Lightning (missile)
The EM13a 'Lightning' is a portable infared-homing surface-to-air missile system built by Faneria. It is manufactured by the National Arms Foundry along with the FM13g 'Thunder', a license-built version of the Yonderrian MAS-12. The Lightning was originally designed in the 1990s, but was redesigned in the 2010s as the EM13a-2. It is designed to be fired with a bipod or on a vehicle mount, the latter of which comes in single, 4, and 6-missile variants, and is part of the Castle Program.
| Tintreach (Lightning) | |
|---|---|
 Deactivated Lightning on display at the 2020 Yonderre Arms Expo. | |
| Type | SHORAD |
| Place of origin | Faneria |
| Service history | |
| In service | 1992–present |
| Used by | |
| Wars | Peninsular War Final War of the Deluge |
| Production history | |
| Designer | Anlamhin Technologies |
| Designed | 1990 |
| Manufacturer | Teilgcheárta de Làmhachas Nàiseanta |
| Variants |
|
| Specifications | |
| Mass | 19.5 kg |
| Length | 1.86 m |
| Crew | 1 minimum, 2 (MANPAD configuration) |
| Effective firing range |
|
| Warhead | High Explosive with high density tungsten balls |
Detonation mechanism | Laser proximity or impact triggered |
| Engine | Solid Rocket Motor, 2-stage |
| Maximum speed | Mach 2.79 (2140 mph, 957 m/s) |
Guidance system | Infared homing (both) or external guidance (Lightning-2) |
Design
The Lightning was originally conceived as an independent, infantry-borne MANPAD system for local air defense to compliment unit ATGM teams as part of full-spectrum armored and air defense. This was later rolled into the Castle Program, which rolled development of seaborne SHORAD capabilities into a single platform. As such, the Lightning was required to fill short-range air defense roles for both warships and ground forces, which inevitably made the system too large to carry by a single soldier as originally intended. While two men could carry a Lightning and bipod as a team, the system was moved from the 'light' anti-aircraft role into the 'medium' one in the Castle system, and would be designed with extensive use and intention to upgrade in mind.
Lightning-1 was first put into service in 1992 as a showpiece during the Vandarch Canal Crisis, where it was not fired once; however, the system was a well-received replacement to the 1974 'Spiderweb' and was later phased out in the 2010s for the Lightning-2, which updated the launcher hardware for each of its platforms, introduced updated targeting software, and allowed the missile to receive course corrections or through RADAR on the launching platform when fired from a vehicle to counter jamming systems. The Lightning-2 was redesigned in conjunction with the Cape and Kiravian firms, which necessitated an increase in launcher and missile length to extend the range of the missile significantly. While increasing the cost, this change improved the missile's chasing capability markedly.
Service History and Operators
Vandarch Canal Crisis
Peninsular War and Final War of the Deluge
See Also
Pages of Interest
Final War of the Deluge Grand Vandarch Canal Provost-General of the League of Nations Top-Level Domains Vandarch Vandarch Sea Trade Zone Organization League of the Free Republics Great War Ashkenang Kilikas-Boreal Cooperative Zone Levantia Treaty of Kartika Coscivian civilization Gaelic people Liberty Index Timeline of major world events List of Nations List of country names in various languages List of Companies by Industry
References
IRL resources (OOC) Abrigalasts Oyashima Levantine Union Prime Executive Restarkism Scapa Jenwer Lebhan language Tepetlcali campaign Third Caroline War Great Confessional War Half-a-Year War Commission for the Preservation of the Republic
Sports
World Association Football Federation Continental Baseball Conference Boreal Hockey League Horse racing in Levantia International Racing Federation Levantian Hockey League