Space Union
11-04-2006, 20:32
SuF-8 Phoenix Advanced Naval/Land Air Dominance/Interceptor Fighter
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Overview:
With the Space Union Air Force gaining new aircrafts, the Space Union Navy began to have a need for new aircrafts too aboard its aircraft carriers. This need resulted in the Naval Aviation Modernization Program (NAMP). The first part of this plan called on a development of a fighter aircraft to serve as the carrier's and fleet's main interceptor and protector. This aircraft would also serve as a complement to the F-109D Seafury from OMASC/NDI and as the "Hi" aircraft in the Navy's "Hi-Lo" mix. A number of designs were submitted ranging from all new designs to naval variants of already advanced fighters like the SuF/A-6 (SuF/A-6N). At first the latter was the more appealing option considering that it would save money and offer commonality between the SUAF and SUN, but after modifications and trials it was found that a navalized variant of the SuF/A-6 required so many structural changes that it turned into an entirely new aircraft and its performance was far less than the SUAF's fighter. So the Navy went back to the drawing board. Another entry, from the homeland company of Space Union Aeronautical Institution (SUAI), began to gather steam within the Space Union Navy as a possible contender. The SUAI's contender, called the XF-32, was a totally new design that borrowed some features from the SuF/A-6, mainly the avionics, but was an entirely new aircraft. It offered a range of capabilities that were unique to it and to the fleet to ensure that it would protect the fleet from any airborne threat ranging from bombers to fighters to even cruise missiles. This new fighter was chosen as the SUN's first new fighter in over a three decades and will serve as the main fighter for the SUN and as the complement to the OMASC/NDI F-109D Seafury. It was designated the SuF-8 Phoenix after the missile of the late F-14D Tomcat that made it such a feared bird.
*NOTE*: Although this fighter is designed for naval use, it can be easily used for land use without major modifications of any sort, so if you need a land fighter, the SuF-8 is perfect for the job!
Airframe:
The SuF-8 Phoenix is designed so that it has maximum durability in the harsh environment that is common at the sea. It must endure pounding water showers, salt scrapping into it, back-breaking landings, rocket-like take-offs and much more. SUAI therefore designed the Phoenix so that it would have the maximum service life and duration of its aircraft. The SuF-8 Phoenix is designed with mostly aluminum-lithium alloy and carbon fiber reinforced plastic (CFRP), both of which are high-duty materials that can withstand the brutality in sea. Not only that but the two materials also light, allowing the large SuF-8 Phoenix to have a pretty small empty weight considering its size. The composition of the airframe, specifically, is 47% aluminum-lithium alloy, 42% carbon fiber reinforced plastic, 7% titanium, and 4% steel. This optimum combination allows for a high-performance airframe for a high-performance aircraft.
While designing the SuF-8 Phoenix, Space Union Aeronautical Institution began looking at a number of designs for the prototype of the SuF-8 Phoenix. Because of its naval needs, the fighter would need big wings to have as short take-off and landing as possible but its interceptor roles needed swept back, delta wings. It was soon realized that these two different needs could not be met by one design. That was when SUAI decided to look back in history to one of the most legendary aircrafts ever to take to the sky: the F-14 Tomcat. Both aircraft shared many commonalities so it was natural that SUAI took some pointers from the Tomcat, the main one being the forgotten swing wing. The swing wing allows the SuF-8 to change its wing shape/formation during flight to ensure that it has a short take-off and landing while also being capable of flying at high supersonic speeds to get the job done.
The airframe of the SuF-8 Phoenix is not only designed to whether the harshness of the sea, it is also designed to be aerodynamically streamlined as possible. The aircraft is designed with a silvery, reflective coating of paint on its fuselage. The pilot and the Radio Intercept Officer (RIO) are put in a tandem seating arrangement in the front. Particularly interesting is the nose. The nose is considerably large because of the sheer size of the SuF-8’s radar. Another feature is that the SuF-8 has a set of canards to help shorten take-offs by increasing the lift generated by the aircraft. Finally the aircraft has a pair of two slanted tails in V-formation at the rear above each engine. The engines have been arranged in a side-by-side configuration with variable-inlets behind the canards and cockpit to ensure that the aircraft is capable of above Mach 2 speeds. Engineers have taken extra care in making sure that the aircraft is as smooth as possible for aerodynamic capability, to the point that in the right circumstances it could theoretically blind someone on an extremely bright, clear day, though, this has yet to occur ever and is likely never to occur in actuality. But it has allowed the aircraft to reach its full potential and press the envelope.
The airframe of the SuF-8 Phoenix has roughly over 30 cubic feet of expansion room to ensure that any new components can be installed into the Phoenix when it comes time to upgrading it with new capabilities. Not only has that but the Phoenix had two internal bomb bays in a side-by-side arrangement in the center of its body. Each houses eight pylons internally, allowing for up to 8,000 kg of bombs or missiles to be carried. In the SuF-8’s main role, it will carry 8 OMASC/NDI AIM-512B Starshell II Extremely Long-Range Missiles internally to deal with large, slow moving targets like bombers and AWACS. On its wings it is has eight hardpoints that allow it to carry 8 missiles too, 6 of which will likely be AIM-511B Starburst II Long-Range Missiles to deal with fighters and other tactical objects at beyond visual range. The remaining two slots will be taken by two AIM-509B Short-Range Missiles for use in WVR alongside the SuF-8’s Joint Helmet Mounted System (JHMS).
Another design feature of the SuF-8 is its low radar-cross section and stealth features. It has been coated with RAM painting in some areas to ensure that its RCS has been lowered. That along with its incredibly streamlined shape has lowered its RCS to the point that it can compete with some of the stealthiest aircraft around. Its inlets have also been designed to make sure that they reflect as little as physically possible back to the radar receiver. The tails help by deflecting radar waves away from the aircraft from the rear. If one was to look at the aircraft they would find it would be physically impossible to find anything 90 degree on the outside. The inside is another story and what is likely to give away the aircraft. To ensure this does not happen, the canopy is not made from glass but instead it is designed from a radically new composite material called fiber glass-reinforced plastic (FRP). FRP is essentially a replacement for glass where there is too much stress for it. FRP instead is a composite material that is supposed to fill that niche. It has remarkable advantages over traditional glass including greater mechanical strength, the flexural strength and elastic modules are increased 2 to 6 times, and its’ impact strength is 10 times greater. These characteristics are essential for an aircraft canopy that will undergo high stress levels at sea and in its mission profile.
Avionics/Electronics:
The SuF-8 Phoenix is equipped the most advanced avionics that are available to it in the world. This ensures that when it comes down to completing its mission, it can always do so with stunning success. The main component of the SuF-8 Phoenix is its gigantic radar housed in its nose. The Phoenix holds the SU/RD-145 Active Electronically Scanned Array (SU/RD-145) radar in its grasp. The SU/RD-145 is a direct derivative of the SU/RD-143 AESA featured in the SuF/A-6 but more powerful considering the SuF-8’s job. The SU/RD-145 AESA has a tracking range of well over 420 km against fighter sized targets along with the ability to track over 50 targets simultaneously. This is thanks to the sheer amount of processing power that the radar has at its disposal. Not only that but it can track cruise missiles and engage them far more effectively than any other aircraft to date. The SuF-8 Phoenix not only has powerful radar to argument its performance it has a LIDAR sensor that have tracking range of 30 km. The LIDAR can be used in conjunction with the SuF-8’s radar along with the LADAR sensor suite, which can help by tracking as far as 80 km. This allows for more than one source of data for the pilot, all of which is blended into one interface so that the pilot doesn’t have to sort through millions of things but also providing him the most accurate analysis on threats and enemy aircrafts, alike. The last part of the SuF-8’s sensor suite is its Infra-Red Detecting and Tracking System (IRDTS). This system is an ultra-sensitive passive infra-red detecting system that also works along with the other sensors to locate enemies. But its main role is not only just finding enemy fighters and enemy aircrafts but to defeat incoming missiles ranging from air-to-air to cruise missiles. The IRDTS has a maximum tracking range of almost 100 km. The IRDTS along with the other sensors form the Optimum Threat Warning System (OTWS) to alert the aircraft to any threats from missiles to aircrafts to being tracked by radar to even being targeted.
The SuF-8 attains its full processing power from its brain, the Black Eye supercomputer. The Black Eye supercomputer is the processing unit that makes the entire aircraft tick. It is capable of over 30 billion floating point operations per second, allowing for all the avionics to work at blazing speeds. It also contains well over 50 terabytes of memory with 20 slots that can be used to plug in components based on specialized missions for the computer. But with all this power, it is not hard to imagine that it the enemy could hit the supercomputer with an EMP blast and knock out the aircraft, so engineers made sure that the Black Eye was hardened against any electronic warfare. Connected to the Black Eye is the aircraft’s main interface component: the heads-up helmet display (HUHD). HUHD is the Space Union version of the JHMC of the former United States. This system is a helmet that is mounted on the pilot that gives the pilot all the information, like targeting and aircraft health in one condensed screen. It has two main functions: combat and health monitoring. The first function is what the HUHD was developed for: combat purposes. It is revolutionary in the fact that the pilot can merely glance at a target and begin tracking it along with firing a missile or bombing it. The aircraft doesn’t even have to face it, all it has to be in view and the aircraft will hit the joker and end its threat. The other function of the helmet is to act as a human-machine interface. The helmet keeps track of the pilot’s health and other vital information like brain activity, stress levels, heart rate, and blood pressure to figure out what tasks the pilot is best at and worst at. It then makes sure that it assists in the less developed areas of the pilot so that the aircraft functions as best as possible in real-life combat situations. This system was first pioneered on the SuF/A-6 and has since been incorporated into the designs, making SUAI’s aircraft some of the most user-friendly and connectable machines in the world for pilots.
The internal architect of the aircraft, in terms of electronics, is similar to the SuF/A-6 in that it takes advantage of the fly-by-optics system that SUAI has used and become experienced with. Because of the advances in fly-by-optic technology by the SUAI, the aircraft has unprecedented amount of relaxed stability, making it highly maneuverable for its large size. To make sure that the pilot and the aircraft function together as flawlessly as possible, the aircraft has been designed around the opinion of pilots and RIO/co-pilots alike. The pilot is in the front seat of the tandem arrangement, with one large screen on the dashboard and a couple of smaller screens to the side. The main screen displays the tracking and targeting along with the performance of the aircraft. It also shows the surrounding area in high-definition results. The other two screens are for displaying the health of the aircraft (mostly for ground crew and pilots if the plane is damaged) and the data-link connection. These screens are manufactured from OLED material, making them extremely high-definition, durable, and light-weight. Because of this it also allows it to have a touch-screen capability that allows the pilot to merely press a button on the screen and activate a command. This eliminates almost all other switches and dials in the cockpit except for the ejection button and a few other extremely vital buttons that must be there even during an electrical failure. In contrast, the RIO/co-pilot is seated behind the pilot and has a slightly different cockpit arrangement. They have a single OLED screen that displays the targeting and tracking system, allowing for them to know the enemy’s whereabouts and gather all the information from the sensors into one combined format. The co-pilot/RIO also has the Threat Warning display on it that signals on when and incoming threat is detected. This feature is also given to the pilot and becomes first priority during a mission, with all other programs overridden automatically. Like the pilot, the OLED screen is touch-screen making it unnecessary to have any buttons, dials, or switches in the cockpit. The SuF-8 truly has a revolutionary cockpit deserving of a real bird.
The main part of the SuF-8’s battle capabilities is of course its Advanced Fire-and-Control Implanted System (AFCIS). AFCIS takes upon experience gained in previous aircrafts especially the SuF/A-6 in its similar architect to the ACCOM system. It works by using the advanced sensor suite aboard the SuF-8 in conjunction with the SUDACS (or counterpart systems in other nations) to create a battlefield plan targeting all enemy aircrafts and threats. Using the Black Eye supercomputer’s advanced processing capabilities; it is capable of computing the threat level of an object based on its height, distance, size, and other factors. One this has been achieved, the threats are ranked in most threatening to least threatening order for the pilot to have, allowing him to take care along with watch the most threatening and not concentrate as heavily on the lesser threats in the airspace. Not only that but the AFCIS is also designed to be compatible with the SUDACS in the sense that any information it finds is instantly sent to the SUDACS mainframe computer headquarters and is shared amongst the entire armed forces. This helps make sure that every unit and person knows every threat and decrease the chance of any surprises that may leave something damaged or someone injured or even killed. When the pilot deems it necessary to get rid of a target, he merely can either press a button or target an object or he can use the Advanced Voice Control System (AVCS). The AVCS is a refined version of the voice speaker on many of the earlier aircrafts, in which the pilot can speak a set of commands and the computer will automatically take care of it. But the AVCS differs mainly from the other similar-systems in that it now has a far bigger impact and many functions of the computer from flying to targeting to firing to maintenance can be done by voice command instead of pressing buttons. This allows a pilot to focus on the battlefield instead of focusing on buttons to press. When the pilot tells the AVCS to target an object by name, the Black Eye immediately zones on it and then offers the command to disengage, track, or fire. If you choose to disengage, the tracking is released. If you choose to track, the computer will put the threat on stand-by with immediate firing sequence ready. If you fire, you can choose which armament to use and hit the enemy with whatever you have. This can range from an air-to-air missile or a 2,000 lbs JDAM. The AFCIS has truly deadly teeth in its jaw of fury that can immobilize any threat or prey it decides to sink into it, one way or another.
Powerplant/Propulsion:
The SuF-8 Phoenix is powered by a twin set of powerful ramfan engines developed by the Union Engine Corporation (UEC). These powerful mammoths are the real reason behind the SuF-8’s high thrust-to-weight ratio and its performance capabilities. It is powered by two Union-215-2006 engines, the direct derivative of the monstrous Union-212/213-2006s that power the SuF/A-6. But it has been significantly refined to the point that it can produce more thrust than its ancestor, creating 27,300 kgf instead of the old 23,700 kgf. This increase of 3,600 kgf makes up for the added mass of the SuF-8 compared to the SuF/A-6. But besides the amount of power put out, the engine is very similar to the Union-210 series in that they are high-performance and a high-tech line of engines that will serve as the powerplant of the two greatest air superiority fighters from Space Union’s aerospace industry.
The Ramfan is a revolutionary new type of jet engine that is created and manufactured by Space Union. It works by having a low-bypass fan in-front of a conventional ramjet. The fan sucks in air and into a funnel/cone-type structure. The cone becomes very narrow causing the air to slow down, therefore compress, similar to the operation of a ramjet. Not only that but a series of pipes carrying liquid coolant act as a heat exchange. It works by having the coolant, cool the incoming air, therefore compressing it, and heating up the coolant. Once the air has been compressed, it goes through a narrow pipe where fuel injectors inject fuel, starting the combustion. After that the exhaust is let out. Here the heated coolant is then pumped to the back of the engine were it combusts with the rest of the exhaust. The bypass air joins the exhaust and contributes up to 25% of the thrust with a maximum of 45% bypass air since this is low-bypass fan. The result is a ramjet that doesn't need assistance to start along with having a very powerful engine. Not only has that it retained much of the ramjets simplicity, by having only a fan.
One of the interesting ideas behind the Union-215-2005 was that engineers designed it specifically to be fuel-efficient. Many engines of its size were usually gas-guzzlers that gave poor range and poor fuel economy for a jet. The SuF-8 Phoenix wanted none of this and only the most fuel efficient. So engineers went to the drawing board to fix this problem. It is known that the compressed the incoming air is, the more thrust is produced from a certain amount of fuel. So SUAI engineers concentrated on making the Union-215-2006’s compression ratio higher than other engines of similar design. The ramfan jet engine made itself perfect to this with its piping and cone funneling techniques. The piping worked with the use of a heat exchange concept where the incoming air was cooled down before burn, making its compression ratio higher as along with the coning technique, which forced large lumps of air to go through a tiny hole, which increased pressure from that along with air being rammed by the fan, further more increasing the pressure and compression rate.
In an effort to design one of the most advanced powerplants to ever see the day of light, SUAI engineers began developing a state-of-the-art propulsion system that would integrate it with the computer to make sure that the pilot had direct control over the entire powerplant along with other “neat” features. The result was the “Propulsion Emission Management System” or PEMS. PEMS is a digital electronics engine control system that hooks up with the on-board mother computer of the aircraft. PEMS allows for faster response and a more effective powerplant, which translates into being able to go to full power with each engine within 5 seconds. This gives it superb flight performance and enhances it over its competitors in the market with unmatched performance. But this is only one of the many neat features of PEMS. Another feature is the capability to shut-off one engine manually and use the other one if the pilot is ever desperately low on fuel and needs to get back home efficiently. But a more interesting feature of the engine with PEMS is it ability to track the health of the engine. The computer is automatically hooked up with the Union-215-2006s, which allows it to gain access to each part of the engine. If any engine parts malfunction, breaks down, or doesn’t work in the way intended, the computer is notified and can notify the pilot if a major problem. This allows the pilot to have on-demand status of his/her powerplant; after all it is one of the biggest parts of the design. Not only that, but PEMS keeps track of those faulty parts and when logistics check out the engines, PEMS can give a read out showing which parts malfunctioned and a full-detailed report on that. This saves logistics from having to go through the hassle of taking apart the entire engine and trying to find where something went wrong. This is another minor step taken by the design team to help our logistics friends out there.
Other than the basic design, the engines are both equipped with state-of-the-art counterflow fluid thrust vectoring capability. Counterflow fluid thrust vectoring (CFFTV) is an advanced successor to the traditional thrust vectoring nozzle. Instead of using a mechanical nozzle that moves and is complicated, a jet of air is used to change the angle of the exhaust when it leaves the engine. The result is a far less complex, costly, non-stealthy, and prone to breakdown engine. Another feature is the use of the standard supercruise ability. Because of the power of the gigantic engines, the engine is capable of supercruising past Mach 1.7. Although the exact number remains unknown, it is very high, essentially increasing the range of the bird so that nothing will escape its shadowy grasp of death and destruction. Like most aircrafts, the Union-215-2006s are equipped with afterburning nozzles, but because of varying demands, it is optional and the afterburning version is called the Union-215B-2006s.
To make sure that this huge engine’s heat signature is not detected by IR sensors, the exhaust is cooled by heat dampeners that are found in the back of the engine. A stream of cold air is mixed with the exhaust to cool it down to the point that its IR signature is far smaller than what it is suppose to be.
Weapons/Armament:
The SuF-8's main goal and mission is to ensure that the naval fleet and the aircraft carriers of the Space Union Navy are fully protected from hostile aircrafts and cruise missiles. To do this its weapon capabilities and armament have been centered on this capability. The SuF-8 is built with two internal bomb bays that are fairly large, each housing four hardpoints/pylons within them. Each pylon is capable of holding up to 1,000 kg worth of weaponry. The most basic configuration is housing 8x AIM-511B Starburst II Extremely Long-Range Air-to-Air missiles (ELRAAM). The ELRAAM is used to hit enemy bombers and large strategic aircrafts from 600 km away. This capability will allow it to make sure no enemy bomber gets anywhere near close enough to hit the carriers with their deadly payload. To deal with fighters, though, the SuF-8 has 8 external pylons, four on each wing. Each is capable of carrying 2,000 kg worth of weaponry. For air-to-air missions, they usually have 6 AIM-510B Starshell II Long-Range Air-to-Air Missile (LRAAM). These missiles are able to hit tactical aircraft from 200 km away and with deadly precision. This ensures that not only will bombers fear them, fighters alike will run scared when it comes to beyond visual range (BVR) combat. Finally the final two pylons will have four small AIM-508B Starshield II Short-Range Air-to-Air Missiles (SRAAM). These missiles are for last-resort dog fighting missiles that can be used in conjunction of the helmet-mounted system to hit enemy aircrafts in WVR combat. The SuF-8 Phoenix is not only one of the best beyond visual range fighters but also one of the best within-visual range fighters.
The main part of the SuF-8’s battle capabilities is of course its Advanced Fire-and-Control Implanted System (AFCIS). AFCIS takes upon experience gained in previous aircrafts especially the SuF/A-6 in its similar architect to the ACCOM system. It works by using the advanced sensor suite aboard the SuF-8 in conjunction with the SUDACS (or counterpart systems in other nations) to create a battlefield plan targeting all enemy aircrafts and threats. Using the Black Eye supercomputer’s advanced processing capabilities; it is capable of computing the threat level of an object based on its height, distance, size, and other factors. One this has been achieved, the threats are ranked in most threatening to least threatening order for the pilot to have, allowing him to take care along with watch the most threatening and not concentrate as heavily on the lesser threats in the airspace. Not only that but the AFCIS is also designed to be compatible with the SUDACS in the sense that any information it finds is instantly sent to the SUDACS mainframe computer headquarters and is shared amongst the entire armed forces. This helps make sure that every unit and person knows every threat and decrease the chance of any surprises that may leave something damaged or someone injured or even killed. When the pilot deems it necessary to get rid of a target, he merely can either press a button or target an object or he can use the Advanced Voice Control System (AVCS). The AVCS is a refined version of the voice speaker on many of the earlier aircrafts, in which the pilot can speak a set of commands and the computer will automatically take care of it. But the AVCS differs mainly from the other similar-systems in that it now has a far bigger impact and many functions of the computer from flying to targeting to firing to maintenance can be done by voice command instead of pressing buttons. This allows a pilot to focus on the battlefield instead of focusing on buttons to press. When the pilot tells the AVCS to target an object by name, the Black Eye immediately zones on it and then offers the command to disengage, track, or fire. If you choose to disengage, the tracking is released. If you choose to track, the computer will put the threat on stand-by with immediate firing sequence ready. If you fire, you can choose which armament to use and hit the enemy with whatever you have. This can range from an air-to-air missile or a 2,000 lbs JDAM. The AFCIS has truly deadly teeth in its jaw of fury that can immobilize any threat or prey it decides to sink into it, one way or another.
Although the SuF-8's missile systems are some of the greatest, the SuF-8 still uses a conventional gun incase it ever comes to within range. Like the SuF/A-6, the SuF-8 uses the 25mm Phantom autocannon for its close-range weaponry purposes. This gun houses 600 rounds and has a firing rate of over 3,200 rpm. The cannon are housed underneath the radar compartment in the nose of the aircraft. This ensures that it can hit the enemy straight ahead, when chasing from behind. Although the SuF-8 is designed primarily for air-to-air combat and is a naval interceptor/air superiority fighter, it can also serve as an attack aircraft when needed. That is why designers have made sure that each pylon is capable of being adjusted so that they can carry bombs and guided bombs like JDAMS and laser-precision guided bombs. Each internal pylon is capable of holding up to 1,000 kg in munitions while the external pylons are capable of holding up to 2,000 kg in munitions. But that alone won’t hit targets; an advanced targeting system was needed. This comes in the form of the Ground Attack System (GAS) an extension of the AFCIS. It does the same thing as the AFCIS but instead it targets ground targets and locations. It prioritizes them, targets them, and in the end allows for dropping of bombs. When it comes to precision guided weapons, after a pilot fires the bomb, the GAS automatically maintains a lock on the object so that the target is hit with the greatest amount of accuracy and best of all the pilot doesn’t even have to mentally do the job.
Countermeasures/ECM/Stealth:
As for electronic countermeasures, the SuF-8 Phoenix has been designed with a suite of ECMs that make earlier aircraft look defenseless. All the measures have been ensured to elude the enemy’s sensors and weapons so that the SuF-8 has the optimal danger capability and survivability. The first component of the ECM system is the jamming system. The SuF-8’s radar is equipped with an automatic jammer system. Every time the aircraft fires off a radar signal, it fires a jamming signal right after. This way the other aircraft doesn't realize that an enemy fighter is tracking it. Not only is that but a jamming system called the SU/MJM-2 used to jam all the radars in the area except for the aircraft own. This works by having the Su/MJM-2 and the aircraft's radar/lidar/ladar system work together. They both are designed to emit radar signals on different wavelengths each time they fire off. This allows for the aircraft to not jam its own radar. The SU/MJM-2 continues to jump frequency constantly making it difficult to defeat by enemy aircraft, even with high-tech equipment on-board. Other measures include the use of chaffs and flares. High-powered flares fly out and release a huge explosion of light. This automatically is registered by any IR-Seeking enemies and is directed toward the explosion. The flare burst 3 times before dying out. This is the new generation of flares designed to defeat the new-generation of IR-Seeking missiles.
To fully protect the aircraft from the most dangerous of threats, it was intentionally designed to be hyper manueverable. Another method to prevent the aircraft from being shot down by a missile is to use the power of electronics and avionics. For that reason, the aircraft has been designed with a Direct Emission Detection System or DEDS. DEDS works by homing on signals like radar from missiles and other aircrafts. It does this by homing on to unfamiliar signals that are determined to not be friendly. This way the pilot will always know whose locking on to him/her. But DEDS doesn’t stop there. It works by using the signals to locate the enemy before devoting the SU/RD-145 to track down the enemy. No aircraft will ever surprise the SuF-8 or even get within 20 kms of it.
To also ensure that it is well protected from almost any threat, the SuF-8 has a couple of other features. To ensure that LIDAR/LADAR equipment can’t successfully track the SuF-8, it employs laser scrambling systems that will scramble any light waves or laser beams. This ensures that the enemy can’t track the aircraft with light-oriented tracking devices. To ensure that it can also stand in any environment, the SuF-8d is capable of operating in nuclear environments because of its oxygen/carbon dioxide converter system and fuel cell, along with its airframe, which can shield the airplane a bit against radiation (long enough to get home not fight). To further this adaptability, the SuF-8’s electronics are hardened against electromagnetic pulse weaponry, so that it won’t be taken out of the sky from a EMP.
The SuF-8 was intentionally designed for stealth to make sure that it would be picked up nearer than farther away. For one thing, extensive use of RAM has been used on the airframe of the aircraft, engine inlets, and in every crevice on the aircraft. A more physical change was that the aircraft has been made so that it is streamlined and smooth. This allows for any radar waves to be deflected away from the radar homing equipment. These changes have significantly dropped the RCS of the aircraft to the point that it is far more lethal than ever thought possible.
Specifications:
Type: Advanced Naval Interceptor/Air Superiority Fighter
Length: 25 m
Wingspan: 18 m
Height: 6 m
Propulsion: 2x Union-215-2006s rated at 27,300 kgf each (total: 54,600 kgf)
Empty Weight: 23,000 kg
Normal Weight: 51,125 kg
Maximum Take-Off Weight: 62,500 kg
Minimum Fuel Weight (0.25): 14,650 kg
Maximum Fuel Weight (0.35): 20,125 kg
Normal Payload: 8,000 kg (8 pylons internally; 1,000 kg each)
Maximum Payload: 24,000 kg (7 pylons internally; 8 pylons externally (2,000 kg each))
Thrust-to-Weight Ratio: 1/1
Minimum Combat Range: 1,750 km
Combat Range: 3,200 km
Ferry Range: 6,400 km
Operational Ceiling/Altitude: 20,420 m
Maximum Altitude: 24,400 m
Cruising Speed: Mach 0.8
Supercruising Speed: Mach 1.9
Maximum Speed: Mach 2.6
Limit per/number of pylon(s): 8 internally; 8 externally
Crew (List): 2 (Pilot; Radar Intercept Officer)
Price: $150 million
SuEF-8 Crow (Electronics Warfare Variant): $160 million
Foreign Sales:
The SuF-8 Pheonix is one of the few advanced fighters that SUAI allows for foreign export. It will allow anyone except allies or people with "unwanted" backgrounds to buy this fighter. Along with this, SUAI is also allowing individual nations to add/remove/modify equipment to their own needs by SUAI. If a nation wishes for a different radar, SUAI will be happy to add that new radar instead of the current radar. If you want a different set of engines, SUAI will also be happy to remove the current engines and install those. With these modifications, the price will change, possibly going up or down. SUAI is happy to customize to a nation's needs and feel free to post what you want from your fighter. We will do our best to accomadate you.
Please do your own math if you are buying standard. Also we invoke the right to reject an order and not have to explain ourselves. Finally you are not allowd to upgrade, change, or degrade the SuF-8 Phoenix on your own.
Production Rights will not be granted to anyone, so please do not ask.
Options: Because of the increase in the need for a multi-role fighter for foreign nations, the SuF-8 is now having the option of being fitted with the SU/RD-145V1 synthetic aperture radar mode along with the Ground Attack and Mission Suite (GAMS). This will allow it to have a greater attack capability than before and serve as a fighter-bomber/strike aircraft. This comes at the additional $2 million.
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Overview:
With the Space Union Air Force gaining new aircrafts, the Space Union Navy began to have a need for new aircrafts too aboard its aircraft carriers. This need resulted in the Naval Aviation Modernization Program (NAMP). The first part of this plan called on a development of a fighter aircraft to serve as the carrier's and fleet's main interceptor and protector. This aircraft would also serve as a complement to the F-109D Seafury from OMASC/NDI and as the "Hi" aircraft in the Navy's "Hi-Lo" mix. A number of designs were submitted ranging from all new designs to naval variants of already advanced fighters like the SuF/A-6 (SuF/A-6N). At first the latter was the more appealing option considering that it would save money and offer commonality between the SUAF and SUN, but after modifications and trials it was found that a navalized variant of the SuF/A-6 required so many structural changes that it turned into an entirely new aircraft and its performance was far less than the SUAF's fighter. So the Navy went back to the drawing board. Another entry, from the homeland company of Space Union Aeronautical Institution (SUAI), began to gather steam within the Space Union Navy as a possible contender. The SUAI's contender, called the XF-32, was a totally new design that borrowed some features from the SuF/A-6, mainly the avionics, but was an entirely new aircraft. It offered a range of capabilities that were unique to it and to the fleet to ensure that it would protect the fleet from any airborne threat ranging from bombers to fighters to even cruise missiles. This new fighter was chosen as the SUN's first new fighter in over a three decades and will serve as the main fighter for the SUN and as the complement to the OMASC/NDI F-109D Seafury. It was designated the SuF-8 Phoenix after the missile of the late F-14D Tomcat that made it such a feared bird.
*NOTE*: Although this fighter is designed for naval use, it can be easily used for land use without major modifications of any sort, so if you need a land fighter, the SuF-8 is perfect for the job!
Airframe:
The SuF-8 Phoenix is designed so that it has maximum durability in the harsh environment that is common at the sea. It must endure pounding water showers, salt scrapping into it, back-breaking landings, rocket-like take-offs and much more. SUAI therefore designed the Phoenix so that it would have the maximum service life and duration of its aircraft. The SuF-8 Phoenix is designed with mostly aluminum-lithium alloy and carbon fiber reinforced plastic (CFRP), both of which are high-duty materials that can withstand the brutality in sea. Not only that but the two materials also light, allowing the large SuF-8 Phoenix to have a pretty small empty weight considering its size. The composition of the airframe, specifically, is 47% aluminum-lithium alloy, 42% carbon fiber reinforced plastic, 7% titanium, and 4% steel. This optimum combination allows for a high-performance airframe for a high-performance aircraft.
While designing the SuF-8 Phoenix, Space Union Aeronautical Institution began looking at a number of designs for the prototype of the SuF-8 Phoenix. Because of its naval needs, the fighter would need big wings to have as short take-off and landing as possible but its interceptor roles needed swept back, delta wings. It was soon realized that these two different needs could not be met by one design. That was when SUAI decided to look back in history to one of the most legendary aircrafts ever to take to the sky: the F-14 Tomcat. Both aircraft shared many commonalities so it was natural that SUAI took some pointers from the Tomcat, the main one being the forgotten swing wing. The swing wing allows the SuF-8 to change its wing shape/formation during flight to ensure that it has a short take-off and landing while also being capable of flying at high supersonic speeds to get the job done.
The airframe of the SuF-8 Phoenix is not only designed to whether the harshness of the sea, it is also designed to be aerodynamically streamlined as possible. The aircraft is designed with a silvery, reflective coating of paint on its fuselage. The pilot and the Radio Intercept Officer (RIO) are put in a tandem seating arrangement in the front. Particularly interesting is the nose. The nose is considerably large because of the sheer size of the SuF-8’s radar. Another feature is that the SuF-8 has a set of canards to help shorten take-offs by increasing the lift generated by the aircraft. Finally the aircraft has a pair of two slanted tails in V-formation at the rear above each engine. The engines have been arranged in a side-by-side configuration with variable-inlets behind the canards and cockpit to ensure that the aircraft is capable of above Mach 2 speeds. Engineers have taken extra care in making sure that the aircraft is as smooth as possible for aerodynamic capability, to the point that in the right circumstances it could theoretically blind someone on an extremely bright, clear day, though, this has yet to occur ever and is likely never to occur in actuality. But it has allowed the aircraft to reach its full potential and press the envelope.
The airframe of the SuF-8 Phoenix has roughly over 30 cubic feet of expansion room to ensure that any new components can be installed into the Phoenix when it comes time to upgrading it with new capabilities. Not only has that but the Phoenix had two internal bomb bays in a side-by-side arrangement in the center of its body. Each houses eight pylons internally, allowing for up to 8,000 kg of bombs or missiles to be carried. In the SuF-8’s main role, it will carry 8 OMASC/NDI AIM-512B Starshell II Extremely Long-Range Missiles internally to deal with large, slow moving targets like bombers and AWACS. On its wings it is has eight hardpoints that allow it to carry 8 missiles too, 6 of which will likely be AIM-511B Starburst II Long-Range Missiles to deal with fighters and other tactical objects at beyond visual range. The remaining two slots will be taken by two AIM-509B Short-Range Missiles for use in WVR alongside the SuF-8’s Joint Helmet Mounted System (JHMS).
Another design feature of the SuF-8 is its low radar-cross section and stealth features. It has been coated with RAM painting in some areas to ensure that its RCS has been lowered. That along with its incredibly streamlined shape has lowered its RCS to the point that it can compete with some of the stealthiest aircraft around. Its inlets have also been designed to make sure that they reflect as little as physically possible back to the radar receiver. The tails help by deflecting radar waves away from the aircraft from the rear. If one was to look at the aircraft they would find it would be physically impossible to find anything 90 degree on the outside. The inside is another story and what is likely to give away the aircraft. To ensure this does not happen, the canopy is not made from glass but instead it is designed from a radically new composite material called fiber glass-reinforced plastic (FRP). FRP is essentially a replacement for glass where there is too much stress for it. FRP instead is a composite material that is supposed to fill that niche. It has remarkable advantages over traditional glass including greater mechanical strength, the flexural strength and elastic modules are increased 2 to 6 times, and its’ impact strength is 10 times greater. These characteristics are essential for an aircraft canopy that will undergo high stress levels at sea and in its mission profile.
Avionics/Electronics:
The SuF-8 Phoenix is equipped the most advanced avionics that are available to it in the world. This ensures that when it comes down to completing its mission, it can always do so with stunning success. The main component of the SuF-8 Phoenix is its gigantic radar housed in its nose. The Phoenix holds the SU/RD-145 Active Electronically Scanned Array (SU/RD-145) radar in its grasp. The SU/RD-145 is a direct derivative of the SU/RD-143 AESA featured in the SuF/A-6 but more powerful considering the SuF-8’s job. The SU/RD-145 AESA has a tracking range of well over 420 km against fighter sized targets along with the ability to track over 50 targets simultaneously. This is thanks to the sheer amount of processing power that the radar has at its disposal. Not only that but it can track cruise missiles and engage them far more effectively than any other aircraft to date. The SuF-8 Phoenix not only has powerful radar to argument its performance it has a LIDAR sensor that have tracking range of 30 km. The LIDAR can be used in conjunction with the SuF-8’s radar along with the LADAR sensor suite, which can help by tracking as far as 80 km. This allows for more than one source of data for the pilot, all of which is blended into one interface so that the pilot doesn’t have to sort through millions of things but also providing him the most accurate analysis on threats and enemy aircrafts, alike. The last part of the SuF-8’s sensor suite is its Infra-Red Detecting and Tracking System (IRDTS). This system is an ultra-sensitive passive infra-red detecting system that also works along with the other sensors to locate enemies. But its main role is not only just finding enemy fighters and enemy aircrafts but to defeat incoming missiles ranging from air-to-air to cruise missiles. The IRDTS has a maximum tracking range of almost 100 km. The IRDTS along with the other sensors form the Optimum Threat Warning System (OTWS) to alert the aircraft to any threats from missiles to aircrafts to being tracked by radar to even being targeted.
The SuF-8 attains its full processing power from its brain, the Black Eye supercomputer. The Black Eye supercomputer is the processing unit that makes the entire aircraft tick. It is capable of over 30 billion floating point operations per second, allowing for all the avionics to work at blazing speeds. It also contains well over 50 terabytes of memory with 20 slots that can be used to plug in components based on specialized missions for the computer. But with all this power, it is not hard to imagine that it the enemy could hit the supercomputer with an EMP blast and knock out the aircraft, so engineers made sure that the Black Eye was hardened against any electronic warfare. Connected to the Black Eye is the aircraft’s main interface component: the heads-up helmet display (HUHD). HUHD is the Space Union version of the JHMC of the former United States. This system is a helmet that is mounted on the pilot that gives the pilot all the information, like targeting and aircraft health in one condensed screen. It has two main functions: combat and health monitoring. The first function is what the HUHD was developed for: combat purposes. It is revolutionary in the fact that the pilot can merely glance at a target and begin tracking it along with firing a missile or bombing it. The aircraft doesn’t even have to face it, all it has to be in view and the aircraft will hit the joker and end its threat. The other function of the helmet is to act as a human-machine interface. The helmet keeps track of the pilot’s health and other vital information like brain activity, stress levels, heart rate, and blood pressure to figure out what tasks the pilot is best at and worst at. It then makes sure that it assists in the less developed areas of the pilot so that the aircraft functions as best as possible in real-life combat situations. This system was first pioneered on the SuF/A-6 and has since been incorporated into the designs, making SUAI’s aircraft some of the most user-friendly and connectable machines in the world for pilots.
The internal architect of the aircraft, in terms of electronics, is similar to the SuF/A-6 in that it takes advantage of the fly-by-optics system that SUAI has used and become experienced with. Because of the advances in fly-by-optic technology by the SUAI, the aircraft has unprecedented amount of relaxed stability, making it highly maneuverable for its large size. To make sure that the pilot and the aircraft function together as flawlessly as possible, the aircraft has been designed around the opinion of pilots and RIO/co-pilots alike. The pilot is in the front seat of the tandem arrangement, with one large screen on the dashboard and a couple of smaller screens to the side. The main screen displays the tracking and targeting along with the performance of the aircraft. It also shows the surrounding area in high-definition results. The other two screens are for displaying the health of the aircraft (mostly for ground crew and pilots if the plane is damaged) and the data-link connection. These screens are manufactured from OLED material, making them extremely high-definition, durable, and light-weight. Because of this it also allows it to have a touch-screen capability that allows the pilot to merely press a button on the screen and activate a command. This eliminates almost all other switches and dials in the cockpit except for the ejection button and a few other extremely vital buttons that must be there even during an electrical failure. In contrast, the RIO/co-pilot is seated behind the pilot and has a slightly different cockpit arrangement. They have a single OLED screen that displays the targeting and tracking system, allowing for them to know the enemy’s whereabouts and gather all the information from the sensors into one combined format. The co-pilot/RIO also has the Threat Warning display on it that signals on when and incoming threat is detected. This feature is also given to the pilot and becomes first priority during a mission, with all other programs overridden automatically. Like the pilot, the OLED screen is touch-screen making it unnecessary to have any buttons, dials, or switches in the cockpit. The SuF-8 truly has a revolutionary cockpit deserving of a real bird.
The main part of the SuF-8’s battle capabilities is of course its Advanced Fire-and-Control Implanted System (AFCIS). AFCIS takes upon experience gained in previous aircrafts especially the SuF/A-6 in its similar architect to the ACCOM system. It works by using the advanced sensor suite aboard the SuF-8 in conjunction with the SUDACS (or counterpart systems in other nations) to create a battlefield plan targeting all enemy aircrafts and threats. Using the Black Eye supercomputer’s advanced processing capabilities; it is capable of computing the threat level of an object based on its height, distance, size, and other factors. One this has been achieved, the threats are ranked in most threatening to least threatening order for the pilot to have, allowing him to take care along with watch the most threatening and not concentrate as heavily on the lesser threats in the airspace. Not only that but the AFCIS is also designed to be compatible with the SUDACS in the sense that any information it finds is instantly sent to the SUDACS mainframe computer headquarters and is shared amongst the entire armed forces. This helps make sure that every unit and person knows every threat and decrease the chance of any surprises that may leave something damaged or someone injured or even killed. When the pilot deems it necessary to get rid of a target, he merely can either press a button or target an object or he can use the Advanced Voice Control System (AVCS). The AVCS is a refined version of the voice speaker on many of the earlier aircrafts, in which the pilot can speak a set of commands and the computer will automatically take care of it. But the AVCS differs mainly from the other similar-systems in that it now has a far bigger impact and many functions of the computer from flying to targeting to firing to maintenance can be done by voice command instead of pressing buttons. This allows a pilot to focus on the battlefield instead of focusing on buttons to press. When the pilot tells the AVCS to target an object by name, the Black Eye immediately zones on it and then offers the command to disengage, track, or fire. If you choose to disengage, the tracking is released. If you choose to track, the computer will put the threat on stand-by with immediate firing sequence ready. If you fire, you can choose which armament to use and hit the enemy with whatever you have. This can range from an air-to-air missile or a 2,000 lbs JDAM. The AFCIS has truly deadly teeth in its jaw of fury that can immobilize any threat or prey it decides to sink into it, one way or another.
Powerplant/Propulsion:
The SuF-8 Phoenix is powered by a twin set of powerful ramfan engines developed by the Union Engine Corporation (UEC). These powerful mammoths are the real reason behind the SuF-8’s high thrust-to-weight ratio and its performance capabilities. It is powered by two Union-215-2006 engines, the direct derivative of the monstrous Union-212/213-2006s that power the SuF/A-6. But it has been significantly refined to the point that it can produce more thrust than its ancestor, creating 27,300 kgf instead of the old 23,700 kgf. This increase of 3,600 kgf makes up for the added mass of the SuF-8 compared to the SuF/A-6. But besides the amount of power put out, the engine is very similar to the Union-210 series in that they are high-performance and a high-tech line of engines that will serve as the powerplant of the two greatest air superiority fighters from Space Union’s aerospace industry.
The Ramfan is a revolutionary new type of jet engine that is created and manufactured by Space Union. It works by having a low-bypass fan in-front of a conventional ramjet. The fan sucks in air and into a funnel/cone-type structure. The cone becomes very narrow causing the air to slow down, therefore compress, similar to the operation of a ramjet. Not only that but a series of pipes carrying liquid coolant act as a heat exchange. It works by having the coolant, cool the incoming air, therefore compressing it, and heating up the coolant. Once the air has been compressed, it goes through a narrow pipe where fuel injectors inject fuel, starting the combustion. After that the exhaust is let out. Here the heated coolant is then pumped to the back of the engine were it combusts with the rest of the exhaust. The bypass air joins the exhaust and contributes up to 25% of the thrust with a maximum of 45% bypass air since this is low-bypass fan. The result is a ramjet that doesn't need assistance to start along with having a very powerful engine. Not only has that it retained much of the ramjets simplicity, by having only a fan.
One of the interesting ideas behind the Union-215-2005 was that engineers designed it specifically to be fuel-efficient. Many engines of its size were usually gas-guzzlers that gave poor range and poor fuel economy for a jet. The SuF-8 Phoenix wanted none of this and only the most fuel efficient. So engineers went to the drawing board to fix this problem. It is known that the compressed the incoming air is, the more thrust is produced from a certain amount of fuel. So SUAI engineers concentrated on making the Union-215-2006’s compression ratio higher than other engines of similar design. The ramfan jet engine made itself perfect to this with its piping and cone funneling techniques. The piping worked with the use of a heat exchange concept where the incoming air was cooled down before burn, making its compression ratio higher as along with the coning technique, which forced large lumps of air to go through a tiny hole, which increased pressure from that along with air being rammed by the fan, further more increasing the pressure and compression rate.
In an effort to design one of the most advanced powerplants to ever see the day of light, SUAI engineers began developing a state-of-the-art propulsion system that would integrate it with the computer to make sure that the pilot had direct control over the entire powerplant along with other “neat” features. The result was the “Propulsion Emission Management System” or PEMS. PEMS is a digital electronics engine control system that hooks up with the on-board mother computer of the aircraft. PEMS allows for faster response and a more effective powerplant, which translates into being able to go to full power with each engine within 5 seconds. This gives it superb flight performance and enhances it over its competitors in the market with unmatched performance. But this is only one of the many neat features of PEMS. Another feature is the capability to shut-off one engine manually and use the other one if the pilot is ever desperately low on fuel and needs to get back home efficiently. But a more interesting feature of the engine with PEMS is it ability to track the health of the engine. The computer is automatically hooked up with the Union-215-2006s, which allows it to gain access to each part of the engine. If any engine parts malfunction, breaks down, or doesn’t work in the way intended, the computer is notified and can notify the pilot if a major problem. This allows the pilot to have on-demand status of his/her powerplant; after all it is one of the biggest parts of the design. Not only that, but PEMS keeps track of those faulty parts and when logistics check out the engines, PEMS can give a read out showing which parts malfunctioned and a full-detailed report on that. This saves logistics from having to go through the hassle of taking apart the entire engine and trying to find where something went wrong. This is another minor step taken by the design team to help our logistics friends out there.
Other than the basic design, the engines are both equipped with state-of-the-art counterflow fluid thrust vectoring capability. Counterflow fluid thrust vectoring (CFFTV) is an advanced successor to the traditional thrust vectoring nozzle. Instead of using a mechanical nozzle that moves and is complicated, a jet of air is used to change the angle of the exhaust when it leaves the engine. The result is a far less complex, costly, non-stealthy, and prone to breakdown engine. Another feature is the use of the standard supercruise ability. Because of the power of the gigantic engines, the engine is capable of supercruising past Mach 1.7. Although the exact number remains unknown, it is very high, essentially increasing the range of the bird so that nothing will escape its shadowy grasp of death and destruction. Like most aircrafts, the Union-215-2006s are equipped with afterburning nozzles, but because of varying demands, it is optional and the afterburning version is called the Union-215B-2006s.
To make sure that this huge engine’s heat signature is not detected by IR sensors, the exhaust is cooled by heat dampeners that are found in the back of the engine. A stream of cold air is mixed with the exhaust to cool it down to the point that its IR signature is far smaller than what it is suppose to be.
Weapons/Armament:
The SuF-8's main goal and mission is to ensure that the naval fleet and the aircraft carriers of the Space Union Navy are fully protected from hostile aircrafts and cruise missiles. To do this its weapon capabilities and armament have been centered on this capability. The SuF-8 is built with two internal bomb bays that are fairly large, each housing four hardpoints/pylons within them. Each pylon is capable of holding up to 1,000 kg worth of weaponry. The most basic configuration is housing 8x AIM-511B Starburst II Extremely Long-Range Air-to-Air missiles (ELRAAM). The ELRAAM is used to hit enemy bombers and large strategic aircrafts from 600 km away. This capability will allow it to make sure no enemy bomber gets anywhere near close enough to hit the carriers with their deadly payload. To deal with fighters, though, the SuF-8 has 8 external pylons, four on each wing. Each is capable of carrying 2,000 kg worth of weaponry. For air-to-air missions, they usually have 6 AIM-510B Starshell II Long-Range Air-to-Air Missile (LRAAM). These missiles are able to hit tactical aircraft from 200 km away and with deadly precision. This ensures that not only will bombers fear them, fighters alike will run scared when it comes to beyond visual range (BVR) combat. Finally the final two pylons will have four small AIM-508B Starshield II Short-Range Air-to-Air Missiles (SRAAM). These missiles are for last-resort dog fighting missiles that can be used in conjunction of the helmet-mounted system to hit enemy aircrafts in WVR combat. The SuF-8 Phoenix is not only one of the best beyond visual range fighters but also one of the best within-visual range fighters.
The main part of the SuF-8’s battle capabilities is of course its Advanced Fire-and-Control Implanted System (AFCIS). AFCIS takes upon experience gained in previous aircrafts especially the SuF/A-6 in its similar architect to the ACCOM system. It works by using the advanced sensor suite aboard the SuF-8 in conjunction with the SUDACS (or counterpart systems in other nations) to create a battlefield plan targeting all enemy aircrafts and threats. Using the Black Eye supercomputer’s advanced processing capabilities; it is capable of computing the threat level of an object based on its height, distance, size, and other factors. One this has been achieved, the threats are ranked in most threatening to least threatening order for the pilot to have, allowing him to take care along with watch the most threatening and not concentrate as heavily on the lesser threats in the airspace. Not only that but the AFCIS is also designed to be compatible with the SUDACS in the sense that any information it finds is instantly sent to the SUDACS mainframe computer headquarters and is shared amongst the entire armed forces. This helps make sure that every unit and person knows every threat and decrease the chance of any surprises that may leave something damaged or someone injured or even killed. When the pilot deems it necessary to get rid of a target, he merely can either press a button or target an object or he can use the Advanced Voice Control System (AVCS). The AVCS is a refined version of the voice speaker on many of the earlier aircrafts, in which the pilot can speak a set of commands and the computer will automatically take care of it. But the AVCS differs mainly from the other similar-systems in that it now has a far bigger impact and many functions of the computer from flying to targeting to firing to maintenance can be done by voice command instead of pressing buttons. This allows a pilot to focus on the battlefield instead of focusing on buttons to press. When the pilot tells the AVCS to target an object by name, the Black Eye immediately zones on it and then offers the command to disengage, track, or fire. If you choose to disengage, the tracking is released. If you choose to track, the computer will put the threat on stand-by with immediate firing sequence ready. If you fire, you can choose which armament to use and hit the enemy with whatever you have. This can range from an air-to-air missile or a 2,000 lbs JDAM. The AFCIS has truly deadly teeth in its jaw of fury that can immobilize any threat or prey it decides to sink into it, one way or another.
Although the SuF-8's missile systems are some of the greatest, the SuF-8 still uses a conventional gun incase it ever comes to within range. Like the SuF/A-6, the SuF-8 uses the 25mm Phantom autocannon for its close-range weaponry purposes. This gun houses 600 rounds and has a firing rate of over 3,200 rpm. The cannon are housed underneath the radar compartment in the nose of the aircraft. This ensures that it can hit the enemy straight ahead, when chasing from behind. Although the SuF-8 is designed primarily for air-to-air combat and is a naval interceptor/air superiority fighter, it can also serve as an attack aircraft when needed. That is why designers have made sure that each pylon is capable of being adjusted so that they can carry bombs and guided bombs like JDAMS and laser-precision guided bombs. Each internal pylon is capable of holding up to 1,000 kg in munitions while the external pylons are capable of holding up to 2,000 kg in munitions. But that alone won’t hit targets; an advanced targeting system was needed. This comes in the form of the Ground Attack System (GAS) an extension of the AFCIS. It does the same thing as the AFCIS but instead it targets ground targets and locations. It prioritizes them, targets them, and in the end allows for dropping of bombs. When it comes to precision guided weapons, after a pilot fires the bomb, the GAS automatically maintains a lock on the object so that the target is hit with the greatest amount of accuracy and best of all the pilot doesn’t even have to mentally do the job.
Countermeasures/ECM/Stealth:
As for electronic countermeasures, the SuF-8 Phoenix has been designed with a suite of ECMs that make earlier aircraft look defenseless. All the measures have been ensured to elude the enemy’s sensors and weapons so that the SuF-8 has the optimal danger capability and survivability. The first component of the ECM system is the jamming system. The SuF-8’s radar is equipped with an automatic jammer system. Every time the aircraft fires off a radar signal, it fires a jamming signal right after. This way the other aircraft doesn't realize that an enemy fighter is tracking it. Not only is that but a jamming system called the SU/MJM-2 used to jam all the radars in the area except for the aircraft own. This works by having the Su/MJM-2 and the aircraft's radar/lidar/ladar system work together. They both are designed to emit radar signals on different wavelengths each time they fire off. This allows for the aircraft to not jam its own radar. The SU/MJM-2 continues to jump frequency constantly making it difficult to defeat by enemy aircraft, even with high-tech equipment on-board. Other measures include the use of chaffs and flares. High-powered flares fly out and release a huge explosion of light. This automatically is registered by any IR-Seeking enemies and is directed toward the explosion. The flare burst 3 times before dying out. This is the new generation of flares designed to defeat the new-generation of IR-Seeking missiles.
To fully protect the aircraft from the most dangerous of threats, it was intentionally designed to be hyper manueverable. Another method to prevent the aircraft from being shot down by a missile is to use the power of electronics and avionics. For that reason, the aircraft has been designed with a Direct Emission Detection System or DEDS. DEDS works by homing on signals like radar from missiles and other aircrafts. It does this by homing on to unfamiliar signals that are determined to not be friendly. This way the pilot will always know whose locking on to him/her. But DEDS doesn’t stop there. It works by using the signals to locate the enemy before devoting the SU/RD-145 to track down the enemy. No aircraft will ever surprise the SuF-8 or even get within 20 kms of it.
To also ensure that it is well protected from almost any threat, the SuF-8 has a couple of other features. To ensure that LIDAR/LADAR equipment can’t successfully track the SuF-8, it employs laser scrambling systems that will scramble any light waves or laser beams. This ensures that the enemy can’t track the aircraft with light-oriented tracking devices. To ensure that it can also stand in any environment, the SuF-8d is capable of operating in nuclear environments because of its oxygen/carbon dioxide converter system and fuel cell, along with its airframe, which can shield the airplane a bit against radiation (long enough to get home not fight). To further this adaptability, the SuF-8’s electronics are hardened against electromagnetic pulse weaponry, so that it won’t be taken out of the sky from a EMP.
The SuF-8 was intentionally designed for stealth to make sure that it would be picked up nearer than farther away. For one thing, extensive use of RAM has been used on the airframe of the aircraft, engine inlets, and in every crevice on the aircraft. A more physical change was that the aircraft has been made so that it is streamlined and smooth. This allows for any radar waves to be deflected away from the radar homing equipment. These changes have significantly dropped the RCS of the aircraft to the point that it is far more lethal than ever thought possible.
Specifications:
Type: Advanced Naval Interceptor/Air Superiority Fighter
Length: 25 m
Wingspan: 18 m
Height: 6 m
Propulsion: 2x Union-215-2006s rated at 27,300 kgf each (total: 54,600 kgf)
Empty Weight: 23,000 kg
Normal Weight: 51,125 kg
Maximum Take-Off Weight: 62,500 kg
Minimum Fuel Weight (0.25): 14,650 kg
Maximum Fuel Weight (0.35): 20,125 kg
Normal Payload: 8,000 kg (8 pylons internally; 1,000 kg each)
Maximum Payload: 24,000 kg (7 pylons internally; 8 pylons externally (2,000 kg each))
Thrust-to-Weight Ratio: 1/1
Minimum Combat Range: 1,750 km
Combat Range: 3,200 km
Ferry Range: 6,400 km
Operational Ceiling/Altitude: 20,420 m
Maximum Altitude: 24,400 m
Cruising Speed: Mach 0.8
Supercruising Speed: Mach 1.9
Maximum Speed: Mach 2.6
Limit per/number of pylon(s): 8 internally; 8 externally
Crew (List): 2 (Pilot; Radar Intercept Officer)
Price: $150 million
SuEF-8 Crow (Electronics Warfare Variant): $160 million
Foreign Sales:
The SuF-8 Pheonix is one of the few advanced fighters that SUAI allows for foreign export. It will allow anyone except allies or people with "unwanted" backgrounds to buy this fighter. Along with this, SUAI is also allowing individual nations to add/remove/modify equipment to their own needs by SUAI. If a nation wishes for a different radar, SUAI will be happy to add that new radar instead of the current radar. If you want a different set of engines, SUAI will also be happy to remove the current engines and install those. With these modifications, the price will change, possibly going up or down. SUAI is happy to customize to a nation's needs and feel free to post what you want from your fighter. We will do our best to accomadate you.
Please do your own math if you are buying standard. Also we invoke the right to reject an order and not have to explain ourselves. Finally you are not allowd to upgrade, change, or degrade the SuF-8 Phoenix on your own.
Production Rights will not be granted to anyone, so please do not ask.
Options: Because of the increase in the need for a multi-role fighter for foreign nations, the SuF-8 is now having the option of being fitted with the SU/RD-145V1 synthetic aperture radar mode along with the Ground Attack and Mission Suite (GAMS). This will allow it to have a greater attack capability than before and serve as a fighter-bomber/strike aircraft. This comes at the additional $2 million.