Skyranger

The Skyranger is the workhorse of the XCOM fleet, serving as a troop transporter/dropship for personnel.

Technology & Characteristics
In order to mobilise teams effectively to combat alien threats around the globe XCOM relies on a hypersonic transport for rapid responses. Despite its larger size the Skyranger can easily reach speeds above Mach 5, thanks to proprietary XCOM aerospace technology. This means XCOM can respond to alien attacks easily within a few hours. Like most XCOM aircraft the Skyranger has VTOL capabilities, allowing it to land in areas with little difficulty.

The aircraft uses a ramp on the rear of the vehicle for loading and unloading, leading directly to the back compartment. If no landing zone is available, towlines can be descended from the back of the aircraft to winch teams down from above. The Skyranger's interior features a multi-functional compartment, able to accommodate troops and MECs, store weapons in storage lockers and provide a secure link with headquarters for tactical support. In case of medical emergencies, the Skyranger carries limited first aid supplies, but can also be installed with more professional equipment for medical transfers, ideally moving up to four patients at once.

History
The Skyranger was first deployed in 2015 during the first invasion, at the time XCOM only maintained a single Skyranger, limiting their operational capacity to a degree. However, following Project: Rebirth, XCOM's Canadian headquarters was built with this in mind; accommodating several Skyrangers to deploy around the globe and drastically improve responses.