| D77-TC Pelican | |
|---|---|
| H2AD77.jpg | |
Vital statistics
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| Type | Dropship |
| Effects | |
| Source | Armat Battlefield Systems |
| Cost to buy | |
| Cost to sell | |
The D77-TC Pelican, formally known as the Dropship 77-Troop Carrier, and colloquially known as the Pelican, is a space-to-ground ship of the United Nations Space Command. Manufactured by Armat Battlefield Systems, the Pelican is one of the most widely used of all UNSC ships, serving a multitude of functions which include the pickup and transportation of UNSC Marines, vehicles, weapons, and equipment. The ship has served in the UNSC for a total of seventy nine-years, the Pelican is armed with numerous weapons, including M370 autocannons and ANVIL-II missiles.
Design[]
Crew and complement[]
Pelicans are crewed by two UNSC Marines on its cockpit, one being the pilot, responsible for controlling the vessel, and the other being the gunner, responsible for the craft's armament. The flight controls are digital fly-by-light, possessing no manual backups, optimizing stability and adjusting its thruster profiles under the regimes and cargo profiles. Pelicans are equipped with motion trackers, radars and mapping systems, which grants the pilot the power to plan potential stating areas and be wary of potential threats.
The Pelican's cargo-bay is also colloquially known to Marines as the "blood tray", accommodating ten soldiers, each with a small compartment to acquire their weapons and equipment. The Pelican uses an onboard weapons locker, being capable of holding weapons and ammunition to arm ground troops. The vehicle's large aft provides magnetic/physical attachments for additional vehicles, including M808B Scorpions, M12 Warthogs, and Mark IX Mantises.
Armament[]
The Pelican is armed with one of two projectiles, ranging from auto-cannons to M370 autocannons, which are commonly known as "chin guns" duo to its placement on the vessel, both of which are controlled through an Integrated Helmet and Display Sight System (IHADSS), linking to the HUD of the pilot, allowing them to target the gun with their head movements. The M370 autocannons fires 70mm high-explosive armor-piercing (HEAP) rounds, coped with depleted uranium slugs.
Pelicans also have four externally-mounted missiles, all of which can carry eight ANVIL-II missiles. Turrets can be exchanged for UA 571-C Automated Sentry Guns, M460 Automatic Grenade Launchers, as well as M68 Gauss cannons.
Propulsion[]
The propulsion system of the Pelican is a complicated one, seeing the combination of vectored-thrust fusion ram-rockets alongside air-breathing hyperfans, both which are divided between primary and secondary articulated engine pods. Pelicans can be used in atmospheric environments, but to do so they require hydrogen-based reaction masses for operation. The engines feature four nacelles, with two at the bottom and two at the back, and because both of them are mounted on rotating blocks, they are able to be redirected at any desirable direction. Pelicans are equipped with smaller-sized Shaw-Fujikawa Translight Engines.
Variants[]
D79-TC[]
The D79-TC, also known as "fat guys" are larger Pelicans that supplements the D77-TC from the Secession to the post-First Contact War period, with improved thrusters.
D77C-NMPD[]
The D77C-NMPD is a Pelican variant used by the New Mombasa Police Department, on New Mombasa, Kenya, on Africa, Earth. The ship has its own color scheme, possessing a black and white tint symbolizing the NMPD with the word "POLICE" replacing the standard "MARINES" on its hull. Instead of a mounted machine gun, this Pelican model possessed interchangeable sensors used for riot control and aerial surveillance.