SAB-333 Slibnas II

SAB-333 Slibnas II
Role	Close air support attack aircraft
National origin	Silua
Manufacturer	SAB
First flight	23 May 1990 (1990-05-23)
Introduction	March 1995
Status	In service
Primary user	Siluan Air Force
Produced	1990-2019
Number built	Over 700
Unit cost	approx. NS$20 million in 2019

The SAB-333 Slibnas (English: Dragon) II is a single-seat, twin-turbofan, swept-wing, subsonic attack aircraft developed by SAB for the Siluan Air Force. In service since 1995. In service since 1995, it is named for the SAB-133 Slibnas, a Eracuran War-era fighter-bomber effective at attacking ground targets, but is commonly referred to as Karalienė (English: Queen). The SAB-333 was designed to provide close air support (CAS) to friendly ground troops by attacking armored vehicles, tanks, and other enemy ground forces; it is the only production-built aircraft designed solely for CAS to have served in the Siluan Air Force. Its secondary mission is to direct other aircraft in attacks on ground targets, as role called forward air controller-airborne; aircraft used primarily in this role are designated OO-333.

Development

In the early 1980s, the need for an attack aircraft dedicated to the CAS (close air support) role was identified by the Siluan government. While the Ku-7 Kraujasiurbis attack aircraft that had been in service since 1956 was tough, agile, and well loved by its crews it was deemed insufficient for the CAS role in the quickly evolving combat environment of the 1980s. Requirements put forth by the Siluan Airforce called for an aircraft that was simple and quick to both produce and maintain, have a relatively short take-off run, be highly durable, have an integral cannon, and also have a weapons load of at least 6,000 kg. A design competition for the new aircraft began in 1982 and by 1984 Siluan companies Kubulius Design Bureau and Siluano Aviacijos Darbai (SAB) as well as the Tennaiite Nikita Corporation. Kubulius submitted their Ku-ES11 design, SAB submitted thier ES331, and Nikita submitted their already in production AF-11 Pangolin.

Initially, the Siluan government and the Siluan Air Force considered the Nikita offering as it was already in production and would thus save on development cost and the need to establish new production lines as well. By 1986 though, there was a new Pukias Sualkaranė, Skaidre Jarockis, and Air Force Command. Jarockis and and the new Air Force Command insisted upon a domestically designed and built aircraft and subsequently dropped the Nikita AF-11 from consideration. In 1987 both Kubulius and SAB began test flights of thier initial prototypes with both the Ku-ES11 and SAB-ES331 meeting preliminary performance requirements. After the first round of test flights, both companies began work on improvements to thier initial designs. In 1988 both companies introduced no prototype airframes and testing began again. Initial opinions of the Siluan Air Force's command staff and Pukias Sualkaranė Jarockis favored the Kubulius design as the company had more recent experience with producing attack aircraft. After further testing and SAB making number of modifications to their design, opionions began to change.

In 1989 SAB's ES331 had been chosen as the winner of the design competition and further development and production was ordered. In 1990, the first six pre-production aircraft were completed and underwent further flight and systems testing. In March of 1992, full-rate production began with minor modifications made to the pre-production model after experiences in the (Insert Name) Conflict that was fought between July 1990 and October of 1991. The first operational squadrons of Slibnas IIs of entered service in 1996 with the Siluan Air Force's Ground Forces Support Command (SPPV).

Design

The SAB-333 is designed to be easy and cheap to construct, modify, and repair which is achieved through its modular design and construction. A number of the components of the aircraft are produced using computer-controlled machining which which further reduces production time and cost.

Variants

• SAB-333A
• SAB-333B
• OO-333

Operators

• Silua

Specifications (SAB-333B)

General characteristics

• Crew: 1
• Length: 16.6 m (54 ft 6 in)
• Wingspan: 19.97 m (65 ft 6 in)
• Height: 5 m (16 ft 5 in)
• Wing area: 41.91 m² (451.1 sq ft)
• Empty weight: 11,000 kg (24,251 lb)
• Powerplant: 2 × Gecas KZ-33 turbofan, 51 kN (11,000 lbf) thrust each

Performance

• Maximum speed: 1,000 km/h (621 mph; 540 kn)
• Cruise speed: 750 km/h (466 mph; 405 kn)
• Stall speed: 250 km/h (155 mph; 135 kn)
• Combat range: 500 km (311 mi; 270 nmi)
• Ferry range: 5,000 km (3,107 mi; 2,700 nmi)
• Service ceiling: 12,000 m (39,000 ft)
• Rate of climb: 90 m/s (18,000 ft/min)
• Take-off run: 305 m (1,001 ft)

Armament

• Guns: 1 × 27 mm Saldukas ASP-27-7 rotary cannon
• Hardpoints: 10 total;6 × under-wing, and 4× under-fuselage pylon stations with a capacity of up to 7,000 kg (15,000 lb) of stores,
• Rockets:
  
• Missiles:
  
• Bombs:
  

• Others:
  • Flares/Infrared decoys dispenser pod and chaff pod or
  • ECM pods or
  • targeting pods or
  • Up to 3 × 2,300 L (600 US gal) drop tanks for ferry flight/extended range/loitering time