NOTICE: Development version. Do not publish!

HAMEKA Ha-160 Pistia
Close Air/Surface Support
"Ultra-Mobile Unit"
Rank: IV

The Ha-160 "Pistia" is an agile all-environment combat machine.

! --- Key visual

USER MANUAL

CREDITS

• Automatic leading scripts by @232287168147825

CONTROLS

Pitch - Strafe forward/backward
Roll - Strafe left/right
Yaw - Rotate left/right
Trim - Surface tracking level (3-9 m)
LandingGear - Landing struts
FireGuns - Boost modes (speed/jump)
AG1 - Disable autocannon traverse
AG2+VTOL - Manual autocannon elevation
AG5 - Camera horizontal target tracking
AG6 - Camera vertical target tracking

SURFACE TRACKING LEVEL

This feature allows the choice of flight altitude above ground. Flying higher above ground allows the machine to navigate bumpy terrain and steep slopes more easily, but comes with the price of a lower top speed. The pilot should choose a flight level according to the local terrain.

LANDING MODE

When the landing struts are lowered, top speed is decreased by 75%. With landing struts lowered, set the surface tracking level to the minimum to cut engine power and land.

BOOST MODES

If activated when there is a movement input, and the machine is close to the surface tracking level, boosting will provide a large increase in acceleration and top speed (mode 1). Else, it will provide upwards thrust (mode 2). The boost mode will not be changed until boost is deactivated - if the machine stays in place when attempting to move upwards, boost should be deactivated and reactivated.

MEDIUM MISSILE

The Medium Missile can lock onto any target up to 4000 m away, as long as the target is not behind the machine. A small turning circle comes with a lack of top speed and range. The launcher will automatically elevate to face targets.

AUTOCANNON

The rapid-fire Autocannon automatically tracks targets up to 2500 m away. Elevation control is fully automatic. Azimuth control only has a 15-degree range to either direction.

DEV NOTES

A much-needed development on the flight controllers! FT was rewritten in a way that no longer requires a rotating engine component. Armored Core is the main inspiration behind boost modes and the vertical controllers. If you fly it, you might notice the gravity seems increased. A downward engine does this and can be removed. Structural design is mostly AC3-generation style, and there is an actual cockpit for the new display parts.

INFORMATION

The Ha-160 "Pistia" is an all-environment surface combat machine. The "Ultra-Mobile Unit" maintains a high speed above terrain and water. It is most notable for its surface-tracking flight mode, making use of normal reaction force to hover with low fuel consumption. At maximum power output, it can reach over 500 km/h on flat surfaces.

Specifications (Ha-160 Common Frame)
Hull Length: 5.03 m
Hull Width: 3.88 m
Hull Height: 3.82 m
Hull Mass: 6,300 kg
Maximum Mass: 9,000 kg (Earth), 15,500 kg (absolute)
Maximum Speed: 530 km/h
Operating System: AFOS 3 (drone), 1-3 (manned)
Crew: 0-1

Production (Ha-160 Common Frame)
Developer: Team ULTRA-MOBILE (HAMEKA)
Manufacturer: HAMEKA
First Flight: April 4, 2072
In Production: From 2074 Q1
Unit Cost: $17 million
Units Built: 800-1300 (estimations)

Both manned and unmanned versions of the Ha-160 were produced. As an ANGELFRAME-compatible drone, the design shares many avionics and mechanical parts with machines in ASTIND/HAMEKA's half-articulating lineup. However, due to expensive taxes on automated weaponry, manned versions outsold their unmanned counterparts. Many operators of the manned version also signed on with HAMEKA, selling their flight telemetry and usage data to train AI models.

At least 20 individual automated features are provided to reduce the pilot's workload, including automatic start-up and diagnostics, and an automatic radar controller. An early 3D target tracking display was also introduced in the Ha-160, using sensor array technology from fighter drones.

ARMAMENT

A standard loadout consisting of close-range conventional weapons. The hip hardpoints hold fuel cells for additional range.

[Back] 8x 94mm Datalinked Medium Missiles: Missiles controlled by a neural network server on the launcher. This neural network is supplied with battlefield information in real-time by an allied network, and handles all missile guidance. The best tracking performance is achieved when connected to real-time enemy maps, and at least two networked allies are nearby.

[Arms] 2x 76.2mm Arm Autocannons: Rapid-fire 3" autocannons, suitable for combat against most targets. Small ammunition stores make usage impractical for longer missions, so some users install additional ones externally.