PSAF F-2/IHa "Skua"

Instructions

"Forfeit the game before somebody else Takes you out of the frame And puts your name to shame Cover up your face, you can't run the race The pace is too fast you just won't last..." TECHNOLOGY: The PSAF F-2/IHa "Skua" is an Nth Generation hypersonic fighter-interceptor capable of exceeding speeds as fast as Mach 5, easily outpacing all modern 6th and 7th-Gen fighter jets---including the brand-new F-V "Specter" just announced by PAX Armada. Active Flow Control (AFC) makes up the primary control method for the craft, enabling it to make the hairpin turns necessary to intercept other aircraft at hypersonic speeds. Other control surfaces just can't compete. The cockpit is fully armored, using AR technology with micro cameras fully embedded in the craft's body to recreate a 1:1 image of the pilot's surroundings with heightened FOV, allowing the pilot to see targets most pilots would be blind to---with zero latency. The Skua also uses precision thermal sensors to detect stealth aircraft not otherwise visible standard detection systems. This enables it to seek out stealth craft such as the F-V "Specter" vehicles, and intercept them before they can reach their target. LOADOUTS: The F-2/IHa "Skua" is capable of being both a high-velocity intercept fighter as well as a hypersonic strike vehicle, with specialized loadouts for each role it plays on the battlefield. Hypersonic "Hunter-Cutter" Interceptor Loadout: Fixed Gun: 1x UEI LX1 Directed Energy Weapon An experimental laser weapon capable of striking through another aircraft's hull instantly, making it perfect for dogfighting at hypersonic speeds. Internal Bays: 6x "Talon" Hyper-Velocity Missiles These high-metabolism, thermally-guided missiles instantly accelerate to speeds of Mach 6+, killing targets before they can even react. 2x "Fletchette" Micro-Missile Pods For close-range dogfighting in conditions that hinder the use of the LX1 Directed Energy Weapon. These micro-missile pods release shotgun-like bursts of kinetic kill vehicles designed to rip through a target in close-quarters combat. Hypersonic "Piercer" Deep Strike Loadout: Fixed Gun: 1x UEI LX1 Directed Energy Weapon Internal Bays: 2x "Talon" HVMs For basic self-defense on strike missions 25x Precision Impact Needles Because of the compact size and low weight of the PIN missiles, the Skua can carry them in vast quantities that allow for total annihilation of a target. PRODUCTION COST: Because of the use of recycled materials and wasteless 3D printing technology with machine assembly, the F-2/IHa "Skua" can be mass-produced for the low cost of $105M---almost a third of the cost of typical Nth-Gen aircraft. This means that 4 or 5 Skua units can be produced for the cost of one Specter, and losing one unit is not a devastating blow to the Polestarian military budget. Upon its conception, the Polestarian Air Force promised to stay ahead of the game in air superiority and technological advancement. The PSAF F-2/IHa "Skua" shows that the PSAF is still upholding that promise, even 100 years later. Yea, 2032 is the 100th anniversary of the Polestarian Air Force, founded in 1932 :3