HK-Aerial

The term HK-Aerial refers to a wide variety of Skynet's large, airborne, VTOL-capable Non-Humanoid Hunter Killers. Featuring a devastating array of under-slung and wing-mounted lasers, missiles and plasma cannons, the HK-Aerial is fearsome and terrifying to behold.

SpecificationEdit

Often operating in support of ground sweeps by swarms of Series 800 Endoskeletons, they are one of the more dangerous targets for the members of the Resistance to engage.^[1]^[2]

HK-Aerials can be brought down by shoulder-fired surface-to-air missiles.^[3]

Known variantsEdit

There are light raiders seen patrolling the wastelands of the Future War,^[4]^[1] massive and heavily-armed ground support craft,^[5] as well as troop transport variants^[6] which on occasion have been captured and subverted for use by the Resistance.^[7]^[8]The HK-Aerial has been deployed in many configurations by both Skynet and the Soviet Artificial Intelligence MIR.^[6]

In the Terminator Salvation timeline, an HK-Aerial is able to carry T-700 Terminators onboard.^[9]

In the Terminator Genisys timeline, an HK-Aerial is able to store and carry a Spider Tank.

HK-BomberEdit

Main article: HK-Bomber

HK-VTOLEdit

Main article: HK-VTOL

Continually engineering upgrades to the original design, a smaller, more agile air unit is available in a sleeker, more organic design with the HK-VTOL,^[10] a unit powerful enough to carry a Boeing 747 jet engine in a cargo sling.

NotesEdit

The HK-Aerial was the very first Hunter Killer seen, appearing in the opening moments of the first film of Terminator series.
The HK-Aerial was redesigned for Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines (as HK-Airstrike), Terminator Salvation, and Terminator Genisys, which can be explained as a result of the alternation of the timelines in-universely. The original design is used for the Future War scene at the beginning of the film Terminator: Dark Fate.
In Terminator Salvation: Movie Preview, an HK-Airstrike from Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines is depicted as the HK-Aerial, rather than the HK-Aerial as shown in Terminator Salvation film.
In Terminator Salvation, the Transport is able to store two HK-Aerials.