Menace

Menace
File:MenaceC1982.png
Role	Interceptor and air superiority fighter
Manufacturer	Aérospatiale-Dassault
Designer	Aérospatiale-Dassault
First flight	1967
Introduction	1982
Status	In-Service
Primary user	Sieuxerrian Navy
Number built	80

The Aérospatiale-Dassault Menace, known also as the Mirage-Menace is a twin or single-seat, twinjet, variable-sweep wing interceptor and air superiority fighter used by the Sieuxerrian Navy.

Development

After Sieuxerr had backed out of a joint fighter program in the mid-1960s, Dassault began to work on the Mirage G8, a variable-sweep wing design fighter aircraft. It was expected to become the replacement for the older Mirage III in active service at the time in the air force.

In the early 1970s, the Sieuxerrian Air Force put out the requirements for the "Avion de Combat Futur", or the ACF project, which was for a Mach 3 fighter with considerable dogfighting capability. The Mirage G8 did meet any of the requirements of ACF and as a result development was slowed considerably.

In the 1975, with Aérospatiale-Dassault in the middle of development of the Mirage 2000 fighter for the air force, the Sieuxerrian Navy began its own project for a replacement or supplemental fighter for its Dassault Faucon aircraft used on the Painlevé-class fleet carriers. Concerns with long-range maritime patrol and bomber aircraft and the use of large, long-range anti-shipping missiles concerned the Sieuxerrian Navy, and were interested in acquiring an aircraft like the Grumman F-14 Tomcat.

Aérospatiale-Dassault offered the Mirage G8 in 1977 and the navy accepted the aircraft in the competition. The aircraft would be launched from the new Painlevé-class fleet carrier and would complement the Dassault Faucon as a fighter. The Faucon would provide air superiority with the Mirage G8 being an interceptor to engage long-range, supersonic bombers.

By 1982, the first production aircraft had been accepted by the navy and by 1983 the first squadron, Flottille 16F would reach operational status.

Modernization

Since its acceptance in 1982 the Menance has been subjected to various upgrades and retrofits. These have modified the aircraft to be able to be used in a more effective multi-role capacity with the use of laser-guidance pods, jamming pods and other equipment.

Design

Engines

The Menance is equipped with two Snecma M53 afterburning turbofan engines. Initial aircraft were accepted with the M53-8 type, which was a slight modified version of the M53-5 used by the Sieuxerrian Air Force's Mirage 2000 aircraft. In the mid-1980s when the Mirage 2000 began to swap for the more powerful M53-P2, the Menance did the same thing. The M53-8 achieved a max of 20,000 lbf of afterburning thrust, with the M53-P2 getting slightly more with 21,400 lbf of thrust.

This allows the aircraft to achieve a max speed that exceeds Mach 2.2.

Weaponry

The Menace is equipped with two 30mm DEFA 554 revolver cannons with selectable rates of fire of 1,200 rpm or 1,800 rpm. The are mounted underneath the intakes for the engines.

For missiles it uses the majority of common air-to-air missiles in use. This includes new missiles like the R.850 ASRAAM and Meteors and older missiles like R.530 series.

The basic configuration had the ability to use rockets and iron bombs for a limited ground attack role, in the later years the aircraft was fitted with better equipment to allow for the use of laser-guided munitions.

Avionics

The Thomson-CSF Giraffe series of radars were designed to be used by the Menace. Based off the RDM but with a better range over 140 kilometers with the I series and over 180 kilometers with the IV series. The newest radar models allow for air/ground engagement, look-down/shoot-down, and GMTI.

Operational history

In 1985 with the commencement of the Jedorian-Mozrian War, the aircraft carrier Arromanches with Flottille 16F embarked equipped with 8 Menace C aircraft.

Operators

Current

• Sieuxerr
  • Sieuxerrian Navy - 64 in service, 6 in preserved storage, 10 lost in accidents/combat
    • Flottille 16F - 8
    • Flottille 19F - 8
    • Flottille 20F - 8
    • Flottille 40F - 8
    • Flottille 41F - 8
    • Flottille 42F - 24

Specifications

General characteristics

• Crew: 2 (Pilot and Radar Intercept Officer)
• Length: 19.2 m ()
• Wingspan:
  
  • Spread: 15 m
  • Swept: 8.1 m ()
• Height: 5 m ()
• Empty weight: 15,500 kg (34,171 lbs) ()
• Loaded weight: 24,500 kg (54,013. lbs) (x2 Magic, x2 Super 530D, x2 R.750, x2 1,000 liter drop tanks) ()
• Max. takeoff weight: 28,000 kg (61,729 lbs) ()
• Powerplant: 2 × SNECMA M53-P2 afterburning turbofans
  • Dry thrust: 64.7 kN (14,500 lbf) each
  • Thrust with afterburner: 95.1 kN (21,400 lbf) each

Performance

• Maximum speed:
  
  • High altitude: Mach 2.2+ (1,650+ mph, 2,700+ km/h)
  • Low altitude: Mach 1.2 (900 mph, 1,450 km/h)
• Combat radius: 1,000 km (621 mi) for interdiction mission
• Ferry range: 4,000 km (2,485 mi)
• Service ceiling: 18,500 m (60,000 ft)
• Rate of climb: 240+ m/s (47,000+ ft/min)
• Thrust/weight: 0.8
• Maximum design g-load: +9 g

Armament

• Guns: 2× DEFA 554 30mm revolver cannon, 125 rpg
• Hardpoints: Total 8: four on wing-gloves, two under nacelles, two under-fuselage  and provisions to carry combinations of:
  • Missiles:
    
    • 2× R.550
    • 2× MICA
    • 2-4× R.750
    • 2-6× Super 530
    • 2-6× Meteor
  • Bombs:
    
    • Various guided and unguided munitions in service

Avionics

• Radar:
  • Thomson-CSF "Giraffe" I-IV X-Band radar
  • Thomson-CSF "Chercheur" Infra-red search and track system
• Countermeasures: