Gladiator

The Gladiator is a civilian variant of the T8A Gladiator light bomber, developed by Anvil Aerospace. Designated as the 'T8C Gladiator', this ship primarily functions as a bomber, enabling combat operations both independently and alongside a wingman. It is equipped to transport substantial munitions in its 'bomb-bay' and beneath its wings, in addition to featuring powerful guns for self-defense. The civilian version is also designed to enable the substitution of the 'bomb-bay' with a cargo module, while the manned turret weapons can be exchanged for a tractor beam.^[1]^[2]^[3]

Features

Bomb-bay

The undercarriage of the Gladiator features a bespoke 'bomb-bay' module designed to accommodate four powerful Size 5 missiles.^[1]

Missiles

In addition, the vessel is equipped with four Size 4 missile hardpoints, enabling a range of configurations beneath its wings.^[1]

Guns

The vehicle is equipped with two pilot-operated Size 4 gun hardpoints located beneath its wings, in addition to a dedicated manned turret capable of accommodating two Size 3 guns.^[1]

*Modularity

The Gladiators' 'bomb-bay' can be exchanged for a cargo module, and the weaponry on the manned turret can be substituted with a tractor beam.^[2]

Specifications

Radar

1x

S1

Ecouter

Military (C)

Cooler

2x

S1

Bracer

Military (C)

Life support

1x

S1

Life supportlfsp_tydt_s01_comfortair

Power plant

1x

S2

Maelstrom

Military (C)

Self destruct

1x

S1

Self destruct (10s)

500 🗡️ · 10 m

Shield generator

1x

S2

FullStop

Military (C)

Fuel intake

2x

S1

Fuel intakeintk_anvl_gladiator

0 SCU/s

Fuel port

1x

S1

Fuel portdockingtube_fuel_ports_anvl_gladiator

Fuel tank

2x

S1

Internal Tank

Left, Right

Quantum drive

1x

S1

Beacon

Quantum fuel tank

1x

S1

Internal Tank

Main thruster

2x

S1

Main thrusteranvl_gladiator_thruster_main

2.11 MN

Maneuvering thruster

4x

S1

Maneuvering thrusteranvl_gladiator_thruster_mav_joint_01

0.9 MN

4x

S1

Maneuvering thrusteranvl_gladiator_thruster_mav_joint_02

0.7 MN

Ordnance

2x

S6

Anvil Gladiator Torpedo Rack

Left, Right

4x

S5

Stalker V Missile

Talon Weapons Systems

2x

S4

MSD-442 Missile Rack

Left, Right

8x

S2

Ignite II Missile

FireStorm Kinetics

2x

S4

MSD-423 Missile Rack

Left, Right

4x

S3

Arrester III Missile

FireStorm Kinetics

Turret

1x

S6

Manned Turret

2x

S3

VariPuck S3 Gimbal Mount

Left, Right

2x

S3

CF-337 Panther Repeater

Klaus & Werner

2x

S1

Magazinefaux_magazinemagazine

374/374 Ammunition

Weapons

2x

S4

VariPuck S4 Gimbal Mount

Left, Right

2x

S4

CF-447 Rhino Repeater

Klaus & Werner

2x

S1

Magazinefaux_magazinemagazine

375/375 Ammunition

Defensive devices

1x

S1

Anvil Gladiator - Noise Launcher

Left

1x

S1

Magazine

5/5 Ammunition

2x

S1

Anvil Gladiator - Decoy Launcher

Right

2x

S1

Magazine

48/48 Ammunition

Personal storage

1x

S1

Access

1,290,000K µSCU

Armor

1x

S1

Gladiator Ship Armor

No vehicle parts information found.

Model

Ship profile

Isometric	Above	Port-side	Front	Rear	Below

Isometric	Above	Port-side	Front	Rear

Series variants

Gladiator

Gladiator

Light Bomber

T8A Gladiator

T8A Gladiator

Light Bomber

Paints

Acquisition

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Purchase
System	Terminal	Price
Stanton	Astro Armada - Area 18	4,365,900

Lore

The T8A Gladiators were originally developed to bridge the gap between fighters and bombers for the military. Since their introduction into UEE service, Gladiators have participated with distinction in military and law enforcement operations in numerous theaters around the Empire and beyond.^[4]

During the Vanduul push after 2681, battling the encroaching horde from Orion to Tiber, the Gladiators of the 214th Squadron's Bravo Flight pulled double duty as S&R craft up to the last minutes of the Tiber pullout. In 2932, Bravo Flight broke rank in a raid on Virgil to pursue a distress signal. Rigged for stealth, the six Gladiators tracked the signal to the surface of Cyrene. A Vanduul patrol group was alerted and the ensuing battle resulted in heavy losses. The signal originated from a long destroyed 214th Squadron Wildcat. The black box was returned to Kilian and rather than face charges the survivors were hailed for finding this artefact of the squadron's history.^[5] In 2933, the Gladiator was immortalised in the photograph "The Calm Before the Storm" by Major Taia Wallen - one of only a handful of images of Corin, Kilian.

The ship was introduced to the civilian market as the T8C Gladiator in 2943.^[6] Though a heavy-hitting bomber, the Gladiator has proven easy to modify and thus has become commonplace in the civilian market. The bomb bay can easily be converted for light transport. Many pilots choose to replace the rear turret’s laser cannon with a tractor beam, making it an ideal craft for light salvage missions.^[3]

Since their introduction into UEE service, Gladiators have participated with distinction in military and law enforcement operations in numerous theaters around the Empire and beyond. Gladiators have been used in:

Strategic Space-to-Ground bombing runs
Support for long-range squadron missions
Modified C&C and target assignment for multi-squadron combat scenarios
Aggressive environmental recalibration
Capital ship torpedo strikes
Stealth operations
Supply drops through enemy-controlled territory
Blockade running
Law enforcement high value target interception

This multi-role capability will continue to evolve as the Gladiator's systems are further developed.^{[citation needed]}

"A half-assed toy for full grown children to play fighter hero"
Silas Koerner, CEO of Consolidated Outland^[7]

Gallery

Development

2014-11-26	The Gladiator was initially created for Squadron 42 only.^[3]
2015-02-26	The development of Gladiator in 2013, the initial 2D concepts and a 3D concept mesh created by David Hobbins (Conceptist). When he was done, Andrew Ley (Concept Design Director) further refined the 3D concept mesh and the ship's appearance, as well as providing rough animations for the many mechanical elements. After that, Matthew Johns (Senior 3D Artist) remodelled the ship, adding detail as well as further refining the mechanical elements and rough animations. With rendered images of the newly created 3D mesh and guidance from Paul Jones (Art Director), Gavin Rothery (Freelance Conceptist) provided a 2D 'paintover' image for the Squadron 42 version of the Gladiator. Matthew then used this 2D paintover as a guide to inform the creation of textures and shaders that define the surfaces of the ship.^[8]

Trivia

The design of the Gladiator drew inspiration from the carrier-based dive and torpedo bombers utilized during World War II, including models like the Grumman TBF Avenger and the Douglas SBD Dauntless.^[3]
The Gladiator is (as of 3.24 and earlier) along with the Vanguard Harbinger one of only two playable ships capable of mounting the Stalker V Missile, which is also the only Size 5 ordinance the Gladiator and Vanguard can mount.^[1]^[9]
It is unknown whether the Sol Gladiators of Sataball are named after the ship.^{[citation needed]}