The Airborne Special Weapons Dalek was an altogether more sophisticated model in comparison to the Standard Battle type.
The Dalek conditioning techniques for these aggressive former renegades had become markedly more advanced by the time these were developed. Airborne Daleks were capable of intelligent speech and possessed interpretative skills when it came to following orders transmitted on the Dalek command net during intense battle situations. There was even anecdotal evidence to suggest that one Dalek creature who was originally housed within an Airborne Dalek casing had impressed its superiors to such an extent that it was relocated into a red Supreme Commander casing. The Airborne SWD was sleek in design and more aerodynamic than the standard Dalek design. It did not settle on the surface of a planet, but instead hovered constantly, eager to put into practice one of its many breath-taking battle manoeuvres. (PROSE: Dalek Survival Guide)
History[]
Airborne Special Weapons Daleks were used to breach Lopra Minor's defences and gain access to Project Infinity. (AUDIO: Project Infinity) A final assault against the Daleks was led by Knight of Velyshaa Kalendorf, commanding Earth Alliance forces aboard Battlecruiser Courageous. Armed with information gleaned straight from the Dalek command net, a nest of attacking Airborne Daleks were wiped out by sub-orbital assault craft. The Dalek Survival Guide counted this as the fifth greatest defeat of the Special Weapons Daleks.
On the jungle planet of Junglos, a mere four Airborne Daleks kept an entire division of troops confused and besieged in the tropical jungles for months. The troops eventually ran out of rations and died of starvation. The Dalek Survival Guide counted this as the second greatest victory of the Special Weapons Daleks.
In the Garazone campaign, scientists cleverly synthesised the schrellic gland's secretions, luring 50 squadrons of interplanetary Airborne Daleks into a trap. The potency of the schrellic substitute was such that the first 27 squadrons willingly flew into the Garazone sun. The Dalek Survival Guide counted this as the second greatest defeat of the Special Weapons Daleks.
On MiscYam, a squadron of Airborne Daleks were mistaken for the return of the mystical Flying Gods of MiscYam legends, with apocalyptic consequences for the indigenous life-forms. The Dalek Survival Guide counted this as the fourth greatest victory of the Special Weapons Daleks. (PROSE: Dalek Survival Guide)