Designation: VF-4+ Lightning Enhanced (A,C,D,R,S) Veritech Fighter

I. Dimensions:

II. Type:

• (-4A, -4C, -4D, -4R, -4S): One seat all weather aerospace combat mecha, three form Veritech.

III. Service History

• VF-4A: Served with the New Republican Navy and Army Air Corps from 2058 until 2061.
• VF-4C: Served with the New Republican Navy from 2058 until present; and with the Army Air Corps from 2058 until 2061.
• VF-4D: Served with the New Republican Navy from 2058 to 2061; and with the Army Air Corps from 2058 until present.
• VF-4R: Served with the New Republican Navy from 2061 until present.
• VF-4S: Served with the New Republican Navy and Army Air Corps from 2058 until present.

IV. Propulsion:

(-4A, -4C, -4D, -4R):

• 2 x Nakajima/P&W/Rolls-Royce FF-2079J thrust-vectoring fusion turbines, max. unboosted output 149 kN each (boosted, 162 kN each).

  (-4S):

• 2 x Nakajima/P&W/Rolls-Royce FF2079K thrust-vectoring fusion turbines, max unboosted output 149 kN each (boosted, 171 kN each).

  (All):

• 2 x Turbo-Union ATF 352 miniaturized fusion plasma-air/reaction mass intermix ramjets. Mounted on the upper rear (fighter mode), on the arm blocks (Guardian and Battloid). Each engine is rated to 38.4 kN standard thrust, max overboost to 77.3 kN each.
• 2 x P&W HMM-1A high-maneuverability vernier thrusters mounted on the arm blocks. 
• Ten 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:
  • 18 standard canisters of Protoculture.
  • 16.4 lit. D₂O reactant for fusion engines.

V. Performance:

A. Fighter Mode:

• Max level speed at sea level : Mach 1.12
• Max level speed at 10 km : Mach 3.02
• Max level speed at 30+ km : Mach 5.15
• Stall speed (VTOL shift possible): 185 kph.
• Initial climb rate : over 30km per minute.
• Unboosted service ceiling : 35 km.

B. Guardian Mode:

• Max level speed at all altitudes: 550 kph
• Stall speed : 0 kph (hover)
• Max loiter time : 450 seconds

C. Battloid Mode:

• Max running speed : 128 kph.
• Max flying speed at all altitudes : 240 kph.

D. General:

• Range (space): Total Δ-v 4.7 kps on internal reaction mass. Additional Δ-v can be added by mounting conformal FAST packs; however, values change for different packs (see armament section).
• Protoculture supply: 250 hours operational use.
• G limits: -5.0/+11.5.

VI. Electronics:

Radar tracking:

• Hughes APG-113 X-band pulse-Doppler phased array, providing spherical long-range detection and tracking of targets at all altitudes. Equipped with special 'stealthy' 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:

(As built):

• 2 x RRG EP-4 single barrel particle cannons stored in the upper engine pods in Fighter mode and in the wrists in Battloid and Guardian modes. Each cannon can fire a particle beam with a yield of 9 MJ every .25 seconds.

(Refits, post-2062):

• 2 x Worthington EP-4R single barrel particle cannons stored in the upper engine pods in Fighter mode and in the wrists in Battloid and Guardian modes. Each cannon can fire a particle with a yield of 11 MJ every .125 seconds.

Gun pods:

• 1 x Oerlikon GU-16 64mm three barreled smoothbore rotary gun pod; has a 325 round detachable box magazine. Cannon fires APFSDS (Armor Piercing Fin-Stabilized Discarding Sabot) and HESH-I (High Explosive Squash Head-Incendiary) rounds at 1100 rounds/minute. Also fires in five-round burst mode at 1500 rounds/minute. One spare magazine is carried in each leg of the Lightning. Can fire in Battloid and Guardian as a handheld cannon; used as a fixed forward cannon in Fighter mode.
• or 1 x Hughes GU-11R 55mm three barreled smoothbore rotary gun pod; has a 200 round capacity. Cannon fires APFSDS (Armor Piercing Fin-Stabilized Discarding Sabot) and HESH-I (High Explosive Squash Head-Incendiary) rounds at 1200 rounds/minute. Also fires in five-round burst mode at 1600 rounds/minute. One full reload of rounds is kept in each leg of the Lightning; however, these are contained in a disposable cache and must be mechanically transferred to the cannon's internal magazine.  Can fire in Battloid and Guardian as a handheld cannon; used as a fixed forward cannon in Fighter mode.
• or 1 x RRG EP-13 80mm three barreled particle gun pod; firing 170 rounds per minute in full automatic mode, also capable of firing all three barrels simultaneously in semiautomatic mode at approximately one shot per second. Cannon fires 8.2 MJ pulses per barrel in each mode. One spare magazine is carried in each leg of the Lightning. Can fire in Battloid and Guardian as a handheld cannon; used as a fixed forward cannon in Fighter mode.
• or 1 x Cadillac-Gage EP-85 112mm single barreled particle gun pod; firing 225 pulses per minute in full automatic mode, or once per trigger activation in semiautomatic mode. Cannon fires 12.5 MJ pulses in each mode. One spare magazine is carried in each leg of the Lightning. Can fire in Battloid and Guardian as a handheld cannon; aimed rearwards when carried in Fighter mode and typically not used.

Missile bays:

• 12 x MCHS-4 recessed covered conformal missile bays on the upper (4) and lower (6) engine pods and the lower forward hull section (2). These internal bays can each carry: 
• 2 x MRAAMs or QAAMs.
• or 4 x SRAAMs.

Hardpoints:

• 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-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 CVR-3M/F personal armor.
• 1 x pilots' personal sidearm. Typical issue for Navy pilots is the M29 revolver or M39 Mesa Eagle automatic, both chambered in .44 Magnum; however, junior and senior officers have their choice of sidearm which can include a number of civilian firearms.
• 1 x ASK-09 aviator survival kit carried in the rear cockpit compartment. This kit contains a twenty-day supply of emergency field rations, water purification tablets, and sidearm ammunition.

VIII. Armor:

The armor on the Lightning 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; and provides fair to excellent resistance to medium mecha-mounted weaponry, such as the Valkyrie's 55mm APFSDS round, and poor to fair resistance to heavy mecha-mounted weaponry, such as the VHT's 105mm smoothbore shells.

The VF-4 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 24 hours maximum.

IX. Development:

The VF-4 Lightning, the original replacement for the VF-1 Valkyrie, is still in service alongside its older counterpart; as of the opening of the conflict with Tirol, a few thousand of each craft are in service aboard Republican Navy craft. Most of the VF-4 fleet operated by the Republic was brought out of mothballs. The Establishment had stored most of their VF-4 fleet in the Tranquility Sea mecha depot, with only a few reconditioned craft equipping reserve squadrons.

The reconditioned fighters were the early efforts of an Establishment project to upgrade both the VF-1 and VF-4 at Jupiter Station; this project was canceled after the first few units. After the Revolution, the Lightning was one of the most important craft in the Republican inventory; as the most capable Veritech fighter the Republic could field in quantity at that time. The Veritech Tomcat was only beginning to roll off of the production lines, the Valkyrie fleet was mostly inoperable, and very few Alphas and Betas were in Republican hands. The Lightning is considered the iconic Veritech of the Revolution and early Republic.

As the VF-1+ Enhanced Valkyrie project was getting underway, it was decided to begin a parallel upgrade to the VF-4. In practice, the differences between the projects were so minimal that Lightnings were simply rolled onto the lines behind Valkyries. The majority of the inventory received the upgrades, barring retired airframes at their service hour limit and wrecked aircraft.

At the outset of the war with Tirol, the VF-4+ provided an excellent second-line fighter for both the Army Air Corps and the Navy, and it is expected that the Lightning will certainly last until the end of the war. It is likely that smaller nations allied against Tirol with weak air forces and space forces will receive VF-4+ craft, assuming sufficient new craft or older fighters pushed out of front-line duty to replace them.

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