Thiarian Wings - modern age - Page 5

Thiarian Wings – 2010 and beyond
The worldwide financial crisis in the years after 2007 left as much impact on Thiaria as anywhere else; the Thiarians also faced the same problem as the US and Europe in having real and potential enemies which were not as affected as themselves and which used the opportunity to further catch up. Brazil struck some impressive arms deals in the 2010s, particularly concerning its Air Force and Navy. According to current plans, they aim to operate 400 combat aircraft in 2020 and are in serious negotiations with Russia concerning the Sukhoi T-50. If they do not want to be eclipsed by Brazil's armed forces, paid for by their currently soaring economy, Thiaria will have to continue investing in their military without any significant cuts. The current government - a strange coalition between conservatives, which dislike the Brazilians for historic reasons, and greens, which dislike the Brazilians because of the way they treat the tropical rain forest - takes the Brazilian threat seriously, and the Brazilians, who were quite effortlessly beaten in the last conflict between both countries in 1994, are afraid of a Thiarian pre-emptive strike and continue to increase their defense budget as well. During the not exactly pro-American Lula presidency in Brazil, the Thiarians for the first time conducted joint naval exercises with the USA in 2011, which has become a regular occurrence since and did little to alleviate Brazil's sorrows. Thiaria still eschews the military use of nuclear power, but has repeatedly announced they would match any Brazilian moves in this direction, up to and including the development of nuclear weapons. Despite their detente towards the US, which only really started with the Obama administration despite Thiaria's foray into the Persian Gulf in 1991, Thiaria's prime partners in defensive policy are the continental Europeans, particularly Germany and Spain, which have replaced France as Thiaria's number one partners in defense development during the 2000s. Thiaria's attempt to befriend Venezuela however has backfired despite several arms sales to that country, because the left-populist government there has chosen to tie itself closer to Brazil. Of the other South American countries, Argentina is again an ally, although more from a lack of alternatives than because of any true friendly feelings; Thiaria's inactivity during the Falklands war is still considered treason by many right-wing Argentines. Chile currently also is on friendly terms with Thiaria, after centuries of covert hostility due to that country's traditionally pro-British stance, which is no longer relevant in the 21st century. In worldwide politics, Thiaria has made some choices which are widely considered as eccentric, particularly their investments in Taiwan and Vietnam, complete with arms deals with both countries, which greatly irritated the Chinese, who have effectively sealed off their domestic market for Thiarian products. The Thiarians also made a point of not supporting the Arab spring in any way, still recognize the Assad regime in Syria and are on friendlier terms with Iran than most other Muslim nations would like. After long being out of their sights because of its troubled past with the USA, Thiaria has become a prime target for Salafist and Wahabite terrorists in the 2010s, and has suffered 38 civilian casualties in 2013 when Thiaria's consulate in Karachi was blown up with a truck bomb. Three attempted aircraft hijackings were thwarted since 2010. Welcome to Thiaria in 2015 - just another western country.

1. Trainers

SCI/EADS O9S Mako
When Germany and Spain entered the SCI Asarlai 5th generation fighter programme in 2007, one part of the deal was that the Thiarians would buy into two threatened European arms projects as compensation: one was the Barracuda UAV, the other was the Mako. The decision was not too hard, as the Thiarian air force had a requirement for both aircraft, and Thiaria joined both projects in 2008. Mako eventually made its first flight late in 2010 in the trainer configuration (Mako B); two prototypes are already assigned to Thiaria’s 12th Advanced Trainer squadron and have completed all necessary tests. Mako entered series production in 2014 both in Germany and in Thiaria; this tight timeframe could not have been met without Thiaria's massive engagement. Under Thiarian influence, the Mako was made carrier-capable; this feature however is unique to the Thiarian machines. Given the current financial crisis, a single-seat lightweight strike fighter version (F9S Mako A) was developed as well, which was considered a cheap alternative to a full-fledged fighter aircraft for countries not able to afford the latter. With a SCI RT8S engine capable of 80 kN thrust on reheat, the Mako is capable of Mach 1,5 on optimal altitude and can carry 3.000 kg of weapons; the cheaper P&W F404 engine can also be mounted, but delivers slightly less performance. If desired, Mako can be fitted with a Thiarian-developed AESA equivalent radar capable of directing AMRAAM or Meteor BVRAAMs (this version is dubbed T9S Mako C). Even this most advanced version costs only $ 38.000.000, less than half the cost of the cheapest F35; cost for the A version is $ 30.000.000 and for the B version $ 24.000.000. The plane was successfully marketed against the very similar South Korean T/A-50; although Mako is a good deal more expensive, it currently leads at total orders, mostly due to Mako’s widespread introduction in Europe. As of June 2015, there are 744 orders for Mako (Belgium 20 Mako B and 48 Mako C, Bulgaria 12 Mako B and 20 Mako A, Croatia 6 Mako B and 16 Mako A, Finland 36 Mako B, France 80 Mako B, Germany 80 Mako B, Ireland 4 Mako B and 12 Mako C; Morocco 12 Mako B and 30 Mako A, Peru 12 Mako B and 24 Mako A, Portugal 16 Mako B and 32 Mako C, Romania 12 Mako B and 24 Mako A, Spain 64 Mako B, Sweden 48 Mako B, Switzerland 28 Mako B and Thiaria 108 Mako B). If the type will be chosen by the USAF under the T-X programme, at least 400 further machines will be built; this however seems increasingly unlikely, because cost considerations nearly dictate choosing the Hawk. Air Forces like Belgium, Portugal and Ireland will standardize the Mako C as their sole operational jet fighter type. Early in 2015, the acquisition of up to 100 Mako B or C by Germany to re-establish four light strike fighter squadrons disbanded in 1992 is being discussed as a short-notice reaction to the rapidly deteriorating situation in Eastern Europe; there are also talks about some 40 T9S Mako Cs to be purchased with NATO funds for two joint squadrons operated by all three Baltic states.

12th Advanced Trainer Squadron, Thiarian Air Corps, 2014
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29th Advanced Trainer Squadron, Thiarian Air Corps (projected)
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31st Advanced Trainer Squadron, Thiarian Air Corps (projected)
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10th Advanced Trainer Flotilla, Thiarian Navy (projected)
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2. Fighters and Strike Fighters

SCI T8S Asarlai (Warlock)
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In 2000, the Thiarian Air Force's Mirage 4000s were in service since 15 years. Their designed service life was 30 years, and when one considered the time necessary to nurture a modern fighter design (the F-22 had its first flight in 1990 and was still way shy of production readiness), it was about time to launch a successor project. The Thiarian Navy also was seeking a replacement for their T3S Siolpaire, whose service life was calculated at only 25 years due to the strain of carrier operations they performed. Both services wanted a full-fledged 5th generation fighter with complete stealth capability, super-maneuverability and supercruise, arguing that any compromise in terms of performance to save cost would render the entire project a complete waste of money. The navy also stated tight maximum size and weight figures to enable the new plane to operate from the existing carriers LT Treighdin and LT Oirion, which were designed for a service life of 50 years; the new fighter thus would have to mirror the F-22s performance at considerably less weight and size. This was of course grossly unrealistic, and the SCI decided to cut corners and accept shortcomings from the beginning to keep cost somewhat manageable and speed up development. The initial version, upon which all further developments were to be based, was an austere land-based interceptor with only the most basic air-to-ground abilities and no and carrier operation capability. Even for this basic variant, SCI estimated the development cost at $ 20 billion plus production expenses. The company warned the government early on that the envisaged fly-away cost of no more than $ 100 million per unit could only be achieved if at least 600 planes were produced. This considerably exceeded Thiaria's needs; in 2000, the Air Force operated some 300 combat aircraft and the Navy 120, and the Air Force's Siolpaires were still fairly new and would not need replacement anytime soon. Despite these warnings, development was launched in 2001. When a first prototype was rolled out in 2008 - at that time the project had already eaten up $ 5 billion - it roused great international interest. The T8S Asarlai, as it was dubbed, fell short of F-22 in most respects, but had been developed at a fraction of the former’s time and project cost and promised much lower acquisition and operating cost as well. The Thiarian plane featured a delta-winged shape with canards, providing supreme maneuverability without having to employ complex and expensive thrust-vector control. During a presentation in Vietnam in 2014, a pre-series unit out-turned a Su-35, despite the latter had thrust-vector control. Asarlai employs a stealthy coating applied to the hull, unlike F-35, where the hull itself is made from stealthy material. As Asarlai has a slightly better radar-reflecting shape, they are about equally stealthy. Neither have the same low level of detectability as the F-22, but SCI confidently promises that Asarlai will best the Su-50 in that regard. Range of the Asarlai was less than the F-22's (radius of action 900 km) and speed about the same (Mach 1,8 top and Mach 1,5 supercruise). Air-to-Air capability (AESA radar and internal space for up to six Super Mica BVRAAMs) was state of the art, but there was no significant air-to-ground capability. Three stealthy multipurpose pods can be carried; each can hold up to two Mica or Meteor BVRAAMs or photo and radar recce gear, or 3.000 kilograms worth of dumb bombs. Just at the time the Asarlai was unveiled, the Eurofighter Typhoon programme had run into trouble due to delays, cost overruns and reliability issues (all of them direct results of attempts to cut cost which had resulted in the exact opposite). Especially Germany wanted to terminate further procurement sooner rather than later. With their Tornadoes nearing the end of their service life, Germany's decision to cut Typhoon procurement to 140 would have reduced their air force to fourth-rate status by 2020. Joining the SCI T8S programme offered a plausible replacement option for the Tornado and a good excuse to push expenses for new airplanes ten years forward on the time-scale. With the Spaniards facing a similar problem with their F/A-18As, both countries announced they would join the T8S project in 2008, providing vital funding without which the project might well have died. They based their specification upon the land-based version, however required modifications for their primarily air-to ground and recce mission requirements; full BVR air-to-air capability was dropped, and stealthier exhausts were added. With EADS on the boat, the project gained credibility, and other potential customers emerged. Finland showed interest in the dedicated interceptor version, Poland in a specialized strike airplane (like the Germans and Spaniards). Both countries had already purchased the T3S Siolpaire and trusted SCI to provide a worthy successor (the Finns for the Siolpaire itself, Poland for both the MiG-29 and the Su-22). When the Thiarian Air Force finally decided to replace their Siolpaire strike-fighters as well from 2022 with at least 120 additional planes, series production of 600 planes (300 for Thiaria (Air Corps 204, Navy 96), 120 for Germany, 80 for Spain, 50 for Finland and 50 for Poland) in a 15-year period between 2015 and 2030 was finally secured. Although the Spaniards are hard pressed by the Euro-crisis and fly-away cost of the interceptor version per unit has risen to $ 135 million (remarkably, still less than the badly mismanaged Typhoon), they have not yet opted out of the project. Neither have the Poles, who really can't afford such an expensive plane, but are thoroughly frightened by Russia's increasingly expansive policy under Putin. On the other hand, Australia and Canada are reconsidering the F-35 since 2012 due to delays and cost overruns and are seriously considering the T8S as an alternative. Canada finally backed away from the F-35 for good in 2014; despite Asarlai's higher acquisition cost, they cited it's twin-engine configuration as essential for arctic operations. Furthermore, the Oil Price collapse of 2014 has hurt both the Canadian Dollar and the Thiarian Chros, but not the US Dollar, in effect making the Asarlai almost competitive to the F-35. Australia on the other hand is still undecided; as that country operates two big LHDs which could deploy F-35Bs, they are more likely to stick with the F-35A to ensure commonality with a future naval purchase. Taiwan also showed interest, but due to EADS’s involvement, that deal is likely to be vetoed by the German government which will not risk its economic ties with the Chinese. In 2014, South Korea rather abruptly announced that the T8S is best suited to their needs under the KF-X programme and entered negotiations to gain a production license; the reason for their backing away from the previously favoured F-35 is a counter trade agreement with Thiaria that covers delivery and/or license-production of 520 K2 tanks (400 MBTs, 80 AVRs, 40 AEVs) for the Thiarian Army. Vietnam is evaluating the Asarlai since 2014 as a counter to China’s upcoming fifth-generation fighters and currently considers it a better option than the Su-50, but negotiations with the Russians are still under way as well. Meanwhile, flight testing of the Thiarian Air Corps version took place between the first flight early in 2010 and 2013 without significant incidents and delays. In 2012, a pre-series of four single-seaters and eight twin-seaters was ordered, which were delivered from 2014 through 2015 and assigned to an active Interceptor squadron for further evaluation. Two of each version were given to the Navy for carrier trials early in 2015. Compared with the prototype, the pre-series machines have reworked tail fins and outer wings of simplified, yet stealthier shape, a new radar in a slightly longer cone and an improved cockpit. Full series production for the Air force will commence late in 2015, with the first series machines to be delivered early in 2017. The first refitted squadron will achieve IOC somewhere during 2018. Canada will probably sign a contract for 64 units late in 2015, pushing the timetable somewhat forward, because the canadian planes will partly be diverted from production for Thiaria in order to ensure quick delivery (before the Canadians think twice about the deal). The Thiarian Navy will commence carrier trials with their prototypes late in 2015; as soon as they are complete in 2018, series production will commence, with the first squadron to become operational in 2021. The carrier version features strengthened structure, modified stealthy weapons pods (these can hold not only AAMs, but alternatively two 250kg or one 1.000kg guided bomb each) and the possibility to carry two ANL supersonic sea-skimming ASMs externally. The EADS version for Germany and Spain - it will be assembled in Germany, marketed under the name Spectre and provide the basis for the Polish order, with the Finnish machines to be built in Thiaria - had its roll-out in June 2015, with the first flight planned for early 2016. The test programme is scheduled to start in 2017 and series production in 2022. That machine features new exhausts (reducing noise and IR-signature to the lowest level of any military airplane in existence, but also reducing maneuverability and cutting supercruise speed from Mach 1,4 to Mach 1,2) and a fully capable air-to-ground weapon system including four instead of two underwing weapons stations for one KEPD-350 Taurus ASM each (the stealthy weapons pods of the Thiarian naval version can also be used). With the Ukrainian crisis having opened the German purse a little wider for military acquisition projects, the timetable currently seems realistic; the project is proceeding without significant problems. Total cost of the programme has reached $ 20 billion early in 2015; the fly away cost of the Thiarian air force interceptors currently stands at $ 118 Million (considerably less than two years ago due to the Devaluation of the Thiarian Chros), the naval multirole fighters will cost $ 150 million apiece and the bomber version (to be paid in Euros) probably $ 160 Million - if numbers are not cut.

3rd Prototype 2010
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4th Fighter Squadron (Intercept), Thiarian Air Corps 2013
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4th Fighter Squadron (Intercept), Thiarian Air Corps 2014
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Strike version prototype, German Air Force, 2015
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2nd Strike Fighter Flotilla, Thiarian Navy, 2015
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2nd Strike Fighter Flotilla, Thiarian Navy, 2015
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3. Special Aircraft for maritime patrol and electronic warfare duties

nothing new here in this time period

4. Transports

Airbus A330 MRTT
Thiaria’s I7L tankers reached the end of their service life in the late 2000s. Due to Thiaria's involvement with Airbus - by 2005, SCI and two Thiarian holdings were in possession of 15% of the company's shares - the selection of the A330MRTT as a successor was a foregone conclusion, and twelve were ordered in 2007. Deliveries commenced in 2010 and were complete in 2013. The machines are generally similar to the RAF Voyagers (same engines, no telescopic boom) but have a third standard refueling station under the rear hull.

33rd Tanker Squadron, Thiarian Air Corps, 2012
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Airbus A400M
The A400M was chosen as a Transall C-250 replacement without much argument in 2009, and the SCI has significantly contributed to design and construction of that airplane. As Thiaria’s Transalls are old, but not quite as old as Germany’s and France’s, and more powerful as well, the need to replace them is not quite as pressing, and Thiaria was scheduled to receive the first A400M in 2018. Due to ongoing delays and teething troubles of the A400M, current plans envisage deliveries not before 2020. The total order volume of 32 remains unchanged so far, although the Thiarians have very recently expressed interest in the Japanese Kawasaki C-2 as a possible alternative should the A400M project founder in its entirety; if Japan can be interested in buying T8S Siolpaire fighters rather than F-35s (unlikely, since they need F-35’s VTOL capacity for their carriers), a counter-trade deal involving the C-2 is very likely.

15th Transport Squadron, Thiarian Air Corps (projected)
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5. Helicopters

Eurocopter EC.725 Caracal
The Thiarian Air Corps employed the earliest Puma variant as standard SAR and special mission support aircraft since the late 1970s; the Navy’s Super Frelon long-range ASW and CSAR helicopters were about the same age. Their replacement with NH-90s had already been decided upon in 1995, but cost and reliability issues frustrated the Thiarians, and they decided to quit the programme and look for an alternative in 2004. The Eurocopter EC.725 Caracal - a brand new offer with virtually no development risk, as it was based upon a 40 year old design - fit their requirements best, and between 2006 and 2009, a total of 120 units were ordered. Deliveries commenced 2009, and they were commissioned from 2010. They were assigned to the air corps to serve as CSAR and special operations support helicopters (two squadrons) and to the navy for the same purpose (one Flotilla) and as shipborne ASW helicopters for use on aircraft carriers and large support vessels (two flotillas). The CSAR/Special Mission Support version was virtually identical with the French original, while the ASW version featured many indigenous improvements, like two fuselage-mounted weapons stations for torpedoes or Polyphem missiles, a Thiarian-built surface search radar, MAD gear, a sonobuoy launcher array and sonobuoy surveillance gear.

13th CSAR Squadron, Thiarian Air Force, 2010
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38th Special Mission Support Squadron, Thiarian Air Force, 2012
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6th CSAR Flotilla, Thiarian Navy, 2011
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16th ASW Flotilla, Thiarian Navy, 2014
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21st ASW Flotilla, Thiarian Navy, 2006
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6. UAVs

SCI/EADS L10S Barracuda
When Germany and Spain agreed to select the SCI Asarlai as their main strike fighter for most of the 21st century, replacing Tornado and F/A-18A, respectively, they also made a counter-trade agreement that required SCI to finance several European defense projects which were starved for funds. One of these was the EADS Barracuda UAV, which was close to being cancelled after the 1st prototype's crash in 2006. Since they had a requirement for such an aircraft themselves, the Thiarians bought into it (unlike the EADS Mako, project lead remained with Germany), and by 2015, the project is alive and kicking with six prototypes airborne and the testing programme nearly complete. The Thiarian armed forces have formulated a preliminarly requirement for 72 machines (48 to equip two recon squadrons of the Air Corps, 24 with carrier equipment to equip two recon half-flotillas for the navy). 24 of the land-based version are already firmly ordered, and deliveries are due to commence in 2016. Spain has placed orders for 12 units so far and Germany for 16, with more on option. Although mainly designed as a recon and intel-collector platform, the series machines will be fitted with four external hardpoints and can carry missiles such as the Brimstone (Spain), TRIGAT-ER (Germany - called MRS-LR - and Thiarian Air Corps) or Polyphem (Thiarian Navy), but also Hellfire if any additional customer should require this. A stretched version with more payload (1.800 kilograms, currently limited to 600 kilograms) is under development, but unlikely to appear before 2020.

Thiarian Prototype
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Thiarian Wings - modern age

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