- ❝The P-73 Prowler: the most famous fighter jet in the world, an icon of American air power, and the most expensive piece of work the Navy has ever used. When it'll be retired is anyone's guess, but judging from its maintenance costs, probably soon. Please note: This aircraft is excluded from Pegasus Lifestyle Management and must be stored in a personal hangar.❞
- — Warstock Cache & Carry description.
The Western P-73 Prowler is a two-seater military fighter jet featured in Grand Theft Auto Online as part of the Air Superiority update.
Design[]
Grand Theft Auto Online[]
The aircraft's nose, fuselage, vertical stabilizers, and cockpit strongly resemble the Grumman F-14 Tomcat. The rear end and horizontal stabilizers are from the Sukhoi Su-27, specifically the Su-33 due to the presence of a tailhook. The aircraft's variable-sweep wings resemble those of the Dassault Mirage G, and the intakes resemble those found on the Sukhoi Su-24.
In terms of armament, the P-73's hardpoints appear to mimic the F-14's long-range interception pattern, albeit with only one missile on each wing and with the rear middle hardpoints equipped with bombs, not missiles like the front middle hardpoints. The aircraft's gun is similar to that of the P-996 LAZER, albeit on the left side of the nose. The P-73 also has hardpoints on the bottom of each intake, used for external fuel tanks.
Performance[]
Grand Theft Auto Online[]
Vehicle[]
The P-73, being a fighter jet, is very fast, with a top speed of approximately 198 knots while flying above 900 feet. The P-73 also has remarkable brakes, both in the air and on the ground, being able to perform aerobatic moves such as the Cobra maneuver in the hands of a skilled pilot. When the P-73 reaches a speed exceeding 150 knots, its variable-sweep wings will sweep back, which will slightly increase maneuverability and acceleration. The wings will sweep forwards if the aircraft's speed decreases below 150 knots.
However, the P-73's primary downsides come from its low maneuverability and weight. Its maneuverability is comparable to propeller aircraft such as the Velum, which is very low for a fighter jet and is one of its biggest flaws, while its weight makes it prone to stalling and makes it fall faster. These flaws can easily prove fatal in combat, and mostly limit the P-73 to airstrikes, strafes, pursuits, interception, and low-intensity dogfights.
Defense[]
The P-73 is able to take more shots from from Miniguns and Heavy Snipers than other fighter jets. It can also take one more missile hit than its counterparts, though this is still a mobility kill (the engine will usually be disabled from this hit) and its control surfaces will still be damaged from blasts.
The aircraft can be fitted with countermeasures to improve its defensive capabilities against homing missiles, each one with their own attributes:
- The Chaff countermeasure disrupts the targeting system from missile launchers, cancelling any locks and rendering them unable to lock on the aircraft for ten seconds. Pilots who fly through the Chaff cloud will also receive a false missile lock warning for three seconds. They have a delay of five seconds before being used again and only have 10 uses.
- The Flare countermeasure drops several flares from the bottom of the aircraft, which can "disorient" the homing missile in order to avoid chasing the aircraft. They have a delay of three seconds before being used again and only have 20 uses.
- The Smoke countermeasure creates a trail of smoke that can disorient the enemy pilot, but its effectiveness is very limited, as the trail is large enough for a standard cockpit and the enemy pilot would just need to move away and follow the smoke trail. It has no delay between uses and can be used indefinitely.
Weapons[]
- Explosive Cannon: The P-73 is fitted with dual nose-mounted explosive cannons that are extremely powerful and effective, being able to swiftly destroy unarmored and armored targets, though the latter typically require sustained fire. However, it has a limited range of 600 feet.
- Missiles: The P-73 is fitted with several missiles that can be toggled between lock-on and unguided. As an aircraft added in the Air Superiority update, the P-73 has four different missile types: Standard, Anti-Air, Anti-Ground, Long-Range, and Multi-Lock.
- Standard: Standard missiles seen on other aircraft. Has mediocre maneuverability and deals regular damage against all types of targets.
- Anti-Air: Advanced missiles as seen on the Oppressor Mk II before The S.A.H.P. Update, albeit with slightly less turning. Has excellent maneuverability and deals 1.5x damage to aircraft and airborne targets. However, Anti-Air Missiles cannot lock onto ground- and water-based targets, and they deal significantly less damage to these targets. They also have a smaller blast radius, and are more attracted to flares than other missiles.
- Anti-Ground: Specialized missiles designed to destroy ground- and sea-based targets. Has poor maneuverability, but deals 1.5x damage to ground vehicles, watercraft, and ground-based targets, with a larger blast radius. However, Anti-Ground Missiles cannot lock onto air-based targets, and they deal significantly less damage to these targets.
- Long-Range: Large long-range missiles designed to destroy targets before visual contact is made. Has poor maneuverability and deals standard damage to all targets, but is significantly faster, lasts significantly longer, and can lock onto targets from farther away than usual, delaying the target's missile alert until after the missile has been fired. However, Long-Range Missiles cannot lock onto on-foot targets or players on Free Mode missions, such as sell missions.
- Multi-Lock: A rack of four missiles that allow pilots to target and fire on four targets at once. Has mediocre maneuverability, is weaker than regular missiles, and has a smaller blast radius, but is faster and lasts longer than other missiles. However, Multi-Lock Missiles cannot fire unguided, and they cannot lock onto on-foot targets or players on Free Mode missions, such as sell missions. The rack also empties itself once it is fired, regardless of the number of target locks, and it does not reload until the fired missiles explode.
- Bombs: Uniquely, while the P-73 carries bombs, it can only use them if another player is in the WSO's seat. These bombs, known as Guided Bombs, are always installed on the aircraft and are very similar to Explosive Bombs; however, these bombs are manually guided by the WSO through a camera display with a reticle. Wherever the WSO's reticle is, the bomb will move in an attempt to hit. However, being unpropelled bombs, their maneuverability is very poor, and they can explode on obstacles. Like the Multi-Lock Missiles, the Guided Bombs do not reload until the deployed bomb explodes.
Customizations[]
Grand Theft Auto Online[]
| Category | Modification | Price | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Armor | None | $1,000 | |
| Armor Upgrade 20% | $7,500 | ||
| Armor Upgrade 40% | $12,000 | ||
| Armor Upgrade 60% | $20,000 | ||
| Armor Upgrade 80% | $35,000 | ||
| Armor Upgrade 100% | $50,000 | ||
| Countermeasures | None | $700 | |
| Chaff (10) | $70,000 | ||
| Flare (20) | $110,000 | ||
| Smoke | $68,500 | ||
| Drop Tanks | No Drop Tanks | $2,500 | |
| Drop Tanks | $5,000 | ||
| Engine | EMS Upgrade, Level 1 | $9,000 | |
| EMS Upgrade, Level 2 | $12,500 | ||
| EMS Upgrade, Level 3 | $18,000 | ||
| EMS Upgrade, Level 4 | $33,500 | ||
| Handling | Stock Handling | $1,000 | |
| Smooth Handling | $20,000 | ||
| Sport Handling | $27,000 | ||
| Race Handling | $35,000 | ||
| Livery | None | $11,400 | Default design. |
| Luxington Squadron | $18,240 | Light grey design with USN markings, including text designating the aircraft as belonging to the USS Luxington. | |
| Pirate | $19,380 | Grey, black, and yellow design based on the high-visibility markings of VFA-103 and VF-84, both nicknamed the "Jolly Rogers". The skull and crossbones of the aforementioned units are replaced with a stylized anchor. | |
| Aggressor | $20,520 | Tan, white, and brown striped camouflage design based on the desert aircraft camouflage of the Islamic Republic of Iran Air Force. | |
| Peacekeeper | $21,660 | Medium blue and black design with Civilization Committee markings, based on the F-14++ Super Tomcat from Macross Zero. | |
| Fisherman | $22,800 | Camouflage design consisting of various bright shades of blue based on the naval aircraft camouflage of the Russian Air Force. | |
| Defector | $23,370 | Black design with red Soviet Air Forces roundels on the wings and vertical stabilizers. | |
| First Flyer | $23,939 | White livery with red cross-like stripes and USN markings based on the F-111B and Grumman VFX prototypes. | |
| Alien Craft | $24,510 | White livery with large dark blue stripes based on the VF-0S Phoenix from Macross Zero. | |
| Molotok Eater | $25,080 | Silver WWII-esque design with shark nose art and RAF markings. | |
| Fisher Squadron | $25,650 | Black livery with a red diagonal stripe below the canopy and the Fisher Squadron insignia on the vertical stabilizers, resembling Razgriz Squadron's livery from Ace Combat 5: The Unsung War. | |
| Respray | Main article: Los Santos Customs/Respray Colors | ||
| Sell | Sell Vehicle | ||
| Weapons | Standard | $1,000 | |
| Anti-Air | $80,000 | ||
| Anti-Ground | $90,000 | ||
| Long-Range | $100,000 | ||
| Multi-Lock | $125,000 | ||
Prominent Appearances in Missions[]
Grand Theft Auto Online[]
- Provided for use in Furball.
- Provided for use in Operation Splash One, Operation After Dark, and Operation World Hand.
- Appears as enemies in Operation Splash One.
Locations[]
Grand Theft Auto Online[]
- Can be purchased from Warstock Cache & Carry for $4,119,500 or for $3,097,350 after winning ten rounds of Furball.
Trivia[]
- Lowering the landing gear of the P-73 also deploys its tailhook. The P-997 PHAZER and V-32 Glavnyy are the only other aircraft that do this.
- The P-73's Warstock description is likely a reference to one of the main reasons the real life F-14 Tomcat was retired from the United States Navy: high and unfeasible maintenance costs. However, the F-14 was retired in 2006, while the P-73 is implied to still be in active service.