Raven

The Raven is a type of interceptor formerly used by XCOM. "Shepard commenting on the Raven"

- She's fast, sleek and looks beautiful, why we ever went for the Firestorm is beyond me.

Technology & Characteristics
The pinnacle of Earth-based technology, the Raven is built for high altitude operations, capable of reaching supersonic speeds in minimal time. Rather than operating for extended periods in the air, the Raven is designed for high speed combat and maneuverability to take down UFOs with maximum efficiency. In order to achieve the high speeds needed the Raven is fitted with four engines, a hybrid design of pulse detonation engines and turbojet engines; when deployed from a catapult the Raven can quickly reach supersonic speeds well before engaging the target. Alternatively if needed, the Raven has a tilt-wing design, giving it VTOL capabilities, most of the time however, the aircraft is more often launched from a catapult for added speed. For offence a number of different weapons can be attached to the underside of the fuselage, these range from conventional types like the Avalanche Missiles and the Phoenix Cannon to energy-based weapons such as the Plasma or EMP Cannon.

Armaments

 * Avalanche Missiles
 * Radar-guided air-to-air missiles are standard armament for the Raven, in normal conditions they are a top of the line weapon. However, UFOs appear to have some form of ECM aboard which limits the effectiveness of the missile.


 * Phoenix Cannon
 * A ballistic weapon designed for a high rate of fire, the Phoenix is more effective at close range, requiring interceptor pilots to move in closer, potentially putting them in more danger. The cannon itself though can inflict a substantial amount of damage and is harder to evade.


 * Laser Cannon
 * The predecessor of plasma weapons technology, a high-powered energy weapon can be fitted on the underside, delivering significant thermal damage. The downside is that the beam loses power over long distance and requires a closer range in order to function effectively.


 * Plasma Cannon
 * An ideal combat weapon, the plasma cannon can fire from a decent distance while retaining discharge power. While the weapon requires extensive research and resources to develop, it is the most powerful weapon which can be fitted on a Raven.


 * EMP Cannon
 * An unconventional, but nevertheless effective, anti-UFO weapon. While the EMP cannon does not inflict structural damage to a target, the weapon discharges a directed electromagnetic pulse which disrupts the ship's systems but leaves on-board equipment generally intact. While the weapon is highly effective at taking out enemy targets, organic materials are left unaffected, meaning that more alien crew members may survive the crash.

History
Initially deployed in 2015 as XCOM's primary interceptor, the Raven was phased out in favor of the more powerful Firestorm, though its design was used during development. A few Ravens are still kept onsite to help train new pilots with XCOM vehicles and their weaponry.