abstract
| - Sky Cranes are controlled by either human pilots or onboard artificial intelligence units (though they are usually piloted by the latter), and can be used for both space and atmospheric flight duties. They are deployed from battlecruisers, like the USIS Texas, or smaller frigates by way of hangars resembling a hanging rack structure, in which the dropships are placed facing downwards. The main role of the Sky Crane is to drop Armored Infantry soldiers onto the battlefield via a process called Burning In. Their secondary role is to deploy vehicles for use by USIF soldiers. A Sky Crane will fly 15,000 feet above the battle and roll to the side before launching the Armored Infantry soldiers straight towards the ground. When delivering battlefield support items and vehicles such as tanks, they fly low over the battlezone, release their cargo, and make a rapid exit to avoid enemy fire.
- The A-M12 Sky Crane is an all-purpose Dropship used by various advanced Terran factions, most notably NOVA and ECLIPSE.
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