SCHWALBE

Introduction
Light fighter with an emphasis on agility and performance over weapons load. Fragile, though its sheer agility and small size makes it frustrating to dogfight against.

In-Game Description
Extremely agile dogfighter

''An underpowered but exceptionally agile fighter, one of the three Taylor corp aeros. This was the second aero produced by the contractor, utilizing data to reduce weight for the sake of agility, at the expense of firing power. Production had several delays due to tensions between the Taylor sisters, and was the last fighter they designed together.''

Usage
The base SCHWALBE is faster, more maneuverable, and has better acceleration than the ROGUE. This performance makes it supreme in a close-quarters dogfight, as well as making it well suited for catching up to faster air targets. Its low carrying capacity restricts it to a relatively small pool of weapons — while not to the same degree as the FALKE, some may find it difficult to carry heavier bombs.

In the hands of a skilled pilot at high altitude, the low HP can be counteracted with deft evasion. At Mk.3 and in a dive the SCHWALBE can even outrun the Diamondback missile.

However, in conjunction with its limited access to ground-attack weapons, the SCHWALBE finds itself being worn down very quickly by Flak and AA defenses, especially since these cannot be duped with Flares.

Standard
The normal SCHWALBE enemy. Carries MICROs as its sole offensive weaponry, so they lack any damage capability past 500 units out. They lack durability, and can be one-shot by most air-to-air weapons (bar the Diamondback and the MIRV when the submunitions spread out). Its small size makes it a nuisance to hit.

SCHWALBE-VET
Though still piloting an un-upgraded aero, the SCHWALBE-VET is much more dangerous due to its usage of the Diamondback. It always fires its missiles in pairs like micromissiles, and the launch is always followed by the missile's deep fire effect when launched.

If both missiles hit, they deal a whopping 120 HP of damage. If you can't evade them, be sure to dump flares immediately. Keep them off your six as much as possible.

SCHWALBE-ACE
This version has been upgraded, and can withstand an extra hit from certain air-to-air weapons. It can also out-turn mid- to long-ranged missiles on some occasions, so be prepared to launch a second volley or launch another missile in case the first shot misses.

Trivia

 * Like the other light aeros, the SCHWALBE gets its name from a German word for a bird, in this case meaning "swallow".