The Close Combat Dagger is a close-proximity melee weapon equipped on most TSFs. Lightweight and easy to handle, the Dagger is a handy weapon for prying off Tank-class BETA from allied armor units and TSFs, and in a pinch, can even be used to dispatch Grappler- and Destroyer-class BETA. When not in use, Close Combat Daggers are usually stored in a TSF's blade sheaths or storage areas.
Type-65 PB Knife[]
A product of Imperial Japan, the PB Knife is commonly seen stored in a Japanese TSF's arm sheaths, ready to be deployed if a Tank-class were to latch on to the TSF. In use with every TSF since the F-4J Gekishin, the PB Knife is an important secondary/tertiary armament for any pilot and can mean the difference between dying or narrowly getting away.
The PB Knife's origins began from the pre-BETA era after World War II, where it was developed as a multipurpose cutting tool for operated exoskeleton systems, which were used in space as construction suits. The BETA invasion saw the tool repurposed as a melee weapon for the F-4J. It was also given the American designation of CIWS-1.
CIWS-1A Close Combat Knife[]
Multi-purpose knife used by most TSFs, and is very similar to the Type-65 PB Knife. Initially equipped with the F-4 Phantom, the weapon has also seen use with other TSFs, including the MiG-21 Balalaika.
CIWS-1B Close Combat Knife[]
Advanced multi-purpose folding knife used by American TSFs. Space-saving storage balances out against the weapon's structural deficiency as compared to other combat daggers.
XM-9 Mounted Dagger[]
Knife weapon mounted as a bayonet on the XAMWS-24 Assault Cannon, and used exclusively by the YF-23. Unlike other Close Combat Daggers, it does not appear to be a detachable component, much like Fixed Armaments on TSFs.
Like the XAMWS-24, the XM-9 never entered production.
Large Close-Combat Dagger[]
Another knife variant used by the YF-23, the weapon is stored in its multipurpose arm sheaths. Its name implies that it is larger than other Combat Daggers in use with the US military.
Soviet Army Combat Knife[]
Knife weapon developed and used by Soviet forces. The weapon, which has a longer blade, first saw use with the MiG-27, and has been described to be more akin to a machete than a combat dagger.