NationStates Jolt Archive


Meizhou rolls out new high-speed multirole fighter for Jeunese Navy, opens for export

Jeuna
22-05-2008, 21:29
+++Events in this thread are to be considered fluid time, where appropriate.

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Dong Tian Television
If You Have The Time, We Have The News—Always

"The Meizhou Aircraft Manufacturing Company has completed its new multi-role fighter aircraft, requisitioned by the Navy in 2004. The Navy, looking for a replacement Tomcat, which it felt was getting rather long in the tooth, put out the word to Jeunese companies. After tough competition, the Meizhou testbed won the contract with the Department of the Navy. The first two aircraft, aboard the JNS Bailu, are being tested. Our chief military affairs correspondent, Sun Wangshu, is here to introduce you to them in person."

"Thank you, Liuning. I have here Lieutenant Truman Kong Tanshou—Lieutenant, I understand you've been very involved in this project, am I correct?"

"Yes you are, Wangshu."

"Would you like to tell us a little bit about this wonderful machine here?"

"Certainly."

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The Meizhou YL-104 (Chinese: 幽靈百四; pinyin: Yōulíng Bǎisì, meaning "Phantom One-Hundred Four") is a supersonic, twin-engine, double-seat variable-sweep wing fighter aircraft. The YL-104 is the Jeunese Navy's primary interceptor and reconnaissance platform, replacing the F-14 Tomcat. Like its predecessor, the YL-104 also has the ability to perform limited strike warfare operations.

[Development]
The YL-104 was developed from the requirements of the Jeunese Navy to modernize and upgrade the F-14 Tomcat, which had previously been in service with the Jeunese Navy Air Force, alongside the F/A-18 Hornet. With reports that the F-14 would soon be taken out of service in the United States, and manufacture of spare parts concluded, the Jeunese Ministry of Federal Defense put out guidelines for a replacement model to Jeunese companies, under the Fleet Advanced Fighter, 21st Century (FAF21C) program. Funds that were originally earmarked for the purchase of a handful of F/A-18E/F Super Hornets for testing purposes were funneled into this new project. Initial pressure was laid on the Navy to merge the project with the pending purchase of several Candiran F/A-15 Cardinal aircraft, but the Navy stringently refused, citing prior Navies' experience with the large and bulky fighter.

In 2003, the Meizhou Aircraft Manufacturing Company and Hsaio Corporation were selected as finalists in the program, and Meizhou won the contract in 2004. Meizhou had started developing possible replacements when it saw the F-14 being replaced with the F/A-18, which it perceived as a less capable platform, and so ostensibly was ahead of the competition.

The Meizhou design took from the USAF's Alternative Fighter Engine project for the F-16 the use of two F110-GE-129 engines, delivering an individual wet thrust of 129 kN (29,000 lbf). Beginning in 2005, YL-104/As have begun to be refitted with F110-GE-132 engines, delivering a dry thrust of 84.5 kN (19,000 lbf) and a wet thrust of 144 kN (32,500 lbf) and designated YL-68/A2. In 2007, the YL-104's radar package was upgraded to a Type 06 AESA.

[Design]
The YL-104 is a fifth generation fighter, considered closer to a "fourth and a half" generation aircraft, for its deliberate lack of airframe-integrated stealth features. Instead, its main defensive equipment is the software-based PRISM system, including radar- and laser-warning-receivers, missile approach warning, flare dispensers and radio jamming. PRISM also incorporates a phase cancellation system to decrease detectability. Integrated into the PRISM system are real-time datalinks between aircraft and other modular sources, using the Pan-Service Datasystem.

The aircraft incorporates many new and advanced features, such as the inclusion of a Type 92 active electronically scanned array (AESA) radar, Joint Helmet Mounted Cueing System (JHMCS) and AN/AAS-42 IRST (Infrared Search and Track) system. The YL-104's avionics are also compatible with modern weapons such as the SLAM-ER ATA, AIM-120C AMRAAM and AGM-84. Key to its core systems package is an Integrated Modular Avionics system, which provides the foundation for all the YL-104's avionics, such as the user interface, fire control and FMS.

The airframe incorporates a new semi-monocoque construction, using lightweight composites to decrease the theoretical all-metal weight by 15%. The main part of the fuselage retains the large, circular area just aft of the cockpit, where the machinery for the variable-geometry wings, avionics bays, and fuel and oxygen tanks are stored. The wide engine nacelles are located just behind the front edge of the disc, spaced one to three feet apart to allow for the centerline mounting of Yue Long missiles or other assorted armaments, with the fuselage blending flush with the 3D thrust-vectorable exhaust ports. The wing sweep is automatically controlled by the flight computer, with pilot override to switch back and forth between the 20° and 68° extreme sweep angles when engaging or landing. When on the ground, the wings are swept back to 75°, overlapping the stabilators, to save space. The 18° angled tail assembly is all-metal construction. The YL-104 is equipped with centerline airbrakes: one dorsal, just behind the disc, and two ventral, split into two brakes with the retractable tailhook between them. Unlike its predecessor, to increase maneuverability at low speed, the YL-104 mounts ailerons in addition to spoilers, integrating them into the legacy tailerons.

The pressurized cockpit is fitted with a Type 66 ejection seat, inclined 32 degrees to improve G-force tolerance, a must-have for the Mach 3 flight the aircraft was intended to achieve. The YL-104 is fitted with a glass cockpit, and displays include a wide-screen OLED Heads Up Display mounted on the inside of the canopy, and two OLED Head Down Displays by the pilot's feet. The GUI is operated by the use of either touch screens or direct keyboard input, for which the YL-104 has a swing-up semicompact peripheral, which balances a small size with easy key differentiation. The right-hand side-mounted joystick incorporates a HOTAS arrangement. The three-piece canopy opens up from the rear.

[Variants]
* YL-68/A: Original aircraft, F110-GE-129 engines.
* YL-68/A2: Replacement of engines with F110-GE-132 model.
* YL-104/A3: Replacement of Type 92 with Type 06.

[Specifications (YL-68/A2)]
General characteristics
+Crew: 2
+Length (fuselage): 19.4 m (63 ft 8 in)
+Wingspan:
++Spread: 19 m (62 ft 4 in)
++Swept: 11.3 m (37 ft)
+Height: 5 m (16 ft 2 in)
+Wing area: 53 m² (570.5 ft²)
+Empty weight: 17,931 kg (39,531 lb)
+Loaded weight: 24,642 kg (54,326 lb)
+Maximum gross takeoff weight: 28,780 kg (63,450 lb)
+Powerplant: 2× General Electric F110-GE-132 afterburning turbojets
++Dry thrust: 84.5 kN (19,000 lbf) each
++Thrust with afterburner: 144 kN (32,500 lbf) each

Performance
+Maximum speed: 3,362 km/h (2,090 mph, 1,815 kn (Mach 3 at high altitude))
+Range: 1,000 km (621 mi, 540 nm) combat
+Service ceiling: 17,200 m (56,430 ft)
+Rate of climb: 235 m/s (46,260 ft/min)
+Wing loading: 465 kg/m² (95.2 lb/ft²)
+Thrust/weight: 1.196:1 at loaded weight

Armament
+Guns: 1× M61 Vulcan 20 mm Gatling gun
+Hardpoints: 8: 4 fuselage, 2 wingtip, 2 under-nacelle
++Missiles:
+++Air-to-air: Yue Long, Kuai Bi I, Kuai Bi II, AIM-9 Sidewinder, AIM-132 ASRAAM, AIM-120 AMRAAM, AIM-7 Sparrow, IRIS-T, MBDA MICA
+++Air-to-ground: SLAM-ER, AGM-88 HARM, AGM-65 Maverick, Taurus missile
+++Anti-ship: AGM-84 Harpoon
++Bombs: JDAM, Mk82, Mk84, Paveway, CBU-100, MBDA PGM 500

Avionics
+Dynamati Type 92 radar (A1-A2)
+Dynamati Type 06 radar (A3)
+Radar warning receiver: ALR-63(V)2: 300 km
+IRST, TCS (Television Camera System), SIGI


Unit cost
YL-68/A: $70.3 million USD
YL-68/A2: $76 million USD
YL-68/A2: $79.6 million USD
Akimonad
23-05-2008, 01:43
Request for Procurement

Greetings!

The Akimonad Defence Forces have long been proud of the performance of our Jeunese Type 97 main battle tanks.

Now, as Jeuna releases another product, we look and see great things.

The ADF Navy Aviation Division would like to therefore acquire 3000 YL-68/A2 fighters for a total of $216,300,000,000.

Thank you,
Office of Procurement
Nova Pictavia
23-05-2008, 02:16
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High Encryption (Secure Channel)
To: Meizhou Aircraft Manufacturing Company
Subject: Procurement of YL-68/A2
Date: 23 May MMVIII

Upon requiring an affordable yet reliable back-up fighter to undertake counter-occupational naval-based roles [OOC: Fuck it, I'm really not capable of coming up with comprehensible IC small-talk right now], the Pictish Armed Forces hereby submits a preliminary order for the following hardware:

[500] x [Meizhou YL-68/A2] @ [72.1 million USD] = [36,050 million USD]

Regards,
[SIGNED]
Lord Praetor Aiden Maccan
Jeuna
23-05-2008, 02:40
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Greetings friend Akimonadi! We are pleased to hear of your faith in our product, and quite glad to provide you with the
pinnacle of Jeunese aerospace engineering.

We are willing to provide you with your order of three thousand YL-68/A2 fighters, but recommend that, should you
require them post-haste, a joint Jeunese-Akimonadi assembly program be worked out, to avoid unwieldy delays.

Signed,
Xian Huanhao
MAMC Production Section Head

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It is my pleasure to introduce your government to top-quality Jeunese hardware, and it is my further hope that it will
meet and exceed your every expectation.

I confirm receipt of your order of five hundred YL-68/A2 multirole fighters, and would like to inform you that the same
order has been authorized. We thank you for your business, and hope that you will consider Jeunese products in the future!

Signed,
Xian Huanhao
MAMC Production Section Head