Voltigeur Medium Fighter
Voltigeur Medium Fighters currently serve as the main fighter-bomber in the Republic's service. Designed from the outset to be able to attack enemy ships, fighters, conduct reconnaissance, provide air support, or perform the vast number of other potential roles for the design, they are also the smallest manned vessels in the Republic's fleet, with the light interceptor fighters that are smaller than them still being controlled by artificial intelligence. As a result, they're deployed in correspondingly smaller numbers, although they still represent the second largest class of deployed fighters in the Marine Nationale.
During the previous decades a vigorous debate raged in the Republic's Navy over its fighter components and their size. One faction within the Navy wished to dramatically expand fighter forces, using mostly drone technology. Another wished to keep it to the same, or reduce it. This was due to enhanced engines which had just recently enabled fighter designs of the Republic to engage enemy ships with their point defense batteries much more efficiently. In the end, a compromise between the two factions was chosen. The fighter numbers would be expanded, but mostly as drones. This resulted in only a relatively small number of human fighters, which would come to be the Voltigeurs.
Voltigeurs are designed for usage in the atmosphere, and thus have an aerodynamic profile that is capable of easily reaching high speeds and performing well in atmospheric flight. It is some twemty-five meters long, with a wingspan of 16 meters. Each of the Voltigeur's also has a height/depth of 6 meters, although this is partially due to the rear tail. There is a two man crew for the fighter, in a forward cockpit. The wings for it are delta swept wings, and are not very large due to the immense speeds Voltigeurs attain. The entire aircraft was also shaped so that it is highly stealthy against enemy radar and other systems.
Armament for the fighters is composed of onboard guns, lasers and deployable ordnance. There was a substantial level of deliberation over what weapons to fit the design with. The main argument over this was to use lasers, or guns as the main armament, and the amount of space that would be dedicated to this instead of the capability of the plane to deploy ordnance. In the end, guns were chosen due to superior ground attack capability, and greater destructiveness. Ordnance deployment capability was viewed as highly important as well, somewhat greater in importance than the gun systems. There are also some point defense weapons found onboard.
The largest onboard artillery pieces are two 127mm magnetohydrodynamic cannons, which run through much of the hull and are located in the center. Their main objective is to destroyenemy ships, and have the great advantage of little recoil from the specialized railgun nature of the technology. However, while highly destructive they are somewhat large for usage against fighters, although this can be done if necessary. To defeat enemy fighters two more magnetohydrodynamic cannons were provided, which are 32mm in caliber. They are positioned with one to each side of the central 127mm cannons, and have a higher rate of fire.
For the laser defensive network, five 2.5cm point defense lasers are provided. Although not nearly as powerful as those on actual naval ships, they serve the same purpose, destroying enemy missiles before they impact the fighter. Two are positioned on top of the fighter in retractable mountings, one in a rear position, and two more on the bottom. This provides clear angles of fire in all directions, preventing enemy missiles from easily penetrating.
Of course, there is also highly capable abilities to deploy large amounts of ordnance. This is accomplished through two methods, the first through internal ordnance bays, and the second through external ordnance carrying racks. It is slated to be able to carry up to 10,000 kilograms in two internal bays, which are large enough to be able to carry anti-ship missiles, while external ordnance may up this to 18,000 kilograms. This armament varies by mission, with anti-fighter missiles, anti-ship missiles, ground attack ordnance, and a variety of other weapons often deployed onboard.
As far as protection goes, a variety of measures have been integrated to defend the fighter. In addition to the laser defenses, there are also capable countermeasures, electronic warfare capabilities, stealth, shields, and armor. It carries a number of countermeasures dispensors, an onboard ECM suite, and Mk43/F-EWS for electronic cyber warfare. Meanwhile, shielding is provided via the V50/S-FM, which provides protection against enemy energy and kinetic attacks. The fighter's crew is heavily protected with armor around them, while the main exterior of the unit for the main body is also provided with advanced modern synthetic material resistant to enemy energy and kinetic attack. Meanwhile, high redundancy is incorporated, which makes it extremely hard to destroy even when large amounts of damage is sustained, and the onboard AI is capable of efficient battle damage repair and mitigation with various systems onboard. A high degree of stealth is provided, and the fighter received modern electronic "paint" that actively changes to match the surroundings when turned on, which enables it to be hard to detect enemy visual targeting. It has low emissions, however it can also be entirely turned off asides from very hard to detect life support when necessary.
The computing system and avionics for the design, are like everything else quite effective. Voltigeurs incorporate an AESA radar, which is capable of detecting targets tens of thousands of kilometers away, advanced communications infrastructure including laser communications links, missile approach warning systems, infrared sensors, radar warning systems(Composed of large numbers of detectors blended into the fueselage and is quite expensive), various enhanced visual display systems, and the rest of a modern aircraft sensors and detection units. For processing this and acting as the computer a modern advanced AI is provided, which is entirely capable of running the fighter in the absence of crew. This was important for additional redundancy, operations at high speeds, and also for electronic warfare in the light of the advanced system. Electronic warfare and defense, as always seved as an important feature, with careful design to prevent the ability of enemies to hack into the system or shut it down, while it can also serve in an offensive role using the Mk43/F-EWS. The fighter finally also has various designation and fire control programs, which can be used in space combat or the ground assault role.
Power is provided by a small onboard fusion reactor. This fusion reactor is extremely small, which took a great degree of technological research to achieve (Which has paid off in various other applications) and produces all necessary power. It also provides for a backup fuel cell unit, which can be utilized if something happens to the main reactor. The main reactor can be quickly "scrammed" if necessary, and ejected from the fighter, and is in the most heavily armored section of the design.
Engines for the fighter are capable of enabling extremely high acceleration. It uses two onboard ion engines, and various manuvering thrusters to achieve excellent acceleration and manuverbility. These ion engines required a fair degree of power of course, but luckily the onboard fusion reactor more than covers these needs. The main engines can also be vectored, directing their thrust in certain directions to achieve the manuverbility of the craft. This actually enables it to hover, which can help with landings on various planets. Meanwhile, the fighter can attain atmospheric speeds of several dozen times the speed of sound when it has its onboard shields provided for. Without these shields of course, it would prove effectively impossible for the fighter to attain these speeds as it would quickly burn up. The speed is enough to enable it to escape from a planet's gravity well, which therefor also provides the capability to be used as a system defense fighter.
Length: 28 meters
Width: 16 meters
Height: 6 meters
Power Generation:
1 fusion reactor
Back up fuel cells
Armor:
External armor shell
Pilot protection armor
High redundancy and internal protection
Command Facilities:
Two seat cockpit, advanced display capabilities
Shields:
Energy shields
Sensors:
MK64U-F/AESA
Passive thermal sensors
Passive radar systems
Electronic Warfare and countermeasures :
3 EW/D-FMk57
Mk43/F-EWS
ECM suite
Armament:
Ordnance:
10,000 kilograms internal
8,000 kilograms external
Lasers:
5 V61-2.5-1/AMLs
Guns:
2 127mm/170 Magnetohydrodynamic Cannons
2 32mm/75 Magnetohydrodynamic Cannons
Crew:
Up to 2
Engines:
2 Ion Engines
4 Manuvering Thrusters
Acceleration:
Many hundred of gravities
Maximum Speed:
.75 C
Mach 40 in atmosphere w/ energy screens
Endurance:
5 days
During the previous decades a vigorous debate raged in the Republic's Navy over its fighter components and their size. One faction within the Navy wished to dramatically expand fighter forces, using mostly drone technology. Another wished to keep it to the same, or reduce it. This was due to enhanced engines which had just recently enabled fighter designs of the Republic to engage enemy ships with their point defense batteries much more efficiently. In the end, a compromise between the two factions was chosen. The fighter numbers would be expanded, but mostly as drones. This resulted in only a relatively small number of human fighters, which would come to be the Voltigeurs.
Voltigeurs are designed for usage in the atmosphere, and thus have an aerodynamic profile that is capable of easily reaching high speeds and performing well in atmospheric flight. It is some twemty-five meters long, with a wingspan of 16 meters. Each of the Voltigeur's also has a height/depth of 6 meters, although this is partially due to the rear tail. There is a two man crew for the fighter, in a forward cockpit. The wings for it are delta swept wings, and are not very large due to the immense speeds Voltigeurs attain. The entire aircraft was also shaped so that it is highly stealthy against enemy radar and other systems.
Armament for the fighters is composed of onboard guns, lasers and deployable ordnance. There was a substantial level of deliberation over what weapons to fit the design with. The main argument over this was to use lasers, or guns as the main armament, and the amount of space that would be dedicated to this instead of the capability of the plane to deploy ordnance. In the end, guns were chosen due to superior ground attack capability, and greater destructiveness. Ordnance deployment capability was viewed as highly important as well, somewhat greater in importance than the gun systems. There are also some point defense weapons found onboard.
The largest onboard artillery pieces are two 127mm magnetohydrodynamic cannons, which run through much of the hull and are located in the center. Their main objective is to destroyenemy ships, and have the great advantage of little recoil from the specialized railgun nature of the technology. However, while highly destructive they are somewhat large for usage against fighters, although this can be done if necessary. To defeat enemy fighters two more magnetohydrodynamic cannons were provided, which are 32mm in caliber. They are positioned with one to each side of the central 127mm cannons, and have a higher rate of fire.
For the laser defensive network, five 2.5cm point defense lasers are provided. Although not nearly as powerful as those on actual naval ships, they serve the same purpose, destroying enemy missiles before they impact the fighter. Two are positioned on top of the fighter in retractable mountings, one in a rear position, and two more on the bottom. This provides clear angles of fire in all directions, preventing enemy missiles from easily penetrating.
Of course, there is also highly capable abilities to deploy large amounts of ordnance. This is accomplished through two methods, the first through internal ordnance bays, and the second through external ordnance carrying racks. It is slated to be able to carry up to 10,000 kilograms in two internal bays, which are large enough to be able to carry anti-ship missiles, while external ordnance may up this to 18,000 kilograms. This armament varies by mission, with anti-fighter missiles, anti-ship missiles, ground attack ordnance, and a variety of other weapons often deployed onboard.
As far as protection goes, a variety of measures have been integrated to defend the fighter. In addition to the laser defenses, there are also capable countermeasures, electronic warfare capabilities, stealth, shields, and armor. It carries a number of countermeasures dispensors, an onboard ECM suite, and Mk43/F-EWS for electronic cyber warfare. Meanwhile, shielding is provided via the V50/S-FM, which provides protection against enemy energy and kinetic attacks. The fighter's crew is heavily protected with armor around them, while the main exterior of the unit for the main body is also provided with advanced modern synthetic material resistant to enemy energy and kinetic attack. Meanwhile, high redundancy is incorporated, which makes it extremely hard to destroy even when large amounts of damage is sustained, and the onboard AI is capable of efficient battle damage repair and mitigation with various systems onboard. A high degree of stealth is provided, and the fighter received modern electronic "paint" that actively changes to match the surroundings when turned on, which enables it to be hard to detect enemy visual targeting. It has low emissions, however it can also be entirely turned off asides from very hard to detect life support when necessary.
The computing system and avionics for the design, are like everything else quite effective. Voltigeurs incorporate an AESA radar, which is capable of detecting targets tens of thousands of kilometers away, advanced communications infrastructure including laser communications links, missile approach warning systems, infrared sensors, radar warning systems(Composed of large numbers of detectors blended into the fueselage and is quite expensive), various enhanced visual display systems, and the rest of a modern aircraft sensors and detection units. For processing this and acting as the computer a modern advanced AI is provided, which is entirely capable of running the fighter in the absence of crew. This was important for additional redundancy, operations at high speeds, and also for electronic warfare in the light of the advanced system. Electronic warfare and defense, as always seved as an important feature, with careful design to prevent the ability of enemies to hack into the system or shut it down, while it can also serve in an offensive role using the Mk43/F-EWS. The fighter finally also has various designation and fire control programs, which can be used in space combat or the ground assault role.
Power is provided by a small onboard fusion reactor. This fusion reactor is extremely small, which took a great degree of technological research to achieve (Which has paid off in various other applications) and produces all necessary power. It also provides for a backup fuel cell unit, which can be utilized if something happens to the main reactor. The main reactor can be quickly "scrammed" if necessary, and ejected from the fighter, and is in the most heavily armored section of the design.
Engines for the fighter are capable of enabling extremely high acceleration. It uses two onboard ion engines, and various manuvering thrusters to achieve excellent acceleration and manuverbility. These ion engines required a fair degree of power of course, but luckily the onboard fusion reactor more than covers these needs. The main engines can also be vectored, directing their thrust in certain directions to achieve the manuverbility of the craft. This actually enables it to hover, which can help with landings on various planets. Meanwhile, the fighter can attain atmospheric speeds of several dozen times the speed of sound when it has its onboard shields provided for. Without these shields of course, it would prove effectively impossible for the fighter to attain these speeds as it would quickly burn up. The speed is enough to enable it to escape from a planet's gravity well, which therefor also provides the capability to be used as a system defense fighter.
Length: 28 meters
Width: 16 meters
Height: 6 meters
Power Generation:
1 fusion reactor
Back up fuel cells
Armor:
External armor shell
Pilot protection armor
High redundancy and internal protection
Command Facilities:
Two seat cockpit, advanced display capabilities
Shields:
Energy shields
Sensors:
MK64U-F/AESA
Passive thermal sensors
Passive radar systems
Electronic Warfare and countermeasures :
3 EW/D-FMk57
Mk43/F-EWS
ECM suite
Armament:
Ordnance:
10,000 kilograms internal
8,000 kilograms external
Lasers:
5 V61-2.5-1/AMLs
Guns:
2 127mm/170 Magnetohydrodynamic Cannons
2 32mm/75 Magnetohydrodynamic Cannons
Crew:
Up to 2
Engines:
2 Ion Engines
4 Manuvering Thrusters
Acceleration:
Many hundred of gravities
Maximum Speed:
.75 C
Mach 40 in atmosphere w/ energy screens
Endurance:
5 days
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