Veritech fighter

The Veritech fighter is a fictional fighter aircraft can transform into combat walking machine in "Robotech". [ [http://www.robotech.com/infopedia/encyclopedia/viewterm.php?id=39] ] In the late '90s, an official backronym was invented by Harmony Gold for the term "Veritech:" Variable Engineering and Robotic Integration TECHnology. The name is derived from variable fighter, the term for transforming fighters used in "The Super Dimension Fortress Macross" (the series from which the first part of "Robotech" was adapted). Veritech is sometimes abbreviated "VT," though mostly in the Jack McKinney novel adaptations.

The nomenclature for Veritech Fighters partially follows that established in the 20th century by the US Armed Forces. "V" is added to the beginning of the fighter's designation to stand for "Variable" or "Veritech." Unlike in Macross, manufacturers are generally not mentioned.

Any vehicle that is considered or referred to as Veritech, their considered transformable machine forms it can assume. Using VF-1 Valkyrie as example: They are Fighter Mode, Guardian Mode (Half-fighter/half-mecha/Battaliod) & (Mecha) Mode.

There are non-flying veritech type mecha in Robotech universe. A canon example is the VHT-1 Spartas Veritech Hover Tank seen in Robotech's 2nd season named "Southern Cross Saga".

VF-1 Veritech Fighters

VF-1 Valkyrie (Robotech Defense Force) — The VF-1 was initially designed by the legendary Japanese mecha designer Shoji Kawamori (with contributions by his Studio Nue partner Kazutaka Miyatake) in 1980-1982 to be the centerpiece mecha design of the anime series The Super Dimension Fortress Macross (1982-1983). The VF-1 Veritech come in 4 basic models which can visually seen depicted once the machine converts/transforms to its various transformable states. VF-1A (Standard), VF-1B (Twin seat trainer), VF-1J (Junior Officers or Aces), and VF-1S (Squadron Commander Model). Also, these models's mecha "head" have number of lasers mounted on them. 1A only has single laser on top of its head, 1J & 1B has a laser on both side of its head and 1S has 4 lasers, (2 per side).This VF-1 Series fighters were retired and replaced by the VFA-6 Alpha Fighters.

Other Veritechs mentioned in Macross Saga are:
*Sylphid [The "Robotech" narrator called certain unnamed fighters "Veritech fighters" in episode 39. "The Super Dimension Cavalry Southern Cross" source material call these fighters Sylphid fighters, but do not describe them as transformable. The "" comics refers to the ConBat fighters as nontransformable, but they are based on "Genesis Climber Mospeada's" Convert fighters, which are transformable.] (Army of the Southern Cross)
*YF-4 [ [http://www.robotech.com/infopedia/mecha/viewmecha.php?id=60&seriescode=MAC] ]
*VF-X-7

Alpha Veritech

Designation VFA-6 - is derived from the AFC-01 Legioss Armo-Fighter in the Japanese series Genesis Climber Mospeada. The VF-X-6 Genia prototype of the Alpha was developed with another Veritech fighter design, the Condor, and the two share very strong visual similarities. By the time the Robotech Expeditionary Force departed in 2022, Alpha Veritechs could combine with the VF-X-7 Beta Veritech prototype. The VF-X-6 project was developed slowly through the early teens as an alternate to the then-favored YF-4; when the YF-4 project ended the Robotech Defense Force pushed the VFA-6 into high gear while the Army of the Southern Cross pressed their weight behind the VF-8 Logan Veritech Fighter and VHT-1 Spartas Veritech Hover Tank. In REF service the fighter quickly matured into a powerful and flexible aerospace strike fighter, capable of toting large weapons loads into battle. Several mission-specific models were developed and procured.

VF-8 Logan Veritech Fighter

According to the current "Robotech" continuity, the Army of the Southern Cross (ASC) consigned the Logan as its primary Veritech fighter during the ASC's growth as the frontline defense force for Earth with the departure of the Pioneer Mission. The fighter was intended to be a proper military answer against the usually poor armored Zentraedi enemy mecha. The arrival of the Robotech Masters ignited the Second Robotech War and pressed the Logan into combat. Despite possessing a small profile, being very fast, highly maneuverable in space & armed with energy weaponry, the Logan proved very ineffective in battles against the heavy armored bioroid forces of the Robotech Masters, mainly due to its lack of projectile weaponry & light armor.

During the war, the Logan was supplanted and eventually replaced by the more robust, powerful and versatile VFH-10 Veritech AGAC Veritech Fighter.

The Logan used a triple-barreled ion cannon & a laser gunpod as main weapons, but had no type of projectile-based guns. Its production design showed the ability of mounting two medium range missiles (unseen in the animation). The VF-8's fighter configuration is an extremely cramped design, with a stubby, bulbous nose, very large maneuvering thrusters, no visible air intakes, and a pair of small, highly loaded, unswept wings with a minor taper from root to tip. Also, this Veritech fighter differed from other mecha of this class by having only two modes: the normal Fighter mode and a Guardian mode. The second mode is called Guardian in the animation itself, but called Battloid on the Robotech.com website (The second mode is called GERWALK or "Flying Walker" mode in "The Super Dimension Cavalry Southern Cross" anime series). The wings of the veritech folded into the mecha forearms during this mode & could be used as shields thanks to their energy resistant armor (the only part of the mecha that had such protection). It is assumbed that none of the Logans survived Invid Invasion.

The VFB-9 Beta Fighter

Based on the AB-01 Tread Armo-Bomber from the anime series Genesis Climber Mospeada. It is a large aerospacecraft capable of making orbit on the brute-force power of its three huge rocket engines. The VBF-9 is rather unaerodynamic, flying on the "brick with giant engines" principle. Its huge size and slender wings give it an extremely high wing loading, degrading its performance further - in terms of combat use, the Beta is a giant missile truck and little more in fighter configuration. In Battloid mode, the Beta is a hulking, powerful combatant with an impressive array of weapons including three heavy beam guns in each forearm and several missile launchers. The Beta's third configuration is a VTOL and walking configuration.

The Beta has the unique ability to dock with an Alpha Fighter (the AFC-01 Legioss Armo-Fighter in Mospeada), combining the two into a larger combat unit. The Beta fighter provides additional fuel for a docked Alpha and gives it the necessary thrust for reaching orbit. Beta Fighters were used as unmanned boosters for their smaller Alpha brethren.

In older references that are not considered secondary continuity, the VFB-9 was referred to as the "VBF-1" Beta Fighter.

The Beta was preceded in service by the SFA-5 Conbat, of which very little is known. This fighter, originally called AF-03 Convert in Mospeada, is the Armo-Fighter predecessor of the Legioss that was used in an earlier campaign (along with the AS-C03 Condor), and it could transform into Armo-Soldier mode.

=VFH-10 AGAC Veritech Fighter/Helicopter=

The VFH-10 Armored Gyro Assault Chopper, or Veritech AGAC, is the last mecha series developed by the Armies of the Southern Cross. The mecha was designed as a cooperative project between the Southern Cross space forces and the ground forces, and is equally at home in space or attacking enemy forces near the ground. It does not shine as an atmospheric fighter, although it is certainly no slouch in that regard. Large numbers of the AGACs (commonly pronounced "Ajax") were built by the Southern Cross, almost all falling to either the Robotech Masters or the Invid.

The space forces mostly use the Fighter and Battloid modes; the ground forces use the AGACs mostly as an attack ship in its Helicopter mode and also as a Battloid. Most AGACs were assigned to the space forces to replace losses. The AGAC is rarely used as a high performance fighter, which it is not designed for. In space its many engines give it good acceleration and superb control, and its multiple beam cannons can fire without loss of effective range due to the atmosphere. Near the ground, the Helicopter mode makes it possible for the AGACs to hover behind cover more effectively than earlier veritechs, because it is less high than Guardian modes. Its beam cannons still work well at medium ranges, and its missiles are very effective both in space and near the ground.

The transformation from Fighter to Helicopter mode is less extensive than other transformations of veritech fighters; as a result, the AGACs could be kept relatively small and simple. To avoid having to built in a tail rotor, the designers gave the Helicopter mode contra-rotating rotors; and to resist enemy fire from the ground, the underside of the wing box was reinforced. In Battloid mode, this base forms the chest plate of the robot, although during transformation, this part of the mecha is very vulnerable. Almost all its weapons are mounted in gun or missile pods, for ease of maintenance and switching. In all, the AGAC is a successful design, although it suffered grievous losses against the Robotech Masters, along with all other Earth mecha and ships.

Veritech Land Mecha

* VHT-1 Spartas Veritech Hovertank (REF/ASC)
* VR-038 Veritech Cyclone (REF)
* VR-041 Veritech Cyclone (REF)
* VR-052 Veritech Cyclone (REF)

Notes and references