Chaser

Chaser-class aircraft are pursuit vehicles deployed by the Military Police for high-speed interception and enforcement operations. First observed during the drive chase in IWUKE Chapter 26.

Specifications

Propulsion System

Engine Configuration:

• 3 engines (standard configuration)
• Not Yedyr Engines (too expensive for this vehicle class)
• Standard engines much more prone to failure than Yedyr systems
• Can maintain flight on 2 of 3 engines
• Losing 1 engine forces altitude and speed reduction but doesn't crash
• Losing 2+ engines presumably catastrophic

Performance:

• Top speed: Not specified, but operating well above 300 km/h
• Deliberately stayed above target car during pursuit rather than pursuing at full speed
• Clearly operating far from maximum performance during chase
• Fast enough to overtake most ground vehicles

Design

Airframe:

• Curved windows
• Small opening in back of window for rifle fire
• Bottom-mounted cannon system
• Visual characteristics not fully described

Crew Configuration:

• Multiple soldiers aboard
• Armed with standard rifles
• Operate bottom-mounted weapon systems
• Observe and adapt to threats (destroyed drone approaching engines after seeing first Chaser sabotaged)

Armament

Pressure Charge Cannon

Primary Weapon:

• Bottom-mounted cannon
• Fires pressure charges (kinetic energy weapons)
• Function similar to grenades
• Purpose: Discharge kinetic energy to disrupt targets

Capabilities:

• Can detonate mid-air (proximity fuse or command detonation)
• Used against ground vehicles
• Used against aerial drones
• Effective but potentially lethal against unarmored targets

Chapter 26 Employment:

• Fired at high-speed decomputerized car
• Caused car to swerve and lose control
• Vehicle crashed at 200+ km/h
• Driver killed instantly

EMP System

Electronic Warfare:

• Can launch EMP blasts at targets
• Good in principle for stopping computerized vehicles
• Ineffective against decomputerized vehicles (computers stripped out)

Observed Use:

• Attempted against car in Chapter 26
• No visible effect (car had no computers to disable)
• Crew moved to pressure charges after EMP failed

Rifle-Armed Crew

Small Arms:

• Crew carries standard rifles
• Fire through small opening in back of curved window
• Effective against small drones
• Successfully destroyed multiple surveillance drones during chase

Tactical Application:

• Anti-drone defense
• Point defense against small threats
• Observed threats and adapted (shot down second drone approaching engines)

Tactical Employment

Deployment Protocol

Response Pattern (Chapter 26):

• Two-ship deployment (redundancy/backup)
• One Chaser maintains primary pursuit
• Second follows closely to take over if primary disabled
• Escalating force: EMP → pressure charges → (destruction implied)

Response Time:
Zet's assessment: "Finally...if their response time was always this bad, no wonder crime was a rampant problem."

• Arrived only after target vehicle already traveling at 200+ km/h
• Pursuit had been ongoing for extended period
• Suggests inadequate Military Police coverage or slow dispatch

Operational Tactics

Drone Control Assertion:

• First action: Attempt to assert remote control over civilian drones in area
• Purpose: Neutralize surveillance and interference
• Zet blocked the control attempt
• Pursuit continued after attempt failed

Positioning:

• Stayed above target vehicle rather than matching speed
• Maintained altitude advantage
• Used bottom-mounted cannon from superior position
• Did not pursue at maximum speed

Use of Force:
Demonstrated willingness to use lethal force:

• No apparent authorization protocols observed
• Fired pressure charges at high-speed vehicle
• Caused crash at 200+ km/h that killed driver
• No apparent concern for civilian casualties
• Zet: "There was little chance the driver had survived"

Vulnerabilities

Engine Sabotage

Critical Weakness:
Zet discovered exploitable vulnerability in non-Yedyr engines:

Exploit Method:

1. Small drone approaches engine
2. Electrical pulse sent into exposed fuel pipe
3. Pulse heats fuel (doesn't ignite it)
4. Safeguard system triggers to prevent ignition
5. Safeguard forces immediate engine shutdown
6. One engine failure reduces speed/altitude
7. Chaser forced to abandon pursuit

Chapter 26 Execution:

• Zet sent drone to first Chaser's engines
• Electrical pulse into exposed fuel pipe
• Safeguard engaged, engine shutdown
• System failure alarm blared
• Chaser fell back, unable to maintain speed/altitude
• Pursuit abandoned by first unit

Crew Adaptation:

• Second Chaser crew witnessed sabotage
• Shot down approaching drone before it reached engines
• Destroyed drone wreckage fell from sky
• Continued pursuit unopposed
• Demonstrates crews are observant and adaptive

Structural Vulnerabilities

Exposed Fuel Pipes:

• Accessible to small drones
• No protective shielding observed
• Critical failure point
• Design flaw if intentional drone attacks anticipated

Design Trade-offs:

• Non-Yedyr engines cheaper but vulnerable
• Cost savings vs. reliability
• Acceptable for most police work
• Inadequate against sophisticated adversary with drone access

Combat Assessment

Strengths

Operational:

• Fast deployment capability
• Two-ship redundancy protocol
• Multiple armament types (EMP, pressure charges, rifles)
• Adaptable crews who observe and respond to threats
• Successfully destroyed target (though lethally)

Tactical:

• Altitude advantage positioning
• Drone control assertion capability
• Escalating force options
• Crew coordination between ships

Weaknesses

Response:

• Slow response time to initial incident
• Arrived late to ongoing pursuit
• Limited coverage or dispatch delays

Technical:

• Engines vulnerable to small drone attack
• Exposed fuel pipes accessible
• Ineffective EMP against decomputerized targets
• Single-engine failure forces withdrawal

Operational:

• No apparent authorization protocols for lethal force
• No apparent concern for civilian casualties
• Escalated to lethal force rapidly
• Caused driver death (may or may not be viewed as weakness depending on mission parameters)

Strategic Implications

Zet's Response

Immediate Assessment:
Military Police Chasers represent significant threat to operations, directly leading to:

Drone Fleet Development:

• Zepto ultra-speed drone designed specifically to outpace Chasers
• 20,000 km/h top speed (16× speed of sound)
• Should be faster than Chaser maximum performance
• Addresses vulnerability exposed by chase

Tactical Countermeasures:

• Engine sabotage technique proven effective
• Small drones can disable Chasers
• But requires getting close (destroyed on second attempt)
• Need faster, more resilient drones

Force Structure Questions

Fleet Size:

• Unknown how many Chaser-class aircraft exist
• Two deployed to single incident suggests multiple units
• Implies larger fleet for planet-wide coverage
• But slow response suggests inadequate numbers

Variants:

• Unknown if multiple Chaser models/classes exist
• This may be standard pursuit configuration
• Specialized variants possible (heavy weapons, reconnaissance, etc.)

Open Questions

• How many Chaser-class aircraft does Military Police have?
• Are there different classes or models of Chasers?
• What is standard authorization protocol for lethal force?
• Did the Chasers face consequences for killing the driver?
• Can Zet's Zepto drone actually outpace Chasers at maximum performance?
• Why are fuel pipes exposed rather than shielded?
• What is maximum speed and altitude for Chaser-class?
• Are Yedyr-engined variants planned or deployed?
• How does Chaser compare to Royal Brigade aircraft?
• What other Military Police aircraft types exist?

Sources

• IWUKE Chapter 26