The Ghost Drone fighter was designed to act as a supplement to
other manned fighters such as the Valkyrie and the Lancer II. Compact and manoeuvrable,
the fighter mounted a trio of cannons to either side which could dish out considerable,
if inconsistent, damage. It also carried several hardpoints capable of carrying the
medium-range stinger missile. Despite its potential, the AI-programming of the Ghost
was never quite up to par with manned fighters, allowing enemy pilots to gain the
initiative. Zentraedi numbers and tactics led to the RDF focusing on the more versatile
and successful Valkyrie. Never the less, the Ghost continued in limited production as
allied pilots liked giving the enemy other targets to shoot at, and the SDF-1 was often
times critically short on pilots. Post-war, it remained in operation on both ground bases
and on the orbiting ARMD platforms until 2020 when it was completely withdrawn from
service. The lessons learned would aid in the later development of other Drone fighters.
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