The Ki-V1 was created by the Star Army to match the variable fighters of other dominant space war fleets. Reflecting the new super-expansion policy the Star Army began to adopt during the beginning of YE 23, it is rugged design, with only a bit more than was absolutely necessary. It originally had no internal gravity or no FTL capability, making it a carrier-dependant fighter. The fighter was intended to replace the existing tanks, helicopters, and fighters of the Star Army, since although they performed admirably ( especially the extreme toughness and indestructibility of the BW-6 and the extreme mobility of the GAH-1), they were limited by the basic concepts of designed such vehicles. The need was clear for a lightweight multipurpose transformable craft to supplement the new starfighter designs of the same time period. The Hoplite also replaced the older HALMS-01 mecha. Replacement of the BW-6 tanks has yet to occur.
Due to the inherent short range, plans for a newer model quickly under consideration for a version with force fields and a continuum distortion drive. An artificial intelligence program is also in the works to provide replacement for pilots, but fortunately, the Star Army can copy their pilots in mass production, so whether the AI program will be successful is questionable. In late YE 24, all Ki-V1 fighters underwent upgrades to include FTL capabilities. The addition of FTL equipment resulted in loss of some of the hardpoints, but created a much more effective fighter.
The Ki-V1 remained in limited service in the Star Army and Self-Defense Forces, but was largely replaced by the LAMIA series of power armor. When the Iris-Class Starfighter Carrier design was retired in late YE 25, the fighters no longer had a support platform and fell from active service.
Atmospheric Cruising Speed is mach 7. The fighter can enter or exit the atmosphere without assistance.
| Starfighter Configuration (F) | Intermediate (I) Configuration | Soldier Configuration (S) | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Length | 52 feet (15.8 meters) | 37 feet (11.28 meters) | 11 feet (3.35 meters) |
| Width | 18 feet (5.49 meters) | 41 feet (12.5 meters) | 41 feet (12.5 meters) |
| Height | 11 feet (3.35 meters) | 21.5 feet (6.55 meters) | 40 feet (12.2 meters) |
Two weapons are mounted in the forearms of the Ki-V1. The arm cannons have two exit ports (one pointing each direction) and thus can fire either to the front or the rear of the mecha in any configuration. In starfighter configuration, the WI-1 can only be aimed to the front or rear of the fighter but in soldier and intermediate they can be aimed in any direction by moving the arms. For additional mobility, the guns can be aimed up to 25 degrees off center. Because of the nature of these weapons, they are especially deadly. They can detonate ammunition or fuel, fry pilot's nervous systems, or destroy electronics. They also penetrate shielding. This is accomplished using electrogravitational wave interferometry.
Armed with eight internal missile launchers, the Ki-V1 packs a hidden extra punch. The launchers are mounted in the forward dorsal and forward ventral sections of the craft and have pairs of exit ports on the top and bottom of the wings near the engine nacelles.
Each wing has three lower hardpoints for a total of six.
These easily-switched weapons systems comprise of two rifle-like pods stored on the underside of the starfighter. The gun pods fire high-powered transphased subatomic particle beams which use quantum potentials to target and fire at preset depths. Just after firing, the beams will disappear and be instantly transported though a higher dimension to the target, reappearing at a preselected depth, bypassing all armor and shielding systems. Targets on which the mecha cannot lock onto or shots without a target will result in normal beam shots without teleportation effects.
The ADN (A carryover from the Alpha/Delta wave Neutralizer) is a form of psionic protection, capable of nullifying all such activity. The ADN has been in use for over 4500 years, without a great deal of change. Modern ADN devices can selectively allow channels to permit secure telepathic operation and to maintain communication even under psionic attack. The ADN is usually on standby, and activates after sensing an attack or unfamiliar signal. Activated ADN's are known for causing weird psychological effects on the ship's crew, and older models are notorious for malfunctioning (but are often used anyway).
Zesuaium-Lined Titanium Boron Carbide. Provides absolute protection against small arms fire, excellent protection against tank and artillery fire, excellent protection against energy weapons, and moderate protection against advanced energy weapons. Protection against nuclear and antimatter weapons is moderate to low.
The craft can be control via the SLICS system found in the NH-7 and NH-17 weapons, increasing the pilot's response time and overall ability. The system is interconnected with an advanced computing and target system, as well as an electronics and sensor set. The multispectrum optics have a range of 10,000 meters.
Signals transmitted by UWB radars are pulses generated pseudo-randomly in time. They are only .5 nanoseconds in duration. The energy content in any conventional frequency band is below the noise, making TM-UWB transmission highly covert unless you know the specific pseudo-random sequence. TM-UWB has no carrier frequency, no conversion either up or down. Because of the low frequency content of TM-UWB signals, they are capable of seeing through foliage and nonmetallic objects better than regular radar can.
