Thiarian Wings - modern age - Page 3

Hello again!

Thiarian Wings – 1990 - 2010
Thiaria was now firmly rooted in the West, for the first time in its history; they sent their brand-new aircraft carrier LT Treighdin into the Persian Gulf in 1990 and participated in the second gulf war, although not with any ground forces. In the years after, they suffered from an economic slack, forcing them to make cuts to their military like anyone else, although not in the same dimension as the Europeans did. The Mandela presidency in South Africa won Thiaria a staunch ally, because the ANC remembered Thiarian engagement against the Apartheid regime since the 1970s and allowed the growth of tight economic and military ties between the two formerly hostile nations. At nearly the same time, relations with Brazil again hit rock bottom. In 1994, several groups of insurgents on New Portugal took advantage of the turmoil in Brazil's government due to the impeachment of Brazilian President Collor de Mello and started a civil war on the archiple. Collor, who had been at the brink of resignation, jumped at the opportunity to declare martial law over major parts of the country, which he did in late September 1992. During 1993 and the first half of 1994, Collor skilfully played different insurgent factions against each other and had the rebellion pretty much subdued by July 1994. Although additional charges of power abuse and corruption were laid against him by his political adversaries, his handling of the rebellion had won him many sympathies, and he announced the end of martial law and presidential elections for September. On August 23rd, he was assassinated by a Gaelic-speaking New Portuguese terrorist, who had just entered Brazil directly from Thiaria. His supporters reacted by widespread attacks upon Gaelic New Portuguese, culminating in the Sao Juan Bautista massacre on September 2nd, which cost 117 lives. On the same day, the military took control of Brazil's government and blamed the Thiarian government of ordering Collor's death; they ordered all Thiarian citizens on New Portugal - about 600, which mostly served in humanitarian aid functions - to be arrested as potential spies. A day later, the Thiarian government implemented a plan to evacuate them by force and started to insert special forces into New Portugal. Brazilian and Thiarian military aircraft clashed from September 4th, usually with humiliating results for the outnumbered Brazilians, who had to rely on thirty year old Lightnings and far too few Sea Jaguars against Thiaria's Mirage 4000s and Siolpaires. The conflict culminated with the sinking of three Brazilian warships by Thiarian Exocet missiles in October and the paradrop of a Thiarian infantry bataillon on Rinnfiain, a stronghold of the rebels. At this point, the international community intervened, and under US pressure, the Thiarians backed off after evacuating not only their own citizens, but also some 12.000 insurgents and their families. Thiarian losses had been negligible, and they claimed victory, but New Portugal remained in Brazilian hands, and the fall of the so far last Brazilian military junta marked the beginning of a remarkable recovery for Brazil both economically and militarily. Although tensions between both countries remained an issue ever after, Thiaria and Brazil did not grab for each other's throats afterwards (so far). Although they were not involved in any significant military engagements after 1994 (not counting several smaller UN missions in Africa and intense engagement against piracy and drug trafficing), Thiaria continued to keep its armed forces up to date during the 1990s and 2000s, just in case - unlike all of Europe, who cut their strength by up to 90%. Despite this effort (in 2010, Thiaria devoted twice the percentage of its GDP to defence compated with Germany), Brazil has greatly caught up since 2000, and both nations nervously observe each other. By 2010, the Thiarians are still ahead, fielding the second largest Air Power and Navy in the Americas and the strongest military force in the entire southern hemisphere; counting total numbers of ships, planes and helicopters, Thiaria’s armed forces have more naval and air power than any western European nation.

1. Trainers

SCI O4S Dragun (Dragon)
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A requirement for a new basic trainer to replace the Turbo Osalat was formulated in 1990; the new plane was supposed to have low operating costs like a turboprop plane, but also offer jet-like flight performance, so it could replace not only the existing basic trainers, but possibly the Air Corps' ageing Alpha Jet advanced trainers as well in time. Although SCI received no subsidies - as usual when the world market offered sufficient options to buy off the shelf - they designed a private venture trainer with a turboprop pusher engine and twin booms carrying the fins and rudders. The pusher configuration was chosen to provide a jet-like feeling for the pilots, and the whole package was near the upper end of the contemporary basic trainer category in terms of weight and size. It received the designation O4S and had its first flight in 1994. The prototype was tested against the Rhein-Flugzeugbau Fanranger, the SIAI-Marchetti S.211 and the FMA/Dornier Pampa - all of them jets, because of the proposed turboprops, only the EMBRAER Tucano was inside the specified performance envelope, and that plane was not eligible for political reasons. Facing only jets, the O4S featured the lowest operating costs, and despite the rather high acquisition cost (second only to the Pampa), it carried the evaluation and was commissioned as the Dragun (Dragon) in 1996. 112 series aircraft were ordered for Thiaria's armed forces (72 for the Air Corps to equip three squadrons, 24 for the Navy to equip one of them, plus 18 units as materiel reserve) and delivered between 1998 and 2003. During production of this initial batch, SCI developed the basic design into a dedicated light ground support aircraft. They had sold over a hundred ground attack Turbo Fennecs and knew what they were about, and with the growing number of low-intensity conflicts erupting everywhere on the planet, a lot of profit was to be made. Meanwhile, the trainer version had started to attract foreign customers, although the high cost limited the type's competitiveness against the cheaper Pilatus and EMBRAER aircraft. Ireland ordered 18 in 2000 to replace their Magisters, as usual lavishly subsidied by the Thiarian government; New Zealand ordered 28 in 2005 to replace both the PAC CT/4 and the MB.339, and South Africa ordered 24 in 2008 to replace the PC-7. Additional Thiarian purchases were off the agenda as soon as Thiaria had decided to buy into the EADS Mako programme as an Alpha Jet replacement; the air force had also concluded that the Dragun's performance was still insufficient to be employed as a LIFT aircraft. The biggest order for the trainer version came in 2013 when India decided to scrap its domestic HJT-36 Sithara intermediate trainer programme after all four prototypes had crashed and ordered no less than 160 to replace both the HJT-16 intermediate and the HPT-32 basic trainers, with 40 to be built in Thiaria and 120 license-produced in India. Such sales were quite impressive on a market saturated with turboprop trainers, and the combat version was even more successful. It first flew in 2001 and featured a stretched hull with a more powerful engine and more fuel, an extended nose with a laser designator, a FLIR unit in front of the cockpit, two lightweight 20mm cannon in the wings forward of the booms, light armour for the pilots and five external hard points for a payload of 2.000 kilograms. Although the Thiarian Air Corps was not interested, over 380 were sold to Argentina (20), Uruguay (12), Peru (24), Mexico (48), New Zealand (18), Indonesia (32), Thailand (30), the Philippines (24), South Africa (32), Angola (32), Namibia (12), Mocambique (24), Ethiopia (40), Kenya (20), Slovenia (12) and Estonia (12) between 2003 and 2013; 180 are delivered to date. All orders for the trainer and the attack version add up to 724 units so far; production is secured till at least 2019, and the Dragun is constantly being evaluated by additional possible buyers (Germany for instance is considering it as a replacement for the leased Texan II currently used).

6th Basic Trainer Squadron, Thiarian Air Corps, 1998
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23rd Basic Trainer Squadron, Thiarian Air Corps, 2004
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37th Basic Trainer Squadron, Thiarian Air Corps, 2012
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25th Basic Trainer Flotilla, Thiarian Navy, 2007
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SCI O7S Toscaire
After the demise of Fairchild-Dornier in 2003, the company's assets were sold off. Thiarian defense contractor SCI - so far without any experience in building civilian planes - acquired prototypes and plans for ludicrously little money. Their plan was to enter the market segment just about to be conquered by the Embraer E-jet series with a competitive aircraft of their own, without suffering the cost disadvantage that usually played in Embraer's favour. The plane received the Thiarian designation O7S Toscaire (Envoy); for marketing purposes, the old designation Dornier 528/728/928jet also remains in use (the Fairchild part was dropped after that brand was revived in the US). SCI re-opened the old Aerelar plant for large aircraft in order to produce the type; in order to keep the substantial German orders already placed for the 728jet, they also had to keep the one in Germany. Fairchild-Dornier's plans to produce in the US were postponed for the time being. After completing tests, the first civilian series machine could be delivered in 2007 to Lufthansa City Line; Thiaria's flag carrier Aerlinai na h-Atlantach took over her first machine in 2009, followed by another 17 airlines, 11 other civilian operators and 5 military operators till 2014. Six unmodified civilian planes were delivered to the Thiarian Air Corps VIP squadron for missions that do not require an Airbus; all are equipped as ambulance planes and are frequently used for Medevac missions in disaster or war areas. By 2014, some 380 civilian planes have been produced (180 728jet, 120 928jet, 50 528jet and 30 Envoy 5 large bizjets based upon the short 528jet hull). Production currently averages 5 aircraft per month; a total of 420 machines are currently still on order. A military version of the 528jet was launched as soon as the plans had been acquired; the planned MPA was not built, but the Thiarian Armed Forces have taken delivery of two dozen units in the Envoy 5 Bizjet version with additional electronics and avionics gear between 2009 and 2012. Twelve each were delivered to the Air Corps and to the Navy; they are operated by units which perform pilot training for pilots of large multiengine planes, assist with the calibration of sensor systems and are also available for VIP transport if the Airbuses of the nominal VIP squadron are all busy.

40th Navigation Trainer and Systems Calibration Squadron, Thiarian Air Corps, 2015
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24th Navigation Trainer and Systems Calibration Flotilla, Thiarian Navy, 2010
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2. Fighters and Strike Fighters

nothing new during this time period

3. Special Aircraft for maritime patrol and electronic warfare duties

SCI A5S Boghdoir (Archer)
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One of the problems for an island nation which - after some unpleasant experiences with undue interference in her internal affairs by both superpowers in the 1960s and 1970s - has made it a principle to buy neither Russian nor American: Where can one get a carrierborne ASW/AEW platform? When the Thiarians pondered this problem in the early 1980s after the decision to revive their carrier fleet, the solution was obvious: Nowhere. It would have to be designed and built domestically. For a requirement of somewhere between 20 and 30 aircraft. In terms of cost, it would be complete madness; unit cost for the AEW version was calculated to be $ 90 million (almost twice the contemporary price of a E-2 Hawkeye) even before the project was launched. By that time (1982), money was however a rather secondary concern for the Thiarians, who had enjoyed nine consecutive years of economic boom and gotten quite used to it, and SCI received a development contract to deliver a carrierborne multipurpose plane similar to the S-3 Viking to function as ASW platform, tanker and AEW aircraft. When the programme was in full swing, oil prices sharply dropped from 1985, and the Thiarians had to curtail defence spending somewhat, so the programme was delayed after the first prototype's first flight in 1986, with the Siolpaire fighter given priority. The ASW version, whose usefulness was doubtful by that time, became ready for series production only in 1990, and the AEW version - whose right to exist at least was not contested - took till 1992 to mature. By that time, the plane, which looked quite similar to the S-3 Viking, but had a twin tail, had been dubbed A5S (maritime patrol aircraft type B) Boghdoir (Archer), and SCI charged an outrageous $ 75 million per copy for the ASW version and $ 130 million for the AEW version. There was considerable political pressure to dump the project, drop the requirement for carrierborne ASW capability and buy Hawkeyes for AEW, since no export customers were visible anywhere too. But national pride prevailed; as usual in Thiaria when money was scarce, the army budget was cut to bolster the navy, and instead of 600 new 3rd generation tanks the army required to replace their 1970s vintage tank force of Soviet T-62s and a domestically developed improved version of the former, 26 Boghdoirs were ordered in 1994, 16 of the ASW and 10 of the AEW version, with an option for 12 more ASW planes (which has not been called upon till today). Deliveries started in 1996 at a slow rate of 4 machines per year; the first carrier battle group (of the carrier LT Oirion) reported operational in 2000 and achieved FOC in 2003. The machines had a very long radius of action (2.500 kilometers) and were perfectly equipped for their task. The ASW version had two different radar sets, FLIR, MAD, Sonobuoys, a bomb bay for up to four MU-90 ASW torpedoes and four underwing hard points for even more torpedoes, Polyphem ASMs, bombs or big 2.000 liter fuel tanks with aerial refueling hoses. The AEW version carried a domestically developed radar of similar capabilities as the APS-145 and an additional look-down radar forward. Deliveries were complete in 2002. By that time, total cost of the programme had reached $ 3 billion, with each ASW machine averaging a fly-away cost of $ 90 million and each AEW plane $ 160 million. Not surprisingly, the type kept failing to attract export orders, and the programme was officially declared complete in 2008. In 2012, India rather surprisingly showed interest in the AEW platform; like Thiaria, that nation had a long tradition of not buying American, but like almost everyone else, they lack money, so it remains open for speculation of they are willing to pay the $ 225 million per copy SCI wants for every copy in case of a re-start of production (as compared to $ 175 million for the latest E-2D Hawkeye, which arguably has a better radar).

19th shipborne ASW Flotilla, Thiarian Navy, 2000
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22nd shipborne ASW Flotilla, Thiarian Navy, 2014
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12th shipborne AEW Flotilla, Thiarian Navy, 2007
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Airbus A319 MPA
In 2000, Thiaria became the launch customer for the MPA version of the Airbus A319. They urgently needed a replacement for their 30-year old Il-38s, which - however upgraded several times with new weapons and electronics - were structurally deficient by that time. The A319 MPA was very much at the power-point stage of development when the Thiarians announced a requirement for 60 machines; by limiting the structural changes to a minimum, a prototype (rebuilt from an off-the-shelf A319-100) could be presented within three years, with another three years of intense testing to make the plane ready for series production. The plane featured a Thiarian-developed surface search radar, MAD, FLIR, Sonobuoys, an internal weapons bay for 8 MU-90 torpedoes or water bombs or similar ordnance, four underwing hardpoints each capable of accepting one ANL supersonic sea skimming missile or three (for a total of 12 per plane) Polyphem wire-guided light antiship missiles. As usual, final cost exceeded projections, and with the budget restrictions typical for the 2000s, procurement was eventually limited to 36 machines, which were delivered between 2005 and 2011 to equip four maritime patrol squadrons of 8 planes each. This purchase financed the entire development cost of the A319 MPA, turning it into an economically interesting option for many navies wishing to replace their worn Atlantic and P-3 planes. Germany ordered 12 in 2010 to be delivered from 2013; in the same year, the plane was narrowly defeated by the P-8 in a tight competition for 12 planes for the Indian Air Force. Italy ordered 20 in 2012 (to be delivered from 2015) and France placed an order for 24 in 2013 (to be delivered from 2018). Currently, Canada, Spain, South Korea and the UK are evaluating the A320MPA as well; Australia and Turkey have done so too, but chose the P-8 instead.

1st Patrol Flotilla, Thiarian Navy, 2006
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5th Patrol Flotilla, Thiarian Navy, 2010
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15th Patrol Flotilla, Thiarian Navy, 2012
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18th Patrol Flotilla, Thiarian Navy, 2015
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Airbus A319 AEW
Thiaria did not possess any airborne early warning and control capabilities prior to 2000. The Air Force's fleet of Mirage 4000 interceptors were controlled in the 1970s Soviet style by ground radar facilities. The need to acquire AEW&C platforms was identified as early as 1982, but the project was repeatedly delayed, since during the 1980s the purchase of US planes was politically impossible and realistic alternatives did not exist. A project to develop an AEW plane based upon a heavily modified Dassault Mercure lingered between 1985 and 1995 and was finally cancelled because it proved structurally impossible to fit the necessary amount of fuel tanks to this very short ranged airliner. Between 1992 and 1996, the conversion of Airbus A340-200 ultra-long range airliners was studied, but also eventually dropped due to the ruinous cost of such a project. With radar and electronics gear becoming considerably lighter and more compact during the 1990s compared with the 1970s vintage equipment the Boeing E-3 Sentry had been developed around, it became possible to use a much smaller platform in the late 1990s, and by 1998, SCI was able to integrate a domestically developed electronically scanned pulse doppler radar system with similar capabilities as the AN/APY-2 and the appropriate support gear into an A319 hull. The prototype flew in 1999 and performed convincingly, with only few structural modifications to the basic A319 airframe necessary. An order for 15 machines was placed in 2000, and they were delivered from 2002 through 2005. All 15 were off-the-shelf A319-100s assembled in Germany without passenger cabins; 12 of them received their mission equipment in Thiaria, with the balance put on storage. The 12 fully equipped machines were commissioned with the 11th AEW squadron. Total cost per unit was slightly more than $260 million, a very reasonable price for a plane with similar capabilities as the latest E-3C. Further orders were almost inevitable; Italy ordered 4 units in 2008, and in 2010, the Airbus A319AEW&C was finally selected to replace the 25 to 28 year old E-3A with the NATO common AWACS wing in 2010. Although most western European governments will refrain from buying new airplanes when they can spend the same money on refurbishing old ones, this time reason prevailed, mostly because the E-3As no longer conformed to EU noise and environmental regulations.

11th Early Warning Squadron, Thiarian Air Corps, 2009
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Airbus A319 ELINT
The Airbus A319 AEW&C was used by the Thiarians as the basis for an electronic warfare and signals intelligence plane. The aircraft carries an ELINT subsystem for detection, analysis and location of radar sources (both sides of the forward hull), together with a COMINT subsystem for detection, interception, classification, listening-in, analysis and location of radio transmitters (wingtips). The aircraft also have a photographic reconnaissance capability and can carry a variety of cameras in the rear fuselage; under the forward fuselage, there is a retractable ground-surveillance radome, and a pod on top of the tailfin carries jamming gear. Five units were delivered from 2004 through 2006 and commissioned by the 18th Electronic Warfare Squadron, which also operates 16 IAI-EADS Harfang drones. France purchased two very similar Airbus A319 ELINT machines in 2010 to replace her ancient C-160G Transall-Gabriels.

18th Electronic Warfare Squadron, Thiarian Air Corps, 2013
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4. Transports

CASA-EADS C-295
By 2000, Thiaria’s fleet of light and medium transport airplanes showed serious signs of age. The so far utterly reliable Fregate suffered three crashes in as many years, with a total of 47 casualties, and the Transall C-160s had to be subjected to more and more usage restrictions which rendered them pretty much useless. In 2001, the Thiarians decided to replace both types with a single successor model with 8 – 10 tons cargo capacity, at the same time cutting down the number of squadrons from four to three; with the tiny Fregates replaced by much larger planes, the net performance gain would be substantial despite the smaller number of planes (the C-160s were only cleared for eight tons of cargo by that time anyway, so there was no real loss there). Both the Aeritalia C-27 and the CASA C-295 were considered; with two contenders on the market that were neither American nor Russian, the Thiarians would buy off the shelf rather than start an indigenous development, as usual. Due to Thiaria’s previous close contacts with the EADS, it was no surprise the C-295 carried the competition, and in 2002, 48 were ordered to equip the remaining light transport squadrons. Deliveries commenced in 2004 and were complete in 2009, and the planes have been very busy ever since, particularly because the Transall C-250 fleet is used only if absolutely necessary to reduce attrition. Twelve conversion kits to flying hospitals are available to the C-295 fleet, but not normally installed; these are also adaptable to Thiaria’s Toscaires.

9th Transport Squadron, Thiarian Air Corps, 2005
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16th Transport Squadron, Thiarian Air Corps, 2014
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7th Transport Flotilla, Thiarian Navy, 2009
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Airbus A340-500
Two Airbus A340-500 liners were ordered in 2008 as Thiaria's new presidential aircraft. They received additional commo gear, countermeasures equipment and jamming gear, although they lack aerial refuel capabilities and thus are not suitable to function as airborne command posts.

1st VIP Transport Squadron, Thiarian Air Corps
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SCI I7S Toscaire
The first four Toscaires acquired by the Thiarian Air Force were pretty standard Envoy 5 bizjets based upon the short Fairchild Dornier 528jet hull. Apart from liaison and VIP transport duties, all four can be equipped as flying hospitals on short notice, to be used in disaster relief or evacuation missions. A total of twelve medical conversion kits has been acquired, and they are also available to the Toscaires of the Air Force’s and Navy’s Navigation and Electronics Trainer and Calibration squadrons in cases of need; with a few modifications, they can also be fitted to the C-295 transports.

1st VIP Transport Squadron, Thiarian Air Corps 2012
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5. Helicopters

Znamenany H1Z Muiscit
In 1980, Istvan Znamenany - a talented aviation engineer with a big mouth and poor manners - had to leave his native country Hungary rather abruptly after one run-in too many with high ranking Communist officials. After a rather spectacular escape using an ultralight helicopter of his own design and construction, he finally left Europe entirely and settled in Thiaria in 1983, where he set up a small company manufacturing ultralight helicopters. As soon as 1985, he was asked to manufacture parts for a major upgrade project of Thiaria’s fleet of Super Frelon helicopters, and in 1987, he started to license-build AS.350 Ecureuil helicopters for the civilian market. By 1988 he had acquired enough experience to launch a design of his own. At that time the Thiarian Navy was looking for a Lynx-sized shipborne ASW helicopter to replace the Mioltog, and Znamenany surprised everyone with presenting a flyable prototype within six months after the specification went out. The machine was called Muiscit (Mosquito) and was a relatively unspectacular looking machine with two externally mounted turboshafts, a rather large 4-bladed rotor and a well thought-out modular construction which was equally tough and simple to maintain. Although the Thiarian Military preferred the Aerospatiale Panther (that being the only other serious contender), Znamenany received the contract in 1989 by undercutting Aerospatiale's price by 20% and delivered the first of 40 series helicopters in 1990, completing deliveries in 1993. They were well received by the Thiarian Navy, who claims their performance to be superior to contemporary versions of the Sea Lynx in ervery respect. After receiving a few requests for a civilian version, Znamenany launched a simplified variant with skids rather than wheels, and with customer interest gradually increasing, he developed a shrunk and a stretched version during the 1990s. The Thiarian Air Corps took interest from 1993, looking for a replacement for the Mioltog. Although the Muiscit was considerably larger than required for a training helicopter, it was chosen mostly because it was domestic. The Army opted for the cheapest variant with skids, buying thirty without special equipment to be used as trainers and sixty with optical surveillance and targeting gear, ECM, Chaff/Flare launchers and enhanced communications equipment as observer and liaison helicopters. Twelve of the stretched version were added in 2002 to replace the Pumas of the VIP transport squadron. Deliveries to the Thiarian armed forces were complete in 2004 with 142 units delivered. By that time, the short version had become the helicopter of choice for all three Thiarian private Medicopter services, and also for several such organizations abroad (80 delivered or on order in 2014, 30 of them inside Thiaria); another 140 were ordered by various military and law enforcement agencies all across Africa, the Americas and Europe. The medium version was bought in 40 specimens by the Thiarian Departmental (State) police forces and in no less than 60 copies by the Thiarian Coast Guard, and by 2014, 100 of that version have been ordered by military and law enforcement agencies worldwide; 40 of them were license-produced by Denel in South Africa. 24 additional units of the naval ASW version have been ordered by Sweden in 2013 after that country opted out of the NH90 programme due to delays and cost overruns, Portugal received ten similar machines in 2010. The stretch version has so far attracted 20 orders from foreign police or military organizations, most as VIP transports. Some 290 of all versions were ordered by sundry private users, about half of them inside Thiaria. Today, the Muiscit is the most prolific civilian helicopter in Thiaria with 766 units produced or on order so far, over 600 of which are already delivered. It is a common sight all across the southern hemisphere and in widespread use in Europe as well, particularly in Ireland, Spain and Sweden.

1st VIP Transport Squadron, Thiarian Air Corps 2008
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2nd Helicopter Trainer Squadron, Thiarian Air Corps 1997
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30th Helicopter Squadron, Thiarian Air Corps, 2011
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35th Helicopter Squadron, Thiarian Air Corps, 2001
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3rd Helicopter Trainer Flotilla, Thiarian Navy, 2005
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8th ASW Flotilla, Thiarian Navy, 1995
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13th ASW Flotilla, Thiarian Navy, 2013
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Znamenany H2Z Foiche
Thiaria adopted the Aerospariale SA.321 Super Frelon as standard heavy-lift helicopter in the late 1970s. The machines gave stalwart service for a quarter century, but needed replacement around the turn of the millennium. The Thiarian Army wanted a helicopter with at least the Chinook's performance to replace the Super Frelon, and specified a payload of ten tons, a radius of action of 500 kilometers with maximum payload and the ability to operate at any time and weather. At that time, the only off-the-shelf option meeting the specifications was the Chinook itself; as usual when the choice became too narrow, the Thiarians decided to go for a domestic development. The relatively young manufacturer Znamenany Eitiliocht, founded by a Hungarian immigrant in 1983, who had begun to supply large numbers of his maiden design H1ZMuiscit to the Thiarian Navy, Coast Guard and Police in the early 1990s, presented a design in 1994 which outwardly looked quite similar to the Super Frelon it was supposed to replace, but in fact was all new in every respect. The machine exceeded specifications in every respect as well; with two SCI RP9S 6.000 hp turboshafts (the strongest yet mounted on any helicopter except the Mil Mi-6/26) and a huge fuel supply, the new helicopter could lift 10.500 kilograms over a distance of 600 km; during tests, a speed of 335 kph and a ceiling of 6.000 meters were attained. The cargo bay was shorter than that of the CH-47, but higher and wider and able to accept vehicles of up to seven tons weight (the maximum payload had to be carried outboard, as usual for helicopters). Since no other design was available and Znamenany offered the machine for $ 25 million per copy - not significantly more expensive than a contemporary CH-47 - two orders for a total of 80 machines, dubbed the H2Z Foiche (Hornet), were placed in 1996 and 1998. Half were for the Air Corps, the other half for the Marines, traditionally wearing Navy liveries. Deliveries commenced in 1998 and were complete in 2003. By that time, other nations had taken interest in the Foiche; especially Germany was looking for a replacement for its decrepit fleet of CH-53s. The fact that the Foiche was considerably smaller and had less payload than the CH-53 actually helped its cause with the German parliament; the procurement of 60 machines for 1,5 billion dollars was sold to the Bundestag as a cost-saving measure in 2003. An intial batch of 20 was to be delivered from Thiaria in 2004/5, the others were license-produced by Eurocopter between 2005 and 2008. France, which did not possess any heavy-lift helicopters at all, jumped on the train in 2005 and orderd 40 machines for her own army, all of them Eurocopter-produced; deliveries took place between 2007 and 2010. In 2006, the type received its own Eurocopter product designation, becoming the EC.590. By that time, a total of 34 civilian orders for the Foiche had been placed as well, most for offshore supply missions. The armies of South Africa, Sweden and Thailand ordered 10 units each in 2007, 2008 and 2012, all to be assembled in Thiaria; South Africa added another ten in 2015. More importantly, Vietnam ordered 28 units in 2013, that being the first major order from a non-Russian contractor to be placed by that country. The - so far - last foreign orders were placed by Peru (12 units in 2013) and Mexico (10 in 2014). 18 more civilian orders are currently being processed as well. Although unit cost has increased to $35 million by early 2014, ongoing production is secured till 2020 so far, with orders totaling 312 units, 210 of which have been or are to be produced in Thiaria. The break-even point of 200 has thus been secured and the type will likely remain profitable for some time. The Foiche is currently evaluated by Japan, Morocco, Venezuela, Indonesia, Poland and Spain, with another 150 orders possible, of which the Indonesian, Venezuelan and Moroccan machines will be produced by Znamenany in Thiaria and the Polish and Spanish by Eurocopter; if the Japanese chose the Foiche, they will be built by Kawasaki.

14th Helicopter Transport Squadron, Thiarian Air Corps, 2000
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21st Helicopter Transport Squadron, Thiarian Air Corps, 2010
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17th Helicopter Transport Flotilla, Thiarian Navy, 2005
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23rd Helicopter Transport Flotilla, Thiarian Navy, 2015
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Denel/Znamenany H3Z Seabhac
Thiaria did not possess a dedicated combat helicopter till 2002; Mi-24s were ordered from the Soviets in 1973, but never supplied. Unwilling to buy American instead, the Thiarians deferred the decision from year to year for almost two decades; the puny army budget (compared with the amounts of money lavished upon the navy) did not help either. In the early 1990s, the Thiarians took notice of South Africa's troublesome Rooivalk programme, a potentially very powerful helicopter with the added benefit of considerable commonality with the already well established Puma/Cougar series. The trouble was that South Africa’s apartheid regime was considered an enemy of Thiaria, with Thiarian military advisors having aided the Angolans in the border wars until well into the 1980s. With the fall of Apartheid and Nelson Mandela’s rise to presidency, this obstacle however vanished, and the Thiarians immediately expressed interest in buying 16 Rooivalks and acquire a license to build 48 more. The deal was made, and the South Africans finally were able to get their project running after it had been starved for funding over many years. Deliveries took place between 1999 and 2001, and the first Thiarian license-produced machines, built to very high standards by Znamenany, followed in 2003; they featured a new five-bladed rotor similar to the Caracal's, a mast-mounted radar and the ability to fire TRIGAT (identical to the German PARS-3LR) ATGMs. As usual with Thiarian army projects, the originally planned numbers could not be funded, and procurement was terminated after 24 machines in 2005. Znamenany built the other 24 nevertheless and managed to sell them to Venezuela in 2007. The 40 delivered units equipped two former light ground attack squadrons that were disbanded in 1990-1992 and re-established in 2001 as attack helicopter units. Although both the South Africans and the Thiarians marketed the Rooivalk - called Seabhac (Hawk) by the Thiarians - rather aggressively, no further export orders have materialised so far. The sixteen South-African built Rooivalks are currently under refit to the improved standard of the Thiarian-built ones.

24th Attack Helicopter Squadron, Thiarian Air Corps, 2002
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28th Attack Helicopter Squadron, Thiarian Air Corps, 2010
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6. UAVs

EADS/SCI L6S Ulchabhan
16 Harfang drones were license-produced between 1999 and 2002; they were Thiaria’s first UAVs. They are used for observation and targeting missions as well as for intelligence gathering.

18th Electronic warfare Squadron, Thiarian Air Corps, 2011
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Next: Thiarian Wings 2010 and beyond

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Thiarian Wings - modern age

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