The heaviest VTOL in the old Star League Defense Forces, the Cyrano was the standard gunship after 2622. It was designed to provide inexpensive support for ground troops and the Cyrano proved to be an able attack fighter. It also carried a Beagle Active Probe that made it adept at finding hidden enemy units.

When Pryde Rock Industries decided to redesign the Cyrano, they replaced the Beagle with a Bloodhound Active Probe and upgraded numerous other systems. Its primary mission is to escort the Ripper, Nightshade, and Pinto VTOLs on missions. It was first seen testing in October of 3062.

The first thing the PRI engineers did was replace the old DAV 220 Fusion engine with an XL variant designed to free up all of the space PRI knew they were going to need to perform their upgrades. While it makes the chopper very expensive, they decided it was worth the cost and continued on with the rest of their renovations.

Like the original Cyrano, the dominant physical feature of the PRI Cyrano is the forward-mounted main attack weapon. In this case though it is a Starslayer-C clan-equivalent Extended Range Particle Cannon. The entire system weighs six tonnes and takes up the bulk of the forward section of the craft and maintains the distinctive flying profile of the old Cyrano

Because the weight is not balanced, Cyrano pilots must fly numerous training missions before they enter combat. These training missions are vital to acquaint the pilots with the craft's unusual handling characteristics. To control the laser, the pilot uses a limited version of neurohelmet. Impulses from the Bloodhound display in front of the pilot, who simply looks at the target and presses the trigger. The Talk & Trac 10 system   makes automatic adjustments while the Bloodhound provides instant analysis of the target, including damage, weapon status, and probable response. The systems blend well, giving the Cyrano excellent fighting ability.

As with all VTOL craft, aerodynamics and weight problems make it virtually impossible to include adequate armor. PRI engineers did triple her armor coverage from her original form, but this still leaves the Cyrano very vulnerable to enemy fire.

The Bloodhound Active Probe is the state-of-the-art sensor system. Not only does it function at a much longer range, but it can pierce the old Guardian ECM devices. The Bloodhound's memory unit acts much like the old Beagle and records an encoded account of every battle. Should the Bloodhound encounter the foe again, it instantly displays a detailed profile of the enemy. The unit can also replay any battle on the tactical display. The pilot can alter actual actions with the joystick to see the consequences of different tactics. This mentor system is extremely popular with the pilots.

The Talk & Trac 10 with Bloodhound comm and targeting gear give the Cyrano better then average capabilities. [in addition to the normal +1 initiative bonus when commanding a unit, it also give the chopper a +1 gunnery bonus at all times due to better coordination.]

As of April 12, 3063, Our agents have confirmed that four of these craft have been sent to the 388th (White Banshees) Com Guard Division to test with the already arrived Nightshades, Pintos, and Rippers. As all designs have the same speed profiles, it is expected that they will work well together.

The agents that gave us this information are now attempting to find out what they can about the Rhino shipment patterns. We hope to have information on that soon.