Sud-Aviation Nuage
In the post Pan-Septentrion War environment, Sieuxerr had a myriad of propeller-driven four-engined heavy bombers, most of which were of Tyrannian production such as the Avro Lancaster, Short Stirling, and the Handley Page Halifax. These bombers had been the workhorses of the Sieuxerrian Air Forces' strategic bomber campaign inside Ostland, Saintonge, and Kerenevoi during the war, targeting heavy industry, civilian centers, and important infrastructure. However the rapid onset of the jet era in the late 1940s and early 1950s quickly brought to attention the age of these bombers and their inability to survive in a modern war against a peer opponent.
These problems further increased with the need for a nuclear delivery asset as the first Sieuxerrian nuclear device would be detonated in 1952, making Sieuxerr the 3rd nation to become a nuclear power in the world. The bombers in its inventory would have problems attempting to deliver the large conventional nuclear bombs and significant modifications would be needed, further slowing and degrading overall performance of the aircraft.
This program would come to develop two aircraft, the Dassault Mirage IV and the Sud Aviation Nuage. The Mirage IV was greatly favored by the young and starry-eyed new officers of the post-PSW world. Watching the development of the nuclear program and the new jet aircraft had a profound effect on the mentality of the officers. The Nuage however was favored by the old brass who still considered large scale strategic bombing options to be a more effective way to the style of combat the Mirage IV would offer, which was low and fast attack runs with a limited payload. However problems with development had seriously held back the Nuage, which was supposed to have been brought into service by the late 1950s, was now only flying its first test flights by 1960. This would be a problem for Sud Aviation, which was sinking lots of time and effort into designing a bomber which had already been possibly made obsolete by the Mirage IV.
However, the Nuage had a number of advantages which helped push its acceptance alongside the Mirage IV. These included a much longer range which held thousands of kilometers more than the Mirage IV, thousands more kilograms of ordinance that could be carried, and also lower operating and procurement costs due to its much more conventional nature over the supersonic low-level penetration bomber like the Mirage IV. These would all push the Nuage into being accepted in 1963, the Mirage IV would follow in 1964. Production of the Nuage would start first in 1964 and would end in 1970 with some 140 airframes produced, it'd outnumber the 110 Mirage IVs that would be produced from 1965 to 1972.
The Nuage was outpaced by the Mirage IV, but it completely out matched it in distance it could travel. The two would make up the two-strike knock-out of the Sieuxerrian Air Forces' strategic options. By the mid-1970s some 50 Nuages would receive modifications to take the Blue Steel stand-off nuclear missile and would complement the Mirage IV better, which the Blue Steel missile armed aircraft could launch outside the range of enemy air defense radars, then after the initial nuclear strike, Mirage IVs could come in and strike unhit targets.
While the Mirage IV would not survive to see the 21st century, the Nuage has as a carrier for cruise missiles.
Crew: 5 (Pilot, Co-Pilot, Electronic Warfare Officer, Navigator, Tail Gunner
Length: 45.2 m
Wingspan: 50.1 m
Height: 8 m
Empty weight: 72,500 kg (159,835 lbs)
Loaded weight: 105,000 kg (231,485 lbs)
Max takeoff weight: 185,000 kg (407,855 lbs)
Powerplant: 4× SNECMA JM500-23 nonafterburning turbofans
Dry thrust: 85 kN (19,100 lbf) each
Performance:
Maximum speed: 1,050 km/h (650 mph)
Combat radius: 6,500 km (4,000 mi)
Ferry range: 14,000 km (8,700 mi)
Service ceiling: 15,000 m (50,000 ft)
Rate of climb: 30+ m/s (6,000+ ft/min)
Thrust/weight: 0.32
Armament:
Guns: 2× DEFA 554-T 30mm revolver cannon, 300 rpg in tailgun mount
Hardpoints: Total 2 under wings closest to aircraft
Bombs:
Various guided and unguided munitions in service