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Banshee
Covenant Ground Support Aircraft
Role: Attack
Manufacturer: Assembly Forges
Top speed: 67 mph (108 kph) in tactical flight mode
Weight: 1.3 tons (1.2 tonnes)
Length: 23.2 feet (7.1 meters)
Width: 24.7 feet (7.5 meters)
Grav impellors: The Banshee performs best close to a planet's surface, and usually flies no more than 300 meters above the ground to maximize efficiency of its anti-gravity system and to evade enemy air defenses. The standard Banshee can reach orbit - slowly - but its performance for exoatmospheric combat is considered adequate at best, particularly when compared to more specialized fighter variants.
Pilot: The Banshee is controlled by a single operator, who lays prone on the sled-like control couch to access the vehicle's control panel. Entrance is from the rear of the vehicle, and the bulbous nose section hinges open to allow easy access. Control is simple and intuitive, and most Sangheili and Jiralhanae warriors are instructed in the basics of operation. Humans have also built simulators to train personnel on Banshee piloting, and all special forces are qualified to use captured vehicles.
Plasma cannons: Installed to either side of the pilot's comparment are two Class-2 plasma cannons. Theses weapons have the distinctive firing pattern common to most Covenant plasma cannons, which limits their use at long range. On most Banshees the two cannons alternate fire to reduce heat buildup.
Safety alerts: The pilot's compartment is not sealed; independent life support is required in some environments. Operators should note that the Covenant does not fit ejection seats or pilot restraints on the Banshee. Performing acrobatics if the vehicle's gravity compensation web is damaged or deactivated can result in pilot injury or even death.
Airframe: Design variation can in some cases be attributed to specialized functionality, while others appear to represent the aesthetic choices of whoever commissioned the craft. These differences in aerodynamics and component arrangement can often be used to identify specific Covenant military units.
Aerial hunter
The Banshee is the most common support aircraft employed by the Covenant, and all UNSC soldiers are expected to conduct weekly response drills in expectation of their appeareance in all major engagements. The Banshee's ease of operation, reliability, maneuverability, and impressive armament is a deadly combination currently unmatched by any UNSC equivalent. Tactical air dominance cannot be ensured without the assistance of dedicated Air Force or Navy anti-aerospace assets.
Covenant vehicles are created using design patterns; manufacturing templates used to program assembly forges, which "grow" their various subassemblies and integrate components. Within the Covenant there is no distinction made between Banshee variants that result from variations in their design pattern or later customization, and they all fall under a basic category for what most directly translates as "aerial scout-hunter." UNSC soldiers shoud be aware that this complicates type categorization, and Banshees may display significant performance and profile differences between encounters.