A2 Hercules

The A2 Hercules Starlifter is Crusader Industries’ answer to strategic bombing, delivering unmatched firepower and versatility in large-scale battlefield operations. Building upon the robust M2 transport platform, the A2 transforms the starlifter into a heavy assault aircraft designed to annihilate fortified ground positions, armored targets, and enemy infrastructure. Where the M2 delivers vehicles and personnel, the A2 delivers destruction. Outfitted for deep-penetration strikes and battlefield suppression, the A2 has become a cornerstone of UFN aerial supremacy doctrine. Its devastating payload, expanded weaponry, and heavy armor allow it to operate in hostile skies with impunity. This aircraft is often deployed at the forefront of planetary assaults, softening enemy positions with aerial bombardment before ground troops land. When deployed, it’s not uncommon for entire battlefields to go silent as the A2 thunders overhead.

Combat Role and Strategic Impact

The A2 Hercules is more than a bomber—it’s a force of psychological warfare. Deployed in squadrons or solo, it’s used in shock-and-awe campaigns, planetary raids, base assaults, and denial operations. It is capable of breaking siege lines, leveling fortifications, or clearing landing zones for troop deployments. It has also proven effective in anti-convoy missions, infrastructure sabotage, and high-value target elimination.
Its operational flexibility comes from its adaptability. Though designed as a bomber, the A2 can also be repurposed as a high-threat logistics lifter, especially when moving sensitive munitions into conflict zones. Its heavy armor and integrated defense systems allow it to function with relative autonomy, minimizing the need for escort fighters in some scenarios.

Equipment Storage and Onboard Support

The A2’s internal logistics systems are as formidable as its combat profile. With an immense 234,000K μSCU of internal storage, the A2 can support extended-range bombing missions without relying on external supply ships. This allows it to remain active deep behind enemy lines or support multi-day operations from temporary forward bases.
Supporting this storage are nine additional 3,000K μSCU storage units—six located in the engineering section and three within the onboard armory. These compartments can hold everything from replacement drone components and precision-guided munitions to mission gear and emergency field equipment. Dedicated EVA suit lockers and weapon racks line the bridge hallway, ensuring crew members have fast access to combat or environmental survival gear. A small compartment embedded in the bridge console provides a final secure slot for critical tools such as the multi-tool or backup sidearms.

Armory and Crew Readiness

As with the M2, the A2 Hercules is outfitted with a full-scale armory to support its crew and any embarked special operations teams. Within the armory are racks for pistols, rifles, and heavier ordnance including the Scourge Railgun. The layout ensures easy access during emergencies or boarding actions, with overhead storage lockers for bulkier or high-value gear.
The armory supports mission modularity, with the ability to reconfigure racks based on the operational theater. Whether the A2 is striking at a hardened outpost or flying escort for critical missions, its onboard arsenal ensures it can adapt to rapidly shifting tactical environments.

Ordinance Deployment Systems

The true power of the A2 lies in its customized bomb deployment systems. Its underbelly can be configured to mount one of two devastating ordinance rigs:
The MORNING STAR Massive Ordinance Rig consists of a paired system designed to carry and deploy four FSKI Harvester Bombs. These bombs are infamous across known space for their sheer explosive yield and area denial capability. When dropped, each Harvester can turn a heavily entrenched enemy base into nothing but rubble and craters.
Alternatively, the A2 can be fitted with the unreleased DAISY CHAIN Saturation Rig, designed for widespread bombardment. This rig carries up to sixty FSKI Thunderball bombs, each with a smaller payload but deployed in tight sequence to saturate a large battlefield area. While the MORNING STAR is used for precision obliteration, the DAISY CHAIN is intended to blanket targets across wide frontlines, suppressing enemy movement and softening hardened defenses before troop engagement.
These two systems can be interchanged between missions, allowing A2 squadrons to shift seamlessly between tactical shock strikes and strategic saturation operations.
The A2 Hercules is not merely a bomber—it is an instrument of battlefield domination. Built upon the proven Hercules platform but retooled for aggressive engagements, it combines raw destructive power with Crusader’s trademark engineering finesse. When an A2 Hercules enters a combat zone, it doesn’t ask for permission—it clears the skies and silences the ground.
Serving with distinction across dozens of planetary campaigns, the A2 remains a terrifying presence to enemy commanders and a symbol of overwhelming force for the Federation. In the UFN's doctrine of air and space superiority, the A2 Hercules ensures that no enemy stronghold remains standing for long.

Creation Date

2890

Width

70 meters

Length

94 meters

Height

23 meters

Speed

950 m/s

Complement / Crew

1-8

Cargo & Passenger Capacity

Cargo 216 SCU Stowage 9,140 KµSCU