Amérifighter EF-20

Amérifighter EF-20 Cascabel
AC/A-20 in Inyurstan Jungle/Grassland camo
General information
Type	Heavy Strike Fighter
Manufacturer	Incorporaçion Estavez-Kílo (IEK) Industrias Sobberias Aeroespacial Acevedo-Chavez
Status	In service
History
Manufactured	2001-present
Introduction date	2003

The Amérifighter EF-20 Cascabel, also called the "AC/A-20 Crotaléa" in Inyursta (both meaning "Rattlesnake" in English), is a 4th Generation strike fighter developed primarily by Inyursta, Gran Cuscatlan and Langenia. It is intended to serve as both a deep-strike penetrator and capable air-to-air combatant, with a wide variety of compatible weapons and software to give it a versatile edge on the battlefield.

Development

Research and development on the EF-20 began after the lighter air-superiority fighter the AC-88 Taipan had already entered service with the Inyurstan Air Force. Like the F-15, the AC-88 was designed with complete air-to-air combat in mind, and followed the logic of "not a pound for air-to-ground". Inyurstan military designers began conceptualizing a heavy strike strike fighter based on the Taipan.

In 1998, Cuscatlani officials were brought in on the project as well, seeking a replacement for their own EF-10 Condor multirole fighters. Industrias Sobberias designed and provided the multi-purpose MATADOR radar for the aircraft. They also proposed the idea of making the aircraft an export fighter. Aerospace Acedvedo-Chavez, a Langenian aerospace firm, was later permitted to produce the EF-20 domestically and assist with trial flights.

Development of Carrier-Based Capabilities

Because the Inyurstan Navy was the initial interested parties, the EF-20 was built first as a carrier-capable fighter. Only once the capabilities desired by the Inyurstan Navy had been achieved, was a solid-wing and hookless variant built and moved forward with. By "working backwards" the designers were able to retain >80% parts commonality between the two variants.

Design

Body

At it's core, the EF-20 uses the same main frame as the AC-88, but externally the canards have been removed and the single-fin replaced with a double-fin conformation. The total surface of the wings have been increased to allow for heavier loading at the cost of more drag at high speeds. Powering the EF-20 are domestically (Inyurstan & Cuscatlani) produced copies of the Nihonese Kojima K50 engines - an advanced series of multimode engines adapted for air-to-air combat. In theory, they allow the EF-20 to achieve supercruise; however, supercruise has not been tested nor is it advised due to the heavier airframe.

Avionics

The Cuscatlani MATADOR radar is a multimode Active Electronically Scanned Array (AESA) capable of detecting 1m² airborne targets at around 190km in a 45^o search arc with the capability to adjust beam/search arc width. A secondary chin-mounted Inyurstan AEQ/GS-2 is applied for detection of moving ground and seaborne targets, but is also capable of surveillance, targeting, RFI cued, terrain profiling. It is also equipped with the CAT EYE infra-red search & track (IRST) for passive targeting and tracking of both aerial and surface targets.

Both SEAD and self-defense capabilities are provided by the Sevât-M Counter-Emissions System capable of identifying, locating and targeting enemy emissions sources at long distances; as well as integration and automatic control of the LIDACS-III Counter-Measure Suite.

Armament

In place of the AC-88's lower-caliber, higher rate-of-fire 23mm "Venom" cannon; the Amérifighter is equipped with twin 27mm RK-27 "Warlord" autocannons, with a 1,100RPM per barrel allowing for a combined 2,000RPM+.

The EF-20 boasts an extremely diverse array of compatible missile, bomb and rocket systems.

Variants

3D Mockup of an EF-20C1

Standard Variants

EF-20A Standard, 1-seat variant
EF-20B Two-seat variant
EF-20C1: Single-seat variant without conformal fuel tanks for increased aerodynamics.
EF-20C2: Two-seat variant without conformal fuel tanks.

Carrier-Capable

• EF-20S1: Naval variant with folding wings and tail hook. Single seat.
  
  • Designated "AC/A-20S1 Crotalea Marina" in Inyurstan Navy service.
• EF-20S2: Naval variant with two-seats.
  
• EF-20S-C1: Naval single-seat variant without conformal fuel tanks.
  
  • AC-20S2 Hydrophína: EF-20S-C1 in Inyurstan Navy service. Includes CAT-EYE I IRST, and functions similar to a "navalized Taipan"
    

Other

EE-20E2: Two-seat EW variant
EX-20 PEO: (Plata D'Ordinance Éxperímental) Used by Inyursta for air-launched weapons testing.

Specifications

Performance

Crew: 1-2
Speed: Mach 2.1 (mph; km/h)
Combat Radius: 1,550km

• Combat Radius (C-variants): 1,200km
  

Range: >3,500km
Max Climb Rate: 14630 m/min - 49,000 ft/min

• Max Climb Rate(C-variants): 15,850 m/min - 52,000 ft/min
  

Empty Weight: 38,500lb; 17,500kg (1.3 T/W)

• Empty Weight (C-variants): 37,000lb; 16,800kg (1.36 T/W)
  

Gross Weight: 68,000lb; 30,800kg Internal fuel + 10 missiles (0.74 T/W)

• Gross Weight (C-variants): 62,000lb; 28,100kg Internal fuel + 10 missiles (0.8 T/W)
  

Max Takeoff Weight: 81,500lb; 37,000kg (0.62 T/W)

• Max Takeoff Weight (C-variants): 75,000lb; 34,300kg (0.67 T/W)
  

Internal Fuel Capacity: 25,400lbs; 11,500kg (approx 4,160gal)

• Internal Fuel Capacity (C-variants): 19,600lbs; 8,900kg (approx 3,115gal)
  

Armament

Hardpoints:

• x3 Undercarriage
  
• x8 Underwing
  

Gun: x2 RK-27 "Warlord" 27mm autocannon

Air-to-Air	Air-to-Ground	Anti-Radiation	Anti-Ship
C-120 Rapier	ASM-7 STRIKE	OCE-1 Chaos	ASM-4 Leviathan
C-170 Rapier II	AGM-65 Maverick	OCE-3 Entropéa	ASM-8 Barracuda
C-80 Stilétto	AGM-84H/K SLAM-ER	AGM-88 HARM	AGM-158C LRASM
C-12 Éscouta	RY Rocket Family		AGM-84 Harpoon
Python Family	CB Bomb Family		YU-7 Evening Tide
MAA-1	CBU-S Torencón
SJJ-9 Kouwayzar	AGM-130
SJJ-10 Muthnib	AGM-158 JASSM
SJJ-11 Saiha	AGM-154 JSOW
AIM-120 AMRAAM
AIM-9 Sabre SRAAM