NationStates Jolt Archive

A Payment for Services Rendered - ATTN. Hawdawg
--------------------------------------------------------


The sun had set an hour earlier, leaving the sky a dusty violet screen occasionally interrupted by the upper-level cirrus cloud cover, the oceanic waves similarly bathed in an enshrouding darkness. Within the ocean of darkness, both above and below, were the lights of a naval flotilla, the Eighth Expeditionary Fleet of the Navy of the Armed Republic. The fleet drifted effortlessly through the choppy waves of the Mid-Atlantic Ocean. However, the fleet was not merely drifting, but was in reality in full steam, the bow of every vessel oriented towards the North-North-West: the North Atlantic. The Eighth Expeditionary Fleet was the current readiness fleet in the Atlantic and was tasked with being ready to defend Armed Republic assets abroad, or an ally in peril. Tonight, and for some time, she was on a different mission. Airborne radar and surface scan aircraft kept a watchful eye in hundreds of miles radius from the center of the fleet, ensuring that no one could interrupt this operation...


The centerpiece of the fleet was the RNS Hektor D. Vinterov, the initial vessel of the Hektor D. Vinterov medium carrier. Her sleek figure and flight deck was interrupted solely by the superstructure and the aircraft which periodically dotted the deck. Sixteen aircraft were on the flight deck, two preparing for a staggered take-off on the two electromagnetic catapaults...


The call came loud and clear across the radio -"Keta Odno... Ready for engine start." Colonel Nikolai Thevin, flight leader of a four-flight [sixteen aircraft] aerial convoy, complied with the tower's directive and his brain went to work. Initial compressors were activated. Fuel systems tested and activated. Powerplant electronics activated. Thrust vectoring test. Pulse detonation supplement system test. And finally, combustion. The pulse detonation/turbofan hybrid required a different way to start, a pilot detonation to set the entire process rolling in a mighty crescendo of increasing thrust and noise. It started with a mighty bang, a quick blast of blue flame erupting from the twin thrust vectoring sets. The process began as a slow whine now, the intense and violent rumbling smoothing out before increasing to nothing simpler than a thunderous roar, with a distant hint of a whine, much like you'd expect from a tornado. The aircraft never shook though, courtesy of ingenious methods of vibration reduction and technology. He played with the vectored thrust. The twin sets of thrust systems slowly moved: side to side; up and down; around. They were slow only at idle speeds as they were large, heavy pieces of machinery: massive slabs of composites and ceramics that would glow red when used at full thrust. The blue jets of flame were the indicators of an extremely potent force of which only the Tengriy could command. The same voice from the tower interrupted his thought patterns- "Nik, you're on catapault one... Cleared for take-off, you're in the hands of the deck crew now... Good luck, we'll see you in a few." Nikolai responded with an arm outside the open cockpit and a stern wave to the bridge. A flurry of thumbs up were returned. His helmet tipped and with his right hand he tugged on the canopy handle, the hydraulic assist slowly lowering the canopy until it hissed into a lock.


Nikolai Thevin was already where he was supposed to be, his forward landing gear snared in the electromagnetic catapault, the deck crew around the aircraft ensuring everything was ready for take-off. He glanced to the catapault box, the man inside illuminated in a green glow but his eyes transfixed on the pilot. His flight chief gave him the thumbs up and stepped back, snapping a salute. Nikolai lifted a thumbs up and averted his eyes to his forward arc, his left hand rested instinctively on the throttle control, while his right cradled the joystick. "Go." The singular radio transmission was immediately followed by the catapault operator releasing the electromagnetic catapaults. The jerk resulted in Nikolai easing up the throttle. The fuel injection increased the flow rate to near celestial numbers as the thrust vectoring system responded and the heavy composite plates articulated open. The exhaust came out a pure white, a tinge of blue on its outer frontiers, as a noticeable frequency emerged and the aircraft howled a warcry of which none could match. The laws of nature responded and pressed their fists against Nikolai's chest as he felt himself pushed into the seat, his head held back to the cradled headrest as he felt his center of gravity shift. But he wasn't at full power. He mentally threw the throttles forward. The instantaneous jump to near-maximum thrust per engine rocketed the aircraft forward, as the thrust vectoring system seemed to detonate creating a ring of blue flame. The aircraft carrier descended below him, disappearing as the nose lifted ever higher. The thrust vectoring plates complied with Nikolai's wish and stayed level in respect to the ground, propelling the Tengriy into the chilled regional air. A grin formed on his face, here he was at the controls... Or rather, he thought, at the mercy of the most sophisticated, powerful aircraft ever produced by the Armed Republic. He couldn't hope to ever utilize it to its full potential as he was its only limitation, the human pilot. He put the thought out of his mind, for now they were a combination of which none could match, as though God Himself had created this fusing of man and aircraft to prowl the skies with vigor and force unmatched... He adjusted the trim and flaps with simple micro-jolts of electricity crossing the synapses of his brain.

Behind him, fifteen more aircraft executed the same procedure, lifting the fifteen black airframes into a near-black sky, the only indication of their presence were the momentary flashes of their course lights. Each cockpit was of a gold-tinged nature, the outside world totally unaware of the green light-bathed men within and at the controls of the most merciless of aircraft. The aircraft, in four staggered groups of four aircraft each, headed for Northern Europe at a cruising speed of about mach two point two and at fifty-thousand feet. Each aircraft, although outfitted with what had to have been the most powerful avionics and threat detection suite of any aircraft, kept their sensors and radios silent, utilizing only passive means of detection and GPS guidance. They'd fly over the Hawdawgian-controlled Britain and over international waters to the Hawdawgian territories of Sweden and Finland where they would subsequently land. However, far ahead of them was the slow and lumbering C-214D carrier-launched medium cargo aircraft carrying a full load of passengers and supplies escorted by twin F-63KE Tengriy definitive air superiority fighters. They would be the first to land... And in mere moments. The aircraft, and her escorts, descended to a paltry twenty-thousand feet as they neared Air Base S-18Z, two hundred miles north-north-east of Stockholm, Sweden.




The pilot, a young captain, glanced to his copilot and the navigator whom sat behind him, "Well, looks like this is it... Ivan, get on the intercom and tell our fine passengers that we're arriving at our destination..." Ivan gave a nod. "In the meantime, I'll give our hosts a call. They should appreciate our visit, eh?" He toyed with the radio controls as he located the designated frequency and then spoke into his helmet-mounted microphone, "This is Orel Dva, we have arrived at specified location and time... We are awaiting landing instruction. The Kagan says hello and hopes you like our little chaikas..." He grinned and awaited the response. Already, he was pulling back on the throttle. Offset, and behind him, loitered the twin Tengriy aircraft, both were officially the property of the Holy Republic of Hawdawg... As well as the other sixteen following behind. They were the first eighteen of an arms shipment/production schematic which included the production, either domestically or by Hawdawgian facilities, of some one thousand airframes to be employed by the air forces of the Hawdawgian Republic. The cargo aircraft carried several models, design schematics, armaments, armament schematics, and Dat' Pizdy technicians, engineers, and training officials who would coordinate with the Armed Republic pilots in training the core of the Hawdawgian flight units responsible for piloting the advanced Tengriy. Why? For a plot of land in Texas and the Armed Republic's only access to the Pacific Ocean, all courtesy of the nice folks in command at the Holy Republic of Hawdawg. Now they'd get their payment, in full, and Dat' Pizdy, along with the Armed Republic government and her Air Force, were pretty damn sure they'd enjoy this payment. It was the world's most advanced aircraft, the F-63K Tengriy Definitive Air Superiority Fighter, and Hawdawg would be only the second nation to have it.

Col. Taggart stood behind the Air Traffic Controller as the message came in from the secret arrival. He took the microphone from the young operator.
In a brash voice the Colonel acknowledged the Flight.

Col. Taggart: "Ah, yes our friends from the Drilling Company. You have full clearance to land on runway 102. Please taxi to Hangar E-345, our ground crews are waiting for you."

The Col. then turned to young flight controller.

Col. Taggart: "I am heading to Hangar E-345 to greet our new guests. All official air chatter regarding clearances to land will not reflect any military terminology. Refer to all incoming flights that are cleared tonight as Commercial Industry Air Traffic."

After the Col. made his demands quite clear he headed for the Hangar anxious to get a glimpse of the future of Aerial Combat. Soon a compliment of these awesome weapons would be on the ground for inspection.

Captain Gregoriy Lenovitch listened to the return transmission, quickly keying his response, "Landing request confirmed. This is Orel Dva, we'll see you on the ground." He clicked off the microphone, a tone telling the listeners his transmission was over. He flicked his eyebrows as he grinned at the copilot, "Well, here we go. Would you like the helm, lieutenant?"

The copilot grinned, "I sure would, sir. It'll be nice to actually do something this flight." He chuckled as his hands moved to the controls, just as aircraft control was diverted to his station. As the lieutenant manipulated the controls of the aircraft, the aircraft maneuvered to a landing altitude and position, in an even line with the designated runway, one zero two. Her twin turbofan powerplants let up on their output power as the aircraft descended towards the illuminated pathway. Lifting his arm to a panel above his head, Lieutenant Alexiy Abramov deployed the landing gear. Immediately afterward, he eased back on the stick, lifting the nose of the aircraft and gently setting the rear wheels down on the tarmac. A light squeel and puff of smoke were emitted from the contact between rubber and tarmac. The nose of the C-214D dropped and the nose gear lowered itself to the ground.

With all the wheels on the ground, the turbofans were effectively cut, their power output reduced to a paltry amount as the aircraft's heavy weight and resistance slowed it down. By the end of the runway it was moving at several crisp miles per hour, navigating the taxi-ways, following a directing car towards Hangar E-345. Eventually, the aircraft was on target, her brakes engaging the aircraft slowing to a stop. Fuel flow was cut to the turbofans and their whine dulled and then died, leaving the dark gray C-214D parked on the tarmac. A number of personnel, mainly military and two OMONIA Black Beret special forces, exited through the forward doorway upon the arrival of a stairway. The group, spearheaded by Major General Vasiliy Vyecherov, the commanding officer of this expedition, approached a group of Hawdawgian officials, presumably their welcoming party.

The Major General spied the assembled group and located the most senior official, a commissioned officer, he couldn't determine his rank but his stature set him apart. He had an anxious look on his face. He knew this was his man. The general eased himself to a stop, "Good evening, gentlemen... I'm Major General Vasiliy Vyecherov, commanding officer of this detachment, I'll be in charge of the training programme here in relation to my pilots. I assume you are..." He paused and glanced at his escort who mouthed the words to him. He smiled and continued, "Colonel Taggart?"

He offered his hand to shake...




Above, the twin F-63K Tengriy loitered in a slow orbital pattern, awaiting a call to land, which wouldn't be issued until it was confirmed they were dealing with the right people.

Col. Taggart was just the kind of individual to head up a black ops organization. A low-ranking official wouldn't register on the radar of enemy nations and his activities in the clandestine world would barely register a blip on anyone’s monitor. Truth be known Col. Taggart could easily have held several stars on his shoulders, but chose to remain a lower officer for these types of assignments and this one was one for the ages. Taggart had been assembling the brightest engineers throughout Hawdawg England, Finland, and Sweden for months. Quietly removing them from Industry under the guise of "continued education" requirements to maintain there professional engineer licenses. Each man on the 24 member team had a unique aptitude for aeronautical design. These men would soon share in the knowledge that Hawdawg was about to bring forth a weapon that was so revolutionary Air Superiority would be guaranteed for the next 25 years. Before Taggart gathered his civilian designers he had the 402nd Air Force Wing transferred to the base. This didn't happen by chance; this unit carried the highest concentration of decorated pilots within the Air Force. Each Pilot had the honor of serving in both Naval and Air Force stints. These men represented the best of the best and would be the unit chosen to initially handle the new arrival. Equally important these men had all flown the Straken Sokol a beast in its own right, Which many would consider a sister ship to this new creation. The 402nd's ground crew, famous for the 10.0 mark in readiness drills 10 years running, would have to develop new strategies to maintain this delicate plane.

Colonel Taggart approached the new arrivals and shook the senior officers hand.

Col. Taggart: "Hello Major General Vyecherov my name is Col. Taggart. I am the Chief of Operations at this location. The Prime Minister regrets not being available to see these astonishing airplanes in person, but he understands the delicacy of maintaining top secret status of this project. We have made the necessary arrangements for your party. This hangar has full accomidations for your unit complete with a mess hall. I have sent over my personal cooking staff to prepare meals for your team. I am sure you are anxious to unload and my ground crews are ready to assist you with this immediately. I am certain you want to rest this evening and begin in the morning I presume?

Oh and one other thing Major General please tell your men to stay at least ten meters from the perimeter fences they are charged to 10,000 volts and have been known to arc and hit a man that far away. I have a 12 man security team working the perimeter of the hangar and we will issue ID badges for all of your men. Clearance into and out of this Hangar will be checked. Failure to present a valid ID will result in an untimely death. We lost an engineer yesterday who forgot his ID in the mess hall."

The Major General gave the Colonel a firm shake as he listened to what the man had to say. "Alright, sounds great... We could definately use some sleep, been like a marathon the last few days. But a few things first..." He took a deep breath and continued, "We've got two of the aircraft with us right now and they'll be landing shortly. Sneak peek of sorts. Sixteen more will be following through-out the night, as we informed you, in four groups of four. We've got all the schematics, and armament platforms with us in our cargo aircraft. All of the corporate techs and engineers are still inside, as well as our relief trainers. So, I suppose we can begin unloading. I'm willing to bet you want to get a good glance at the Tengriy before you go to bed, aye?" He looked up to the sky at the course light in the distance, its periodic flash alerting him to its position. The general waved his right hand at Lieutenant Abramov, who awaited the signal that all was working well.

His escorts, the two Black Berets, his executive officer, and two training officials, quickly set back towards the cargo aircraft. Notifying the engineers, training officials, technicians, loadmaster, and the remaining military personnel to begin unloading the aircraft. The rear cargo doors opened and a ramp lowered itself to the tarmac, awaiting the equipment necessary to unload the crates of armaments and models.



The lieutenant grinned, "There we go... Got it." He keyed his microphone and tapped into the radio communications link which connected him to the twin Tengriy aircraft, "Alright guys, everything's clear. I'm assuming you'll want to taxi up to our position."

"Affirmative." was the simple reply from both pilots.



High above, the twin aircraft, sharing an invisible data-link, positioned themselves into a landing pattern. Each aircraft's massive pulse detonation/turbofan hybrid powerplants lowering their thrust intensity as the aircraft eased towards the tarmac below. Both touched down just seconds apart in a staggered format. Within fifteen-hundred feet both were crawling across the taxi routes towards the lights which informed them of their destination. The first aircraft idled towards the C-214D, maneuvering between the aircraft and the hangar but stopping short to allow for the transit of unloading vehicles and forklifts necessary to unload the cargo aircraft. The pilot, Lieutenant Commander Evgeniy Interov, applied the brakes, allowing the aircraft to a slow stop. His mind disengaged the powerplant, the incredible noise slowing to a dull roar and eventually ceasing. The gold-fused canopy silently lifted up revealing the black-helmeted Interov who flashed a thumbs up at nearby ground crew waiting with a set of stairs. The second Tengriy positioned itself further back, following a similar procedure before disengaging her powerplants.

The Lieutenant Commander pulled off his three sets of harnesses and pulled himself out of the pilots seat, firmly planting his boots upon the stairs which were wheeled up to the cockpit. As he descended, he surveyed the magic beauty of the F-63K Tengriy definitive air superiority fighter. In its standard paint scheme it was a very dark matte gray, her nose a matte black as well as her accents. Her canopy was gold-fused, giving the aircraft an aggressive look while ensuring the pilot would not be blinded by the sun in any engagement. Running parallel with the cockpit and fuselage were two air intakes, sharp features which only further enhanced the aircraft's aura of lethality. The wing root began here and eased back into twin canards. Above the fuselage were two more air intakes, these two insured that the aircraft maintained a steady stream of airflow no matter the maneuver, altitude, or velocity. The wings angled back into a large lift area. There were no horizontal stabilizers, however, there were two canted vertical stabilizers. And in the absolute rear of the aircraft were the two three-dimensional thrust vectoring nozzles, actually massive composite ceramic plates to divert the forty-plus thousand pounds of thrust per engine at angles allowing for far-superior maneuverability. However, her true power and lethality did not originate from her exterior, but rather from what graced her interior. It was often said that "Her beauty provides the aura of sanctility, but her heart bleeds black with the intent of war and utter destruction." This is never more true than with the Tengriy. Her real power resides in her vast and far superior avionics and threat detection. Possessing the space and power required to house a vast amount of advanced detection gear, the Tengriy offers performance similar to airborne radar platforms. That's her real power. The ability to see first, fire first, and kill first. Her fire control and armament load-out ensure the latter two. But for now, the Hawdawgians wouldn't see that yet, it'd have to wait until morning. However, the lieutenant commander would show them around if they requested tonight. He grinned and pulled off his helmet, tossing it up into the cockpit. Glancing over just in time to see his cohort, Lieutenant Commander Yuriy Komroskiy, he quickly shouted, "Hey! Kommy, get over here."

"Eh, shove it Evgeniy. I suppose we get to do tour-guide duty now?"

Evgeniy shrugged his shoulders, "If they ask to have a tour, I'll do it, but I think the bulk of that is tommorow, this'll just be some introductory thing... Heh, while they unload we get to mope around our aircraft. Good to be pilots, eh?"

"Aye aye, commander."

Colonel Taggart extended his hand to the Pilots.

Colonel Taggart: "Ah, welcome to Hawdawg Sweden Gentlemen. I am Col. Taggart, Commanding Officer of this AirBase and coordinator of this exchange project. I want to let you know, as I did Major General Vyecherov, you are our welcome guests at this facility and every need will be catered to. I know you gentlemen are extremely tired from the extended mission but is it possible for a quick overview. I have to call into Prime Minister Wales before the evening is over and report. Oh and let me introduce the pilots of the 402nd Air Wing." A collective Hoohah sprang up from the 402nd. "These men are anxious to learn the in's and out's of the F-63K from you. They have extensive experience in the Straken Sokol. Lt. I have instructed these men just to listen tonight, not to ask questions, as we would be here all night if we started that. Anytime you are ready Lt. just say the word and begin."

Captain Starkey and Lt. Williams stood at parade rest as the two F-63K's rolled into the hangar. The sight was more than impressive, it was somewhat intimidating.

Capt. Starkey: "Damn it Williams, look at that some bitch!"

Lt. Williams: "Quiet Starkey, Taggart is gonna bust you a rank!"

Capt. Starkey: "I can't help it man, this plane is unbelievable!"

Lt. Williams: "We are supposed to get a quick synopsis tonight, remember Starkey don't ask questions. Taggart has a burr under his saddle for you."

Capt. Starkey: "Alright Wiliams", as he winked, "I won't upset Taggart tonight, at least not too much."

The 402nd waited for the Soviet Bloc Pilot to begin his short discussion.

The two pilots took their turns shaking the hand of their host on the base, Colonel Taggart. The two men took immediate notice of the enthusiasm among the Hawdawgian pilots, acknowledging their outburst with a grinning head-nod. They knew what the men were anxious about, same with every Armed Republic pilot back home. Immediately after the colonel had finished speaking, Lieutenant Commander Evgeniy Interov grinned and spoke, "Pleasure to be here, Colonel... Alright, so a little introduction..." The Lieutenant Commander took a step away to ensure their vision of the aircraft wasn't compromised. He scanned the bird and then immediately started in, "Alright... I am Lieutenant Commander Evgeniy Interov of the Navy of the Armed Republic, previously a member of the 119th Carrier Fighter Wing but now temporarily assigned to this training operation. First off about the Tengriy, it pilots alot like the Strakhen Sokol, and since you all have extensive experience with the Sokol, you should have no problem clicking with the Tengriy..." He glanced to the second man, Lieutenant Commander Yuriy Komroskiy, who took the cue to take up the talk.

"I'm Lieutenant Commander Yuriy Komroskiy, and I'm a jack-of-all-trades of sorts when it comes to the Tengriy... I was a pilot for the F-78 series of aircraft and am a qualified pilot for the Tengriy, however, I've also trained extensively as the electronics warfare officer for both. And I'll tell you what, the threat detection advantage you had with the Sokol has gotten at least forty times bigger." He walked up and patted the nose of the aircraft, "This thing has the detection ability rivaling that of any other nation's airborne radar and warning aircraft. And its got the computing power to process and provide the firing solutions for as many as one hundred twenty targets..." He instinctively put the emphasis on that number. It was far too impressive of a number to let slide. "You guys probably enjoyed one hell of an advantage with the Sokol before, now you can enjoy being uncontested in the skies, because there is nothing out there that matches the power this aircraft has in it. Nothing."

This time, Evgeniy perked up and continued the flow of information, "As Lieutenant Commander Komroskiy explained, this aircraft has a sensory suite that I honestly cannot believe its effectiveness. Its amazing. But, what's the use of an aircraft if you can't fire on anything?" He strided to the wing-root of the F-63K and squatted down, maneuvering so he was underneath the fuselage... " He pointed upwards to the fuselage armament bays, [i]"This is where the aircraft holds her primary armament, especially if the focus is on stealth. Three internal bays. A central one with a revolving launcher and two side ones with a simple rack launcher. She also maintains four hardpoints on each wing for the mounting of pylons and three fuselage hardpoints for such thing as external fuel tanks, additional armament, and a few additions not seen on the Sokol: Mission Enhancement Pods. A number of pods are available which allow the aircraft to perform well in reconaissance, electronic warfare, and even ground attack missions. Impressive, eh?" He coughed and maneuvered from underneath the aircraft so he was standing upright again. He tapped an access cover on the upper portion of the wing root. "And this is the firing port for the Tengriy's cannon armament: the Koschei cannon. This thing packs a serious punch. I think, if you guys use it any, you're gonna like it." He took several steps backwards before beginning again, "Alright, the powerplants on the Tengriy are twin Veter turbofan/pulse detonation engines. They don't provide the same amount of thrust as the Sokol, however they're more efficient, more responsive, and more... Refined. This gives the Tengriy better fuel economy, simpler maintenance, better acceleration, and a more refined presence. I'm not sure if you guys noticed it on the Sokol, but I could definately feel the engine's presence, it was a raw power, but it took its toll on the aircraft's frame and electronics. I tell ya what, if the Sokol was a pickup truck, the Tengriy's a sports car. You'll love it. And as you've noticed, we've varied from the forward swept wing design with the Tengriy, now its a much larger surface area, more lift, and more control. We've gone with a horizontal stabilizer-less design to give it instability and hence maneuverability. Forward canards provide added maneuverability." He tipped his head towards Lieutenant Commander Komroskiy.

"Ahhh... Alright... Now the avionics quick run through. I don't know if you guys utilize the direct neural interface, but if you do, this aircraft utilizes more benefits to the design, including a completely integrated fire control and neural interface system allowing for unparalleled data transfer and utilization. The DNI on the Tengriy is damn-near telepathic, courtesy of the enhanced integration abilities and its intuitive nature. Regardless on whether you use the DNI or not, the cockpit is much more refined and user friendly. I really can't do much more without going into excessive detail, I'll leave that to the Dat' Pizdy techs tommorow when you're formally introduced to the aircraft."

"In the end, all we can say is that this aircraft is every pilot's dream back home, and I really can't see it being any different here. And ya know, I guess I'm done... Komroskiy, anything you'd like to add?" The lieutenant commander shook his head. "Alright, well, feel free to take a look at it, although I'm sure the Dat' Pizdy guys will be going into a far heavier depth tommorow... I'm not sure if they're planning a thing like this or if you all will get hand outs and stuff about the aircraft and they'll hold a meeting to take questions and explain further into detail." He shrugged, unsure of what else to add.

The Colonel spoke up as if on que.

Col. Taggart: "Thank you gentlemen, I am sure these pilots would talk your ears off this evening, but we all agreed that this would be brief. The Staff Sgt. will show you gentlemen were to bunk out."

He then turned to the 402nd.

"Men we commence training and our land-based flight training tomorrow, the Dat' Pizdy technical experts will start with your basic aeronotics class at 7am sharp after mess. Remember ID's are a must unless you want to be bagged and tagged. Dismissed."

-------------------------------------

7am Avionics Class

Most of the pilots grabbed early breakfast and where in there seats by 6:30am anxiously awaiting the arrival of the Technical guru's. The main questions they had were angles of attack, rates of climb, and G Force constraints, all these questions would unfold in the briefing.

At a quarter to seven in the morning, the Armed Republic group of technicians, engineers, and training personnel, spearheaded by Colonel Nikolai Thevin, arrived at the scheduled briefing room carrying a bulk of equipment ranging from laptop computers to projectors and schematical diagrams. Thevin knew it was overkill but it was their plane, not his. Nikolai Thevin himself was a fair legend in the Air Force of the Armed Republic. He had served sixteen years with the air force in his relatively short thirty-eight year life, joining up immediately after graduating from the Aeronautical Institute of the Armed Republic. Each of those sixteen years was devoted to a single mission: the piloting of Armed Republic-exclusive air superiority fighters. He started with the original: the F-57 Molniya. From there he then flew the F-57C Block 30, followed by an extensive stint as a Dat' Pizdy test pilot, the first pilot to fly the F-78 Sokol. He was also the first to fly the F-78K Strakhen Sokol, the F-67K Zhar Sokol, and the F-63K Tengriy. His name was well known amongst the pilots of the Air Force of the Armed Republic, and the populace, but his reputation likely ended there. The eyes of the world were never upon the Armed Republic. It was a good thing.

As the group entered the room, Nikolai couldn't help but to utter a slight gasp of unbelief. Damn, he thought to himself, these guys are definately interested... Since the colonel himself wasn't going to talk, and just observe unless called upon to answer a question from experience, he scanned the packed audience for a seat, snagging himself one near the wall, but in the front row. Immediately he noticed how quiet the group was, occasionally a short whispered conversation would arise but it wouldn't last. Most of their eyes, and likely their minds, were affixed on the Dat' Pizdy technicians and engineers setting up several large posters of the F-63K Tengriy. A heavy model adorned the podium.

One technician approached the audience with a heavy cardboard box, "Alright guys, your lucky day. You're all getting one helluva detailed one one hundred-twentieth [1/120th] sized model of the F-63K. Everything works on it from the canopy to the armament bays to the flight controls. We want you guys to really know your aircraft. Also, we'll be passing out a pamphlet with each one with the full specifications and systems of the aircraft, these can be utilized now and in later sessions..." He walked over to the far right side of the room and handed the Hawdawgian pilot the box, "Alright, take a model and a pamphlet and pass it on..." The technician returned with several more boxes, ensuring each Hawdawgian pilot in the room received a model and a pamphlet, as well as any other Hawdawgian officials present. The ten minutes they had would give them ample time to look over the schematics, systems, and abilities to formulate questions in their heads.


By seven o'clock the room had been transformed into a near-shrine to the F-63K Tengriy. A projector displayed an advanced schematical view of the interior/exterior hybrid of the aircraft. The specications of its powerplant and its capabilities rested on the side, displaying several of its features and outputs. Two posters offered two full diagrams of the fire control system and its capabilities.

The lead member of the educational team stepped up to the podium and glanced at the clock. He was, understandably, fairly nerdy, this conclusion coming from his glasses, toussled hair, buttoned shirt and tie, and yes, the pencil holder in his pocket. However, he wasn't as up-tight as you would assume and was a good speaker. Returning his gaze to his audience he spoke with a deep voice, "Alright, I'm glad to see you were all here. We were late on getting here to set up, but we got her done. As you may or may not know, I'm Vyecheslav Vygorin, project leader of the civilian side of this operation, and one of the lead technicians with the Tengriy development program, I'm here with a few of my coworkers. Now. As promised we're here to generally answer your questions. The pamphlets we provided, and the models, should give you plenty of questions to ask of us. If there's anything you need clarified, we'll be happy to assist. We've got a resident expert in the house, " he nodded towards Thevin, "Colonel Nikolai Thevin. Between me and him, and my assistant techs, I'm sure we can get you your answers. And if you need us to, we'll go through the entire aircraft. This is basically a crash course in the aircraft, as its similar to the Sokol in terms of piloting. You'll just have to relearn her capabilities, she may handle the same but she's far more lethal and capable." The technician glanced at several papers arrayed in front of him, "Now, time for questions. Fire em' off at free will and we'll answer as they come."

Capt. Starkey took the box and passed it to Lt. Williams. As the technicians set up the room, Starkey poured over the technical pamphlet. All Hawdawg pilots were required to take continuing education classes in aeronautical engineering and Munitions on top of the rigorous courser load levied on them in Flight Training at the Air Academy. So much in fact, each pilot graduated with there wings and a Bachelor's in Aeronautical Engineering from the Academy. Starkey wasn't too concerned about flying he was more caught up in the new munitions the Tengriy would carry. Naturally when the lead technician asked for questions he was the first to raise his hand.

Capt. Starkey: "Well first I would like to say welcome to Hawdawg. I have a list of questions I worked up last night before I went to sleep. First, what kind of turning radius am I going to be able to expect in a dog fight scenario. I realize we won't be very close to our enemy in most of our sorties, but the situation could present itself. The reason I ask is with this new thrust vectoring system on the Tengriy it looks, from my first impression, that the plane will be able to out preform my bodies capacity to keep up. Turning on a dime is great, but if I black out, me and my second here are goners.

Second, our standard arsenal of AIM missiles includes AIM-54, AIM-120, AIM-9, AIM-155. We heard a rumor last night that Dat' Pizdy Corp. has built a specific set of Missiles that we will be using on this Airframe to take advantage of the extreme range of the Radar Suite. What missile systems have you come up with and what can we expect in terms of performance out of them?

Third, what back up systems does the neural interface have in terms of battle damage. We would all have to agree proximity fuses have made many AA guns/missiles far more deadly. I want to know if the NI can operate with light battle damage to the airframe.

Fourth and final question, are you gonna eat that doughnut?"

The room errupted with laughter. Starkey while deadly serious about his trade always managed to slip a one liner into everything he did.

The technician listened to the questions put forth from the pilot, whom he identified by his insignia as a captain. As the pilot wound up his list of questions he issued a one-liner, Vygorin couldn't help but to laugh along... "Sorry sir, I'm saving her for later." He grinned and cleared his mind as he prepared to answer the questions. "Well, Captain, you are right in your first question. The capabilities of the Tengriy exceed that of the pilot, and that's its only limitation: you, the pilot. But you are also its greatest weapon. A number of years ago we acquired the hydrostatic pressure suit design. We've combined this with an excessive recline seat to allow for individual, average g-force resistance of about thirteen gee's before you'll experience the normal effects of excessive force. That's an average number as your body composition and tolerances may differ. The average human, with a conventional pressure suit, can withstand about eleven gee's. And our understanding is, most nations around use the conventional air pressure and strap suit. As far as we know, we're the only ones who use hydrostatic suits which, by default, give us greater maneuverability potentials. I won't even bother giving you the exact turn radius, because you'll be able to turn as tight as your body lets you, and you'll know when that happens... Besides, the aircraft itself can be tailored if you want. A computer interface allows you to punch in your tolerances and the aircraft's internal sensors will determine when those levels are being approached and then provide resistance on the stick letting you know where your limits lie. This can be changed to just a warning light and/or tone..." He hoped the answer was good enough, he was sure it was.


"Now, as to a specific set of armaments: yes, we do have them. The most prominent is likely the Kretchet Variable Range Air-to-Air Insured Destruction Weapons or Vee-RAID for short. This weapon is a modular missile system composed of a single, common warhead and avionics system. The fire control system utilizes three modes of detection: mother aircraft relay which uses the mother aircraft's vast radar, LIDAR/LADAR, and infrared suite to guide it towads the area of the target; Inertial with LPI radar; and backup imaging infrared. A number of options are available for the targetting including: two-way communication [using the aircraft's sensors]; lock-on-after-launch; home on radar emission, etc. This means that the warhead can utilize active systems to track the target, passive systems including thermal, and even home in on radar emission or jamming. Hence the 'insured destruction' moniker. The warhead is a common forty kilogram annular blast fragmentation warhead. The casing is designed to shred to allow for, if the weapon somehow misses, to ensure that the aircraft intended to be struck is at least plastered with shrapnel which may result in a mission kill. The remaining portion of the weapon, its powerplant and fuel load, is optional. Although it is a 'variable' range weapon, it is chiefly intended to fill the medium or greater range requirements as the warhead and electronics set is too heavy for any short range, close-encounter weapon. There are three options for the powerplant and fuel system: a medium range system for engaging targets up to eighty kilometres away; a long range system for engaging targets up to two hundred-fifty kilometres away; and an extra long-range system for engaging targets up to five hundred kilometres away. Each powerplant system is throttle-controlled ramjet powerplant with thrust vectoring, allowing for the weapon to maneuver with the target. However, a modular missile serves as a jack-of-all-trades, and we're still finishing the remaining dedicated weapons. There will be two primarily short or medium range weapons: a short range infrared guided weapon and a short-medium range radar/infrared guided system with LPI and home-on-emission or jamming capabilities. There will be dedicated extra-long range weapon as well. Your current missiles will still be able to function with the aircraft, while the vee-RAID serves as its extra-long range or long range engagement platform."

"As for the final question. We have included hundreds of safe-guards to ensure that the pilot remains healthy in the event of a DNI failure. The neural interface system itself is as protected as we can get it. I will venture and say that the pilot could still theoretically control the aircraft even after a direct strike by an anti-aircraft round or missile, as long as the aircraft itself wasn't destroyed or damaged beyond possible repair or saving which would warrant the ejection of the crew. The system is rugged, and we've designed it to take as much of a beating as possible, although we will say that we're fairly certain that a proximity detonation, as long as it wasn't powerful enough to render the aircraft unuseable, would not render the DNI inoperative. If it is damaged, the pilot will be able to use the standard flight interfaces: the joystick, throttle, computer systems, etc. The DNI is only an extension of your mind to those same control surfaces, and at any time, you may take control in the conventional form. All control surfaces are redundant, except for basic flight controls which are triple redundant: fibre-optic; wire; and mechanical."

He thought for a moment before continuing, "Well, I hope I answered your questions? Any more?" He surveyed the room awaiting the next bombardment...

The pilots were impressed. They had never had the capabilities to engage targets at the extreme ranges the Tengriy offered. Even the Straken Sokol in all her glory only had ranged weapons of 200 km, the 500 km Vee-RAID almost tripled the planes leathality. In the hands of an experienced pilot this weapons platform would not be denied total Air Supremacy. With the 402nd's men all still digesting the Weapons systems information, one of the Aeronautical Engineers in the back of the room spoke up. Rupert Logins had a nasally voice that annoyed many, but his brilliance for aircraft construction could not be denied.

Rupert Logins (annoying nasal voice): "Uhm, sir back here. Myself and a few fellow engineers have been tasked with assembling the Tengriy under license in our Plant. To give you a little background on us, the Prime Minister himself selected our company Hyball Aeronautics, a division of Hyball Industries, to construct all the Straken Sokol airframes in country after Hawdawg was granted production rights from the sale of some country that I don't recall. Anyway we are familiar with the line of planes and were wondering if any steps were taken to allow for modular construction techiniques to be utilized on the airframe?

I also assume that the extreme long range Vee-RAID Missile systems will be produced under license too? Given the fact that we don't currently have a weapons system in our arsenal with the ranging capabilities of the Vee-RAID.

Thank you."

He nervously sat to await the response to his questions.

Vyecheslav Vygorin cringed lightly at the voice, but covered it up as best he could. He paid as much attention to the question as possible before singling out the main points and then zoning out the rest of the voice. When the noise ceased, Vygorin assumed it was his time to respond. He cleared his throat and began, "Another great question, this time dealing with the production of the aircraft. We do use a fair amount of modularity, the most notable being fire control/threat detection, powerplant, and armament. We've provided ample space for the use of threat detection, and in the current generation of the F-63K, it is all effectively used although we do ensure there is room for future expansion. The system is modular, so seperate components can be removed and/or replaced easily. However, since the impressive airborne threat detection suite takes up so much space, we've provided the fuselage points to carry additional electronics upgrades in streamlined, fuselage-conformal pods. One of these sets is an electronic countermeasures set, another is an airborne reconaissance camera set, and a third is a ground-attack set with its own infrared suite, laser targetter and rangefinder, and a link to allow the aircraft's own terrain mapping radar to aid in ground threat detection. This only serves to enhance the lethality of the aircraft." He glanced over his shoulder at the screen and pulled up a slide of the powerplant diagram.

"This is the Veter powerplant, a massive turbofan/pulse detonation hybrid. Its a new generation powerplant and considerably more refined than the last. Notice that its mounted on rails. This allows for its quick and efficient removal and replacement. It also allows for the more conservative buyer to utilize a conventional turbofan powerplant in the aircraft. However, it isn't quite as modular as we make it out to be. With the forces involved with this aircraft, we've had to make damn sure this powerplant is firmly affixed to the aircraft, so its still difficult to remove initially, but the actual removal of the powerplant from the frame, as in pulling it out, is much easier than in previous models." He pressed another button on the small remote and a schematics set displayed the internal section of the aircraft and most notably its armament bays.

"The final portion that can be considered modular is the internal armament systems. The central bay utilizes a rotating drum to solely fire the vee-RAID armaments. It can carry up to four of the weapons. However, the drum can be removed and standard rack launchers installed to carry upwards of six medium armaments and eight smaller armaments, or a mix between them. The side bays are designed to carry two medium or short range missiles but can also carry upgrade sets for the aircraft's electronics, or even additional fuel." He stood silent for a second before remembering the final quesetion, "And yes, you will be able to produce the vee-RAID under license from Dat' Pizdy Aerospace Industries. However, I'm sure you'll purchase a bulk order immediately to arm your new aircraft while production is started on your licensed variant of the vee-RAID."


Assured that that was the final question from the engineer, Vyecheslav asked again, "Any other questions?"

Colonel Taggart: "I want to thank you gentlemen for your candid questions and your thorough responses. I want to thank our guests from Dat' Pizdy for taking the time out answer our questions about this true work of art. I think its time the pilots split off for flight training and the engineers met more one on one with the design team to formalize any tidbits we may have missed in this briefing."

Clearly this was the signal that the question answer session was over. As the men worked throughout the day it was evident the Tengriy was definitely worth the exchange. Col. Taggart was relieved to see the 402nd was eager to learn the new system and was confident that the training would be completed in the six weeks Prime Minister Wales had alloted. With the arrival of more planes in the near future plus the construction of 500 units at HyBall Aeronautics he was confident the 402nd would be completely Tengriy equipped within a year. More Wings would be converted to the Tengriy platform as they came available and the top 402nd pilots would rotate out to provide flight training to these Wings as Tengriy's became available to outfit them. According to the time table 1,000 units would be available for combat within 10 years. Colonel Taggart sat back and reflected to himself.

Col. Taggart: "This plane is destined to make a mark on the aircraft industry for years to come. It is the pinnacle of combat aircraft and surely will remain unchallenged for the title of Air Supremacy Fighter for the next 20 years."