The VF-31AX Kairos Plus is a variable fighter featured in the Macross Δ Movie: Absolute Live!!!!!! movie. It is the armored form of Delta Flight's VF-31AX Kairos Plus.
Development[]
As with most variable fighter designs, the VF-31A Kairos was designed with the ability to equip Armored Packs for use in special operations where heavy firepower and protection are needed. The APS-31A/B Armored Pack is specifically designed for use with the Kairos, dramatically improving its durability through additional armor panels and pin-point barrier emitters, and adding numerous heavy weapons for anti-ship work and breakthroughs. Two massive booster packs provide additional engine power to compensate for the additional weight, as well as providing extra energy to power the additional weapons and armor.
Like the APS-25A/M25 Armored Pack on the VF-25 Messiah, the APS-31A/B is designed to allow the Kairos to transform between Fighter, GERWALK, and Battroid modes with the armor equipped, and use all of its add-on weapons in any mode. Parts of the Armored Pack can also be jettisoned individually at any time, either to save weight or to remove a damaged part that might interfere with the variable fighter's combat effectiveness.
While the Kairos Plus uses the same Armored Pack as its predecessors, it omits the forearm guards due to the already strengthened armor on the arms.
Armaments[]
Standard[]
- ROV-127E 12.7mm Beam Machine gun
- Hayate, Chuck, and Bogue's variant has 1 gun on the forehead, while Mirage's variant has 1 gun on each side of the head for a total of 2 guns.
- AK/VF-M11 Assault Knife x 2
- Can be reinforced with Pin-Point Barriers to enhance effectiveness.
- The Assault Knives are each stored within the forearm's anti-projectile shields when not in use.
- LU-22A Beam Gun Pod x 1
- New model beam gun pod based off Windermere design.
- Can be wielded on either hand, or kept on multipurpose container unit above left side as turreted gun.
- Laser Cannon x 1
- multipurpose container unit option weapon, deploys on right side in use. Can be used alongside Beam Gun Pod as a turreted beam gun.
- LM-30A 30mm Rapid-fire Railgun Pod x 2
- One on each forearm, can fold out when in use. In Fighter mode, the railguns are mounted under the wing roots to the side of the engines.
- The Kairos Plus has longer barrels for its railguns compared to the Kairos or Siegfried.
- CIMM-3B Micro Missile x 36
- Stored on micro missile bays behind the legs, with 18 missiles per leg.
- Anti-Projectile Shield x 2
- Reinforced hardened shield for defending against ranged and melee attacks.
- Unlike previous variable fighters, the shields are directly integrated into the forearms, allowing either arm to defend.
- VPB-S24 Pin Point Barrier System
Optional Armament[]
- Underwing Hardpoints for Pylon-carried Ordnance x 4
- One pylon mount on the each outer wing, and one on each inner wing.
- The inner wing hardpoints are directly connected to the anti-projectile shield, allowing any ordnance mounted there to be wielded on the forearms in GERWALK and Battroid modes.
Armored Pack[]
- 105mm ASAWB-M55 Twin Beam Turret x 1
- Mounted in place of multipurpose container unit. Can be fired while detached.
- 35mm 6-barrel Heavy Gatling Gun × 2
- Attached to each forearm.
- Drum magazines hold 850 rounds each.
- AMC-22 22-Tube Micro Missile Launcher Pod x 2
- 1 on each side of the chest.
- AMC-17 17-Tube Micro Missile Launcher Pod x 2
- 1 on each side of the shoulder.
- 40mm Beam Cannon x 2
- 1 on each side of the chest below the 22-tube missile launchers
- AMC-14 14-Tube Micro Missile Launcher Pod × 4
- 2 on front of each Booster weapon pod.
- AMC-12 12-Tube Micro Missile Launcher Pod × 10
- 3 on front of each Booster weapon pod, 2 at the rear of each pod.
- Anti-Ship Reaction Missile bay x 4
- 2 bays per Booster weapon pod. Each bay can carry 3 anti-ship missiles, or 1 reaction missile.
- AMC-34 34-Tube Micro Missile Launcher Pod x 4
- 2 per leg armor.
- AMC-16 16-Tube Micro Missile Launcher Pod x 4
- 2 per leg armor.
History[]
Delta Flight's Armored Kairos Plus units would participate in Operation Jormungand, a large-scale combat operation to liberate Windermere by destroying Heimdall's Battle Astrea flagship, where their capabilities in conjunction with Walküre would prove instrumental in turning the tide of battle.
Special Equipment and Features[]
Armored Pack[]
- The Kairos Plus can use the VF-31 Armored Pack for heavy combat situations where both firepower and defense are essential, and like the VF-25 Messiah can use the Armored Pack seamlessly in all modes. The Armored Pack attaches additional heavy armor to the chest, shoulders, hips, thighs, and legs, and increased engine power is provided by two massive booster packs on the wings to compensate for the additional weight. For offense, the Armored Pack adds two beam guns on the chest, two large gatling guns one on each arm, a dual heavy beam cannon turret replacing the multi-mission pack, four anti-ship missile bays on the thruster pack's weapon pods, and multiple micro-missile launchers on the armor.
- Each individual part of the Armored Pack can be individually jettisoned when required, and the micro missile packs on the armor can be set to launch their missiles at nearby targets after purging the armor. The dual heavy beam cannon can be detached from the craft and used as a hand-held weapon held by both arms.
- Due to the VF-31AX having thicker forearm defenses, the extra armor on the forearms are not installed for the Kairos Plus.
Gallery[]
Notes & Trivia[]
- In the Macross Δ Movie: Absolute Live!!!!!! movie, the Armored Kairos Plus is seen being able to swivel its large booster packs in Gerwalk mode. However, this ability cannot be replicated on the DX Chogokin Armored Kairos Plus (Hayate Immelman ver.) due to the fixed mounting mechanism on the Armored Pack being similar to that of the previous Armored Kairos.
References[]