The Helghast Cruiser (circa Killzone 2 model)
The Helghast Cruiser is the standard combat ship of the Helghast fleet, drawing design characteristics from early circa First Extrasolar War spacecraft.
Design Characteristics
During the Second Extrasolar War, the Cruiser possesses a mixed armament of missile launchers and anti-aircraft batteries, as well as the capacity to deploy Leech Pods. It also carries up to six fully loaded dropships on its stern deployment racks.
Though it is smaller in mass than an ISA Cruiser, it sacrifices firepower and survivability for superior numbers and improved maneuverability performance in atmosphere.
A single ISA Cruiser can wipe out a battle group of it's Helghast counterpart.
Combat History
Killzone 1
A massive fleet of Cruisers delivered the Helghast invasion force and scattered the ISA's fleet.
Killzone Mercenary
During General Metrac's the offensive in southern Vekta, the Helghast army was supported by low flying
A cruiser crippled by the ISA in Diortem
Cruisers above Diortem City. These warships provided close air support and aerial interdiction with anti-aircraft fire and missiles - ensuring Helghast superiority.
One cruiser, carrying stolen ISA military technology, was shot down during the battle for the strategic city. Phantom Talon Corp mercenaries infiltrated the downed ship and destroyed it, denying the Helghast valuable intelligence and technology. In addition, the mercenaries stole communication encryption codes used to coordinate between individual warships within the fleet.
Off the coast of Pyrrhus, a fleet of cruisers protected batteries of Arc Towers built upon the island chains. Once again, Phantom Talon Corp mercenaries infiltrated the installations, rerouting the Arc Tower's targeting control to the orbiting ISA fleet, turning the guns on the Helghast defence fleet and decimating it.
Killzone 2
During their counter-attack, the Helghast launched more than 12 of their cruisers along with fighter support
No match for long range Snow missiles
against Battle Group Mandrake. The Helghast ships immediately took heavy losses, but succeeded in crippling the ISA battlegroup through their use of boarding vessels, overwhelming numbers and surprise.
Killzone 3
A new fleet of advanced Arc Cruisers supplemented the main Cruisers in a suprise counter offensive to drive the ISA off Helghan. Several were part of the buildup for the abortive attack on Earth, only to be destroyed or crippled during the infighting between Jorhan Stahl and Admiral Orlock, and later the Helghan Terracide .
Killzone Shadow Fall
The remaining fleet of cruisers helped relocate the survivors of the Helghan Terracide and went on to form the core of New Helghan's military. It is unknown if the New Helghan military were at all allowed to expand upon the original ships they had bought during the evacuation.
It would transpire that those who had remained or left behind on Helghan and came under the leadership of Jorhan Stahl were manfacturing a vast number of new cruisers. When an ISA deployment taskforce, upon orders from VSA Director Sinclair, attacked Helghan to stop the invasion of Vekta a large fleet of cruisers were sent to engage them both in-atmosphere and in-orbit on orders from Stahl himself.
Evacuation of a devastated Helghan
Comparative Combat Performance
Whilst the cruiser and its numbers was sufficient to overwhelm the initial ISA fleet during the invasion of Vekta, which had been largely phased out in favour of the Orbital Defence Platforms, their level of sophistication was lacking when deployed against the new breed of ISA Cruiser, which was designed and manufactured with help from the UCA Navy.
Analysis
Despite its apparent size which can fool one into thinking that the cruiser is over a kilometer long, the comparative size of the onboard Overlord dropships gives the impression that the ship is actually no more than 500 meters long and about 200 meters wide.
Given its atmospheric entry abilities, which seem to be achieved via a parabolic, shallow approach angle to avoid burning its out-rigging surfaces through friction, the cruiser is very likely to be equipped with a set of repulsor engines similar to those on the Overlord dropship. The presence of its six, massive engine blocks fed by what seem to be fuel pipes emerging from the midsection is proof that the ship has a conventional rocket engine, much like a space shuttle, due to the fact that the Helghast had no access to nuclear technology until the ISA invasion. Whether there are combustion processes involving fuel within the engines is unknown, but the obvious presence of overheated coil aggregates inside the engine blocks is proof that its motion and lift is provided by the same processes that seem to keep it in maneuverable shape in the vacuum of space.
The two hammerhead shaped fins on the cruiser's bow are very likely ailerons which give it the necessary control surfaces in atmospheric flight while its lateral and horizontal motion is possibly ensured by sets of gas thrusters located on the stern and bow. The ship has no visible weapons systems, but the set of pods ahead of the engine blocks very likely serve as long range missile bays while the prominent blister equipment on the ship's topside seems to be either short range missile launchers or naval gunnery mounts. There are likely at least a dozen AA installations dotted around the ship's surface to repel advancing enemy aircraft or provide ground suppression.
Though heavily armored, the cruiser is poorly defended from incoming fire, which is possibly due to either the armor's inadequacy and archaic structure or ISA missile superiority in penetration. The out-rigging superstructure on the ship's topside, located between the engine blocks, is undoubtedly the bridge which appears to have a thin slot of windows and is heavily armored with all of its systems located internally to protect them from incoming fire.
Trivia
- During gameplay footage for Killzone: Shadow Fall, Helghast Cruisers, or successor iterations of the base design, are seen in service patroling Helghast airspace. The warpcoil is removed for obvious reasons, and these ships can be seen in the story trailer flying over the human side of Vekta City on their way to their new homes.