Prévoyance Labbe
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| Prévoyance Labbe | |
|---|---|
| |
| Labbe of Flottille F15 taking off from the NNS Triomphe | |
| Role | Air superiority, Multirole combat aircraft |
| National origin |  Notreceau
|
| Manufacturer | Prévoyance |
| Designer | Prévoyance |
| First flight | July 5th, 1985 |
| Introduction | April 3rd, 1996 |
| Status | In service |
| Primary users | Notreceauen Airforce Notreceauen Navy |
The Prévoyance Labbe (English: Prévoyance Skua) is a single seat, two engine, all weather, fourth generation, multirole fighter. The Labbe is designed to conduct a variety of air combat missions including air superiority, ground attack, maritime strike and nuclear strike. The Labbe is currently produced in three variations the M conventional carrier based, C conventional take-off and landing, and R reconnaissance models.
History and Development
In the early 1960s during the Soviet Order's advance into central and south-central Omand, Notreceauen military advisors and forward deployed air crews piloting the newly introduced Prévoyance Épée III experienced combat with Soviet Order aircraft for the first time. Despite the Épée III's superiority when compared to other Allied Nations aircraft of the time period, the Épée III was effectively matched by the Soviet Order Alexeyev-Leonov ALe-21S and rendered nearly obsolete in air-to-air combat against the ALe-21. Air-to-air victories were recorded by Épée III pilots against the ALe-21 during the time period but it became quickly apparent that the Épée III was outclassed by Soviet Order aircraft which featured superior avionics, weapon systems and radar capabilities. Large numbers of Épée IIIs operating in single flight formation were required to effectively engage standard Soviet Order combat flights.
As a result of these combat difficulties the Notreceauen Department of Defense Research and Development (DDRD) in conjunction with the Air Force initiated the Programme d'avion de combat d'urgence (Emergency Fighter Program) in 1963 which eventually resulted in the Prévoyance Cygne whose prototype aircraft flew limited combat missions against the Soviet Order during the Invasion of Notreceau before being withdrawn to Luminerra. While the Cygne, whose development cycle was completed with the assistance of Luminerra, temporarily narrowed the fighter gap in the early 70s against emerging threats like the Soviet Alexeyev-Leonov Ale-27. However, the introduction of newer Soviet Order aircraft such as the Alexeyev-Leonov ALe-29 and Lyadov Ly-27 quickly presented new problems for the Allied Nations air forces to contend with and the Cygne with the same issues of its predecessor the Épée.
In order to combat these new threats Notreceauen and Luminerra design teams worked in conjunction throughout the 1970s and early 1980s to introduce the Prévoyance-Scorza Cigogne ([Or Insert name in Lumenic]) in 1983. The Cigogne incorporated a number of technological advancements gained from observing Licanan aircraft in action as well as captured Soviet Order aircraft that were seized by Allied forces during Operation Southern Cross. While still lagging behind Soviet Order aircraft and vastly outperformed by Licanan aircraft, the Cigogne was a competent aircraft that allowed the allied nations to engage Soviet Order aircraft effectively, although the avionics and weapon deficiency was still readily apparent.
When it became apparent in the mid and late 1970s that the Allied Forces and Licana would liberate Notreceau as a result of Operation Southern Cross, the DDRD secretly laid plans to develop a second fighter parallel with the Cigogne that would have a significantly longer development lifecycle and would incorporate technologies captured from the Soviet Order as they became available. This project, innocuously named Numéro de programme aéronautique 777 (Aviation Program 777 in English) was conducted without input from Luminerra and hidden from the other nations in the Allied Forces and would eventually result in the Labbe.
Ten years after the initiation of the project in 1975 and four years after Notreceau had been completely liberated in 1981, Prévoyance flew the first prototype originating from NPA 777, naming the aircraft the Labbe E (Expérimentale).
Design
Specifications
General characteristics
- Crew: 1
- Length: 50.01 ft (15.27 m)
- Wingspan: 35.9 ft (10.9 m)
- Height: 17.5 ft (5.34 m)
- Wing area: 492 ft² (45.7 m²)
- Empty weight: 22,708 lbs (10,300 kg)
- Loaded weight: 54,013 lbs (24,500 kg)
- Max. takeoff weight: 54,013 lbs (24,500 kgs)
- Powerplant: 2 × Solaire M1008-54 derivative afterburning turbofan
- Dry thrust: 22,500 lbf (100.08 kN) each
- Thrust with afterburner: 34,000 lbf (150 kN) each
Performance
- Maximum speed:
- At sea level: Mach 1.1
- At altitude: Mach 1.8
- Combat radius: 1,150 mi (1,000 nmi, 1,850 km)
- Service ceiling: 49,984 ft (15,253 m)
- Rate of climb: 60,000 ft/min (304.8 m/s)
- Maximum g-load: +9.0 g
Armament
- Guns: 1 x GIST 30 30 mm autocannon
- Hardpoints: 6 × external pylons on wings with a capacity of 15,000 lb (6,800 kg) and two internal bays with a capacity of up to 5,700 lb (2,590 kg). with a capacity of up to 15,000 lb (6,800 kg) of stores
- Missiles:
- Bombs:
- BD.2521 340 kg (7,50 lbs) guided bombs
- BD.2642 cluster bomb
- BD.2623, BD.2622, and BD.2621 general-purpose bombs
- BD.2721, BD.2722, BD.2723 laser-guided bombs