The Helghast Hover APC refers to a series of armoured personnel carriers (APCs) used by the Helghast Army. They are featured in Killzone, with prop versions appearing in Killzone: Liberation.

Specifications & Armament

Standard Hover APC - 1x Twin-Mount VnS-10 Scylla

The Standard Hover APC serves as the universal chassis for all models following in the series. The Hover APC is equipped with front and rear anti-gravity stabilisers, with similar technology used on the Light Hovertank & Heavy Hovertank also used by the Third Army. These give the Hover APC balance whilst driving to avoid rolling over when traversing the terrain and act as rudders to control its directional movement. The anti-gravity stabilisers are powered by Petrusite, which also has the benefit of ensuring the vehicle doesn't elevate too much. However, the vehicle remains susceptible to land mines, and were outfitted with an anti-mine trawl at the front of the vehicle, just ahead of the gravity stabilisers. This trawl can be lowered to safely detonate any mines obstructing the vehicle's path, and doubles as a battering ram.

These Hover APCs in general were able to navigate shallow terrain and travel at higher speeds than any other ground vehicles in use by the Helghast Army at the time. They were more mobile than the ISA Lancer over the rugged terrain of the Vektan mountains and swamps, and therefore became responsible for many of the Third Army's early victories. It's almost certain that it was designed specifically with the Invasion of Vekta in mind.

As an armoured personnel carrier, its main purpose is to transport mechanised Helghast troops into combat, and evacuate any wounded or injured personnel from the battlefield. It carries a squad of up to 10 Helghast in a closed rear compartment. These troops are seated in rows of five with their backs to the sides of the vehicle, with their commander having access to a computer built into the wall enabling them to communicate with the crew and access other data.

Underneath the computer, there is a small cabinet with two drawers for the officer's belongings. To the left of them, a small door leads to the crew compartment which can be opened and closed by an electronic lock. In the concept art it's assumed that on the right side of this door in the troop compartment there would be a full-fledged weapon rack for the troops, fenced off by a retractable gate, however in transition to the game there is instead closely spaced mounts for weapons and a small cabinet containing the personal belongings of said troops. Finally, in order for the troops to enter and disembark from the vehicle, there is a hydraulically operated aft-hinged ramp door, controlled from an electronic lock panel requiring key-input, as well as a tall hatch.

They are adequately well-armoured for their roles, which protects its crew and personnel from small arms fire with all-around protection. They're also capable of withstanding up to two hits from an M404 Missile Launcher used by the ISA, otherwise later known as the M80 Rocket Launcher. In order to avoid wasting interior space, the APCs feature special fasteners along the sides of the vehicle for the crew to attach personal belongings and equipment.

At the front of the vehicle, you'll find the engine compartment. Immediately behind this, there is a section with batteries, each of which has small hatches on either side for the crew to access. This is also where the crew compartment is found, accessible via two doors and a tall hatch on the right side of the vehicle. The driver is positioned on the left hand-side of this compartment, which is also accessible via a small hatch above the seat. Their field of view relies upon cameras built into the Hover APC's headlights.

It is armed with a fully-traversable twin-VnS-10 Scylla that retains a 360° view of the area surrounding the vehicle. It's usually operated by the Hover APC's commander, but is vulnerable to incoming fire due to the lack of an armoured shield. It can be accessed by a small hatch on the roof of the vehicle and is located on the right-hand side, above where the commander would normally sit. The commander also has an on-board screen which enables them to coordinate with other vehicles in the area, as well as operating the vehicle's radar. The latter enables the commander to detect hostile forces and avoid unnecessary encounters. The radar itself can be found on the roof, and is located directly behind the driver's roof hatch. Lastly, there is a ventilation system covering the troop compartment at the rear.

Anti-Air Hover APC - 1x 25mm EAW25/4 Chimera & x5 Missile Pods

Arguably the best version produced of all the Hover APC variants, this version boasts far superior firepower than the standard model. It has traded the twin-VnS-10 Scylla for a 25mm EAW25/4 Chimera Anti-Air Gun, in addition to a small group of surface-to-air missile pods that have been installed in the top of the turret, in between the main guns. This enables the Hover APC to engage most aircraft operating at a low to medium altitude, as well as being powerful enough to engage lightly armoured ground targets. This turret can be fully traversed 360° and has been mounted directly above the crew compartment, thereby removing the hatches in the roof and altering the hull's roof for the troop compartment as well.

The EAW25/4 Chimera itself retains its quad-barrel design of the same calibre, though the muzzle brake has been changed. In order for the Hover APC to support this complex mounting, it uses a liquid nitrogen cooling system, with hoses that are attached to the barrels feeding into the rear roof. This ensures that the gun barrels are not quickly overheated, however it makes for a rather considerable hazard, as the hoses being damaged could lead to an explosive effect. Carrying on, the ammunition belt is denoted by an incendiary-tracer and ammunition boxes used to feed the guns are found directly behind. The guns themselves use a separate electronic sensor station at the front of the turret, which is capable of horizontal traverse, in addition to a fixed sensor above the turret. They are then controlled with horizontal and vertical laying drives. This station is controlled by the APC's commander, who similarly operates the vehicle's radar in the standard Hover APC.

Whilst the missile system has not been identified, it can be said that there are five missile pods in total and are likely guided by an improved radar, in addition to optical sensors built into the missile launcher itself. It is believed that these missiles are not used against ground targets as they appear to be unable to vertically traverse downwards. Again, these are controlled by the APC's commander.

Returning to the cooling system, the hull roof above the troop compartment has had its ventilation system greatly reduced, and instead only occupies roughly half of the hull roof itself. Several racks were installed in this space, which made way for cylinders containing hydrogen to be mounted at the rear. Whilst the size of the troop compartment has not been altered, only six Helghast troops are witnessed disembarking instead of the usual ten.

In Killzone: Liberation, the appearance of this variant is somewhat different. For instance, almost all of the optics have now been replaced with the exception of the turret's frontal sighting station, and it appears a heavier missile rocket-launcher system has been mounted, though with only four pods instead of five. It is possible that General Metrac & Colonel Cobar made requests for a specially-manufactured version, as we see with the modified Heavy Hovertank, but this is unconfirmed.

MRL Hover APC - 1x Multiple Rocket Launcher System (x16 Missiles)

The third variant is known as the 'APC (MRL).' This abbreviation stands for 'Multiple Rocket Launcher,' and is designed to be used as an indirect-fire artillery ordnance that can be directed by units such as the Bounty Hunter, to target specific positions within its range. It mounts sixteen rockets in a pair of roof-mounted packs and can suppress an area with devastating firepower in a short time span.

In terms of its design, the MRL Hover APC doesn't differ too much from the standard model. The commander's hatch has been removed and a mechanism for traversing the MRL was installed in its position instead, as it's offset to the right side of the crew compartment. The launcher itself is designed to work in unison with a spotter, who can be identified by their adornment of specific headwear which are then used to guide said rockets with a laser. The spotter need only illuminate the target with a BDL-23 Dohvat Laser Designator as their headwear will automatically transmit the relevant coordinates of the target to the nearest MRL APC. From there, the APC commander receives the coordinates and can quickly target the desired area.

Whilst these APCs no longer transport infantry, they do retain the seating provisioned in the standard model to house troops if necessary. However, the troop compartment is actually used to store containers with additional missiles, and it is noted that the MRL itself must be manually loaded by the crew each time it is fired.

Service History

The Helghast Hover APC was commonly used by the Helghast Third Army and were deployed solely during the Vektan Campaign of the Second Extrasolar War. Unfortunately, the Hover APC overall was expensive to produce and rather complex in design. With very few anti-gravity vehicles returning to Helghan, as recognised by the withdrawal of the Light and Heavy Hovertanks, it is safely assumed that these APCs were mostly abandoned on the planet and were not seen in-use by the Helghast again.

Instead, they are replaced by the Helghast Tracked APC, which is encountered in Killzone 2 and Killzone 3, as well as the Helghast Trooper Carrier, an autonomous quadrupedal vehicle, suited to terrain where the Helghast Tracked APC could not be deployed practically. The Helghast Army also seemed to opt more towards the use of Overlord Dropships as times goes on, in addition to Stahl Arms' Private Army, and appears in every instalment of the Killzone franchise.

Gallery

APC Models - "Vekta Today"

Standard Hover APC

Anti-Air Hover APC

Multiple Rocket Launcher Hover APC

Game Screenshots

A hover APC about to have a bad day

Concept Art

Anti-Air Hover APC

Anti-Air Turret

Troop Compartment

Special Headwear for MRL APC Spotters

Trivia

• Whilst the Anti-Air Hover APC's troop compartment has not been altered, only six Helghast troops are carried, instead of ten. This is likely because of the space required for the turret mechanisms, as well as internal ammunition stowage, which is just not reflected in the interior model.
• The Helghast Hover APCs are replaced by tracked vehicles in Killzone 2 and Killzone 3, similarly to the Light & Heavy Hovertanks.
• The Anti-Air Hover APC's appearance has been slightly modified in Killzone: Liberation.