A Light Bomber/precision strike plane designed primarily for penetration of hardened defenses and destruction of high priority targets.

Credits:
The GORGON Light Bomber utilizes an original design that remains in harmony with the other warplanes in the ARCHON CHANCELLERY's line. Of course, all the modifications are the products of you wonderful folk here on SimplePlanes. I would specifically like to thank Seme4ka for the wonderful micro-missiles that are the basis of my Fang, Houndstooth, Claw and Talon missiles batteries, dfsjoe for the weightless mega-fuel tank that I have reinterpreted as the Umbra Reactor, FGW2014 for the Hail Storm shard laser that became the Meteor Storm and Meteor Swarm air defense laser systems, and Spefyjerbf for many amazing weapons systems, along with many others whose names are not known to me, but whose talents are greatly appreciated.

Background Story:
As the fourth cycle of the XIX Dynasty progressed, the High Command commissioned the Archon Chancellery to develop a medium sized airplane to be used as a light bomber and strike aircraft in the deep penetration role. The requirements for this plane included speed, stability, the ability to defend itself from enemy aircraft and ground defences, and a wide range of offensive weapons systems. The Chancellery responded to this challenge by offering a sleek, canard designed craft that incorporated the Chancellery's signature SERAPHIM multi-wing architecture. The Chancellery powered the new craft with the UMBRA dark energy reactor giving the new plane virtually unlimited range. They utilized a variation on their very successful CONSTELLATION integrated power system, that included four AURORA high performance and low observability boost engines along with two GRAVITON VTOL motors. The plane's main armament consists of a barbette mounted SHOCK WAVE cannon that combines the destructive power of the COMET disintegrator gun with the reach of the ground assault METEOR STORM shard laser. The barbette is directly linked to the plane's directional controls, automatically moving the cannon fore-and-aft by up to ten degrees in response to the aircraft's pitch maneuvers. In the ground attack category, the BASILISK was amply supplied with 16 long range TALON cruise missiles as well as a ten shot NOVA bomb-rifle. Air defense was provided by HOUNDSTOOTH interceptor missiles (a dozen of them) along with two STAR FIRE pulse-beam laser cannons and two STAR BURST burst-pulse stern-chasers. A new weapon system, the CORONA Flame-Thrower, was incorporated in the plane's nose to provide anti-personnel capability for short range strafing attacks. Finally, the aircraft was also equipped with a single nose mounted STAR LIGHT needle-laser for close-in air defense and assistance in aiming. As a side note, this plane originally bore a different name, but its designation was changed to GORGON in the eighth cycle when it was reclassified from a medium to a light bomber.

Activation Groups:
1 - Engages the CONSTELLATION integrated engine system, which includes an enhanced gyro-stabilization unit (on whenever AG-1 is active), four AURORA high performance/low observability boost engines (VTOL bar up), and the anti-gravity GRAVITON VTOL motor (VTOL bar down).
2 - Engages the SHOCK WAVE shard laser disruptor beam, set in a chin mounted fore-and-aft barbette (operated by pitch).
3 - Activates the aircraft's ten 50-ton bombs and the advanced NOVA bomb-rifle system.
4 - Activates two HOUNDSTOOTH short-range Air-to-Air missile pods, each consisting of six radar seeking missiles (Guardian based).
5 - Activates the four TALON cruise missile pods, each equipped with four Air-to-Ground long-range missiles (Cleaver based).
6 - Activates the STAR FIRE pulse-beam laser cannons and the STAR BURST stern-chaser burst-pulse cannons.
7 - Activates the twin nose mounted CORONA flame throwers. These are short range weapons intended primarily for strafing attacks.
8 - disconnects the main UMBRA integrated power reactor, deactivating all active sensors (shown by extinguishing the various engine and running lights), cutting off the plane's back-up stabilization gyro, and disarming the plane's single nose mounted STAR LIGHT needle-beam laser gun.