Jumpjet Trooper news

Designation: HI-4
Affiliation: GDI
Role: Anti- infantry, Anti- air
Armament: Minigun
Type: Main Battle Air Unit
Speed: Fast

Background

The Jumpjet Trooper was used by GDI during TW2 for anti- infantry purposes. When the first Cyborg units begun to appear, the Jumpjet Trooper was used more and more to counter the newest most terryfying weapon of Nod. The Jumpjet Trooper's weapons were very destructive against Cyborgs, and since the Cyborgs couldn't attack air units, their effectiveness was more. By the time of the Firestorm Crisis though, a large number of the Jumpjet Troopers was killed because of CABAL's newest Cyborg unit, the Cyborg Reaper, which's rockets could take down any light air unit such as the Jumpjet Trooper. After the Crisis, the Jumpjet Trooper's training halted, as the equipment was to costly to bear considering GDI's current millitary budget.

The Brotherhood of Nod took advantage of that, and started mass infantry raids to GDI bases. The GDI Council decided to create a new APC unit instead of using the Jumpjet Trooper design to counter Nod's militia because of the Jumpjet's cost, but many commanders gave their Riflemen Jumpjets from military storage areas, because the APC was vulnerable to Nod's Militant Rocket Squads. With the start of TW3 GDI countered Nod's renewed airforce and their new frontline air unit, the Harpy Mk2. With the Orca unable to handle all these new units, and with the Firehawk's numbers being minimum, the skies totally bellonged to Nod. The GDI Council ordered the reconstruction of the Jumpjet engine. The new plan included a strong minigun, stronger hover engines, bigger fuel tanks, advanced communications and control instruments and upgradeable Power Uniforms, similar to the ones used by Zone Troopers.. In large numbers, any enemy aircraft was vulnerable to them. With the deployment of Ion Storms by Scrin capital ships, the design was further improved with Ion Storm Killers, which allow the engines to continue working in Ion Storms, but the ionic bolts can still take them down.

"GDI had air superiority since TW1. In the Third Tiberium War though, we were to lose this advantage because of Nod's reformed air force and the lack of a GDI frontline aircraft. Thanks to the Jumpjet Trooper we kept this advantage. Their rapid deployment in huge numbers, was too much for the Nod Harpy Mk2s to handle. Their abillity to hover under the SAM sites' sight also helped avoid many casualties. They could also be upgraded with Power Packs, which made their uniform stronger and could take more hits. Thanks to these brave men and their Jumpjets, the civilised world is free from Nod's gasp..."

--American Congress Spokesman Johnathan D. Smith--

The Front Line
The Jumpjet Trooper needs no refeuling, and is used only in the front. Its counterparts are the Nod Harpy Mk2 and the Scrin Stormrider. Although it's the weakest of these three, it's cheaper too, giving GDI the abillity to build more with less cost. It can also take out infantry with great effectiveness. It can be upgraded with Power Packs to gain more armor.