The Type 32 Gunboat (nicknamed “Shredder”) is a very small NMX starship designed for air operations against power armor. It entered service in YE 32.
The NMX created the Type 32 Gunboat to neutralize the threat of enemy power armor. First produced in YE 32, the “Shredder” is a very small starship designed for atmospheric flight and equipped with light anti-starship weapons for use against ground troops and fighters. It can be used as an air-support gunship, a bomber, light troop transport, convoy escort, or a mobile armory for ground troops; typically the the Shredder's role is to remove power armored targets from the battlefield. It can vaporize a Mindy or Daisy armor in a single shot.
In the atmosphere, the Shredder can zip around at speeds of 0-800 kilometers per hour (0-500 mph). In space, it has speeds comparable to the fastest NMX warships. It can travel independently (for special operations) or aboard NMX carriers.
See Damage Rating (Version 3) for an explanation of the damage system.
Inside the gunboat there is a versatile forward cockpit with modular controls and retractable seats for 2 humanoids or 1 Mishhuvurthyar (using tentacles to man both positions). The gunboat can also be operated remotely, by a brain-slave, or by AI depending on the configuration of its avionics. Humanoids are the most common pilots, as full Mishhuvurthyar would have to enter through the rear doorway before the cargo is loaded; and brain slaves cannot care for themselves. The Shredder is equipped with internal gravity and redundant anti-scalar and radiation shielding. The vehicle is airtight and has an advanced air filtration and recycling system that keep the interior full of clean air at a comfortable temperature and can operate for as long as three months at a time.
The left seat controls the gunboat's movements and the main cannon. The right seat controls the other two turrets and the rear wewapons systems (missiles, etc). In addition to conventional controls, the gunship's seats are SPINE-compatible. Using SPINE, it is possible for one operator to fully control the gunship. A holographic projection system displays annotated exterior visual imagery around the pilot and gunner. A fireproof hatch separates the cargo area from the cockpit.
A communication systems sits in the center, between the pilot's dashboard and the gunner's targeting displays; it includes a mid-size screen for visual communications. Beneath the comm system, a number of displays and gauges face forward towards the cockpit for monitoring and adjusting the power systems. The walls are painted black and the cockpit is lit in red, with backlit yellow controls.