Aeroco Kestrel

Kestrel
An Aeroco Kestrel of the Arcer Air Force taxing to a maintenance bay in Kinnaird, Arcerion.
Role	Multirole combat aircraft
Manufacturer	Aeroco
First flight	1992
Introduction	1998
Status	In service
Primary users	Arcer Air Force Royal Arcerion Naval Service Royal Air Service of Burgundie Navy of Burgundie
Number built	300+

The Aeroco Kestrel is an Arcer twin-engine, canard delta wing, multirole fighter. The Kestrel was designed to replace the aging Goshawk-series of aircraft in Arcerion's inventory, and was designed to be a multirole fighter that could accommodate all of the legacy roles (air superiority, interceptor, fight bomber) of its predecessor into a singular air frame. The project was initiated by the Arcer General Staff and Ministry of Defense in the late 1980s, with development beginning in the early 1990s, the first flight occurring on April 9th, 1992. The name was adopted along with standard Arcer practice of using birds of prey as classification for military aircraft procurement programs, and the name was retained once the development models were ready for serial production. The Arcer government signed contracts for the procurement of several hundred fighters, as well as the required maintenance contracts and facilities construction and conversion for both the Arcer Air Force and the Royal Arcerion Naval Service.

The aircraft entered service with the Arcer Air Force's No. 45 Squadron (Test and Evaluation) in 1998, with serial production equipping most squadrons in both the Air Force and Naval Air Arm by 2004. It continues to be manufactured with Block III-series aircraft bridging the gap between fourth and fifth-generation jet fighters, and the Kestrel Block III is considered to be a "fourth-and-a-half" generation fighter aircraft due to service and lifespan upgrades to avionics and communications modules, as well as computer upgrades to allow for the usage of a more wide array of weapons.

The Aeroco Kestrel is one of the most agile aicraft of its generation, and proved to be an effective combat aircraft during the 2007 Telekonese Conflict, as well as the Final War of the Deluge. Block II and Block III-series fighters were commonly used in the fighter-bomber configuration against Varshani targets, including one of the first uses of air-launched cruise missiles by a non-Levantine air force in Ixnay. Upgrades to sensor pods and other systems have also allowed it to assist with aerial reconnaissance missions to augment Arcerion's Maritime Patrol capability.

Design and Development

Arcerion as early as 1980 had identified that the aging fleet of Goshawk aircraft were having an increase in maintenance hours and service issues associated with mid-life aircraft. There was an effort to look to replace the Goshawk series by 1990, however procurement delays and the 1986 Telekonese Conflict caused significant delays as the government was focused on defending Arcerion’s sovereign territory. However with the end of the 1986 clash between Arcerion and Kelekona had identified that the Air Force required new jet aircraft to maintain a technological overmatch against its opponents.

An early FAMCA prototype taxiing to takeoff as part of engine testing in late 1991.

The Arcer General Staff in 1988 tendered a request for designs on a multirole fighter aircraft that could serve in a variety of roles, including interceptor, air superiority, and fighter bomber mission sets. Proposals by a variety of Occidental corporations were considered, however in an effort to help the fledgling Aeroco, which was the last to submit a proposal, the contract was awarded to Arcerion’s newest aerospace company. Aeroco had only been established in 1989, and quickly worked on designing a prototype aircraft, under the name “Future Arcerion Multirole Combat Aircraft”, or more commonly referred to as FAMCA. A prototype was available three years later and took its maiden flight in 1992. It was the first modern combat jet aircraft produced in Crona, and the initial requirement of several hundred aircraft led to the creation of large aircraft manufacturing centres in Arcerion, notably in Easthampton and Craigfearn. Arcerion’s electronics industry had long been a leader in Crona and contributed heavily to the project, using modern avionics, as well as input from combat experienced pilots that flew missions in the 1986 and 1991 Telekonese Conflicts to assist with flight handling, munitions and weapons delivery, aerial systems integration, and sensor management.

Upgrades

The system underwent its first major series of upgrades in 1999 with Block I modifications procured to include provisions for the integration of systems with existing Arcer Airborne Early Warning and Control (AWACS) systems, as well as enhanced tracking and Identification of Friend and Foe (IFF) modules. After the 2007 Telekonese Conflict, the Arcer Ministry of Defense requested additional Block II upgrades that included better integrated heads-up display support for flight helmets, upgraded radar and communications systems, and additional provisions for the mounting of modern weapons systems such as cruise missiles and standoff munitions. In the late 2010s, in an effort to maintain the aircraft’s serviceability into the late 2030s, Block III upgrades further enhanced the Kestrel, with new electronic sensor suites, additional fuel efficiency measures, new computer systems, and engine life cycle upgrades to enhance performance.

Operational History

Armed Forces of Arcerion

The Arcer Air Force accepted the first four Kestrels in 1998, assigning them to No. 45 Squadron (Test and Evaluation) to conduct flight trials and testing as part of the integration of new aircraft into the branch. This began the replacement process for the AAI Goshawk, which began to be phased out in 2000 with the arrival of several dozen airframes per year as serial production increased. The first operational squadron, No. 11 Squadron based out of Kilpatrick Airfield, Chester-on-Moore, in the Southern Arcer Governorate of Moorden, received its sixteen Kestrels in August of 1998, with the first non-test operational flight occurring on August 31, 1998.

In 2007, Aeroco Kestrels from both the Royal Arcerion Naval Service and the the Arcer Air Force participated in the 2007 Telekonese Conflict. They conducted strikes against Kelekonan air-defence systems, border radar sites, as well as garrisons of Kelekonan troops and command posts. Two Kestrels from No. 61 Squadron (Strike) AAF were damaged by Kelekonan surface-to-air missiles near Bambara, however they managed to both conduct landings nearby at Dunbar Airfield in Dunborough, Arcerion. Both were repaired and returned to service by 2008. The combat performance of the aircraft was lauded by pilots, senior political staff, and the Arcer press as the modern systems and weapons delivery methods assisted with the devestating first strike on Kelekonan targets, preventing another incursion into the Innis River Basin.

Kestrels participated heavily in the Final War of the Deluge, assisting League of Nations forces during multiple points in the campaign, and coordinating heavily with teams from the Arcerion Special Operations Command operating inside Varshan.

Kestrels regularly participate in international exercises and training missions, and are currently committed to Operation Wavetop, combatting piracy in the Malentine Sea. The Arcer press also confirmed that Kestrels have participated in strikes on Malentinan targets consisting of pirate vessels, terrorist camps, and logistical support facilities for the two groups.

Specifications

Data from Aeroco Sales Records and Documents

General characteristics

• Crew: 1 or 2
• Length: 15.96 m (52 ft 4 in)
• Wingspan: 10.95 m (35 ft 11 in)
• Height: 5.28 m (17 ft 4 in)
• Wing area: 51.2 m² (551 sq ft)
• Empty weight: 11,000 kg (24,251 lb)
• Gross weight: 16,000 kg (35,274 lb)
• Max takeoff weight: 23,500 kg (51,809 lb)
• Fuel capacity: 4,996 kg (11,010 lb) / 6,215 L (1,642 US gal; 1,367 imp gal) internal
• Powerplant: 2 × Arcojet AJ200 afterburning turbofan engines, 60 kN (13,000 lbf) thrust each  dry, 90 kN (20,000 lbf) with afterburner

Performance

• Maximum speed: 2,125 km/h (1,320 mph, 1,147 kn) / Mach 2.0 (2,125 km/h or 1,320 mph at 11,000 m altitude)
  • 1,530 km/h (950 mph; 830 kn) / Mach 1.25 at sea level (1,530 km/h or 950 mph)
  • Supercruise: Mach 1.5

• Range: 2,900 km (1,800 mi, 1,600 nmi)
• Combat range: 1,389 km (863 mi, 750 nmi) Air defence with 10-min. loiter / Ground attack, hi-lo-hi (with 3 × external 1,000 l tanks)
  • 185 km (100 nmi) Air defence with 3-hr combat air patrol (with 3 × external 1,000 l tanks)
  • 601 km (325 nmi) Ground attack, lo-lo-lo (with 3 × external 1,000 l tanks)

• Ferry range: 3,790 km (2,350 mi, 2,050 nmi) with 3 × drop tanks
• Service ceiling: 19,812 m (65,000 ft)
• g limits: +9 / -3
• Rate of climb: 315 m/s (62,000 ft/min)
• Wing loading: 312 kg/m² (64 lb/sq ft)
• Thrust/weight: 1.15 (interceptor configuration)
• Brakes-off to Take-off acceleration: <8 s
• Brakes-off to supersonic acceleration: <30 s
• Brakes-off to Mach 1.6 at 11,000 m (36,000 ft): <150 s

Armament

• Guns: 1 × 27 mm ArcMu BK-27 revolver cannon with 150 rounds
• Hardpoints: Total of 13: 8 × under-wing; and 5 × under-fuselage pylon stations; holding in excess of 9,000 kg (19,800 lb) of payload
• Missiles:
  • Air-to-air missiles
  • Air-to-surface missiles
  • Anti-ship missiles
• Bombs
• Others:
  • Up to 3 × drop tanks for ferry flight or extended range/loitering time
  • Conformal fuel tanks