N.DS-13 Shore Sparrow

Overview

The N.DS-13 Shore Sparrow was a variant of the Elementian DS-13 Sparrow, manufactured by Elementian aerospace company, Aires Dynamics. It was developed at the request of the United Elementian Navy to replace their M.DS-10 Puffins that operated from their ships.

The Shore Sparrow can handle anti-submarine warfare (ASW), anti-surface warfare (ASUW), close air support (CAS) naval special warfare (NSW) insertion, search and rescue (SAR), combat search and rescue (CSAR), vertical replenishment (VERTREP), and medical evacuation (MEDEVAC). Due to the Shore Sparrow's size, it was unable to operate on the smaller class of ships in the United Elementian Navy and Coast Guard, and as such, operated alongside the M.DS-9 Tern until the latter's retirement in 2104 NGE, being replaced by the M.DS-15 Murre.

The United Elementian Navy and Marine Corps began training for the Shore Sparrow by 2088 NGE, before production of the first modules were complete. Training was done on the navy's U.DH-13 Boxer Sparrow for SAR, NSW, CSAR, and MEDEVAC operations, while the United Elementian Army's A.DH-13 Thunder Sparrow was used for CAS and ASUW operations.

The first Shore Sparrows were delivered to the UEN in mid-2089 NGE, supplanting the M.DS Puffins serving on their ships. Delivery of the Shore Sparrow would reach the UEMC at the beginning of 2090 NGE. The Satonlion Federal Naval Air Corps would acquire the craft in 2089 NGE, followed by the Umeran Naval and Coastal Defense Forces in 2091 NGE. In 2094 NGE, amidst more aggressive actions from the West Pirate Enclave on Elementia's Western coast, the UEGC would order 47 Shore Sparrows to supplement their aging fleet of M.DS-7 Gulls and recently passed-down Puffins from the UEN and UEMC.

The Shore Sparrow would serve in countless combative and non-combative operations by the United Elementian Navy, Marine Corps, and Coast Guard, and would be used extensively in numerous skirmishes between CURAD member states and the various pirate enclaves in the Ormic and Tanzania Oceans. During the 4th World War, it served as the UEN's primary dropship throughout the war for various missions, and was heavily utilized for ASW "Hunter-Killer" missions on the coast of North and South Upotima against Legion submarines.