locomotion changes and greater speed when out of water. Such craft usually also sport improved ammunition in the form of high-explosive torpedoes and cluster bombs that transforms into mines if it hits nothing.

## Operational History

The long-time rival to Westwood, Relic Aerospace, barely even considered the Pluto a rival to their own Commanche. The Commanche's chief purpose was close air support for ground units on the offensive. Highly manoeuvrable, it was effective against ground units of most types, especially infantry and light vehicles, which were easy prey. The prototype appeared before the eyes of Relic, they were simply stunned at the sight of it. The two were required to perform three tasks, deciding which project would become the primary assault helicopter of the Syndicate. The proving grounds for the projects would be the Galapagos Islands. The tasks were to get past a line of anti-air batteries unscathed, destroy the fighting capacity of the enemy force, and sink an outdated cruiser manned by the local militia. The Comanche completed the first two tasks within the required time frame but failed to sink the cruiser that was prepared for an aerial assault.

When the Pluto was ordered to accomplish the same tasks on another island, it dove into the water and vanished from sight. Relic began to celebrate their victory, as the first Thebes anti-air platform collapsed all of a sudden. Aghast with disgust they stood still as more and more of the defensive perimeter was washed away by the waves. The top of the Pluto emerged from the deep as the roar of its engines threw the sea about. As the mighty submarine rose from the realm of Poseidon, the Westwood team simply stood back and ate Burger Kong's Mighty Joe Buns. The mock Empire base was simply a walk in the park for the Pluto as it simply strolled over every structure, and rained bombs until the occasional onlooker could no longer distinguish the pile of bombs from the building itself. Only the Pluto was distinguishable after the blinding blast of what was an operational sea base. When the cruiser came within the range of its Tartarus torpedoes, the Pluto would simply land in the water and vanish beneath the waves. The cruiser capsized as the Pluto emerged from the sea. With all tasks completed by the Pluto within the minimum time frame, the Westwood team simply discarded their trash and proceeded to board their creation on its return voyage to the La Canela Sprawl.

The Pluto is a monument to the ingenuity of the Syndicate. The effectiveness of its torpedoes against sea and air targets makes it truly one of the most formidable weapons platforms ever conceived. If it were to encounter anti-air from the surface, then the pilot could simply either fly over the target or run away knowing that either way the hostile will soon be unable to continue their actions against the corporation. A ducted fan design was created to allow the propulsion and lift of the Pluto while in the air or underwater. The ballast system was also modified to compensate for the intense pressure of the Pluto's Sudden Emergence System from the water. However, as a result of physics and the limitations of the Pluto's frame, the Pluto needs to surface in order to use the SES and needs to land in the water before submerging.

After the success of the Pluto the Westwood team began ordering engineers to see how to improve it. And, after some months, the engineers had found a way to further improve the engine, and a more aerodynamic hull, allowing it to switch between forms faster and move much faster when flying. But due to just starting production, it's extremely expensive, and the crew must buy the new model out of their own pockets.

It's also common for those crews that bought the new model to also buy better ordinances for their sub, since they have the money for that seeing as how they could pay for the new model. Mainly torpedoes that detonate when near the target, spraying shrapnel in a wide radius, and smart bombs transform into mines if they hit nothing.