Designation: F-53 Super Dart (A,C,E,F) Fighter

I. Dimensions:

II. Type:

• (-53A, -53C): One seat all weather aerospace single engine fighter.
• (-53E): Two seat all weather aerospace electronic warfare capable single engine fighter.
• (-53F): Two seat all weather anti-radar/SEAD capable single engine fighter.

III. Service History

• F-53A: Served with the New Republican Army Air Corps from 2060 until present.
• F-53C: Served with the New Republican Army Air Corps from 2060 until present.
• F-53E: Served with the New Republican Army Air Corps from 2062 until present.
• F-53F: Served with the New Republican Army Air Corps from 2062 until present.

IV. Propulsion:

• GE F-162D thrust-vectoring fusion turbine, max unboosted output 263 kN (boosted, 290 kN).
• Four Nakajima NBS-1 high-thrust vernier thrusters.
• Sixteen P&W LHP04 low-thrust vernier thrusters distributed around the aircraft.
• Four P&W HHW05 high-thrust vernier vents in the wings, as part of the aircraft's space roll control.
• Powerplant: 2 x RRL-2P miniaturized protoculture-cell energizer.
• Fuel Capacity:
  • 15 Standard Canisters of Protoculture.
  • 25 lit. D₂O reactant for fusion engines.

V. Performance:

• Max level speed at sea level : Mach 1.12
• Max level speed at 10 km : Mach 2.48
• Max level speed at 30+ km : Mach 3.60
• Stall speed (VTOL shift possible): 185 kph.
• Initial climb rate : over 10000m per minute.
• Unboosted service ceiling : 35 km.
• Range (space): Total Δ-v 10.7 kps on internal reaction mass.
• Protoculture supply: 280 hours operational use.
• G limits: -4.5/+10.

VI. Electronics:

Radar tracking:

• Hughes APG-115 UWB pulse-Doppler phased array, providing spherical long-range detection and tracking of targets at all altitudes. Equipped with stealth and passive modes.

Optical tracking:

• Ricoh MOS-110X optical composite tracking system, using sensors for high-quality basic optical, UV, IR and x-ray.
• Thomson LT-9 multi-frequency laser ranger and designator.

Tactical Electronic Warfare System (TEWS):

• Elettronica Supra-10 Radar Warning Receiver (RWR)
• OlDelft 1010 Infra-red Warning Receiver (IRWR)
• Westinghouse AN/ALQ-169(K) ECM Pod
• Westinghouse ALQ-260(V) active sensor jammer

Countermeasures:

• Chaff decoy dispenser with 25 shot capacity.
• Flare decoy dispenser with 25 shot capacity.
• Smoke decoy dispenser with 25 shot capacity.

VII. Armament:

Cannons:

• .
 

Hardpoints:

• 1 internal weapons bay can carry:
  • 4 x LRAAM, UGBM, PGBM, MALM, XAGM, or CLB.
• 4 underwing hardpoints can each carry:
  • 1 x ER-3M multiple ejector rack for three MRAAMs or QAAMs.
  • or 1 x ER-4M multiple ejector rack for four MRAAMs or QAAMs.
  • or 1 x ER-4S multiple ejector rack for four MRAAMs or QAAMs. This rack can also mount an additional ER-2M, ER-3M, or ER-4M rack, or UGBL, NPB, PGBL, FAEB, LALM, LARM, or LASM on its underside.
  • or 1 x ER-3B multiple ejector rack for three UGBSs, PGBSs or SALMs.
  • or 1 x EC-15 multiple ejector rack for fifteen SRAAMs.
  • or 1 x ER-2M multiple ejector rack for two LRAAMs.
  • or 1 x ER-2B multiple ejector rack for two UGBMs, PGBMs, MALMs, XAGMs or CLBs.
  • or 1 x UGBL, NPB, PGBL, FAEB, or LALM.

Miscellaneous:

• 1 x VR-052FT or -B Cyclone carried in the rear cockpit compartment. This is provided as an emergency vehicle for downed pilots.
• or 1 x VR-038FT or -B Cyclone carried in the rear cockpit compartment. This is provided as an emergency vehicle for downed pilots.
• 1 x CVR-3M/F personal armor.
• 1 x pilots' personal sidearm. Typical issue for Army Air Corps pilots is the ; however, junior and senior officers have their choice of sidearm which can include a number of civilian firearms.
• 1 x ASK-10 aviator survival kit carried in the rear cockpit compartment. This kit contains a twenty-day supply of emergency field rations, water purification tablets, Protoculture cells, sidearm ammunition, and four Scorpion missiles.

VIII. Armor:

The armor on the Super Dart is the current state-of-the-art development in low-mass composite-materials Chobham plating that became the standard for all Terran mecha after its application to the VQ-6A Vandal. Aside from the respectable protection provided against projectiles, missiles, and other kinetic weapons, this armor is also resistant to plasma globes (annihilation discs), lasers, and to a lesser extent, particle guns, owing to the fact that the armor can flake off and evaporate in layers under fire from such high-energy weapons, taking much of the weapon's energy and converting it into the latent heat of sublimation in the armor.

The armor stops all small arms fire, heavy infantry weapons fire, and light mecha-mounted weaponry; provides fair resistance to medium mecha-mounted weaponry, such as the Valkyrie's 55mm APFSDS round, and poor resistance to heavy mecha-mounted weaponry, such as the VHT's 105mm smoothbore shells.

The Super Dart life support system provides full protection from nuclear, biological, and chemical hazards, using an overpressure cockpit environment activated by radiation and hazardous chemical sensors, or manually when such warfare conditions are anticipated. The internal consumables supplies can provide atmosphere for 80 hours maximum.

The Super Dart has been provided with an external coat of EM-absorbing materials to decrease the radar cross-section of the aircraft. The early coat, applied until 2062, decreased radar cross-section by 16% compared to an uncoated aircraft. An improved formula was developed in 2061 and subsequently applied to all new F-53 aircraft from mid-2062 onwards; this coating brought RCS down by 22%. A third version of the coat is under development and current research indicates the possibility of RCS decrease of 40% or more.

IX. Development:

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