Firehawk (Tiberium Wars)

"Firehawk, docked and ready!"

- Firehawk

The Firehawk VTOL fighter attack jet is a GDI weapon system combining AI programming and human piloting skills that appears in Tiberium Wars.

Background
The jet possesses a dynamically unstable airframe with downward-canted forward-swept wings with downward-canted canards requiring an AI controler to stay in flight while the pilot issues commands. However, it is capable of quickly altering the course and speed of the craft, making it an excellent air superiority fighter. The embedded AI functions as a highly sophisticated targeting system, threat assessment and tracking module as well as weapon control and navigation. The AI also controls the airframe stability during combat. the jet can also act on aircraft carriers where the catapult will launch the FireHawk at higher speeds giving it a better chance to engage air to air targets. Firehawks have a crew of two: pilot and weapons officer.

Firehawk attack jets have variable weaponry, and commanders can choose between two highly destructive Hellcat firebombs or four Rattlesnake missiles, allowing it to act both an anti-air unit or an anti-ground unit. The Hellcat bombs do massive damage to structures, but are not very effective against vehicles (Compare this to the Vertigo, which can kill a Mammoth 27 with only 4 bombs). A single bomb will also kill any infantry, provided it hits them (since the bombs themselves are unguided). The Rattlesnake missile is highly effective against other air units and only air units. 2 of them are enough to bring down a Venom. However, commanders must be careful, since the blast from the missile will also damage the Firehawk if it happens to fly through it.

Upgrades
The fighter can also be upgraded with stratosphere navigation systems and special Stratofighter boosters, allowing it to move much faster through the battlefield by traveling through the stratosphere and engaging targets where they least expect it. With the boosters the Firehawk can ascend to such a high altitude, and at such great speed, that it is untouchable by enemy anti-aircraft weaponry. The immense heat generated by this boost means that the pilot must wait a short period of time before he can utilize the Firehawk's boosters again. With proper planning, a Commander can have Firehawks utilize their boosters, pummel targets across a battlefield with impunity, then return them home in the same manner without retaliation. However, most of the time, these missions end up as suicide missions, since most commanders do not micro-manage the Firehawks to such a degree, and the AI will attempt the bring the Firehawk straight back to base without different orders once the aircraft is out of ammo. The upgrade costs 2500 credits and is bought at the Tech Lab.

Another upgrade aviable to this Fighter-bomber is the Ceramic armour, only used by GDI ZOCOM. This new alloy dramatically increases the number of hits a Firehawk can take.

The last upgrade for this versatile unit are the Hardpoints. This new feature lets GDI United Peacekeepers or Steel Talons Firehawk carry more ammunition (2 more Rattlesnakes and 1 more Hellcat), allowing them to cause even more damage to a target. This upgrade is not available to ZOCOM, preferring added survivability to firepower.

Firehawks apparently lack ejection seats and pilots are often heard screaming through transmissions when shot down.

Service Record

 * A Firehawk (piloted by Captain Hunter) tries to provide air support during the retaking of the Pentagon but is shot down and killed by a Vertigo gunner.
 * During the retaking of the White House, a squadron of Firehawks from the newly recaptured Langley Air Force base carpet-bombs a large group of Nod forces in preparation for the ground assault.
 * A squadron of veteran Firehawks is guarding the Guns of the Amazon emplacement, operating from a GDI carrier. Firehawks were widely used at Albania.
 * Firehawks also attempt to hold back the Scrin during the initial invasion, sustaining massive losses.

In-game
"We're heating up!"

- An Unfortunate Firehawk

Pros
 * Missiles are great at taking out even Scrin aircraft.
 * Devastating against structures and slow moving targets with bombs.
 * Stratofighter boosters allow it to strike heavily defended targets.
 * Extremely fast, and this allows the aircraft to always have the first strike.
 * Can carry up to three bombs or 8 missiles after upgraded.
 * Even garrisonable structures are not safe from these bombs-it can kill infantry after destroying the garrisonable structure.
 * One of the best units for taking on the Scrin's superior Air Force-until the arrival of the Slingshot AA Platform.

Cons
 * Needs to reload at Airfield.
 * Only available at Tier 3.
 * Relatively expensive.
 * Has low armor unless upgraded.
 * Lousy against tanks.
 * Notoriously inaccurate against ground units.
 * Weak against the Mantis.
 * Even SAM Turrets and Mantis with upgraded Tiberium Core Missiles are fatal without armor upgrade
 * Firehawks tend to bunch together in an air-to-air fight. (which is suicide, since the Firehawk rockets tend to fire at the enemy when the clumped Firehawks are right beside it)

=References=