The skies weren't safe...

...now the grounds aren't either.

While the preceding Scourge-Jets

have proven themselves combat-capable, they're not without their trade-offs and flaws. However, one weakness all of them so far have shared is their air-to-ground capabilities. Red Opponent E, the best until now of the jets for ground strikes, is good at disabling light targets like armored vehicles at best, but won't do much against heavy units like bunkers, airfields, or even ships. At first we thought this was strategic flaw, but the SCOURGE was simply waiting for a time to reveal the jet we call "Dash-Strike."

It can't dogfight like the others, and its 30mm guns (which it has despite being a bomber) are quite lackluster given the ferocity of other Red aircraft. But Dash-Strike isn't a fighter, it's a strike aircraft designed to fulfill your every air-to-ground need. Naval attack, strike missions, anti-tank, aerial interdiction, or even just a normal, long-range strategic bombing. If it's not in the air, Dash-Strike can destroy it.

But how will the Red Dash-Strike destroy its enemies, you may ask? Well, that's entirely the Strike's choice! Armed to the teeth with 40 bombs, 35 rockets, 4 AGM-25s, 2 30mm guns, and 4 unoccupied pylons for even more weaponry, the Dash-Strike will rarely be out of options, especially given that despite being the least numerous of the SCOURGE's aircraft, they still utilized the common swarm techniques seen on other Red jets. The only exception to this strategy is missions intended on striking far, far behind enemy lines, in which case only 4 or less Red-Dash Strikes shall be sent.

I should also talk about those missiles. Little is known about them, but due to an attack seen earlier this week, we can infer a few things: while typically used for air to ground, they're capable of air-to-air as well, especially against slow or unmaneuverable targets like bombers; they are not blunt explosives, they also intentionally incorporate shrapnel and incendiary effects; they are fire-and-forget, so they cannot regain lock if it is lost; they appear to be designed for vehicular destruction, the missile itself proved to do little to bunkers, buildings, and airfields, with almost all structural damage being due to the incendiary materials within the missiles. We should seriously pay mind to these new munitions, they're not only dangerous on their own, but represent a stepping stone in the SCOURGE's technology. If they manage to build jets that are both highly advanced and numerous, this will turn from a battle to a nightmare.

Also worth noting, Red Dash-Strikes can be called "Sunrisers," due to their strange tendencies to attack early in the day.