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Zero, M, FB, Plus, 7, 7Gin, D7, F

Illustrated by Tomotake Kinoshita

Caption:The Variable Fighter is one of the weapon systems that uses OTM, which is based on information obtained from the SDF-1. The VF was developed to battle giants; thereafter it became the military strength of the Unified Forces.

Variable Fighter
The Anti-"Giant" multipurpose variable air/space craft.
A variable fighter (VF) is an air/space craft that uses OTM - the Over Technology of Macross. The point worthy of special mention is the possession of a multi-purposefulness that existing aircraft cannot have, by being able to transform from fighter form, which is an air/space craft, to Battroid form, which is a humanoid land-warfare weapon, and GERWALK form, the midway silhouette between Fighter and Battroid.
The circumstances behind the need for the VF was the existence of the huge battleship that had crashed into South Ataria Island in 1999. On top of the huge battleship having been built with unknown technologies, it turned out that it's operators were 10 m tall "giants". The Earth Unified Government, which was inaugurated under the influence of these circumstances, pressed for countermeasures for the giant aliens*. Accordingly, while the Earth Unified Government was in the midst of repairing the huge battleship for human use (SDF-1 in the following), it advanced the development of anti-giant weapons that incorporated OTM obtained from the SDF-1. Thus, the research and development of the VF started as a 10 m-tall class of weapon that aimed at anti-giant communication and combat.
The development of the VF was advanced by the air, navy and marine forces, which wanted air combat capabilities in the 10 m-class humanoid weapon (hereafter Battroid form), which was supposed to be for anti-giant hand-to-hand combat and ground warfare. As a result, the vehicle that was cooperatively developed by the armed forces became a variable craft that was based on a jet fighter. The combined design team, which was founded in February 2001 and was based on several companies, completed the prototype VF-X in the beginning of 2006 after repeated trial and error. Incidentally, the VF-0 that was committed to the Unification War was based on the same prototype as the VF-X, and was the fighter that was equipped with jet engines instead of thermonuclear reaction turbine engines, as they were in the midst of testing. Afterwards, in November, 2008, close to when the Macross went into service, the first mass produced VF-1 was completed and handed over to the Unified Forces. The just-born VF-1 incorporated such things as thermonuclear reaction turbine engines, energy conversion armour and all sorts of OTM. The VF-1 was seen to be completed as a multipurpose weapon composed of the characteristics of a fighter craft and a ground-warfare humanoid weapon.

*Translator's note: changed from "giant" in the original.

Related Matter: Combat With Giants
The "giants", which were the force that opposed the VF, are a fighting race referred to as "Zentraadi". In Space War I, the VF-1 opened up the fight with the Zentraadi, who's main strength were giant warships and battle pods. In that fight, the VF-1 was shown to have greater combat capabilities than the battle pods, even though there is little actual combat data from the period. Also, Battroid form VF-1 also carried out hand-to-hand fighting with the Zentraadi, proving the VF-1's initial operational supposition correct.

Caption: The Zentraadi, who are 10 m tall giants, were a reality. The VF-1 was essential as the Zentraadi were equipped with highly mobile weapons.

Caption: A Battroid had also grappled with Buritai inside of Buritai's ship, as the height of the Battroid and the Zentraadi were almost the same.

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The Different Kinds of Variable Craft
Although "Variable Fighter" is the general term for an OTM using variable craft in the preceding paragraphs, variable craft other than the fighter (= jet fighter) also exist. These other variable craft are divided into the usual air/spacecraft functions, the same divisions as attacker, bomber and so on; the VA (= Variable Attacker), VB (= Variable Bomber) and so on were implemented and put to use in respectively different functions. However, as VFs had an exceedingly high multi-purposefulness due to options such as FAST packs from the era of the VF-1 onwards, the reason for the existence of the other variable craft faded; aside from the VE (= Variable Elint), who's substitutions didn't work as effectively.

VF (Variable Fighter)
Although the foundation of the VF is in a combat and hand-to-hand fighting specification that has the objective of anti-air and anti-space fights, due to optional equipment, the VF acquired a high multi-purposefulness in ground and anti-ship attacks and long range invasions.

Caption: VF-11B Variable Fighter

VT (Variable Trainer)
For flight training. The standard type are two-seaters that also seat an instructor, and are painted in colours that stand out. They're based on slightly refit VFs, and they are even fit for combat if they are armed.

Caption: VF-1D* Variable Trainer

*Translator's note: replaced the VT-1 in the original

VE (Variable Elint - Early Warning Craft)
In a region of space that's far from the base or fleet, the VE is responsible for control and reconnaissance. Based on the two-seater types, there are many VE that are equipped with a giant rotodome and large sensors.

Caption: RVF-25 Variable Elint*

*Translator's note: replaced the VE-1 Variable Elint in the original.

VA (Variable Attacker)
VA's are centred on such things as ground attacks. Even though they have low manoeuvrability and they're hand-to-hand combat abilities are inferior, compared to a VF, the VA has the advantage of excellent bullet resistance as well as being able to be equipped with large amount of munitions.

Caption: VA-3 Variable Attacker*

* Translator's note: VA-3M image replaced the VA-3C image in the original.

VB (Variable Bomber)
VBs carry out ground and anti-ship attacks. They have a specification that takes the performance inclination of the VA to the extreme, are the largest class of variable craft, and are equipped with the maximum strength of firepower and bullet-resistance.

Caption: VB-6 Variable Bomber

Variable System
Conventional aircraft prior to the VF also have thrust vectoring nozzles, variable-swept wings, and movable parts, such as folding wings and so forth to save space inside a carrier. These mechanisms have continued to be inherited and developed in variable craft, commencing with the VF; and by adopting highly durable hinges, mobile armour plates, and even more OTM, a wondrous transformation system has been completed. Thermonuclear reaction engines are built into both legs in Battroid form, and these leg parts compose the engine blocks in Fighter form (before the VF-1, the conventional engine equipped VF-0 had engines in the same parts). At that point in time, one could say that the basic model of the variable system had been completed as the majority of Variable Craft inherited this system. Also, many Variable Craft inherited an organization with the point that the main wings don't easily become an obstruction even in Battroid form due to the adoption of swing wings that have a swept-back angle which is parallel to the fuselage.

Caption: GERWALK form, with such features as stability when hovering and low vibrations, was discovered by chance during testing. This form, which seems to be an unfinished transformation, is one of the benefits of the transformation mechanism.

Caption: The legs, which can freely take any angle even in Fighter form, enable manoeuvres, such as a sudden deceleration, which surpasses that of air-brakes. Such behaviour cannot be achieved without the variable mechanism.

Variable Mechanism Transformation Chart
Right: Fighter
The Fighter form unfolds main wings and tail planes and makes the legs into straight engines. A gun pod can be installed on the arms that are folded up in the center of the fuselage.

Right: GERWALK
Together with unfolding the legs into a bird-leg shape, the GERWALK form unfolds the arms. The Battroid form back rockets are exposed and used for propulsion, as the leg engines are mainly used for hovering in this form.

Right: Battroid
With the area of the engine intakes rotated 180�� from their original point, the vectoring nozzles are opened and become the foot-ankle assemblies in Battroid form. The main wings and tail panes are folded up and turn into the back of the Battroid.

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© Aaron Sketchley