Arthuristan Dynamics Mercury
| Arthuristan Dynamics Mercury | |
|---|---|
| |
| The Mercury S.3 | |
| Role | Strike / Electronic Warfare |
| Manufacturer | Arthuristan Dynamics |
| First flight | 1958 |
| Introduction | 1962 |
| Status | In service |
| Primary user | Fleet Air Arm, Commonwealth Air Force |
The Arthuristan Dynamics Mercury is a long range strike aircraft of Arthuristan origin. Originally introduced in the early-60's, it was originally designed to provide the Fleet Air Arm and Commonwealth Air Force with low-level 'below the radar' attack capability.
Owing to the requirements of low-altitude flight, the Mercury S.2 possesses a very durable airframe resistant to metal fatigue, and possesses very stable low-level characteristics. Its airframe was regarded by many aviation experts as one of the best-designed for all times for the low-level strike role. Despite the fact that it was incapable of supersonic flight, at below 150m it is faster than most aircraft with a theoretical top speed of mach 2. It was notable in being faster than a Continental Reaper when carrying a warload of similar weight.
This was, however, marred by the significant drawback in the form of a primitive, early-60's era avionics suite. Its sensors consisted of a simple radar system designed for maritime search and to assist the pilot in toss-bombing. Its countermeasures consist of a jumble of different systems added at various times in an ad hoc basis. Most egregiously, for an aircraft designed to penetrateh hostile airspace at the tree-top level, it lacked a terrain-following radar. Instead, the pilot must rely on a basic radar altimeter as well as his own skill and daring in flying the aircraft at low altitudes.
The Mercury S.3 configuration followed a early-80's upgrade packag. It features an "Attack Navigation System". This was a pod, mounted to the front and left of the bomb bay, incorporating terrain-following radar and wide-field FLIR for night- and all weather low-altitude operations. Those aircraft outfitted for land-attack mission may in addition carry the Pave Spike or Pave Tack targeting pods for precision-guided bombs. The aircraft were also retrofitted with the Seaview radar set, a relatively lightweight agile beam radar with maritime reconnaissance, air-to-surface track-while-scan and ground mapping functionalities and which, in conjunction with a new inertial navigation system, confers upon the aircraft significantly improved navigation as well as land and maritime search and targeting capabilities at a relatively modest cost. A HUD is fitted to the cockpit which, in addition, was made night-vision compatible.
Other upgrades included 'bulging' bomb bay doors to accommodate additional fuel, as well as compatibility with up to four ACM-2 Renove anti-ship missile. The aircraft's self-defence capabilities were also improved with the incorporation of new jammer, radar-warning receiver and chaff/flare dispenser units.
A round of minor upgrades, in combination designated the "S.3+", was implemented in the 1990's. These included the addition of SATNAV and the Litening targeting pods.
The strike variant of the Mercury has been replaced by the UFC Tempest. However, the Mercury ECR electronic warfare aircraft remains in service in limited numbers.
Mercury ECR
The Mercury ECR is an electronic warfare variant of the Mercury, specifically designed to carry out SEAD missions, or to support strike packages by protecting friendly aircraft against enemy SAM's. It is equipped with six Belfrasian ALQ-99 tac-jammer units in the bomb bay, with their multi-function (omnidirectional and directional) antennae projecting out in a canoe-shaped structure between the forward undercarriage and the bomb bay. An ALQ-41 jammer is also carried for self-defence jamming. The Mark-7V Radar Warning Receiver is mounted as a bulb atop the vertical stabiliser. This unit is responsible for detecting and prioritising threat radars for power-managed jamming by the ALQ-99 or ALQ-41 units. It also has a secondary function in providing targeting information to any anti-radiation missiles the aircraft may carry on its external pylons.
While strike variant Mercuries have been retired, the ECR has not been retired and is sustained in service by spare parts liberated from scrapped strike aircraft. They will likely remain until sufficient numbers of UFC F-29 Hurricane are available to take over its specialist electronic warfare and defence-suppression functions.
Specifications (Mercury Strike Variant)
- Length: 19.33m
- Wingspan: 13.41m
- Height: 4.97m
- Crew: 2
- Empty weight: 14,000kg
- Loaded weight: 28,000kg
- Powerplants: 2 x Rollers Spey turbofans, 50kn each
- Top speed: 1,074km/h at 60m
- Armaments: 1x internal rotary launcher in bomb bay for 5,443kg ordnance, 6x underwing pylons for 2,000kg ordnance
- Combat radius: 2,000km with drop tanks
- Sensors: Mark-64 navigation//attack radar, Attack Navigation System pod (incorporating terrain-following radar and wide-field FLIR)
- Countermeasures: RWR, jammer, chaff/flare dispensers