Tactical Airlifter You Did Not Know You Needed
In a landscape that is frequently riddled with the overwhelming power of nuclear weapons, you would think the addition of an aircraft that is capable of delivering those weapons would be a given. If it cannot deploy a weapon of mass destruction, what place does it have in such a battlefield? I believe few people were expecting the arrival of a logistics capable aircraft with an unusually powerful conventional weapon selection. In my opinion, the VL-49 Tarantula occupies a rather unusual place in the setting of Nuclear Option by Shockfront Studios.
The amazing trailer introducing the aircraft.
AIRCRAFT DESCRIPTION
The Tarantula is a quad proprotor, tiltwing, vertical takeoff and landing (VTOL) heavy lift platform capable of launching from any of the game's pre-built or user made airbases, highway air strips and helipads. Though it cannot quite fit on the back of a Dynamo-class Destroyer or a Shard-class Corvette like its SAH-46 Chicane attack helicopter counterpart. While quite large, its ability to land vertically anywhere it can fit itself into maintains its versatility.
As with all aircraft in Nuclear Option, the VL-49 Tarantula is exquisitely modeled externally and internally. The in-game encyclopedia description of this aircraft mentions its survivability in combat thanks to its four proprotors with internally linked driveshafts. I can certainly say this is the case, as I have intentionally taken this tiltwing mammoth into situations it should never be in and have landed with engines shot out and large sections of the aircraft missing. Its size and weight does make it hard to evade consistent anti-aircraft threats, so playing flying defensively is a must.
TACTICAL AIRLIFTER
The VL-49 Tarantula should be viewed not as a transport helicopter, but more of a tactical airlifter like the C-130. In its cargo bay the Tarantula can carry Munitions Containers to resupply land forces and aircraft at forward arming and refueling points and Naval Supply Containers that float in the sea to resupply naval units. Each container can explode if deployed incorrectly, so stable landings and low speed control is paramount, but in a pinch these crates can intentionally be ejected from the aircraft as medium yield makeshift bombs.
Vehicle wise it can deploy a variety of vehicles. From two LCV25 technical style pickup trucks with anti-aircraft and anti-armor weapon packages, a single mobile radar vehicle capable of detecting and directing surface to air missile fire at targets at up to 40km or a single AFV6 multipurpose armored vehicle available in configurations like anti-air, anti-tank, armored personnel carrier and infantry fighting vehicle.
After these vehicles are dropped off by the VL-49, they can be controlled by players on the same coalition with Nuclear Options built in real time strategy-esque control system. This makes the Tarantula capable of solo capturing neutral or hostile facilities by providing its own ground forces.
DIRECT ACTION PENETRATOR
Similar to the real world Sikorsky MH-60L DAP, the VL-49 Tarantula can mount a surprising variety of offensive and defensive weapons you would only expect on purpose built attack helicopters. Depending on configuration, it is able to fight its way in and out of contested areas.
While carrying cargo, the Tarantula can carry a chin mounted 12.7 mm rotary cannon and on its sponson mounts either 25mm cannon pods or short-ranged infrared air-to-air missiles. When equipped with the 12.7mm and 25mm weapons, as long as players are not in direct control of them, the AI crew members of the Tarantula will automatically slew the weapons onto targets within their firing arcs and engage without the player's input.
Forgoing transport duties completely, the VL-49 can deploy up to twenty AGM-48 missiles deployed in a F-86D Saber Dog inspired rectractable ventral rocket tray. When fired in large volleys, a single Tarantula can saturate an area with while it remains near top speed to quickly leave the area while hostile forces deal with the wall of missiles it left behind.
Due to its size, attempting to operate for a prolonged period in contested airspace like an attack helicopter is impractical. Evading anti-aircraft fire is difficult because the Tarantula is unable to quickly terrain mask like an attack helicopter or fixed-wing combat aircraft can, then unmask seconds later to continue the engagement.
GUNSHIP
Aside from transport abilities, the Tarantula's signature combat capability is as a gunship with a side mounted 76mm cannon with a relatively high rate of fire. This heavy hitting cannon has a surprisingly long reach with reliable accuracy thanks to it firing guided cannon shells. The side mounted cannon is hard hitting, capable of destroying a main battle tank in two to four hits while it is driving. Couple its base range with additional altitude provided by an aircraft and the cannon is capable of out ranging short range air defenses (SHORAD).
In Nuclear Option, SHORAD is highly effective against air-to-ground weapons like missiles, bombs and rockets. Most units are able to track these weapons in flight and attempt to intercept them with high rate of fire autocannons or interceptor missiles. Because of this saturation attacks against groups of defended targets are a must. While the guided cannon shells from the Tarantula can be intercepted by some SHORAD units, sustaining fire directly on an air defense unit will gradually overwhelm it. For example, a self propelled anti-aircraft gun may be able to intercept a handful of missiles in just a few seconds, but even it will eventually run out of ammunition when faced with a steady stream of 76mm cannon shells focused on it and only it.
Much like the anti-tank missiles mentioned in the previous section of this article, with the cannon mounted, the Tarantula can dispatch a convoy of enemy vehicles in just a few minutes if the conditions in the airspace are permissive.
OPERATIONAL REALITIES
The strengths and weaknesses of the Tarantula show themselves rapidly depending on the mission type. Nuclear Option is best known for its large scale, force on force missions that are a part of the base game. In these missions about 100 units on each side with dozens more produced in real time fight one another over hundreds of kilometers. Within the mix of the chaos are multiple high performance fifth generation fighters like the KR-67 Ifrit or FS-12 Revoker, which frequently penetrate the perceived frontlines and easily target aircraft like the Tarantula. Being unable to press towards the frontlines easily, the Tarantula can struggle at times.
In permissive environments the VL-49 can loiter in an area of the map, locking down roads from enemy troop movements and offering assistance with saturation attacks. In small and medium size scenarios, the Tarantula has more flexibility and the vehicles it deploys have more of an impact in a ground war that does not involve a near endless firehouse of land units. The Tarantula has potential to be the catalyst for an entire set of logistics focused and dispersed forces missions.
I find myself flying the VL-49 Tarantula more than half of the aircraft roster in the game, but this is mainly because of the possibilities it presents for multiple mission types. Expect to see more of the VL-49 Tarantula's capabilities on full display as Skyward Flight Media moves forward in making missions for Nuclear Option in the near future.
About the Writer
Co-founder of Skyward Flight Media. After founding Electrosphere.info, the first English Ace Combat database, he has been involved in creating flight game-related websites, communities, and events since 2005. He explores past and present flight games and simulators with his extensive collection of game consoles and computers. Read Staff Profile.
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