Scorpius

The Scorpius is a two-seat heavy fighter manufactured by Roberts Space Industries, reimagined by the United Federation of Nations as a dual-role vehicle specializing in both ground attack and air defense. While its initial role leaned toward space superiority and interdiction, UFN tactical analysts and field engineers saw the potential to adapt the platform into a rugged, precision strike craft with excellent coverage and survivability. With its adaptable bi-wing configuration, formidable gun array, and uniquely engineered rail-mounted turret, the Scorpius has found a second life in the harshest combat zones—supporting troops on the ground while fending off airborne threats.
More than just a fighter, the Scorpius fulfills roles as a torpedo-plane, a dive bomber, and a close air support vehicle. Its refined aerodynamic profile, weapons flexibility, and strike package options have made it an essential component of UFN planetary campaigns and orbital operations. It is often deployed from ground bases, orbital stations, or carrier groups, depending on mission scope and target environment.

Tactical Role and Function

In its UFN service configuration, the Scorpius fulfills the role of a heavy Close Air Support (CAS) aircraft. Operating from forward-deployed starbases, planetary airstrips, or ground-adjacent carriers, the Scorpius is designed to deliver sustained firepower against fortified positions, enemy armor, and hostile infantry concentrations. Its heavy frame, combined with substantial fire coverage, allows it to loiter above active zones, respond dynamically to ground-unit requests, and defend itself from hostile interceptors.
Unlike traditional atmospheric CAS platforms, the Scorpius maintains the flexibility to operate in low orbit and exo-atmospheric conditions, bridging the gap between air-to-ground and space-to-ground missions. This makes it especially valuable in border skirmishes, insurgency suppression, and planetary siege operations, where terrain and airspace may shift rapidly from vacuum to atmosphere.
The Scorpius has seen widespread use in several mission types. In strategic space-to-ground bombing runs, it performs high-speed dive strikes on enemy installations, armored convoys, or subterranean targets. Its ability to support long-range squadron missions makes it a valuable companion for larger bombers or dropships, escorting them across dangerous skies and planetary orbits. In specialized campaigns, Scorpius units are even deployed for aggressive environmental recalibration, using high-yield ordnance to clear hazardous terrain or destabilize enemy fortifications. Its bunker-busting capabilities, in particular, have earned it a fearsome reputation among entrenched opposition forces.

Weapons and Firepower

The Scorpius is armed with eight Size 3 gun hard-points, giving it a versatile mix of projectile, ballistic, and energy weaponry, depending on mission parameters. These fixed weapons are mounted to allow concentrated firepower downrange, capable of shredding light vehicles, trench fortifications, and exposed infantry with ease. In its CAS loadout, the Scorpius typically mounts sustained-fire energy cannons or high-impact ballistic repeaters to suppress or neutralize ground targets in rapid succession.
Complementing its direct-fire weapons, the Scorpius also features missile racks supporting up to sixteen Size 2 ground-attack missiles. These munitions can be configured for anti-armor, bunker-busting, or area denial depending on the engagement theater. The combined volume of fire allows the Scorpius to function as both a strike craft and a fire-support vehicle, targeting hardened points or saturating an area to create openings for infantry advances.

Remote Turret System

The defining feature of the Scorpius is its innovative rail-mounted remote turret system. This turret, capable of full 360-degree traversal along a guided track, houses four additional Size 3 ballistic cannons. It can be operated by a dedicated second crew member seated behind the pilot or slaved directly to the pilot’s targeting system in a limited forward-firing mode.
This flexibility gives the Scorpius unmatched engagement coverage. During CAS operations, the turret can be rotated to track lateral or trailing threats, defend the aircraft during gun runs, or provide suppressive fire in tandem with the pilot’s primary weapons. In some configurations, turret fire is offset to offer low-angle strafing from high altitude, a feature praised by Federation forward units calling in top-down support.

Airframe and Bi-Wing Configuration

The Scorpius employs a unique convertible spaceframe built around a bi-wing architecture. This adaptive structure allows the wings to shift between two configurations—one optimized for compact storage and atmospheric reentry, and the other for full operational deployment. When stowed, the wings fold inward and reduce the craft’s footprint, facilitating hangar storage and rapid deployment from mobile carrier decks or planetary hardpoints.
In flight mode, the wings extend to stabilize the craft, increasing lift and maneuverability in thin atmospheres while also enhancing heat dissipation for prolonged energy weapon use. The structural integrity of the wing assembly ensures minimal vibration during strafing maneuvers and maximum control under high-G vectoring common to CAS flight patterns.

Crew Systems and Storage

The Scorpius is built around a two-seat tandem cockpit. The forward seat is the primary flight control and weapon systems interface, while the rear cockpit functions as the remote turret and systems officer station. Both crew members benefit from reinforced cockpit armor, inertial dampening, and panoramic digital displays that provide real-time battlefield data, terrain mapping, and target telemetry.
Externally, the Scorpius features two equipment storage compartments located beneath the cockpit. Each offers 1,500k µSCU of internal cargo space, designed for crew sustainment gear, mission payloads, or sensitive data equipment. Additionally, a drop-down weapon rack supports up to two rifles, two sidearms, and two modular tool devices such as medical injectors or multi-tools. This storage allows crews to survive extended sorties, or dismount for recovery operations in emergency landings or search-and-rescue missions.

Operational History and Use in the Field

Since its introduction into UFN service, the Scorpius has proven itself in countless planetary campaigns and orbital conflicts. Its dual-purpose capabilities allow it to shift seamlessly between escorting troop landers through contested skies, providing real-time overwatch during infantry advances, or serving as the spearhead of an armored column’s approach by eliminating forward threats.
Field units have noted the Scorpius’ reliability, fire saturation, and quick deployment time as core strengths. Its ability to maintain accurate fire while maneuvering at low altitude has made it a favorite among ground commanders and a respected threat by enemy insurgents. Squadrons of Scorpius fighters are often deployed in pairs or trios, acting as persistent air presence above contested zones.
Roberts Space Industries' Scorpius stands as a testament to adaptive design and battlefield innovation. Reimagined by the UFN as a close air support and ground-interdiction platform, the Scorpius balances overwhelming firepower, defensive flexibility, and advanced crew integration into a single, durable fighter. Whether flying beneath cloud cover to clear an LZ or orbiting above a conflict zone to rain fire on armored convoys, the Scorpius delivers precision, persistence, and punishing results. It is not simply a heavy fighter—it is a battlefield guardian in the sky.

Weapons & Armament

Equipped with eight Size 3 gun hard-points for projectile, ballistic, or energy-based loadouts
Configurable for CAS missions with energy cannons or ballistic repeaters
Features racks supporting up to sixteen Size 2 ground-attack missiles
Missiles can be tailored for anti-armor, bunker-busting, or area denial roles
Designed to function as both a strike craft and a fire-support vehicle

Remote Turret System

Rail-mounted turret offering full 360-degree traversal along its track
Houses four Size 3 ballistic cannons for defensive or offensive coverage
Operated by a dedicated gunner or slaved to pilot’s forward targeting mode
Supports lateral and rear tracking during CAS runs
Allows offset low-angle strafing fire from altitude when configured

Additional & auxiliary systems

Airframe and Bi-Wing Configuration

Convertible bi-wing structure with two configurations: stowed and extended
Stowed configuration reduces profile for storage and deployment
Extended wings stabilize flight and enhance lift and control
Optimized for reentry, high-G vectoring, and energy heat dissipation

Creation Date

2781

Width

24 meters

Length

32 meters

Height

13 meters

Speed

1,375 m/s

Complement / Crew

2, Pilot and copilot

Cargo & Passenger Capacity

1,890 KµSCU