Easun Industria J52 Arcángel

J52 Arcángel
Role	Tilt-wing gunship
National origin	Carloso
Manufacturer	Easun Industria
Status	In service
Primary user	Carlosian Army
Unit cost	D£50.619 million
Developed from	M52 Alerión

The Easun Industria J52 Arcángel (Carlosian: archangel) is a tilt-wing heavy gunship based off of the M52 Alerión transport aircraft. As a tilt-wing aircraft, it is able to rotate its wings either horizontally or vertically, making it fully capable of vertical and/or short take-off and landing (V/STOL) operations. This ability gives it many advantages over comparable attack aircraft like the Lockheed AC-130, including the ability to hover and land or take off in areas that lack a runway for conventional planes. It also possesses superior fuel efficiacy and range when compared to a conventional helicopter gunship.

Its primary armament is a two-barrelled 105 mm gun-howitzer located in a turret at the rear of the aircraft, which can be used either as a means of fire support or as a mobile artillery piece. Other armaments include dual 20 mm three-barrelled autocannons, and hardpoints that can be fitted with a variety of rocket pods, missiles or gunpods. The turret is modular, and variants with alternative armaments serve in a limited capacity with Carlosian forces. One such variant swaps the 105 mm howitzer for a six-tube launcher for a powerful 302 mm demolition rocket-propelled munition (guidance optional), intended to obliterate enemy fortifications or rapidly deliver suppressive firepower.

J52 Arcángels are mainly fielded by the Carlosian Army, though in recent years they have found service with large private military companies, most notably Conquistador Security Consulting.

Development

After the M52 Alerión entered service in the early 2000s, Carlosian military officials, impressed by its durability and utility, sought to expand further on the design. Several proposals were put forward by the Carlosian aviation industry, with Easun Industria's proposal for a heavy gunship easily winning out. In 2009 a design team led by veteran aeronautical engineer Jenaro Estell presented a prototype of the concept.

Design

Armament

Detail of the two-barrelled 105 mm turret of the J52 Arcángel.

The primary armament of the J52 Arcángel is a twin 105 mm howitzer mounted in a turret to the rear of the aircraft. It can fulfil a number of roles, including providing direct fire or alternatively operating as a highly mobile fire-and-displace artillery piece. It is remotely operated by a gunner. The turret is loaded automatically and has storage for approximately 50 rounds. The design is an evolution of similiar, self-contained turrets for naval artillery. An onboard artillery computer allows the operator to use satellite-based radionavigation to select co-ordinates for the turret to automatically lay down suppressive fire upon, the turret correcting itself continuously as the aircraft moves. It can carry HE and anti-tank rounds, as well as RAAMS, DPICM and ADAM shells. The turret may be removed and replaced with a rotating launcher with room for eight anti-tank missiles.

Additionally, it is armed with duel front-facing two-barrelled 40 mm autocannons. Attached to each autocannon is a 40 mm grenade launcher. They can switch between automatic, semi-automatic and burst-fire modes, and have a limited ability to traverse vertically.

Also, it is armed with six launch tubes suitable for S261 Maraton dual-purpose missiles. Two side launchers have room for a total of sixty-six S854 Acechar multi-purpose missiles. This is intended for use in COIN operations against unarmoured vehicles, or against swarms of hostile UAVs and anti-air missiles, as well as overwhelming the active protection systems and damaging sensors and armaments of heavier vehicles.

To the rear of the aircraft are two 20 mm three-barrelled point-defence systems, primarily intended to destroy hostile anti-air missiles, aircraft and UAVs, though they can also be used to target land-based enemies. They are each guided by an extremely high frequency (EHF) passive electronically scanned radar which can detect and track targets out to beyond TBD km. Target acquistion is provided by a TBD radar. Additionally, an electro-optical device is fitted to each PDS, enabling the systems to operate without the need for radar emissions, though at the expense of capability. It is independently capable of detection, acquisition, and tracking. Alternatively, it can assist the radar arrays with their operation.

Avionics

A pair of side-scanning radars are located at the nose of the aircraft. Other systems include avionics for detecting the launch of missiles and counter-battery radar.

Operational history

2021 Ilha de Measeu incident

After the changing course of the River Salarin cut off the village of Measeu, Bourgougian forces seized the settlement and expelled the Agostinian garrison, claiming that the border between the two countries was defined by the River Salarin. At the conclusion of the skirmish, a force of a dozen Carlosian J52 Arcángels spearheaded a counter-attack into Bourgougian territory. Unaware of its armament, the Bourgougians attempted to shoot them down with a barrage of Crotale surface-to-air missile fire, only for them all to be intercepted by a storm of hundreds of S854 Acechar missiles. Those that didn't intercept the missiles set their sights on the launch vehicles and Bourgougian command-and-control operations. With the aid of a force of Agostinian light attack helicopters, the bridge the Bourgougians had been building to connect the island was destroyed, leaving their forces stranded. Hundreds of Bourgougian soldiers were subsequently slaughtered as the J52s and the rocket-armed Agostinian forces unleashed a hail of 105 mm artillery and rocket fire, saturating Ilha de Measeu. The Bourgougians eventually withdrew, not wishing to escalate the conflict any further and having already suffered devastating losses.

Variants

• J52A - Initial version.
• J52B - Fitted with launchers for sixty-six S854 Acechar missiles.

Operators

Countries

• Carloso
  • Carlosian Army

Private

• Conquistador

Squadrons

• 14th Gunship Squadron

Specifications

General characteristics

• Crew: 5 (pilot, co-pilot, main gunner, point defence officer, flight engineer)
• Length: 22.69 m (74 ft 5 in)
• Height: 6.52 m (21 ft 5 in) wings vertical
• Powerplant: 2 × GE38-3 turboprop, 6,000 kW (8,000 hp) each
• Main rotor diameter: 2× 9.63 m (31 ft 7 in)
• Main rotor area: 1 m² (11 sq ft) 4-bladed

Performance Armament

• 1 × 2 105 mm howitzers
• 2 × 2 40 mm autocannons
• 1 × 20 mm autocannon (belly-mounted)
• 2 × 40 mm grenade launchers
• 2 × 20 mm point-defence systems
• 6 × S261 Maraton multi-purpose missiles
• 66 × S854 Acechar multi-purpose missiles

Avionics
Electro-optical jammers
Fire-control radar

See also

• List of active Carlosian military aircraft
• Ling-Temco-Vought XC-142
• Bell Boeing V-22 Osprey
• Lockheed AC-130