While the Sparrowhawk had proven itself flexible and reliable, by 2550 it was beginning to show its ago. Innovations in Gauss Cannon technology rendered its expensive and sophisticated laser cannon unnecessary, and it had outlived most of the armaments it had been designed to carry. As part of Project EXCALIBUR, the design team came up with the XAV-247 Buzzard, originally intended for the UNSC Marine Corps, but it was not adopted. Instead, the design was retooled and adopted by the Air Force and Army as the AV-248 Goshawk, entering service in mid-2552, and proving itself a capable replacement for its predecessor.