Boeing Jump Bomber

The Boeing Jump Bomber was developed as a low-cost garrison bomber based on the Guardian, with the main difference being the removal of weapons and armoring for a larger engine. Developed for worlds in the Capellan March, the Jump Bomber is rugged, cheap, and simple to operate, and was deployed by the Federated Suns on the eve of the War of 3039. Armed Forces of the Federated Suns planners, concerned that the Capellan Confederation would take advantage of the focus on House Kurita, provided large numbers of Jump Bombers to supplement militia ground forces.

Bizarrely, the original pilots assigned to test the Jump Bomber had serious difficulty using the plane effectively, as their ingrained habits proved too difficult to overcome. Instead the Jump Bomber was used extensively by inexperienced pilots who could adapt to the craft's attack methods.

Weapons and Equipment
Unlike the Guardian that served as its inspiration, the Jump Bomber was designed only to carry external ordnance. The idea was for these fighters to carry bombs and external rocket pods to the battle zone, engage ground forces, and then withdraw to rearm. The last point was critical as the armor protection of the fighter had to be reduced to get a larger engine in the fuselage. This larger engine allows the bomber to carry more external ordnance.

Cargo
Four external hardpoints allow the Jump Bomber to carry a variety of external bombs, rocket pods, and missiles. The Jump Bomber is too small to carry any cargo internally.

Variants
There are no known variants of the Jump Bomber.