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{|{{Infobox aircraft begin
|name= RSW-285 Cormorant
|image= Image:RTS-225 Cronus.png
|caption= Dorsal diagram of the RSW-280 Cormorant family.
}}{{Infobox aircraft type
|type= Carrier onboard delivery/Carrier support aircraft
|national origin= {{flag|Carthage}}
|manufacturer= Bissau Corporation
|designer= Bissau Corporation
|first flight= 2008
|introduced= 2014
|produced= 2011-present
|retired=
|number built= 468
|primary user= Punic Navy
|more users= 
|status= In service
|program cost=
|unit cost= NSD$70 million (flyaway cost, <small>(FY2019)</small>)
|developed from=
|developed into=
}}
|}

The '''Bissau RSW-285 Cormorant''' is a family of twin-engine, high-wing multi-role aircraft designed to support Carthaginian {{wpl|aircraft carrier}}s in the {{wpl|carrier onboard delivery}}, {{wpl|airborne early warning and control}} (AEW&C), and {{wpl|maritime patrol aircraft|maritime patrol}} roles. The Cormorant family was developed in the 2000s to 2010s to replace the previous and increasingly obsolete Type-66 Gull family of aircraft with a more modern and more capable platform.

The first RSW-285 Cormorant prototype flew in 2008 and entered production in 2011, with the REC-285 Cormorant AEW&C following two years later and the RMP-285 Cormorant following an additional year later. At current production rates, the Cormorant platform is expected to fully replace the remaining Gulls by 2028.

==Development==

==Design==
The RSW-285 is a high-wing aircraft powered by two Elissa-Arishat TE-290-60N high-bypass {{wpl|turbofan}}s producing up to 60 kN (13,500 lb<sub>f</sub>) of thrust. As a carrier-based aircraft, the RSW-285 is equipped with a {{wpl|tail hook}} for recovery and the nose gear can be attached to a catapult shuttle for takeoff. The outer wings are capable of folding in order to reduce the aircraft's deck space requirements. All variants require a flight crew composed of a pilot and copilot and may embark additional mission crew depending on configuration. Two fully plumbed pylons are installed outboard of the engines in all variants, which are normally used for auxiliary fuel tanks.

Unlike the previous Type-66E Gull AEW&C, the REC-285 Cormorant AEW&C variant uses conformal radar arrays to eliminate the need for a large rotodome and the accompanying drag. The forward arrays are mounted behind the leading edges of the wing under aerodynamic fairings while the rear-facing array is mounted in the horizontal stabilizer. Additional sensor and communications equipment is housed in pods on the vertical stabilizers, wing tips, and on the underside of the fuselage. In addition to the AEW&C mission undertaken by the Gull AEW&C, the Cormorant AEW&C has expanded capabilities for cooperative engagement, including more advanced communications capabilities and networked fire control for different elements of the battlegroup. 

The RMP-285 is equipped with a fuselage-mounted surface search radar, a forward-looking infrared camera in the nose, and a electronic support measures (ESM) emitter-location system in order to detect ships and submarines. It also has two additional external hardpoints located on the folding wings as well as an internal bomb bay capable of carrying up to {{convert|3,200|kg|lb|abbr=on}} of ordnance. The Cormorant MPA/ASW is also capable of carrying and deploying up to 64 sonobuoys, but due to changes in mission profile it lacks the {{wpl|magnetic anomaly detector}} found in the Type-66S Gull ASW. 

==Variants==
====RSW-285 Cormorant COD====
Carrier onboard delivery variant with room for up to 32 passengers or {{convert|6,000|kg|lb|abbr=on}} of cargo. Under normal circumstances, aircraft are configured for a mix of passengers and cargo. 

====REC-285 Cormorant AEW&C====
Airborne early warning and control variant equipped with a conformal {{wpl|AESA}} radar, IFF interrogator, and communications relays. A mission crew of four operators is required to operate all systems, and additional jump seats are available for relief crews. 

====RMP-285 Cormorant MPA/ASW====
Maritime patrol and anti-submarine variant equipped with surface search radar, forward-looking infrared, sonobuoys, an internal bomb bay, and additional external hardpoints for anti-submarine and anti-ship weapons. A mission crew of four operators is required to operate all systems, and additional jump seats are available for relief crews. 

==Specifications (RSW-285 Cormorant)==
===General Characteristics===
*'''{{wpl|aircrew|Crew}}:''' 2 flight crew
**'''RSW-280 Cormorant:''' 2 loadmasters
**'''REC-285 Cormorant AEW&C:''' 4 mission crew
**'''RMP-285 Cormorant MPA/ASW:''' 4 mission crew
*'''Capacity:'''
**Up to 32 passengers or {{convert|6,000|kg|lb|abbr=on}} of cargo
*'''Length:''' {{convert|17.91|m|ft|abbr=on}}
*'''Wingspan:''' {{convert|25.61|m|ft|abbr=on}} (extended); {{convert|10.18|m|ft|abbr=on}} (folded)
*'''Height:''' {{convert|4.84|m|ft|abbr=on}}
*'''Wing area:''' {{convert|654|m2|sqft|abbr=on}}
*'''Empty Weight:''' {{convert|16,370|kg|lb|abbr=on}}
*'''Loaded Weight:''' {{convert|24,195|kg|lb|abbr=on}}
*'''{{wpl|MTOW|Max Takeoff Weight}}:''' {{convert|31,670|kg|lb|abbr=on}}
*'''Powerplant:''' 2 x Elissa-Arishat TE-290-60N high-bypass {{wpl|turbofan|turbofans}}, 60 kN (13,500 lb<sub>f</sub>) each
*'''Fuel Capacity:''' {{convert|19,500|l|USgal|sp=us}}

===Performance===
*'''Maximum Speed:''' Mach 0.84 (481 kn, 553 mph, 890 km/h) 
*'''Cruise Speed:''' Mach 0.82 (469 kn, 539 mph, 868 km/h)  
*'''{{wpl|Range}}:''' {{convert|1,700|nmi|km|abbr=on}} with a {{convert|6,000|kg|lb|abbr=on}} payload
*'''{{wpl|Service Ceiling}}:''' {{convert|12000|m|ft|abbr=on}}
*'''Rate of climb:''' 26 m/s
*'''Wing Loading:''' 340 kg/m2 (72 lb/ft<sup>2</sup>)

==See also==
===Aircraft of comparable role, type, and era===
*{{wpl|Bell Boeing V-22 Osprey}}
*{{wpl|Grumman C-2 Greyhound}}
*{{wpl|Grumman E-2 Hawkeye}}
*{{wpl|Lockheed S-3 Viking}}
*{{wpl|Xi'an KJ-600}}

{{template:Navbox Carthage Aircraft}}

=Break=

{|{{Infobox aircraft begin
|name= RBS-235 Falarica
|image= Image:RBS 235 Falarica.png
|caption= Dorsal diagram of the RBS-235 Falarica.
}}{{Infobox aircraft type
|type= {{wpl|Supersonic}} {{wpl|strategic bomber}}
|national origin= {{flag|Carthage}}
|manufacturer= Special Project Team 𐤑 (Tsade)
|designer= Air Forces Research Laboratory
|first flight= 2013
|introduced= 2018
|produced= 2016-present
|retired=
|number built= 88
|primary user= Carthage Air Forces
|more users= 
|status= In service
|program cost=
|unit cost= NSD$950 million (flyaway cost, <small>(FY2022)</small>)
|developed from=
|developed into=
}}
|}

The '''Air Forces Research Laboratory RBS-235 Falarica''' is a [[Carthage|Carthaginian]] {{wpl|supersonic}} {{wpl|heavy bomber}} designed to penetrate advanced {{wpl|anti-aircraft warfare|anti-aircraft defenses}}. It is designed around the strategic {{wpl|nuclear warfare|nuclear strike}} role but has also been certified to deploy a range of conventional weapons in a tactical role. It is the only supersonic heavy bomber in the Carthage Air Forces fleet, serving alongside the subsonic RBL-230 Condor and RBM-233 Phantom. 

Development for the RBS-235 began in 2003 under Special Requirement 01-432A as a replacement for the RBS-231 Super Merlin, of which the last bomber variants had been retired in 1993. Due to the significant engineering and maintenance challenges faced by the RBS-231 fleet in order to maintain its designed maximum speeds above Mach 3, the design requirements for the RBS-235 were relaxed to a maximum speed of Mach 2.8 and a cruise speed of Mach 2.2, with much greater emphasis on a {{wpl|stealth aircraft|low observable}} design and electronic countermeasures to compensate for the reduction in survivability due to the lower speed. The development of the RBS-235 was one of the largest {{wpl|black project}}s in Carthaginian history and the existence of the program was not officially confirmed to the public until 2017, over a year after the first aircraft had started flight testing.

The complexity of the design requirements led to several years of delays and escalating costs, though procurement under the Critical Defense Program authority of the National Defense Procurement Act shielded the program from certain levels of legislative oversight until after the program was announced to the public. Initially planned to enter service in 2015, cumulative delays pushed its entry date back to 2018, and program development costs increased from $49 billion to $62 billion, with flyaway costs increasing from $750 million to $950 million. The final appearance of the aircraft was unveiled to the public on June 3, 2018, the same date the aircraft entered service.

The RBS-235 is capable of all-weather operations with an unrefueled range of {{convert|8,000|nmi|km|}} on internal fuel and a service ceiling above {{convert|27000|m|ft|sp=us}}. It entered service in 2018 and 88 aircraft have been produced to date out of a planned production run of 440. Though capable of conventional strike missions, the RBS-235 has not been deployed to active combat as of 2022 due to the extremely sensitive nature of its design. 

==Development==

==Design==

===Engines===
The RBS-235 is powered by four Cordoba Turbomechanics TJC-300-260S {{wpl|afterburner|afterburning}} {{wpl|turbojet}}s, each providing 220 kN (50,000 lb<sub>f</sub>) thrust dry and 260 kN (58,450 lb<sub>f</sub>) with afterburner. The TJC-300-260S is a new engine designed specifically for the RBS-235 and optimized for supersonic flight, with maximum efficiency reached at a cruising speed of Mach 2.2. The four engines are capable of maintaining speeds of up to Mach 2.4 without the use of afterburners, which are only used when accelerating through the {{wpl|transonic}} and lower supersonic regimes up to approximately Mach 1.7 and when sprinting above Mach 2.4.

The engines are mounted in pairs within the fuselage and each pair is fed by a top-mounted intake with an advanced inlet control system to slow incoming air to subsonic speeds and regulate distortion to prevent engine surge. The use of top-mounted inlets was influenced by the desire to limit the radar and infrared signature to ground-based sensors. The integrated propulsion management system is responsible for monitoring and controlling both the intakes and the engines to maintain desired thrust and respond to engine emergencies. Exhaust is channeled through a pair of troughs lined with heat-ablating ceramic tiles to reduce {{wpl|infrared}} visibility from below.

Due to the high operating altitude and use of fuel in the active cooling system, the engines are fed with a special variant of the common SFT-08 jet fuel, STF-08SP2. This variant has improved low temperature and high temperature stability and is less expensive than the unique SFT-06A used in the RBS-231 for similar purposes. Similar to other supersonic and stealth aircraft, trim is controlled through the movement of fuel within the internal tanks to adjust the center of gravity and eliminate the need for aerodynamic trim tabs. Like most large Carthaginian military aircraft, the RBS-235 is capable of {{wpl|aerial refueling}} using the flying boom system.

===Armament===
The RBS-235 has five internal weapons bays, consisting of four large bays for ground attack ordnance and a single smaller bay designed for self-defense {{wpl|air-to-air missile}}s. The four primary bays can collectively carry up to {{convert|45,000|kg|lb|sp=us}} of ordnance using either rotary launchers or bomb racks. Due to the demands of low observability and high speed flight, the RGB-235 does not have any external hardpoints for sensors or ordnance.

From the outset, the RGB-235 was designed around the use of the existing SMN-802 Alpinia and the in-development SMN-804 Lycoris nuclear missiles as its primary armament, enabling standoff attacks on targets without the need for overflight. The new Mark 18 rotary launcher was developed to fit the larger bomb bays of the RBS-235, carrying up to ten SMN-802s or -804s per launcher for a total of up to 40 missiles per sortie, compared to eight missiles per launcher and a total of 24 missiles in the largest previous bombers.

Despite a focus on the nuclear mission, provisions were made during the development process for the use of conventional weapons, to be qualified for use at a later date. Integration work began in 2018 shortly after entry to service and as of 2022, the RGB-235 has been qualified to carry most modern ground attack munitions in Carthaginian use, including cruise missiles, guided bombs, penetration bombs, and cluster munition dispensers. Some of these weapons require replacement of the rotary launcher with an integrated bomb rack.

The self-defense weapons bay is designed to hold eight [[SAR-775 Nagisa]] air-to-air missiles, which are the most modern type in Carthaginian inventory. This armament allows the RGB-235 to defend itself against moderate airborne threats, though normal operating procedure is to avoid interceptors wherever possible.

===Life support===
The four crewmembers are seated in a sealed pod accessible from below the aircraft while on the ground. Unlike the RBS-231, the RBS-235's crew pod is pressurized to an altitude of {{convert|2,800|m|ft|sp=us}}, which allows the crew to safely open their suit visors in order to eat, drink, or rest. Despite the lower cabin altitude, all crewmembers are still required to wear pressure suits similar to other high altitude aircraft to protect them in the event of a depressurization event. The current Mark VI suit designed for use with the RBS-235 has a lower weight and more ergonomic design than previous generations. The crew cabin is actively cooled to maintain comfortable working temperatures despite the high surface temperatures due to drag at supersonic speeds.

Due to the high speed and altitude, the entire crew pod is designed to eject from the aircraft in an emergency, powered by a series of rockets and equipped with a series of large parachutes for landing. The capsule is also capable of floatation and serving as a life raft during a water landing. 

==Specifications==
===General Characteristics===
*'''{{wpl|aircrew|Crew}}:''' 4 (pilot, co-pilot, offensive systems officer, defensive systems officer)
*'''Length:''' {{convert|56.48|m|ft|abbr=on}}
*'''Wingspan:''' {{convert|55.06|m|ft|abbr=on}}
*'''Height:''' {{convert|12.4|m|ft|abbr=on}}
*'''Wing area:''' {{convert|402|m2|sqft|abbr=on}}
*'''Empty Weight:''' {{convert|100,000|kg|lb|abbr=on}}
*'''Loaded Weight:''' {{convert|220,000|kg|lb|abbr=on}}
*'''{{wpl|MTOW|Max Takeoff Weight}}:''' {{convert|295,000|kg|lb|abbr=on}}
*'''Powerplant:''' 4 x Cordoba Turbomechanics TJC-300-260S {{wpl|afterburner|afterburning}} {{wpl|turbojet}}s, 220 kN (50,000 lb<sub>f</sub>) thrust each dry, 260 kN (58,450 lb<sub>f</sub>) with afterburner
*'''Fuel Capacity:''' {{convert|145,000|l|USgal|sp=us}}

===Performance===
*'''Maximum Speed:''' Mach 2.8 (1,600 kn, 1,900 mph, 3,000 km/h) 
*'''Cruise Speed:''' Mach 2.2 (1,250 kn, 1,500 mph, 2,360 km/h)  
*'''{{wpl|Range}}:''' {{convert|8,000|nmi|km|abbr=on}} with a {{convert|25,000|kg|lb|abbr=on}} payload
*'''Combat range:''' {{convert|4,600|nmi|km|abbr=on}}
*'''{{wpl|Service Ceiling}}:''' {{convert|27000|m|ft|abbr=on}}
*'''Rate of climb:''' 30 m/s
*'''Wing Loading:''' 700 kg/m2 (143 lb/ft<sup>2</sup>)
*'''Thrust/weight:''' 0.48

===Armament===
*Bombs: 4 internal bomb bays for {{convert|45,000|kg|lb|sp=us}} of ordnance
**LGU-121X Red Magic series general purpose bombs
***EGI-55X Hourai series multi-mode guided bomb kits
***EGS-56X Mysterium series satellite guided bomb kits
**LCU-1240 Starbow Break cluster munition delivery system
**LGM-123X Stardust Reverie series glide bombs
**LBU-122X Duplex Barrier series deep penetration bombs
**SWR-787 Yakumo anti-ship missile
**SMN-788 Sakuya cruise missile
**SMN-802 Alpinia nuclear air-to-surface missile
**SMN-804 Lycoris nuclear air-to-surface missile
**LBN-910AM3 nuclear glide bomb
*Self-defense: 1 internal weapons bay for up to 8 [[SAR-775 Nagisa]] air-to-air missiles

===Avionics===
*Sensors
**AW/FAI-344 Urban Legend {{wpl|active electronically scanned array|multi-function radar}}
**AW/EAW-573 Violet Detector advanced {{wpl|Electronic warfare support measures|passive detection suite}}
**AW/EAG-554S Samidare-S electro-optical ground attack system
*Electronic protection measures
**AW/EWI-326 Four Seasons electronic defense suite
**AE/EWA-327 Spring Dream electronic attack system
**AW/EDS-562 Multipurpose Countermeasure Dispenser
*Communications
**AW/ENI-1702 Advanced Datalink System

==See also==
===Aircraft of comparable role, type, and era===
*{{wpl|Rockwell B-1 Lancer}}
*{{wpl|Tupolev Tu-160}}

{{template:Navbox Carthage Aircraft}}