Kirov Airship (Red Alert 2)

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The Kirov Airship is the Soviet equivalent of a carpet-bomber during the Third World War and the Psychic Dominator Disaster. Although extremely slow, these behemoths of the sky made up for it with tough armor and a high carrying capacity for extremely destructive bombs. A few airships, if not intercepted early by anti-air squads, can easily take down a large military base.

History
Following the Soviet defeat at the end of the Second World War, the Soviet Air Force was disbanded. Taking advantage of a loophole in the Peace Treaty, Premier Alexander Romanov turned to developing Airships. The result was the pride of Soviet engineering - massive armored fortresses floating in air laden with tonnes of high explosives.

These airships were first seen when the Soviet Union mobilized their forces to attack the United States in 1972. They played a vital role in all of the Soviet invasions, spearheading the assaults on New York and San Francisco.

Deployment
"Bombardiers to your stations!!"

- Kirov

"MAYDAY! MAYDAY!"

- an unfortunate Kirov

Kirovs were used to bomb enemy bases and to a lesser extent, vehicles and infantry. They were equipped with a number of propellers which helped them to move under their own power, rather than being prey to the wind, but even so, they were the slowest units in war, but possessed the heaviest armor of any unit in the war (even surpassing the strength of buildings). This made it extremely effective against enemy bases. It. Once the unit actually arrived at the base, the heavy bombs it dropped were extremely effective against all structures and any groups of infantry: once over a structure, a Kirov could eliminate even a command center within seconds and slaughter groups of infantry with a single bomb. Its armor even helped to defend it against Patriot missiles. Well-escorted Kirovs are probably the single most potent threat the Soviet army poses.

A favorite tactic of highly skilled and brutal Soviet commanders during the Psychic Dominator Disaster was to send a group of three Kirovs at a time on a bombing raid hellbent on destroying everything in their path towards the Construction Yards, but if a Super Weapon was present they would go for the deadly threat first, with more priority towards the destructive super-weapons.

Once they destroy the Con-yard and Super-weapons they quickly destroy everything else, attacking without Mercy, or abandon. However even they were considered to be a much better alternative to perhaps the single most feared air unit ever used in that war, The Floating Disc.

Counter
The extremely slow pace at which Kirovs move usually gives commanders a significant amount of time to prepare for the onslaught. Due to their thick armor, however, shooting down a Kirov is not an easy task. To stop an incoming armada of Kirovs, massed deployment of anti-air weaponry is necessary. Preferably, this should be the mobile type - large groups of IFVs, Flak Trucks, Gatling Tanks, Floating Discs, AEGIS Cruisers or Sea Scorpions - that can intercept Kirovs before they can come close to the base. In sufficient numbers, Rocketeers, Guardian GIs and Flak Troopers are also effective counters.

Trivia
Interestingly, while the opening of Red Alert 2 depicts massive groups of Kirovs attacking the United States, none are encountered in the Allied campaign until the final mission in Moscow. In the Soviet campaign, the player doesn't get to use them till the second to last mission, which is also set in Moscow.