The Horizon-V class dropship was a type of shuttle with forward-swept wings produced by the United Earth Forces in the time of the Third Robotech War. They were an updated version of the older Horizon-T class vessels that suffered heavy casualties at the hands of the Invid during re-entry at Earth. The dropships could hold an Alpha Fighter-Beta Fighter link.
At least two were deployed aboard the Tokugawa. They were used to escape the doomed warship after it was damaged in battle. They were then captured by Invid forces and the crew was brought before rogue General T. R. Edwards. (Prelude to the Shadow Chronicles: Necessary Evil)
Behind the scenes[]
The Robotech: The Art of the Shadow Chronicles mentions the ship as being an update over the venerable Horizon-T dropship.
A Horizon-V was part of the first CGI test footage for Robotech: The Shadow Chronicles.
Several were included in the Robotech UN Public Service Announcement.
According to The Art of the Shadow Chronicles, a tertiary source, among the features of these dropships was a modular design that allowed sections to be jettisoned in order to reduce weight and increase mobility for emergency course corrections. These dropships also feature a VTOL design for vertical takeoffs and landings. In addition, the modular nature allowed each ship to be customized differently for their specific mission profiles.
In some manuals this Dropship has the designation of LCA-16A Horizon-V Dropship and had a base mass of 850 tons.