{"data":{"id":20295,"title":"Whitley's Guide - Gladius","rsi_url":"https:\/\/robertsspaceindustries.com\/comm-link\/spectrum-dispatch\/20295-Whitleys-Guide-Gladius","api_url":"https:\/\/api.star-citizen.wiki\/api\/comm-links\/20295","api_public_url":"https:\/\/api.star-citizen.wiki\/comm-links\/20295","channel":"Undefined","category":"Undefined","series":"News Update","images":[{"id":26463,"name":"source.jpg","rsi_url":"https:\/\/media.robertsspaceindustries.com\/weozjmuuh3hwh\/source.jpg","alt":"","size":843046,"mime_type":"image\/jpeg","last_modified":"2019-09-19T15:49:32+00:00","api_url":"https:\/\/api.star-citizen.wiki\/api\/comm-link-images\/26463","similar_url":"https:\/\/api.star-citizen.wiki\/api\/comm-link-images\/26463\/similar"},{"id":27892,"name":"source.jpg","rsi_url":"https:\/\/media.robertsspaceindustries.com\/w3o9r4zgppm77\/source.jpg","alt":"","size":900916,"mime_type":"image\/jpeg","last_modified":"2021-09-06T14:48:40+00:00","api_url":"https:\/\/api.star-citizen.wiki\/api\/comm-link-images\/27892","similar_url":"https:\/\/api.star-citizen.wiki\/api\/comm-link-images\/27892\/similar"},{"id":37224,"name":"source.jpg","rsi_url":"https:\/\/media.robertsspaceindustries.com\/et8k0ynlt11dz\/source.jpg","alt":"","size":724120,"mime_type":"image\/jpeg","last_modified":"2022-08-30T15:13:34+00:00","api_url":"https:\/\/api.star-citizen.wiki\/api\/comm-link-images\/37224","similar_url":"https:\/\/api.star-citizen.wiki\/api\/comm-link-images\/37224\/similar"}],"images_count":8,"translations":{"en_EN":"This article originally appeared in Jump Point 8.8.\nAegis Gladius\nSPACECRAFT DEVELOPMENT\nIn 2879, the Aegis Dynamics medium spacecraft factory at Davien played host to an unusual milestone: a formal event celebrating the 300th anniversary of a still-serving spacecraft design. On hand were the thousands of engineers currently working on the Gladius, hundreds of veteran Gladius pilots representing every conflict in living memory, and the descendants of the original team that first developed the fighter at the height of a very different era. An array of military and civilian dignitaries spoke at the event, praising a spacecraft that had long outserved its intended lifespan and which had a nearly immeasurable impact on modern space conflict doctrine.\n\nTo a modern fighter pilot, the naval strategy of the 26th century would seem incomprehensible: fleet operations were built entirely around the ability of large, armored warships to bring heavy weapons to bear against one another and heavily protected planetary installations and orbital platforms. Fighters and interceptors would seem like something of an afterthought, carried aboard battleships and cruisers primarily to increase their scouting abilities. A Gladius pilot in the 2580s was responsible for reconnaissance first and then a variety of less common missions that centered mostly around providing escort coverage for pinpoint strike bombers and landing craft.\n\nModern pilots would also be hard pressed to identify what was considered a fighter before the Gladius. The Gladius was initially requested as a nominal replacement for the Stiletto-class interceptor, a dedicated light fighter then entering its fifth decade of service. Most fighters (or \u201cparasite ships\u201d as they were referred) were intended for space operations only and their design lineage called up the modular rockets that powered humanity\u2019s initial space expansion as much as they did military hardware and especially anything aviation-related. The Stiletto, a sort of fast, weaponed tube with a variety of potential technical mounting points amidship, embodied these principles exactly. Aegis\u2019 premiere of the Gladius in 2589 shattered this image by moving to a light fighter that could not only operate within an atmosphere, but could be launched from existing ground facilities. Where the Stiletto was found only aboard warships, Gladius units could be assigned anywhere and everywhere.\n\nComing just thirty years after the end of the First Tevarin War, the first model Gladius represented Aegis\u2019 integration of all the lessons now thoroughly studied from that war. The project was called Wildcat during its development, but the production model of the ship was renamed Gladius at the last minute by request of the Imperator\u2019s administration. The Messers, then consolidating their power, were frequent users of ancient Roman imagery in their propaganda and saw a benefit in presenting the new type of fighter as being the common \u2018sword of the people.\u2019 The growing United Empire of Earth\u2019s Navy designated the new spacecraft the P5G (the fifth pursuit craft developed to the production prototype stage by Aegis).\n\nMILITARY SERVICE\nThe Messer administration put production of the Gladius on a war footing almost immediately after its launch, seeking to have the ultramodern fighter design emphasize its powerful overhaul of the human military. The Gladius scored its first space-to-space kill in 2591 in an engagement with a pirate freighter, but primarily spent its first years serving in propaganda efforts. The Gladius was particularly commonplace in recruiting efforts, where the opportunity to fly one of the spectacular ships was seen as a good way to entice the increased numbers of bodies needed to outfit the growing navy. The Gladius\u2019 appearance proved equal to its abilities in 2603 during the Second Tevarin War, where the spacecraft proved effective both dogfighting against the contemporary Tevarin Talon fighters, striking landing craft, support ships, and even corvette-sized capital assets. The Gladius quickly made itself an effective case study for the modern space naval doctrine that the war would establish. For the first time, dedicated fleet carriers capable of operating multiple squadrons of fighters at a time were constructed and made the centerpieces of battlegroups.\n\nThroughout its lifespan, Aegis Dynamics has continued to modernize the Gladius. While the design itself has remained visually similar, massive changes to both the frame and systems have been made dozens of times over the centuries, with the latest total rework of the internal control systems happening in 2945. In 2720, the Gladius logged another major first as it became the first military fighter to carry a short-range jump drive as part of production. Intended to support long-range search and rescue and reconnaissance missions, the addition of the jump drive to the Gladius is often cited as a particularly important decision in its impact on other spacecraft development.\n\nRumors of the Gladius\u2019 retirement have circulated for at least the past century although there has been no formal plan announced by the UEEN. When Anvil launched the Hornet fighter and a number of frontline squadrons transitioned, many saw this as evidence of the Gladius\u2019 obsolescence. But as the Hornet itself is now replaced by the Lightning, Gladius squadrons continue to operate throughout the Empire with excellent results. In 2936, Gladius watchers became increasingly concerned as Anvil Aerospace premiered a new carrier-based plane: the Gladiator. Aerospace media initially treated this as proof positive that the UEEN was preparing to permanently delist the Gladius based only on the belief that the names were too similar to operate together. It was ultimately revealed that the similarity in names was planned from the start, part of a psychological warfare effort intended to help further obscure the entire capacity of the fleet aerospace arm (similar efforts were made to disguise spacecraft designations around this same time).\n\nRegardless of rumors of its impending demise, the Gladius continues to serve extensively in modern conflicts. In the hands of a properly trained pilot, the Gladius has remained effective in battle against Vanduul raiders, with the current model being roughly equivalent to the Vanduul Blade light fighter in arms and defenses. The UEEN has also developed a set of \u2018run and gun\u2019 tactics for Gladius wingman pairs to help counter the superior abilities of Scythe and Glaive space superiority fighters. As of the FY2951 budget, production of the Gladius will actually increase by 15% and Aegis continues to invest in upgrade packages and next-generation variants of the design.\n\nCIVILIAN USE\nThe first military Gladius models were rated for 12,000 hours of flight time before retirement, which equates to roughly twenty years of peacetime service per frame. That number has increased to 35,000 hours with the latest models, but it still means that boneyards around the Empire have been decommissioning the design by the thousands for hundreds of years. For the first fifty years of its service, the UEEN considered the Gladius so highly classified that the retired examples needed to be rendered completely flightless. As the Navy settled into an extended period of peacetime and civilian spacecraft advanced during the 27th century, stripped Gladiuses began to become available on the civilian market.\n\nThe first civilian Gladius owners were primarily hobbyist racers who would adapt civilian technology to re-equip the stripped ex-military ships. These Gladiuses would take on unusual silhouettes and be painted garish colors to assist those viewing races from the ground. The ranks of these pilots typically included retired military Gladius pilots seeking to recapture the thrill of their earlier careers. Gladius racing gave rise to a brief period of interest in the use of the ships for stunt flying, with several groups of hobbyists forming \u201cflying circuses\u201d to put on aerospace displays for adoring crowds. While stunt flying has never regained the popularity it achieved in the 2650s, Gladiuses are still used for demonstration purposes today (typically with much more reliable original parts). Over the past two centuries, additional civilian roles for surplus Gladius equipment have developed. In addition to typical mercenary operations, Gladiuses have been used for fast courier missions, as flight trainers (when equipped with a rear seat) and even adapted as crop dusters. Some Gladiuses have been outfitted by pirates for raiding purposes, although their numbers are believed to be insignificant compared to the number of outlaws operating repurposed civilian designs.\n\nIn 2944, the UEEN officially acknowledged civilian Gladius ownership and began selling decommissioned Gladiuses directly to qualified buyers with the intention of outfitting home defense squadrons that would help delay Vanduul raids where stronger naval coverage was not available. These ships are allowed to retain almost all of their military equipment, being sold with their weapons, thrusters, and a purpose-built declassified version of their standard control systems. The sale of surplus Gladiuses has been seen as unique among similar military spacecraft sales because of the number of spacecraft it has put back into service and because they have been available to a more widespread portion of the population.","de_DE":"Dieser Artikel erschien urspr\u00fcnglich in Jump Point 8.8.\nAegis Gladius\nRAUMSCHIFF-ENTWICKLUNG\nIm Jahr 2879 fand in der Fabrik f\u00fcr mittelgro\u00dfe Raumschiffe von Aegis Dynamics in Davien ein ungew\u00f6hnlicher Meilenstein statt: eine feierliche Veranstaltung anl\u00e4sslich des 300-j\u00e4hrigen Jubil\u00e4ums eines noch immer in Betrieb befindlichen Raumschiffdesigns. Anwesend waren Tausende von Ingenieuren, die derzeit am Gladius arbeiten, Hunderte von Gladius-Veteranen, die in allen Konflikten seit Menschengedenken im Einsatz waren, und die Nachfahren des urspr\u00fcnglichen Teams, das das Kampfflugzeug auf dem H\u00f6hepunkt einer ganz anderen \u00c4ra entwickelt hatte. Zahlreiche milit\u00e4rische und zivile W\u00fcrdentr\u00e4ger hielten auf der Veranstaltung Reden und lobten ein Raumschiff, das seine vorgesehene Lebensdauer l\u00e4ngst \u00fcberschritten hatte und das einen nahezu unermesslichen Einfluss auf die moderne Doktrin f\u00fcr Weltraumkonflikte hatte.\n\nEinem modernen Kampfpiloten w\u00fcrde die Marinestrategie des 26. Jahrhunderts unverst\u00e4ndlich erscheinen: Die Flottenoperationen waren ganz auf die F\u00e4higkeit gro\u00dfer, gepanzerter Kriegsschiffe ausgerichtet, schwere Waffen gegeneinander und gegen schwer gesch\u00fctzte planetare Einrichtungen und Orbitalplattformen einzusetzen. Raumj\u00e4ger und Abfangj\u00e4ger sind eher ein nachtr\u00e4glicher Einfall, der an Bord von Schlachtschiffen und Kreuzern vor allem dazu dient, ihre Aufkl\u00e4rungsf\u00e4higkeiten zu verbessern. Ein Gladius-Pilot in den 2580er Jahren war zun\u00e4chst f\u00fcr die Aufkl\u00e4rung und dann f\u00fcr eine Reihe von weniger h\u00e4ufigen Missionen zust\u00e4ndig, bei denen es haupts\u00e4chlich darum ging, punktgenaue Bomber und Landungsschiffe zu eskortieren.\n\nModerne Piloten w\u00fcrden sich auch schwer tun, zu erkennen, was vor dem Gladius als Jagdflugzeug galt. Die Gladius wurde urspr\u00fcnglich als nomineller Ersatz f\u00fcr den Abfangj\u00e4ger der Stiletto-Klasse angefordert, ein spezielles leichtes Jagdflugzeug, das damals in sein f\u00fcnftes Dienstjahrzehnt ging. Die meisten J\u00e4ger (oder \"Parasitenschiffe\", wie sie genannt wurden) waren ausschlie\u00dflich f\u00fcr Weltraumeins\u00e4tze gedacht und ihre Konstruktionsweise erinnerte an die modularen Raketen, die die anf\u00e4ngliche Expansion der Menschheit in den Weltraum vorantrieben, ebenso wie an milit\u00e4rische Ger\u00e4te und insbesondere an alles, was mit der Luftfahrt zu tun hatte. Der Stiletto, eine Art schnelles, bewaffnetes Rohr mit einer Vielzahl von m\u00f6glichen technischen Befestigungspunkten in der Mitte des Schiffs, verk\u00f6rperte genau diese Prinzipien. Als Aegis 2589 den Gladius vorstellte, wurde dieses Bild durch die Entwicklung eines leichten Kampfflugzeugs ersch\u00fcttert, das nicht nur in der Atmosph\u00e4re operieren, sondern auch von bestehenden Bodeneinrichtungen aus gestartet werden konnte. W\u00e4hrend der Stiletto nur an Bord von Kriegsschiffen zu finden war, konnten Gladius-Einheiten \u00fcberall eingesetzt werden.\n\nNur drei\u00dfig Jahre nach dem Ende des Ersten Tevarin-Krieges integrierte Aegis mit dem ersten Gladius-Modell alle Lektionen, die man aus diesem Krieg gelernt hatte. Das Projekt hie\u00df w\u00e4hrend seiner Entwicklung Wildcat, aber das Produktionsmodell des Schiffes wurde in letzter Minute auf Wunsch der Verwaltung des Imperators in Gladius umbenannt. Die Messers, die zu dieser Zeit ihre Macht konsolidierten, verwendeten in ihrer Propaganda h\u00e4ufig antike r\u00f6mische Bilder und sahen einen Vorteil darin, den neuen Kampftyp als das gemeinsame \"Schwert des Volkes\" zu pr\u00e4sentieren. Das wachsende Vereinigte Imperium der Erdmarine nannte das neue Raumschiff P5G (das f\u00fcnfte Verfolgungsschiff, das von Aegis bis zum Prototyp entwickelt wurde).\n\nMILIT\u00c4RDIENST\nDie Messer-Regierung stellte die Produktion der Gladius fast unmittelbar nach ihrem Start auf Kriegsfu\u00df und wollte mit dem hochmodernen Kampfflugzeugdesign ihre m\u00e4chtige \u00dcberholung des menschlichen Milit\u00e4rs unterstreichen. Die Gladius erzielte 2591 in einem Gefecht mit einem Piratenfrachter ihren ersten Treffer im Weltraum, diente aber in den ersten Jahren haupts\u00e4chlich zu Propagandazwecken. Die Gladius wurde vor allem bei Rekrutierungsbem\u00fchungen eingesetzt, wo die M\u00f6glichkeit, eines der spektakul\u00e4ren Schiffe zu fliegen, als gute M\u00f6glichkeit angesehen wurde, die wachsende Zahl von Soldaten f\u00fcr die wachsende Marine zu gewinnen. Im Jahr 2603, w\u00e4hrend des Zweiten Tevarin-Krieges, erwies sich das Aussehen der Gladius als genauso gut wie ihre F\u00e4higkeiten. Das Raumschiff erwies sich sowohl im Nahkampf gegen die zeitgen\u00f6ssischen Tevarin-Talon-J\u00e4ger als auch bei Angriffen auf Landungsschiffe, Unterst\u00fctzungsschiffe und sogar korvettengro\u00dfe Kapitalanlagen als effektiv. Die Gladius wurde schnell zu einer effektiven Fallstudie f\u00fcr die moderne Weltraummarinedoktrin, die der Krieg begr\u00fcnden sollte. Zum ersten Mal wurden spezielle Flottentr\u00e4ger gebaut, die in der Lage waren, mehrere J\u00e4gerstaffeln gleichzeitig einzusetzen, und die zum Herzst\u00fcck von Kampfverb\u00e4nden wurden.\n\nW\u00e4hrend seiner gesamten Lebensdauer hat Aegis Dynamics den Gladius immer wieder modernisiert. W\u00e4hrend das Design an sich gleich geblieben ist, wurden sowohl der Rahmen als auch die Systeme im Laufe der Jahrhunderte dutzende Male massiv ver\u00e4ndert, zuletzt im Jahr 2945. Im Jahr 2720 verzeichnete der Gladius eine weitere wichtige Premiere: Er war der erste milit\u00e4rische J\u00e4ger, der serienm\u00e4\u00dfig mit einem Kurzstreckensprungantrieb ausgestattet war. Der Gladius war f\u00fcr Langstrecken-Such- und Rettungseins\u00e4tze sowie f\u00fcr Aufkl\u00e4rungsmissionen gedacht und wird oft als besonders wichtige Entscheidung mit Auswirkungen auf die Entwicklung anderer Raumfahrzeuge bezeichnet.\n\nGer\u00fcchte \u00fcber die Ausmusterung der Gladius kursieren schon seit mindestens einem Jahrhundert, obwohl die UEEN keine offiziellen Pl\u00e4ne bekannt gegeben hat. Als Anvil den Hornet-J\u00e4ger auf den Markt brachte und eine Reihe von Kampfflugzeugstaffeln umstellte, sahen viele dies als Beweis daf\u00fcr, dass der Gladius \u00fcberfl\u00fcssig geworden war. Aber da die Hornet inzwischen durch die Lightning ersetzt wurde, operieren die Gladius-Staffeln weiterhin im ganzen Reich mit hervorragenden Ergebnissen. Im Jahr 2936 wurden Gladius-Beobachter zunehmend besorgt, als Anvil Aerospace ein neues tr\u00e4gergest\u00fctztes Flugzeug vorstellte: den Gladiator. Die Raumfahrtmedien werteten dies zun\u00e4chst als Beweis daf\u00fcr, dass die UEEN sich anschickte, die Gladius endg\u00fcltig aus dem Programm zu nehmen, nur weil sie der Meinung waren, dass die Namen zu \u00e4hnlich waren, um gemeinsam zu operieren. Letztendlich stellte sich heraus, dass die Namens\u00e4hnlichkeit von Anfang an geplant war und Teil einer psychologischen Kriegsf\u00fchrung war, die dazu beitragen sollte, die gesamte Kapazit\u00e4t der Luft- und Raumfahrtabteilung der Flotte zu verschleiern (\u00e4hnliche Anstrengungen wurden zur gleichen Zeit unternommen, um die Bezeichnungen von Raumfahrzeugen zu verschleiern).\n\nUngeachtet der Ger\u00fcchte \u00fcber ihr bevorstehendes Ende wird die Gladius in modernen Konflikten nach wie vor in gro\u00dfem Umfang eingesetzt. In den H\u00e4nden eines gut ausgebildeten Piloten hat sich der Gladius im Kampf gegen Vanduul-Raider bew\u00e4hrt. Das aktuelle Modell entspricht in Bezug auf Bewaffnung und Verteidigung in etwa dem leichten Vanduul Blade-J\u00e4ger. Die UEEN hat au\u00dferdem eine Reihe von \"Run-and-Gun\"-Taktiken f\u00fcr Gladius-Fl\u00fcgelmannpaare entwickelt, um den \u00fcberlegenen F\u00e4higkeiten der Scythe- und Glaive-Raumj\u00e4ger zu begegnen. Im Haushaltsplan f\u00fcr das GJ 1951 wird die Produktion des Gladius um 15 % erh\u00f6ht und Aegis investiert weiterhin in Aufr\u00fcstungspakete und Varianten der n\u00e4chsten Generation des Designs.\n\nZIVILER EINSATZ\nDie ersten milit\u00e4rischen Gladius-Modelle waren f\u00fcr 12.000 Flugstunden vor der Ausmusterung ausgelegt, was etwa zwanzig Friedensjahren pro Maschine entspricht. Diese Zahl hat sich bei den neuesten Modellen auf 35.000 Stunden erh\u00f6ht, aber das bedeutet immer noch, dass die Gladius seit Hunderten von Jahren auf den Friedh\u00f6fen des Reiches zu Tausenden ausgemustert wird. In den ersten f\u00fcnfzig Jahren ihres Einsatzes hielt die UEEN die Gladius f\u00fcr so geheim, dass die ausgemusterten Exemplare komplett flugunf\u00e4hig gemacht werden mussten. Als die Marine in eine l\u00e4ngere Friedenszeit eintrat und die zivile Raumfahrt im 27. Jahrhundert Fortschritte machte, wurden ausrangierte Gladius auf dem zivilen Markt angeboten.\n\nDie ersten zivilen Gladius-Besitzer waren in erster Linie Hobby-Rennfahrer, die zivile Technologien anpassten, um die ausgemusterten Ex-Milit\u00e4rschiffe umzur\u00fcsten. Diese Gladiuses bekamen ungew\u00f6hnliche Silhouetten und wurden in grellen Farben gestrichen, um den Zuschauern die Rennen vom Boden aus zu erleichtern. In den Reihen dieser Piloten befanden sich in der Regel pensionierte milit\u00e4rische Gladius-Piloten, die den Nervenkitzel ihrer fr\u00fcheren Karrieren wieder aufleben lassen wollten. Die Gladius-Rennen l\u00f6sten eine kurze Phase des Interesses an der Nutzung der Schiffe f\u00fcr Kunstfl\u00fcge aus, in der mehrere Gruppen von Hobbyfliegern \"fliegende Zirkusse\" gr\u00fcndeten, um den Zuschauern Luft- und Raumfahrtvorf\u00fchrungen zu bieten. Obwohl die Kunstfliegerei nie wieder die Popularit\u00e4t erreicht hat, die sie in den 2650er Jahren hatte, werden die Gladiuses auch heute noch zu Demonstrationszwecken eingesetzt (in der Regel mit viel zuverl\u00e4ssigeren Originalteilen). In den letzten zwei Jahrhunderten haben sich zus\u00e4tzliche zivile Einsatzm\u00f6glichkeiten f\u00fcr \u00fcbersch\u00fcssige Gladius-Ausr\u00fcstung entwickelt. Neben den typischen S\u00f6ldnereins\u00e4tzen wurden Gladiuses auch f\u00fcr schnelle Kurierdienste, als Flugtrainer (wenn sie mit einem R\u00fccksitz ausgestattet waren) und sogar als M\u00e4hdrescher eingesetzt. Einige Gladiuses wurden von Piraten f\u00fcr Raubz\u00fcge ausger\u00fcstet, obwohl ihre Zahl im Vergleich zu der Zahl der Ge\u00e4chteten, die mit umfunktionierten zivilen Modellen unterwegs sind, als gering eingesch\u00e4tzt wird.\n\nIm Jahr 2944 erkannten die UEEN offiziell den Besitz von zivilen Gladius an und begannen, ausgemusterte Gladius direkt an qualifizierte K\u00e4ufer zu verkaufen, um sie f\u00fcr die Ausr\u00fcstung von Heimatverteidigungsgeschwadern zu verwenden, die dazu beitragen sollten, Angriffe der Vanduul zu verz\u00f6gern, wenn keine st\u00e4rkere Flottenabdeckung verf\u00fcgbar war. Diese Schiffe d\u00fcrfen fast ihre gesamte Milit\u00e4rausr\u00fcstung behalten und werden mit ihren Waffen, Triebwerken und einer speziell angefertigten, deklassierten Version ihrer Standardsteuerungssysteme verkauft. Der Verkauf der \u00fcberz\u00e4hligen Gladiuses gilt als einzigartig unter \u00e4hnlichen Verk\u00e4ufen von milit\u00e4rischen Raumschiffen, weil so viele Raumschiffe wieder in Dienst gestellt werden konnten und weil sie f\u00fcr einen gr\u00f6\u00dferen Teil der Bev\u00f6lkerung zug\u00e4nglich waren.","zh_CN":"This article originally appeared in Jump Point 8.8.\nAegis Gladius\nSPACECRAFT DEVELOPMENT\nIn 2879, the Aegis Dynamics medium spacecraft factory at Davien played host to an unusual milestone: a formal event celebrating the 300th anniversary of a still-serving spacecraft design. On hand were the thousands of engineers currently working on the Gladius, hundreds of veteran Gladius pilots representing every conflict in living memory, and the descendants of the original team that first developed the fighter at the height of a very different era. An array of military and civilian dignitaries spoke at the event, praising a spacecraft that had long outserved its intended lifespan and which had a nearly immeasurable impact on modern space conflict doctrine.\n\nTo a modern fighter pilot, the naval strategy of the 26th century would seem incomprehensible: fleet operations were built entirely around the ability of large, armored warships to bring heavy weapons to bear against one another and heavily protected planetary installations and orbital platforms. Fighters and interceptors would seem like something of an afterthought, carried aboard battleships and cruisers primarily to increase their scouting abilities. A Gladius pilot in the 2580s was responsible for reconnaissance first and then a variety of less common missions that centered mostly around providing escort coverage for pinpoint strike bombers and landing craft.\n\nModern pilots would also be hard pressed to identify what was considered a fighter before the Gladius. The Gladius was initially requested as a nominal replacement for the Stiletto-class interceptor, a dedicated light fighter then entering its fifth decade of service. Most fighters (or \u201cparasite ships\u201d as they were referred) were intended for space operations only and their design lineage called up the modular rockets that powered humanity\u2019s initial space expansion as much as they did military hardware and especially anything aviation-related. The Stiletto, a sort of fast, weaponed tube with a variety of potential technical mounting points amidship, embodied these principles exactly. Aegis\u2019 premiere of the Gladius in 2589 shattered this image by moving to a light fighter that could not only operate within an atmosphere, but could be launched from existing ground facilities. Where the Stiletto was found only aboard warships, Gladius units could be assigned anywhere and everywhere.\n\nComing just thirty years after the end of the First Tevarin War, the first model Gladius represented Aegis\u2019 integration of all the lessons now thoroughly studied from that war. The project was called Wildcat during its development, but the production model of the ship was renamed Gladius at the last minute by request of the Imperator\u2019s administration. The Messers, then consolidating their power, were frequent users of ancient Roman imagery in their propaganda and saw a benefit in presenting the new type of fighter as being the common \u2018sword of the people.\u2019 The growing United Empire of Earth\u2019s Navy designated the new spacecraft the P5G (the fifth pursuit craft developed to the production prototype stage by Aegis).\n\nMILITARY SERVICE\nThe Messer administration put production of the Gladius on a war footing almost immediately after its launch, seeking to have the ultramodern fighter design emphasize its powerful overhaul of the human military. The Gladius scored its first space-to-space kill in 2591 in an engagement with a pirate freighter, but primarily spent its first years serving in propaganda efforts. The Gladius was particularly commonplace in recruiting efforts, where the opportunity to fly one of the spectacular ships was seen as a good way to entice the increased numbers of bodies needed to outfit the growing navy. The Gladius\u2019 appearance proved equal to its abilities in 2603 during the Second Tevarin War, where the spacecraft proved effective both dogfighting against the contemporary Tevarin Talon fighters, striking landing craft, support ships, and even corvette-sized capital assets. The Gladius quickly made itself an effective case study for the modern space naval doctrine that the war would establish. For the first time, dedicated fleet carriers capable of operating multiple squadrons of fighters at a time were constructed and made the centerpieces of battlegroups.\n\nThroughout its lifespan, Aegis Dynamics has continued to modernize the Gladius. While the design itself has remained visually similar, massive changes to both the frame and systems have been made dozens of times over the centuries, with the latest total rework of the internal control systems happening in 2945. In 2720, the Gladius logged another major first as it became the first military fighter to carry a short-range jump drive as part of production. Intended to support long-range search and rescue and reconnaissance missions, the addition of the jump drive to the Gladius is often cited as a particularly important decision in its impact on other spacecraft development.\n\nRumors of the Gladius\u2019 retirement have circulated for at least the past century although there has been no formal plan announced by the UEEN. When Anvil launched the Hornet fighter and a number of frontline squadrons transitioned, many saw this as evidence of the Gladius\u2019 obsolescence. But as the Hornet itself is now replaced by the Lightning, Gladius squadrons continue to operate throughout the Empire with excellent results. In 2936, Gladius watchers became increasingly concerned as Anvil Aerospace premiered a new carrier-based plane: the Gladiator. Aerospace media initially treated this as proof positive that the UEEN was preparing to permanently delist the Gladius based only on the belief that the names were too similar to operate together. It was ultimately revealed that the similarity in names was planned from the start, part of a psychological warfare effort intended to help further obscure the entire capacity of the fleet aerospace arm (similar efforts were made to disguise spacecraft designations around this same time).\n\nRegardless of rumors of its impending demise, the Gladius continues to serve extensively in modern conflicts. In the hands of a properly trained pilot, the Gladius has remained effective in battle against Vanduul raiders, with the current model being roughly equivalent to the Vanduul Blade light fighter in arms and defenses. The UEEN has also developed a set of \u2018run and gun\u2019 tactics for Gladius wingman pairs to help counter the superior abilities of Scythe and Glaive space superiority fighters. As of the FY2951 budget, production of the Gladius will actually increase by 15% and Aegis continues to invest in upgrade packages and next-generation variants of the design.\n\nCIVILIAN USE\nThe first military Gladius models were rated for 12,000 hours of flight time before retirement, which equates to roughly twenty years of peacetime service per frame. That number has increased to 35,000 hours with the latest models, but it still means that boneyards around the Empire have been decommissioning the design by the thousands for hundreds of years. For the first fifty years of its service, the UEEN considered the Gladius so highly classified that the retired examples needed to be rendered completely flightless. As the Navy settled into an extended period of peacetime and civilian spacecraft advanced during the 27th century, stripped Gladiuses began to become available on the civilian market.\n\nThe first civilian Gladius owners were primarily hobbyist racers who would adapt civilian technology to re-equip the stripped ex-military ships. These Gladiuses would take on unusual silhouettes and be painted garish colors to assist those viewing races from the ground. The ranks of these pilots typically included retired military Gladius pilots seeking to recapture the thrill of their earlier careers. Gladius racing gave rise to a brief period of interest in the use of the ships for stunt flying, with several groups of hobbyists forming \u201cflying circuses\u201d to put on aerospace displays for adoring crowds. While stunt flying has never regained the popularity it achieved in the 2650s, Gladiuses are still used for demonstration purposes today (typically with much more reliable original parts). Over the past two centuries, additional civilian roles for surplus Gladius equipment have developed. In addition to typical mercenary operations, Gladiuses have been used for fast courier missions, as flight trainers (when equipped with a rear seat) and even adapted as crop dusters. Some Gladiuses have been outfitted by pirates for raiding purposes, although their numbers are believed to be insignificant compared to the number of outlaws operating repurposed civilian designs.\n\nIn 2944, the UEEN officially acknowledged civilian Gladius ownership and began selling decommissioned Gladiuses directly to qualified buyers with the intention of outfitting home defense squadrons that would help delay Vanduul raids where stronger naval coverage was not available. These ships are allowed to retain almost all of their military equipment, being sold with their weapons, thrusters, and a purpose-built declassified version of their standard control systems. The sale of surplus Gladiuses has been seen as unique among similar military spacecraft sales because of the number of spacecraft it has put back into service and because they have been available to a more widespread portion of the population."},"links_count":0,"comment_count":7,"created_at":"2024-11-12T21:00:00+00:00","created_at_human":"1 year ago"},"meta":{"processed_at":"2026-04-28 14:37:26","valid_relations":["images","links","translations"],"prev_id":20294,"next_id":20296}}