Vetrov-Kazakov VeK-44

VeK-44
A VeK-44 of the 84th Aviation Squadron, 209th Guards Aviation Fighter Regiment.
General information
Type	Stealth Multirole Air superiority fighter
Manufacturer	VeK Design Bureau
Status	In service
History
Manufactured	2004-present
Introduction date	1 January 2006

The Vetrov and Kazakov VeK-44 Zherav (Russian: Ветров-Казаков ВеК-44) is a Stasnovan canard delta wing, twin-tailed, 4.5-generation generation air superiority multi-role all-weather tactical fighter utilising stealth technology developed by the Vetrov-and-Kazakov Design Bureau during the 90s and entered service with the Stasnovan Revolutionary Air Force in 2006.

Origins and development

The 90s brought a new type of fighter into play; the stealth fighter. The Stasnovan VVS had no fighter of such type in its arsenal, though several experimental projects existed since the 80s. However, expensive fighters were against the Stasnovan doctrine of cheap, reliable, mass produced while capable aircraft. As years passed however, the Stasnovan leadership saw that if they wouldn't develop a fighter of their own, they would be left behind in a new arms race. Thusly, funding was granted to the Vetrov-Kazakov and Lyukov Design Bureaus to begin the development of an advanced multi-role fighter with stealth characteristics.

Design

Airframe

The airframe of the VeK-44 is a canard delta wing, twin-tailed design, utilising some stealth characteristics. The delta wing design provides a high stall angle, and is also much more simple and cheap when comparared to conventional designs. The canards allow for significantly lower minimum landing and flight speeds, enabling the VeK-44 to operate from both standard and STOBAR aircraft carriers without the need for modifications. The canards also have a leading-edge sweep of 58° and a prominent dogtooth which improve airflow over the wings at high alpha (angles of attack). Meanwhile, the delta wings have a wing leading edge sweep of 52°. The VeK-44 airframe makes extended use of aluminium-lithium and steel and titanium alloys, and composites. The airframe's unconventional design increases the aircraft's maneuverability, however, it makes it almost impossible to fly without fly-by-wire (VeK-44A) or fly-by-optics (VeK-44M) systems to make it controllable.

Stealth

The nozzle's inner petals were lined with ceramic tiles to reduce infrared signature. Active cooling of the exhaust gas emitted emmitted by the VeK-44 Krasna ZK/Y-38 afterburning turbofan engines also significantly reduces the infared signature of the aircraft. The unorthodox design, use of radar-absorbent materials (RAM), and internally mounted weapons, give it a very effective RCS.

Engines

The VeK-29s uses the Krasna ZK/Y-38 afterburning turbofan engines, vector thrusting in three dimension, which is an improved version of the ZK/Y-26, which were originally used on the original VeK-44A. The ZK/Y-38 provides the aircraft with a maximum speed of Mach 2.5. The ZK/Y-38 also provides the ability to the Zherav to supercruise at Mach 1.9.

Electronics and Avionics

The original VeK-44A used the VVS/AFAR-76 multi-mode, hybrid passive electronically scanned array. Meanwhile, he VeK-44M main sensor system is the VVS/AFAR-84 advanced active electronically scanned array radar, developed by Shivkov AEA Bureau. The VVS/AFAR-84 consists of the main nose-mounted VVS/AFAR-84A-1-01 X band AESA Radar and two side-looking VVS/AFAR-84B-1-01 X-band AESA radars embedded in the cheeks of the forward fuselage for increased angular coverage. The suite also has two VVS/AFAR-84L-1-01 L band arrays on the wing's leading edge extensions that are not only used to handle the VVS/AFAR-84Sh friend-or-foe identification system but also for electronic warfare purposes. When working in concert with one another, the system provides the VeK-44 an azimuth of 360°.

The VeK-44M also features the VVS/RSA-29 electro-optical Distributed Aperture System (DAS). The VVS/RSA-29 is a multifunctional missile warning, ultraviolet and infra-red search-and-tracking, missile reporting and aircraft detection system, that consists of multiple, infra-red, ultraviolet and electro-optical sensors in such a way as to provide unobstructed spherical coverage and functions around the aircraft without any pilot input or aiming required.

Comparison

Comparison with some Atlasian fifth-generation fighters

	VeK-44 Zherav	Template:Country data Grozav Inima V-18 Rémkép	CAFF-01 Goshawk	Template:Country data Mairland IDI-126 Herald
Role	Multirole fighter	Multirole fighter	Multirole fighter	Multirole fighter
Empty weight	18,000 kg	19,700 kg	TBA	11,000 kg
Powerplant	2 × Krasna ZK/Y-38 thrust-vectoring afterburning turbofans	2 × C-Tűz LU.M44 pitch thrust-vectoring afterburning turbofans	1 × AWA Systems CAF/AT- thrust-vectoring afterburning turbofan	2 x MGEC B-series afterburning turbofans
Maximum speed	Mach 2.5	Mach 2.5	Mach 1.6+	Mach 2.5
Combat radius	2,000 km	1,450 km	1,135 km	TBA
Service ceiling	22,755 m	22,755 m	TBA	TBA
Rate of climb	315 m/s	350 m/s	TBA	TBA
Guns	1 × 30 mm GSh-301 autocannon	1x 20 mm LP-08 mtz. 2013 6 barrel rotary cannon	1 x 25mm AWA 4 barrelled rotary cannon, 180 rounds	1 x 30 mm GMIL-880 autocannon
Hardpoints	6 internal and 6 external with a capacity of 11,500 kg	6 internal and 4 external with a capacity of 10,600 kg	6 external and 2 internal with a capacity of 8,100 kg	6 external pylons
Radar	Shivkov AEA Design Bureau VVS/AFAR-84 AESA radar system	Vertega-Oppirus Advanced Weapons Lab VAW/LoR-03 AESA Radar	AWA Systems CAF/AR- AESA radar system	AAL-R8 active electronically scanned array radar

Operational history

Second Rekovian War

The VeK-44 saw action for the first time in the Second Rekovian War in Stasnov. Stasnovan Revolutionary Air Force VeK-44 squadrons conducted air strikes in support of Stasnovan Revolutionanry Army troops fighting on the ground. The strike missions were coordinated with other VVS aircraft such as Su-24M2s, MiG-29SMTs and Su-27SMs. One VeK-44M also shot down two Mi-8T helicopters manned by separatists, one downed with K-74M2 and the other dispatched with cannon fire.

Stasno-Dagelian War

VeK-44M were used both in interdictor/strike and air superiority roles during the conflict. In the first initial aerial face of Operation Kogot (the rapid deployment of Stasnovan troops to Dagelia), VeK-44M provided top cover for strike groups of Su-24M2s and Su-34s.

On the second day of operations, a strike formation was jumped by four Dagelian MiG-21Bis fighter-interceptors. A flight of five VeK-44M broke formation and engaged the MiGs, shooting three of them down with K-77M medium-range missiles, while the remaining Dagelian fighter turned about and left the area of operations. These were the first official air-to-air kill of the VeK-29 against a fixed-wing aircraft.

Other air-to-air kills by VeKs were 2 Su-22M4, 2 MiG-23MLs, 1 Su-25KM, 1 Mi-24P, 1 Mi-17 and 1 An-28. One VeK-29M flown by Major Ilya V. Nikarov was damaged by 9K37 Buk surface-to-air missile system, when the projectile exploded several feet away from the left wing. The VeK-29M succesful returned to base, though its left landing gear leg broke on the landing process, resulting in the aircraft's left wing getting ripped from the plane. The aircraft was later repaired and returned to service.

Variants

• VeK-44A: Initial production version; entered service in 2006.
• VeK-44UB: Initial production two-seat operational conversion trainer.
• VeK-44E: Export version of the VeK-44A with slightly downgraded radar with multiple target tracking ability and AAM-AE compatibility.
• VeK-44UBE: Export version of the two-seat operational conversion trainer.
• VeK-44M: Upgraded version with improved avionics and engines. The program to upgrade the VeK-44As to VeK-44B standards started in 2010.
• VeK-44K: Carrier-borne variant with folding wings, high-lift devices, and arresting gear. First aircraft delivered to the Naval Aviation in 2014.
• VeK-44KE: Carrier-borne export variant.
• VeK-44KUB: Carrier-borne version of the two-seat operational conversion trainer.
• VeK-44MKB : MKI stands for "Modernizirovannyi, Kommercheskiy, Britiski" meaning "Modernized, Commercial, Brytisc". The MKB is a specialised variant produced for the Confederate Brytisc Fleet, and inlcudes....

Operators

• Stasnov: The Stasnovan Revolutionary Air Force operates about 321 VeK-44, and more are in production. About 90 are VeK-44As, and the rest are VeK-44Ms. More than 500 are expected to be produced, and the VeK-44 is planned to be one of the main frontline fighters of the SRAF.
• Brytene: The Confederate Brytisc Fleet ordered 120 VeK-44MKB units, with [NUMBER] aircraft delivered as of 2019.

Specifications (VeK-44M)

General characteristics

• Crew: 1: pilot
• Length: 19 m ()
• Wingspan: 15 m ()
• Height: 4.50 m ()
• Empty weight: 18,000 kg ()
• Loaded weight: 28,000 kg ()
• Max. takeoff weight: 35,200 kg ()
• Powerplant: 2 × Krasna ZK/Y-38 afterburning turbofans

Performance

• Maximum speed: Mach 2.5
• Combat radius: 2,000 km ()
• Service ceiling: 22,755 m ()
• Rate of climb: >315 m/s ()
• Maximum design g-load: +12 g

Armament

• Guns: Provision for 1× 30 mm GSh-301 cannon
• Hardpoints: Total of 14: 6 internal, 6 external; holding up to 11,500 kg (20,900 lb) of payload  and provisions to carry combinations of:
  • Other: TBA
• Missiles:
  
  • Air-to-air missiles:
    • R-27 variants
    • R-77 variants
    • R-73 variants
  • Air-to-surface missiles
    • Kh-38M
    • Kh-31AM/Kh-31PM
    • Kh-58UShK
    • Kh-59M2
    • Kh-59L
    • VB/PKR-800 Sirena
• Bombs:
  
  • KAB-250
  • KAB-500KR
  • KAB-500L

Avionics
TBA

See also

• List of active Stasnovan military aircraft