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Description
The Firehawk VTOL attack jet is a Global Defense Initiative's weapon system combining AI programming and human piloting skills that appears in Command & Conquer 3: Tiberium Wars and Command & Conquer 3: Kane's Wrath. It takes over the role of the old Orca Bomber that was used during the Second Tiberium War and Firestorm Crisis.
The Firehawk fast attack jet is a dynamically unstable airframe that requires computer control to stay in flight – but the resulting air combat performance is unparalleled. The onboard AI also helps pilots with targeting, threat assessment and tracking, weapon control, and navigation. Connected through a neural link, the AI and the pilot work together seamlessly, combining the best of computer and human being.
The Firehawk can carry either air-to-ground or air-to-air load-out, which can be switched at an airfield. They can also be equipped with optional rocket boosters that allow the aircraft to punch into the stratosphere and go near-orbital in order to hop over enemy air defences. However, they are vulnerable to AA fire in the actual target zone during the re-entry after the boost phase.
While Nod's Vertigo Bombers take advantage of stealth to strike targets, GDI's Firehawks use extreme speed to reach targets quickly, fire their payload, then move back to base. Firehawks have the distinction of being one of the best air-to-air units in the game, since they can often destroy or damage enemy aircraft without giving them a chance to do much damage, if any, in return. In addition, the Stratofighter Boosters upgrade allows them to move anywhere on the field unharmed when activated, allowing them to either bypass enemy defenses and bomb the inside of a base, or to escape pursuing air units and appearing back at base.
ZOCOM has access to the Ceramic Armor upgrade, which improves the health of firehawks. The standard GDI faction instead has addition to the Hardpoints upgrade, allowing Firehawks to carry 50% more ammunition.
When landed, Firehawks can be configured to either carry bombs or missiles, but not both. In this way, they can serve as agile strike bombers or as interceptor craft, depending on the current needs of their commander.
While Firehawks may initially seem totally superior to Orcas, they aren't always. Orcas are cheaper, are available earlier and are more suited to taking on vehicles. Orcas can also carry several rockets which they fire at a manageable rate, making them better suited to engaging multiple targets at a time, while the Firehawk usually drops all of its bombs on one target. Orcas are also generally more effective at dealing with heavily armored vehicles like tanks, which is something that Firehawk bombs aren't nearly as good at. Firehawks are still generally superior at surviving attacks against anti-air units and are more efficient at levelling buildings and wiping out infantry clumps due to their very high speed and grenade-type damage, respectively.
A pair of Firehawks can destroy an anti-air turret in a single bombing run, and can expect to survive if they don't take damage from anything along the way. They are good at harassment and wearing down opponents' bases that have a deficiency in anti-air, due to their good survivability.
The Firehawk uses an M-shaped wing with canards (forward stabilisers). While the particular wing shaped was never put to pracical use, the simpler forward-swept wing was used on Grumman X-29 and Sukhoi S-37 (later Su-47) prototypes.

Description
The Firehawk VTOL attack jet is a Global Defense Initiative's weapon system combining AI programming and human piloting skills that appears in Command & Conquer 3: Tiberium Wars and Command & Conquer 3: Kane's Wrath. It takes over the role of the old Orca Bomber that was used during the Second Tiberium War and Firestorm Crisis.
The Firehawk fast attack jet is a dynamically unstable airframe that requires computer control to stay in flight – but the resulting air combat performance is unparalleled. The onboard AI also helps pilots with targeting, threat assessment and tracking, weapon control, and navigation. Connected through a neural link, the AI and the pilot work together seamlessly, combining the best of computer and human being.
The Firehawk can carry either air-to-ground or air-to-air load-out, which can be switched at an airfield. They can also be equipped with optional rocket boosters that allow the aircraft to punch into the stratosphere and go near-orbital in order to hop over enemy air defences. However, they are vulnerable to AA fire in the actual target zone during the re-entry after the boost phase.
While Nod's Vertigo Bombers take advantage of stealth to strike targets, GDI's Firehawks use extreme speed to reach targets quickly, fire their payload, then move back to base. Firehawks have the distinction of being one of the best air-to-air units in the game, since they can often destroy or damage enemy aircraft without giving them a chance to do much damage, if any, in return. In addition, the Stratofighter Boosters upgrade allows them to move anywhere on the field unharmed when activated, allowing them to either bypass enemy defenses and bomb the inside of a base, or to escape pursuing air units and appearing back at base.
ZOCOM has access to the Ceramic Armor upgrade, which improves the health of firehawks. The standard GDI faction instead has addition to the Hardpoints upgrade, allowing Firehawks to carry 50% more ammunition.
When landed, Firehawks can be configured to either carry bombs or missiles, but not both. In this way, they can serve as agile strike bombers or as interceptor craft, depending on the current needs of their commander.
While Firehawks may initially seem totally superior to Orcas, they aren't always. Orcas are cheaper, are available earlier and are more suited to taking on vehicles. Orcas can also carry several rockets which they fire at a manageable rate, making them better suited to engaging multiple targets at a time, while the Firehawk usually drops all of its bombs on one target. Orcas are also generally more effective at dealing with heavily armored vehicles like tanks, which is something that Firehawk bombs aren't nearly as good at. Firehawks are still generally superior at surviving attacks against anti-air units and are more efficient at levelling buildings and wiping out infantry clumps due to their very high speed and grenade-type damage, respectively.
A pair of Firehawks can destroy an anti-air turret in a single bombing run, and can expect to survive if they don't take damage from anything along the way. They are good at harassment and wearing down opponents' bases that have a deficiency in anti-air, due to their good survivability.
The Firehawk uses an M-shaped wing with canards (forward stabilisers). While the particular wing shaped was never put to pracical use, the simpler forward-swept wing was used on Grumman X-29 and Sukhoi S-37 (later Su-47) prototypes.