F-28 Viper

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Layartebian Defense Corporation F-28 Viper
F-28 Viper.png
(Artwork by Mist)
Role Multirole fighter
National origin  Layarteb
Manufacturer Layartebian Defense Corporation
First flight 17 June 1994; 30 years ago (1994-06-17)
Introduction 1 April 2002; 22 years ago (2002-04-01)
Status In-Service
Primary users Imperial Layartebian Air Force
Imperial Layartebian Navy
Produced 2000 - Present
Unit cost
$91,500,000 [Domestic]
$96,000,000 [Export]

The Layartebian Defense Corporation F-28 Viper is a twin-engine supersonic multirole fighter aircraft originally designed for the Imperial Layartebian Military. More Vipers have been produced than any other supersonic, Layartebian, jet fighter. The Viper is an all-weather, 4.5 generation aircraft similar to the Dassault Rafale and the Eurofighter Typhoon.

The Viper's key features include a frameless, bubble canopy for superior visibility, a side-mounted control stick and throttle, dual engines, and a large, delta wing. The aircraft makes heavy use of fly-by-wire systems, making it a highly agile aircr aft, especially when combined with thrust vectoring engines. The fighter has an internal cannon and thirteen hardpoints for air-to-air and air-to-ground ordnance.

The Viper is the most numerous fighter in Layartebian service and it is the most exported Layartebian fighter aircraft of all time. The Viper forms the backbone of several foreign air forces and navies.

Development

Origins

The origin of the F-28 Viper stems from the 1980s when the F-16 Fighting Falcon was introduced to service. Originally planned to be a lightweight fighter for air superiority, the aircraft ballooned into a multirole workhorse for the Imperial Layartebian Air Force. However, the design had some flaws and teething problems with the first variants did not sit well with brass. Wire chafing caused several prominent crashes, killing multiple pilots in the 1980s and though these problems were largely rectified by the 1990s, especially with the F-16C/D variants, the initial troubles left a sore memory of the aircraft. As if these initial problems weren't enough, limitations on range and payload for the Falcon ultimately doomed the nimble, agile fighter in the eyes of the brass.

In the early 1990s, the Ministry of Defense began a new fighter program dubbed the Joint Multirole Fighter Program or JMF Program. At the time, the British Aerospace EAP, the Mirage 4000, and the Dassault Rafale had all taken to the skies with technological demonstrators. The EAP would eventually become the Typhoon, while the Mirage 4000 was canceled in favor of the Rafale. It was from these aircraft, along with others, that the JMF Program would take its influence.

Early on in the JMF Program, designers conceded that a delta wing would be necessary for the type of ordnance, range, and agility requirements placed on the JMF. In addition, the debut of stealth aircraft such as the F-117 Nighthawk and the B-2 Spirit guaranteed that some attention would need to be paid to stealth, albeit the JMF Program was never required to procure a stealth fighter, that was left for other programs. The aircraft had to have a top speed in excess of Mach 2 at altitude and in excess of Mach 1.1 at sea level and it had to have two engines, which was a major distinction from the Falcon, which was a single-engine aircraft. Some in the Ministry of Defense believed that the single-engine of the Falcon contributed to its high accident rate and, for the aircraft to be accepted by the navy, it had to have two engines.

What resulted was the YF-28, which first flew on June 17, 1994. The aircraft bore a rather unique design while having the same, general appearance as its contemporary, soon-to-be 4.5 generation fighters. On its first test flight, the fighter was taken up to transonic speed and flown through several maneuvers not typically done for a first test flight. Handling was superb and performance issues were nonexistent. On the third test flight, the aircraft exceeded supersonic flight and on its seventeenth test flight, it reached a top speed of Mach 2.05 at an altitude of 36,500 feet (11,125 meters).

Fifteen prototype YF-28s were constructed from 1994 to 1996 and put through rigorous testing. Ten were single-seat variants and five were two-seat variants. The two-seat variants were used primarily for naval testing. The JMF was in direct competition with the F-18 Super Hornet to replace the F-18 Hornet and the A-7 Corsair II on aircraft carriers. The Corsair II had already been replaced with the air force by the Falcon but several A-7E Corsair IIs still flew with the navy into the early 2000s.

The YF-28 was officially dubbed the "Viper" on July 10, 2000 when low-rate initial production was authorized. The first operational squadron of F-28A Vipers would reach initial operational capability on April 1, 2002 with the air force and on January 11, 2004 with the navy.

Production

Low rate initial production began in July 2000 at the New York Assembly Plant in Utica, New York. This plant produced a total of eight aircraft in FY00, sixteen in FY01, thirty in FY02, fifty in FY03, eighty in FY04, and one hundred and twenty from FY05 onward. Overall, some 1,984 F-28 Vipers have been produced at this facility since its inception (as of FY19).

During the first two years of Viper production, a second and a third production facility were under modification. The Layartebian Defense Corporation converted the Pittsburgh Assembly Facility outside of Pittsburg, Pennsylvania to the Viper in FY02 and the Columbus Aircraft Manufacturing Facility just west of Columbus, Georgia - on the Alabama side of the state line - to the Viper in FY04. The Pittsburg facility produced eight aircraft each in FY02 and FY03, expanding to twenty-eight in FY04, forty-one in FY05, thirty-six in FY06, seventy in FY07, seventy-five in FY08, one hundred in FY09, and one hundred and fifty from FY10 onward. In total, the facility has made 1,866 F-28 Vipers (as of FY19).

The Alabama facility produced eight in FY04, twenty-four in FY05, forty-eight in FY06, ninety-six in FY07, and one hundred and ninety-two thereon from FY08. Also coming online in FY04 was the Caracas Aircraft Assembly Plant outside of Caracas, Venezuela. Its production numbers matched those of the Alabama facility - as they were identical facilities - and both facilities produced 2,480 F-28 Vipers each (as of FY19).

The fifth - and final - production line was opened in Guyana in FY08 just outside of Georgetown. Its production numbers were eight aircraft in FY08, eighteen in FY09, thirty-six in FY10, seventy-two in FY11, and one hundred and forty-four since FY12. In total, this facility has produced 1,286 F-28 Vipers (as of FY19).

All told, as of 2019, there have been just under 10,100 Vipers produced at all five manufacturing facilities. The Viper is produced only domestically, even those for export. It is primarily the Venezuela and Guyana facilities that are providing export Vipers to various countries. Exported Vipers would have been available to The October Alliance (TOA) or Tier I allies beginning with the Block 10 in 2005 and Tier II allies beginning with the Block 15 in 2008. There are no exports offered beyond Tier II category countries.

Upgrades

Initial versions of the F-28 Viper were of the Block 1 variant. In total, 48 aircraft were produced from FY00 to FY02 at the Block 1 standard. The initial operational capability (IOC) Vipers had very limited air-to-air and air-to-ground capabilities and were largely used for pilot transition training. Insofar as air-to-air ordnance was concerned, they could only carry the AIM-9M Sidewinder and for air-to-ground ordnance, they could only carry unguided, iron bombs of the Mark 80 series.

Production to the Block 5 variant began in FY02 and continued into FY04 where a total of 144 aircraft were produced. The Block 5 variant upgraded the aircraft's air-to-air capabilities to include the SARH-guided AIM-7 Sparrow and the radar-guided AIM-120 AMRAAM, giving the Viper almost full air-to-air capabilities.

In FY04, the Block 10 variant began production and through FY06, there were a total of 513 aircraft produced. The Block 10 variant is considered the full operational capability Viper and it became available to Tier I allies in FY05. The Block 10 variant integrated precision-guided, air-to-ground ordnance including (but not limited to) the JDAM and the Paveway bombs, the AGM-65 Maverick, the AGM-84 Harpoon, and the AGM-154 JSOW. It also integrated cluster bombs, incendiary bombs, and unguided rockets.

In FY07, production switched to the Block 15 variant and continued through FY13 with 8,949 aircraft produced (as of 2019). This became the penultimate Viper and exports began in FY08 to Tier I and Tier II allies. The Block 15 Viper integrated the newest munitions available such as the MBDA Meteor and various aircraft-launched cruise missiles such as the AGM-158 JASSM and the MBDA Storm Shadow. In addition, the Block 15 introduced the ability to carry standoff jamming pods and the EF-28 production began with the Block 15 variant. In Layartebian service, all Block 1 and 5 Vipers would be upgraded to the Block 15 standard. Block 15 variants are still in production, though chiefly for exports. Exported Block 10 Vipers began receiving Block 15 upgrades beginning in FY09.

The current version in production is the Block 20 variant, which commenced production in FY15, solely for the Imperial Layartebian Military. Block 10 Vipers in domestic service began seeing upgrades to the Block 20 standard in FY18. The primarily differences for the Block 20 are software related. Updates to the aircraft's radar and countermeasures systems are the primary changes. These updates primarily improve processing rates on the radar and zone usage on the countermeasures systems, as well as providing new programming for automated chaff and flare release

At present, a Block 25 variant is under development. The Block 25 variant will focus primarily on the propulsion system of the Viper. Developers are working to a target goal of increasing the aircraft's range by 10% through updates to the engines. There may also be changes to the aircraft's fly-by-wire system with the goal of reducing weight via fiber-optic cables. The earliest availability for the Block 25 variant would be 2022 but it could be as late as 2024. It is not yet determined if export Vipers would receive upgrades to the Block 25 standard.

Design

Overview

The Viper is a twin-engine, highly maneuverable, supersonic, multi-role, tactical fighter aircraft. The aircraft itself is much larger than the F-16 Falcon but comparable to other delta-wing, Western, 4.5-generation fighter aircraft. It utilizes a fly-by-wire flight control system that enables the aircraft to perform highly agile maneuvers, which is significantly aided by the thrust-vectoring engine controls. The Viper is capable of 9-g maneuvers and it can reach over Mach 2 in level-flight at altitude. A frameless, bubble canopy affords the pilots superb visibility in dogfights and significant innovations were taken in the cockpit to help pilots reduce the effects of g-force during maneuvers. These innovations included side-mounted controls and a reclined seat. The aircraft has a thrust-to-weight ratio greater than one, providing significant power in acceleration and turning.

The Viper is armed with a 30-millimeter internal cannon, the GAU-20/A Revolver Cannon in the port wing root. The aircraft has thirteen hardpoints for the mounting of a number of air-to-air, air-to-ground, and miscellaneous stores to complete its mission. Due to it being a 4.5-generation fighter, considerable measures were taken to reduce the overall radar cross section of the aircraft. This enables a delay in detection from search and fire control radars, perhaps giving the Viper an edge against an enemy. Much of the aircraft's construction is from lightweight composites, which help aid in this reduced RCS.

General Configuration

The Viper is designed to be highly agile in all speed regimes, whether slow or supersonic. This is largely achieved through a relaxed stability design, which means that the aircraft is aerodynamically unstable. Without its fly-by-wire system, it would be very difficult to fly and for that reason, all fly-by-wire systems have quadruple redundancy to ensure survivability in battle.

The airframe, largely made out of lightweight composites, has an estimated lifespan of 8,000 hours and it can withstand -4g to +11g; however, maneuvers over +10.5g will deform and damage the wings, requiring replacement. A G-limiter onboard the aircraft prevents maneuvers in excess of +9g, primarily to prevent G-LOC or G-force induced loss of consciousness. Because G-LOC at low altitude is almost always fatal, the Viper is equipped with an auto-GCAS system that prevents a ground collision. The auto-GCAS system automatically corrects for diving maneuvers and automatically returns the aircraft to level or climbing flight to prevent collisions with the ground. This system was credited with preventing two crashes during the prototype and evaluation phase of the aircraft's development.

The Viper's design includes not only a delta wing but also active clouse-coupled canards to maximize maneuverability and enhance low-speed, low-altitude performance. Thanks to those canards, the landing speed of the Viper is around 115 knots (132 mph or 213 km/h), which is especially useful for carrier landings. Coupled with its thrust-vectoring engines, the Viper is capable of aggressive maneuvers, even at low-speed.

While all variants of the Viper come equipped with arrestor hooks, it is only the carrier-capable variants that have a reinforced undercarriage system, which is needed because of the high impacts of carrier landings and the stresses of catapult launches. These variants are also equipped with an automated landing system, which means that the aircraft could land itself without input from the pilot. Carrier-capable aircraft also have folding wingtips to reduce storage requirements in the confines of carrier decks. The downside to this is the increase in empty weight for carrier-capable aircraft.

Cockpit

The Viper is fully equipped with a glass cockpit meaning that it incorporates a number of multi-function displays. These allow the pilots to choose from any number of displays allowing for robust aircraft control. The principles of data fusion are highly present in the cockpit, which aims to reduce the workload on the pilot, especially in single-seat aircraft.

The Vipers controls are fully HOTAS or Hands on Throttle and Stick, with the flight control stick on the right and the throttle on the left. This is done chiefly to aid in control during high G-force maneuvers but also to provide additional room in front of the pilot, especially with regards to the display screens. Both the pilot and the RIO/WSO sit on ACES II zero-zero ejection seats, reclined to 30° to aid in high G-force maneuvers. The reliability of the ACES II makes it the primary ejection seat in Layartebian aircraft.

The pilot has access to four LCD multi-function displays or MFDs. Directly centerline with the pilot is the primary display, which measures 8 inches (20 cm) square. Two secondary displays right and left of this display measure 6.25 inches (15.88 cm) square. A tertiary display sits underneath the primary display, in between the pilot's legs. This display is also 6.25 inches (15.88 cm) square. The RIO/WSO has the same configuration but he also has two additional 3 inch x 4 inch (7.62 cm x 10.16 cm) displays. Despite this highly digital layout, the critical systems of the aircraft such as its artificial horizon, fuel gauge, compass, speedometer, altimeter, and AOA meter are entirely analog to ensure proper functionality in electrical blackout conditions that might negate the ability to use the MFDs. The RIO/WSO cannot control the aircraft but he has these systems as well due to redundancy. All MFDs have a resolution of 1024 pixels x 1024 pixels.

The canopy of the Viper is coated with a layer of indium tin oxide (ITO), which not only gives the canopy a gold tint but also helps reduce the radar cross section of the aircraft. The canopy itself is made of polycarbonate material and it is designed to flex during bird strikes to ensure survivability.

The head-up display or HUD of the Viper is a wide-angle design. It offers high performance and low latency to ensure that it is always function. It, like all systems within the cockpit, is compatible with night-vision goggles. In addition, the aircraft's systems are also compatible with helmet-mounted display or HMD systems.

Climate control systems in the cockpit provide for air conditioning and heating systems and the aircraft's cockpit is equipped with a redundant backup life-support system to counteract potential hypoxia-related issues.

One novel feature on the Viper, which is only seen in a handful of aircraft, is a direct voice input (DVI) system. This allows the pilot to utilize specific words to control non-critical systems in the aircraft. However, the DVI system requires a significant amount of training and it is largely speaker-dependent meaning that every pilot in a squadron would need to have his voice recorded into each aircraft. Because of this, Layartebian aircraft have the DVI system deactivated.

Avionics

It is the avionics of the Viper that truly set it apart from other aircraft in its class. Special attention was paid in the design and the development of the Viper to ensure that the avionics could not only provide enhanced situational awareness on the battlefield but also be compatible with future upgrades. It is for that reason that the avionics are something of a modular design.

For basic functionality, the Viper is equipped with a GPS and an inertial navigation system. The aircraft can utilize Instrument Landing System or ILS for landing in poor weather or other conditions. The aircraft has a ground proximity warning system and Link 16 capabilities, which can be expanded to new standards. All aircraft feature these systems but domestic and export aircraft have different advanced systems such as radar and ECM.

Detection Systems

Vipers in service with the Imperial Layartebian Military are equipped with the AN/APG-91 solid-state, active electronically scanned array (AESA) radar. The radar is composed of 1,600 transmit/receive modules, which provide near-instantaneous beam steering and frequency hopping capabilities. This makes the radar an LPIR radar. The radar has a diameter of 26.38 inches (670 mm) and a weight of 529 lb (240 kg). It has a peak power output of approximately 24 kilowatts but an average pulse significantly less. Each T/R module is 4.4 inches (112 mm) long by 1.18 inches (30 mm) width by 0.47 inches (12 mm) thick. They weigh only 2.82 oz (80 g) each but can handle 15 watts of maximum power.

The AN/APG-91(V)-1 in the F-28 Viper is capable of both air-to-air and air-to-ground modes. It is capable of tracking 64 aircraft at once, of which 8 can be engaged simultaneously. Air-to-air modes include: range while scan (RWS), track while scan (TWS), single-target track (STT), and dogfight. Because the radar is a synthetic aperture radar, it can provide high-resolution mapping. In air-to-ground modes, the AN/APG-91(V)-1 can engage both stationary and moving targets as well as seaborne targets. The radar also has terrain-following capabilities. The AN/APG-91(V)-1 operates on X band. Export Vipers are equipped with the AN/APG-80 radar instead.

The use of the radar, despite its LPI capabilities, means that the Viper is still actively transmitting emissions. To counter this, the Viper is equipped with the AN/AAS-48 IRST. Mounted on the nose just forward of the canopy, the AN/AAS-48(V)-1 IRST provides passive detection via infrared capabilities. It has a range of 50 miles (80 km) head-on and 90 miles (145 km) for the rear with limited air-to-ground capabilities. Against supersonic targets, these ranges increase. The system is entirely passive and functions on two IR bands, 3 - 5 µm and 8 - 11 µm. It has a field of view of 180° x 75° and can simultaneously track up to 500 targets. The IRST is a weather-dependent system however and it is not useful against ground targets. In a dogfight, the IRST is also equipped with a ranging laser, which aids the cannon. Export Vipers are equipped with the OSF IRST system.

For ground-attack missions, the Viper would carry an AN/AAQ-33 Sniper targeting pod. The Sniper can be mounted on chin pylon, where it provides downward-focused FLIR and laser-designation. It can be used for nap-of-the-earth flying without utilizing the terrain-following capabilities of the Viper's radar. The Sniper pod provides high-resolution imagery and laser-designation up to 50,000 feet (15,250 m). All versions of the Viper would require the Sniper for laser-designation or ground-targeting FLIR.

Self-Defense Systems

To defend against threats, the Viper is equipped with the AN/ASQ-238 Electronic Countermeasures Suite. The version specifically deployed on the Viper is the AN/ASQ-238(V)-1 system. It provides an assortment of jamming and warning systems. This includes the AN/ALR-94 Radar Warning Receiver, which provides 360° detection for radar-based threats out to as far away as 300 mi (480 km). To provide warning in case of laser-designation, the ECS equips the AN/AVR-4 Laser Warning Receiver, which is a short-range system solely for the detection of laser-designation.

While the AN/ALR-94 provides warning against radar-based threats, the Viper has the AN/AAR-52 Missile Warning System for non-radar threats, primarily infrared-guided missiles. The AN/AAR-52 is a dual-mode system that utilizes infrared and ultraviolent detection to warn the pilot of approaching missiles. The use of both systems is done to help counter the advantages and disadvantages of each. Infrared-based alert systems detect the hot rocket motor of incoming missiles but they are not all-weather systems, which UV-based systems are. IR-based systems are highly effective against air-to-air missiles while UV-based systems are better against surface-to-air missiles. The AN/AAR-52 utilizes these systems thus to warn the pilot of approaching missiles that might escape the AN/ALR-94.

Beyond warning the pilot of approaching threats, the ECS can also jam them. Against radio frequency (RF) threats, the system employs the AN/ALQ-229 for jamming. The AN/ALQ-229 provides not only full spectrum jamming of a wide area but also directional jamming for focused lethality. The AN/ALQ-229 is also effective against monopulse seekers such as the AIM-120 AMRAAM. Against these missiles, the AN/ALQ-229 utilizes "Cross-eye techniques." To achieve this, there are transmitters placed on each wing of the aircraft with a 180° phase shift. This angle-deception technique forces the seeker of the incoming missile to realign its antenna and in doing so gives the missile incorrect tracking data causing the missile to miss entirely. However, the system is not effective against two separate seekers coming from different bearings. The AN/ALQ-229 is supplemented by the AN/ALQ-230, which is used for IR jamming. The AN/ALQ-230 utilizes pulses of infrared energy to confuse and disrupt incoming infrared-guided missiles and it is effective against both air-to-air and surface-to-air missiles.

All of these systems are linked together so that they can function automatically without input from the pilot - or manually if the pilot would prefer. Electronic warfare variants of the Viper add the AN/ALQ-232, which is a multiband, standoff jammer with a higher power output to disrupt tracking radars for surface-to-air missiles and communications bands via noise jamming. The electronic warfare variants also mount the Next Generation Jammer pods for enhanced protection against low, mid, and high radio bands. Export Vipers carry the AN/ALR-67 Radar Warning Receiver, the AN/AAR-56 Missile Approach Warner, and the AN/ALQ-214 RF Jammer. Export electronic warfare Vipers utilizes the AN/ALQ-99 jamming pod.

Beyond radars, IRSTs, and ECM systems, the Viper is also equipped with a number of physical countermeasures in the form of chaff, flare, and decoys. All Vipers are equipped with AN/ALE-47 dispensers for chaff and flares. Each dispenser can hold up to 30 chaff bundles or flares and there can be up to five configurations for chaff and flare loads. The Viper mounts eight on the fuselage with two in the front and six in the rear of the aircraft. On Block 15 aircraft however, these were supplemented by the ability to carry additional dispensers in their weapons pylons, adding six additional dispensers for a total of fourteen dispensers. These pylons are carried on stations 2 and 12.

In addition, the Viper mounts two AN/ALE-58 high-capacity dispensers on stations 1 and 13. These high-capacity dispensers can hold up to 160 chaff or flare cartridges; however, they are typically loaded with chaff so that the under-fuselage dispensers can be loaded with flares. All told, a Block 15 Viper will normally carry 320 cartridges in its AN/ALE-58 dispensers, 180 chaff cartridges in its pylon dispensers, and 120 medium or 240 small flare cartridges in its AN/ALE-47 dispensers. The F-28 Viper is, in its basic configuration, able to act as a chaff bomber, laying out long corridors of chaff to confuse enemy radars and missiles, maximizing its ability to carry as many as 740 chaff cartridges without external pods. For pods, the Viper can carry the AN/ALE-37A Chaff Pod, the AN/ALE-41 Chaff Pod, or the AN/ALE-43 Chaff Pod, of which seven of each can be carried. The AN/ALE-37A weighs 277 lb (126 kg) and it can carry up to two, 120-round payload modules for a total of 240 rounds of chaff, flares, or decoys. The AN/ALE-41 weighs 360 lb (163 kg) and the AN/ALE-43 weighs 626 lb (284 kg) and both utilize rolls of chaff to create long corridors.

Beyond chaff and flare dispensers, the Viper is also equipped with two decoy systems. On wing stations 3 and 11, the Viper mounts a single AN/ALE-55(V)-2 towed decoy dispenser. Each dispenser holds 3, towed decoys, which are trailed on a long, fiber-optic wire behind the aircraft. The decoy is normally towed significantly behind the aircraft to ensure that the blast radius of a surface-to-air missile is well away from the aircraft. Complementing these are two AN/ALE-57 decoy dispensers, each of which carry 6 decoys with a diameter of 2.16 (55 mm) each. These can include radio-frequency or infrared-frequency jammers or chaff/flare packets. Normally, they carry expendable jammers that are designed to operate for 10 - 20 seconds after they are ejected, providing effective jamming to missiles in their terminal phase. The infrared-frequency jammer is intended to spoof imaging-infrared missiles, which are not spoofed by flares. These are carried on stations 4 and 10. Only certain export customers receive these two decoy dispensers while the chaff and flare dispensers are standard on all Vipers.

To say that the Viper is not well-protected is simply a lie given its ability to carry a large array of countermeasures, decoys, and electronic warfare systems.

Performance

The Viper - as a 4.5-generation fighter - has comparable performance to the Dassalt Rafale and the Eurofighter Typhoon. As such, it is not meant to equal the combat performance of the 5th generation fighters such as the F-22 Raptor and the F-35 Lightning II. Even still, the Viper is capable and highly adept at surviving the modern battlefield.

Top speed for the Viper at sea-level is Mach 1.2 (915 mph; 1,472 km/h; 795 kn). At altitude, the Viper is capable of a top speed of Mach 2.05 (1,355 mph; 2,180 km/h; 1,177 kn). The Viper has a maximum ceiling of 60,000 ft (18,288 m) and its initial rate of climb is 50,000 ft/min (254 m/s). With a minimal air-to-air load - four BVR missiles and two dogfight missiles - the Viper has the ability to super cruise at Mach 1.4 (925 mph; 1,489 km/h; 804 kn).

Insofar as maneuverability is concerned, the Viper is a highly agile fighter. It is not only the design of the fighter that enables it to perform high-g maneuvers but its thrust-vectoring engines as well. The airframe itself is capable of -4g to +11g but a G-limiter caps this to -3g to +9g.

With its typical combat load, the Viper has a combat radius of 465 mi (750 km) but with conformal fuel tanks, this can be increased to 685 mi (1,100 km). Its unrefueled, ferry range is 2,860 mi (4,600 km). Its takeoff run at sea-level is 525 meters (1,722 ft) while its landing run is 450 meters (1,475 ft) without a landing chute. This can be decreased with an add-on, drogue chute. Installation of the braking chute would be done in the base of the tail.

Propulsion

The Viper is a twin-engine fighter and it is powered by a pair of low-bypass, afterburning, turbofan engines. Each engine is capable of providing up to 16,000 lbf (71.17 kN) of thrust dry and up to 26,000 lbf (115.65 kN) with full afterburner. They are further equipped with 2D thrust-vectoring paddles, allowing ±20° along the pitch axis. Because of the aircraft's large amount of lift, the power of its engines, and the use of thrust-vectoring, the Viper is capable of many post stall maneuvers, sometimes referred to as supermanueverability. In this regard, the Viper almost falls into the same class as 5th generation fighters.

The LDC-TF-15A engine that powers the Viper measures 208 in (5.28 m) in length with a fan diameter of 46.5 in (1.18 m). Each engine weighs 3,375 lb (1,531 kg). The engine has a dual-spool, axial compressor with three fan and ten, high-pressure, compressor stages. There are also two, high-pressure turbine and two, low-pressure turbine stages. Specific fuel consumption at military thrust is 0.76 lb/(lbf-h) (77.5 kg/(kN-h) and at full afterburner it is 1.94 lb/(lbf-h) (197.8 kg/(kN-h). It has an overall thrust-to-weight ratio of 7.7:1 and a bypass ratio of 0.36:1.

Feeding these enormously powerful engines is an internal fuel supply of 12,650 lb (5,740 kg). This equals approximately 1,885 gal (7,135 l) of JP-8 fuel, which weighs approximately 6.71 lb per gallon or (0.8 kg per liter). Externally, the Viper can carry three drop tanks on its centerline and innermost wing pylons. On the centerline pylon, the Viper can carry any fuel tank between 300 gal (1,135 L) and 330 gal (1,250 L). On its innermost wing pylons, the Viper can carry any fuel tank between 300 gal (1,135 L) and 600 gal (2,271 L). A typical loadout is a single, 300-gal (1,135-L) tank on the centerline and two 370-gal (1,400 L) tanks on the innermost wing pylons. For additional fuel capacity above and beyond these external tanks, the Viper can mount two, conformal fuel tanks. Each of these CFTs can carry an additional 450 gal (1,703 L) of fuel with limited aerodynamic penalties. In a full, ferry configuration, the Viper can carry more fuel externally than it can internally. With both CFTs and three external tanks, the Viper can augment its internal fuel by 2,400 gal (9,085 L).

Lastly, beyond the fuel supply that the Viper carries with it at takeoff, it is capable of aerial refueling or air-to-air refueling (AAR). The Viper is equipped for probe-and-drogue refueling with a fueling receptacle mounted in its nose on the starboard side. An initial plan to have the Viper supplied solely by boom-refueling was rejected in the final design phase to ensure compatibility across all services and foreign customers; however, designers claim that the ability to retrofit the aircraft for boom-refueling exists with only minimal design changes to the fighter.

Weapons

The Viper is - first and foremost - a combat aircraft and no combat aircraft would be complete without its weaponry. Across its thirteen hardpoints, the Viper can carry up to 23,000 lb (10,410 kg) of ordnance in addition to its internal cannon. These hardpoints are mounted centerline, along the fuselage, at the chin, and across the wings and wingtips.

Internal Cannon

The Viper's internal cannon, on domestically-built fighters, is the GAU-20/A Revolver Cannon, which is identical to the French GIAT 30M 791. The 30-millimeter cannon fires the 30x150mm B projectile at a muzzle velocity of 1,025 m/s (3,360 fps). The cannon has a selectable rate of fire that allows for rates of fire of 300, 600, 1,500, or 2,500 rounds per minute, which allows Viper pilots to tailor their ammunition expenditure based on target and situation. Higher rates of fire are better used in dogfighting, where windows of opportunity are measured in quarters of seconds while slower rates of fire are useful in strafing where ammunition expenditure is critical to the number of runs available. The standard ammunition load for the Viper is 275 rounds.

Export F-28 Vipers can be sold with three other guns instead. The first is the M61A2 Vulcan cannon, a six-barrel, Gatling gun with 570 rounds. The other two options are the GAU-12/U Equalizer with 250 rounds and the Mauser BK-27 with 300 rounds. There are other cannon options available but they depend on size, weight, power requirements, and ammunition capacities.

The Viper is capable of mounting several gun pods on its centerline hardpoint. This includes the SUU-16/A, the SUU-23/A, and the GPU-5/A. The SUU-16/A and the SUU-23/A both utilize the M61A1 Vulcan and carry 1,200 rounds of ammunition. The SUU-16/A weighs 1,650 lb (748 kg) and utilizes a ram-air turbine for power, requiring the aircraft to be flying over 300 mph (261 kn; 483 km/h). It has a fixed rate of fire of 6,000 rpm. The SUU-23/A weighs 1,730 lb (785 kg) and it is self-powered, meaning that the minimum speed requirements of the SUU-16/A are removed. It has a fixed rate of fire of 6,000 rpm too. The GPU-5/A pod utilizes the GAU-13/A Gatling gun, a scaled-down derivate of the infamous GAU-8/A Avenger. The GAU-13 has four barrels to the GAU-8's seven but both fire the 30x173mm round. The GPU-5 pod holds 353 rounds and it weighs 1,325 lb (601 kg) empty but 1,854 lb (841 kg) loaded. It has a fixed rate of fire of 2,400 rpm. The GPU-5 pod requires a heavily stressed hardpoint due to recoil and firing effects, which the Viper has.

External Hardpoints

For external hardpoints, the Viper has a single hardpoint centerline, four hardpoints along the fuselage, three hardpoints on each wing, and one hardpoint on each wingtip. Together, they can carry a wide-array of air-to-air and air-to-ground ordnance as well as sensor pods and other, miscellaneous equipment.

The centerline hardpoint is rated for up to 3,200 lb (1,450 kg). On this hardpoint, the Viper can carry a single store. It cannot carry any air-to-air missiles but it can mount a single AGM-169 Brimstone rack with three missiles. It can also mount a single guided or unguided bomb though it can carry up to four GBU-39 Small Diameter Bombs since a single rack can carry four such bombs. Typically however, this pylon is used to mount a 300-gal (1,135 L) or 330-gal (1,250 L) external drop tank, a sensor pod, or an ECM pod. This station is also capable of mounting the MXU-648 Travel Pod or chaff pods. It is chiefly due to dimensional limitations (which affect takeoff and landing) that this hardpoint can carry limited ordnance.

The four, fuselage hardpoints are arranged two forward and two aft along the aircraft's underbelly. Each hardpoint is rated for 750 lb (340 kg). While these hardpoints are typically used for air-to-air weaponry, they are capable of supporting the same, Brimstone rack as the centerline hardpoint. Typically however, these hardpoints load medium-range or long-range air-to-air missiles such as the AIM-7 Sparrow, AIM-120 AMRAAM, MBDA Meteor, or the MBDA Mica. Other missiles of this class can be carried. The only exception to these limitations is the forward, port hardpoint, which can also carry sensor and ECM pods. Typically, this hardpoint is used to carry the AN/AAQ-38 Sniper pod or an additional ECM pod. It can also carry datalink pods for specific air-to-ground weaponry.

On the two, innermost wing hardpoints, the Viper can carry up to 4,500 lb (2,050 kg) per hardpoint. These hardpoints represent the most capable of all those onboard the aircraft. These hardpoints can carry both air-to-air and air-to-ground munitions with few limitations. They are also capable of mounting multiple and triple ejector racks for lighter ordnance. These hardpoints can also carry drop tanks and ECM pods. The few things these hardpoints cannot carry include gun pods, infrared-guided dogfight missiles, and sensor pods. They are compatible with the MXU-648 Travel Pod.

The Viper's two, center wing hardpoints are rated for 2,500 lb (1,125 kg) per pylon. They can also carry a wide array of weaponry, including infrared-guided, dogfight missiles. Like the innermost pylons, they can mount multiple and triple ejector racks. The main limitations on weaponry for these pylons is weight. They can carry almost all of the same weapons as the innermost hardpoints provided the weight limitations are met. They cannot mount gun pods or sensor pods; however. They are compatible with the MXU-648 Travel Pod.

The Viper's two, outer wing hardpoints are rated for only 800 lb (350 kg) per pylon. Here, weight limitations play a heavy role in what the Viper can and cannot carry. Typically, these pylons are used for air-to-air missiles but they can also mount some lighter, air-to-ground missiles and bombs. Multiple and triple ejector racks cannot be carried on these pylons but they are capable of supporting rocket pods.

Lastly, there are the Viper's two, wingtip hardpoints, each of which are rated for 600 lb (275 kg). These are strictly for air-to-air missiles and they can carry either short-range, dogfight missiles or medium-range missiles such as the AIM-120 AMRAAM or the MBDA Mica. The MBDA Meteor cannot be carried on these hardpoints however.

All told, the Viper can carry an impressive loadout of eighteen air-to-air missiles utilizing all of its fuselage, wing, and wingtip hardpoints. On a ground-attack sortie, the Viper will normally carry three medium-range missiles on its fuselage and two to four short-range missiles on its outer wing and/or wingtip hardpoints. Perhaps its most impressive war load however is the "Assault Breaker" concept. This concept is for high-intensity warfare and sees the Viper flying a CAS mission in support of armored advances. In this configuration, the Viper will mount Brimstone racks on all available hardpoints in addition to two air-to-air missiles on its wingtips. It will then be able to carry up to thirty-three Brimstone missiles with which to use against hostile armor. To make matters worse - for the enemy - the Brimstone is capable of salvo firing and the Viper can fire up to twenty-four missiles at once against twenty-four different targets. There are few militaries in the world capable of withstanding such an onslaught from one, let alone a squadron of Vipers in an "Assault Breaker" flight mode. However, despite this maximum configuration, a more likely loadout would be three external fuel tanks, eight Brimstone racks with twenty-four missiles on its four fuselage and four center and outer wing hardpoints, and two wingtip-mounted air-to-air missiles.

Insofar as ordnance types are concerned, the Viper is set up for Western ordnance. However, it can be reconfigured to support Russian ordnance; however, only one type can be supported at once.

Operational History

Layartebian Service

Imperial Layartebian Air Force

The F-28A/B Viper achieved initial operating capability (IOC) in April 2002 with the Imperial Layartebian Air Force, the first operator of the Viper. Full operational capability came with the Block 10 design in January 2005. With the current rate of production, the final F-16 Falcon squadrons are expected to be replaced by 2021 with only a handful remaining active presently.

Imperial Layartebian Navy

The first F-28C/D Vipers achieved initial operating capability (IOC) in January 2004 with the Imperial Layartebian Navy. These were Block 5 variants and full operational capability was achieved in 2006 when Block 10 Vipers became available to the navy. The first squadrons to convert were A-7E Corsair II squadrons followed by those with the F-18 Hornet (known as the Legacy Hornet informally). By 2012, all of these aircraft had been replaced and all F-18 Super Hornet squadrons were replaced by 2018.

Foreign Service

Mexico

As part of a major arms agreement in June 2010 known as the Havana Cooperative Agreement II, the Mexican government placed an initial purchase order for 80 aircraft, with options for another 70 aircraft. Deliveries began in 2014 and in 2016, the Mexican government modified their order to be 118 aircraft in total, split as 84 single-seat F-28A variants and 34 two-seat F-28B variants. All 118 aircraft were delivered by 2019.

The F-28 Viper reached initial operating capability (IOC) in June 2014, shortly after the first aircraft had been delivered. The initial squadron of Viper pilots trained in the Empire of Layarteb during the period between the initial purchase and the delivery. Full operational capability was reached in 2016 when the Mexican Air Force had enough Vipers to equip three squadrons. As of 2019, there are six squadrons with F-28 Vipers along with an operational conversion unit of 10 fighters.

The Viper has not been used in combat by the Mexican Air Force; however, aircraft have participated in a reconnaissance fashion during the Third Drug War. Experts believe it is only a matter of time before aircraft will be used to strike cartel targets in the further escalating drug conflict.

Britain

The British military originally expressed interest in procuring the Viper multi-role in 2006, following a conclusion of a series of controversial politically-led military reforms that stretched from 2001 till 2005; between this period, a number of reforms were suggested, some adopted, but the definitive report was the 2005 White Paper which suggested critical inventory replacement for the Fleet Air Arm, whose Mercury FGR.2's had over their short operational span (1991 FOC) as being notoriously unreliable, particularly based on after-action reports from the British Intervention in Egypt where a series of accidents or equipment failures plagued the expeditionary forces there. Domestic replacements were considered, particularly the OMA-funded Dassault Rafale, but procurement costs and a political bribe scandal that broke in 2004 ended all serious review there. Following the initial successes of the Layartebian Vipers, British government officials made approaches to procure there own, with an official purchase accord being finalized in 2008, funded in full by Parliament the following session and the Imperial military taking initial deliveries of Block 15 Vipers in 2010, designated Viper FGR.1, the first batch entering with the Fleet Air Arm who received a bulk of the first deliveries, while the Imperial Air Force received the next series. Full operational capacity was reached in 2012, and as of 2020 there are approximately xxx Vipers in service across the Imperial Air Force (E2)

Variants

Prototype Models

  • YF-28A - Main single-seat prototype, became F-28A
  • YF-28B - Main twin-seat prototype, became F-28B
  • YF-28C - Modified YF-28A for navalized testing, became F-28C
  • YF-28D - Modified YF-28B for navalized testing, became F-28D
  • YF-28E - Modified F-28D for electronic warfare testing, became EF-28E

Production Models

  • F-28A/B Viper - Land-based variants
    • Block 1 - IOC aircraft with limited air-to-air and air-to-ground capabilities
    • Block 5 - IOC aircraft with full air-to-air integration
    • Block 10 - FOC aircraft with additional air-to-ground integration
    • Block 15 - Newly built and upgraded Block 1 & Block 5 aircraft with full weapons integration and the integration of weapons newly available
    • Block 20 - Newly built and upgraded Block 10 aircraft with updated avionics and ECM software
    • Block 25 - Upgrade in-development aiming to provide 10% increase in range and potential weight reductions, expected in 2022 - 2024
  • F-28C/D Viper - Carrier-based variants
    • Block 5 - IOC aircraft with full air-to-air integration
    • Block 10 - FOC aircraft with additional air-to-ground integration
    • Block 15 - Newly built and upgraded Block 1 & Block 5 aircraft with full weapons integration and the integration of weapons newly available
    • Block 20 - Newly built and upgraded Block 10 aircraft with updated avionics and ECM software
    • Block 25 - Upgrade in-development aiming to provide 10% increase in range and potential weight reductions, expected in 2022 - 2024
  • EF-28E Viper - Carrier-based, twin-seat, electronic warfare variant
    • Block 15 - IOC & FOC aircraft built with the same Block 15 standard as the F-28C/D
    • Block 20 - Newly built and upgraded Block 15 aircraft with updated avionics and ECM software
    • Block 25 - Upgrade in-development aiming to provide 10% increase in range and potential weight reductions, expected in 2022 - 2024

Operators

Domestic Units

 Layarteb

A total of XXX have been ordered out of a planned XXX. There have been XXX aircraft delivered by 2019 with all aircraft anticipated to be delivered by YYY.

Foreign Units

 Mexico (E2)

A total of 118 have been ordered and delivered out of a planned 118 aircraft as of 2019.

  • Mexican Air Force - 118 delivered out of 118 ordered as of 2019
    • F-28AE Viper (84)
    • F-28BE Viper (34)

 Britain (E2)

A total of xxx have been delivered, out of an ordered 4,100 units with expectations for final delivery of the last units to occur by FY2023


  • Fleet Air Arm - xxx delivered out of planned 1,115 as of FY2019
    • Viper FGR.2 (DE) 975
    • Viper E.1 140

Operational Losses & Accidents

Specifications

General Characteristics

  • Crew: 1 [A/C] or 2 [B/D/E]
  • Length: 55 ft (16.76 m)
  • Wingspan: 39.5 ft (12.04 m)
  • Height: 17.5 ft (5.33 m)
  • Empty Weight:
    • 28,350 lb (12,859 kg) [A/B]
    • 30,475 lb (13,823 kg) [C/D/E]
  • Payload Weight: 23,000 lb (10,440 kg)
  • Fuel Capacity: 12,650 lb (5,738 kg)
  • Maximum Takeoff Weight: 67,000 lb (30,391 kg)
  • Power Plant: 2 x LDC-TF-15A afterburning turbofan engines
    • Dry Thrust: 16,000 lbf (71.17 kN) each
    • Thrust with Afterburner: 26,000 lbf (115.65 kN) each

Performance

  • Maximum Speed:
    • High Altitude: Mach 2.05 (1,355 mph; 2,180 km/h; 1,177 kn) at 36,000 ft (10,973 m)
    • Sea Level: Mach 1.20 (915 mph; 1,472 km/h; 795 kn)
  • Range:
    • Combat Radius: 465 mi (750 km) without CFTs or 685 mi (1,100 km) with CFTs
    • Ferry Range: 2,860 mi (4,600 km)
  • Service Ceiling: 60,000 ft (18,288 m)
  • Rate of Climb: 50,000 ft/min (254 m/s)
  • Maximum g-load: -3g to +9g [Limited] or -4g to +11g [Structural]
  • Takeoff Distance: 525 meters (1,722 ft)
  • Landing Distance: 450 meters (1,475 ft)

Armament

Avionics

  • AN/AAS-48(V)-1 IRST [Domestic]
  • AN/ALE-47 Countermeasures Dispensing System
  • AN/ALE-55 Fiber-Optic Towed Decoy
  • AN/ALE-57 Decoy Dispenser
  • AN/ALE-58 High-Capacity Dispener
  • AN/APG-80(V)-1 AESA Radar [Export
  • AN/APG-91(V)-1 AESA Radar [Domestic]
  • AN/ASQ-238(V)-1 Electronic Countermeasures Suite [Domestic]
    • AN/AAR-52 MWS
    • AN/ALQ-229 RF Jammer
    • AN/ALQ-230 IR Jammer
    • AN/ALQ-232 Standoff Jammer [EF-28]
    • AN/ALR-94 RWR
  • AN/ASQ-238(V)-1E Electronic Countermeasures Suite [Export]
    • AN/AAR-56 MWS
    • AN/ALQ-214 RF Jammer
    • AN/ALR-67 RWR

Links

Notes

See Also

References

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