Carrier Common Support Aircraft
| Carrier Common Support Aircraft C2M Triton S2M Siren | |
|---|---|
| |
| An S2M4 Siren in flight during a deployment to Anagonia. | |
| Role | Stealth aircraft Multirole fighter |
| National origin |  Meridon
|
| Manufacturer | Gruening Defense Aerospace |
| First flight | 14 August 2021 |
| Introduction | 17 August 2023 |
| Status | In limited service |
| Primary user |  Meridonian Navy
|
| Produced | 1977-present |
| Unit cost |
tbd million MD (F9M A)
|
The Common Carrier Support Aircraft is a Meridonian carrier-capable, twin engine turbofan-powered multirole support aircraft, produced by Gruening Defense Aerospace, which provides the Meridonian Navy's Carrier Task Groups with a fixed-wing platform to conduct support activities. It exists in two primary variants- the C2M Triton is a modular multirole aircraft capable of conducting long-range antisubmarine warfare, aerial refueling, carrier onboard delivery, electronic warfare and intelligence, reconnaissance, and anti-surface warfare. The S2M Siren is a
supersonic, single engine, single seat, twin tail, stealth jet fighter, created by Gruening as a readily-available derivative of the F7M Wedgetail to respond to an urgent requirement of the Meridon Defense Forces for the acceleration of its fighter modernization program. Utilizing a large pool of common components including engines, control surfaces, avionics, weapons systems, and software, it was able to proceed from pre-production to flight testing relatively quickly.
The Osprey is oriented to provide the low-end of a high-low mix with the Wedgetail, capable of the same multi-role missionset as the Wedgetail while operating with increased operational flexibility allowed by the prior F6M Wasps, including operation from austere locations such as roadways and basically prepared runways. It is capable of utilizing the same weapons systems as the Wedgetail, including internal carriage of cruise missiles and ERIS long-range air to air missiles. Like the Wedgetail, the Osprey is a joint project between the Air Forces and the Navy. Also like the Wedgetail, it is capable of recieving both probe-and-drogue as well as boom refueling.
The Osprey was additionally designed to better suit the export market than the cutting-edge Wedgetail, and is available for export orders.
Development
Design
Operational History
Variants
Operators
Current Operators
- Meridon- 22 in service.
Former Operators
Specifications (F7M)
General Characteristics (C2M)
- Crew: 2 minimum (copilot/pilot), up to 5 max required (S2M)
- Length: 49.93 ft (15.22m)
- Wingspan: 47.57 ft (14.50m)
- Height:13.78 ft (4.2m)
- Wing Area: 546.59 50.78m2
- Empty Weight: 13,950lbs (6328 kg)
- Max Takeoff Weight: 51,200 lbs (23223.92 kg)
- Powerplant: 2 × Merigo C220M high-bypass turbofans producing 15,320 lbf each
- Fuel Capacity: 17,600lbs (7983.22 kg)
- Useful Payload: 15,000lbs (6803.89 kg)
Performance
- Maximum Speed: Mach 2.02 (2494 km/h, 1,549 mph) at altitude
- Service Ceiling: 54,000 ft (16,459) +
- Rate of Climb: 41,000 ft/min plus (208 m/s)
- Wing Loading: 100 lb/sq ft (492 kg/m2)
- Thrust/Weight: 0.85 at maximum gross weight
Armament
- Guns: 1 × Type 40 25mm cannon with 450 rounds
- Payload: 6x internal hardpoints, with option for 4x wing-mounted hardpoints, capacity of 17,000lb (7711kg)
- 4x centerline internal weapons bay hardpoints
- 2x fuselage weapons bay hardpoints for SRAAM/equivalent
- 4x optional (2x per wing) external hardpoints
Avionics
- TA-46E active electronically scanned array radar
- AE-161D radar warning reciever
- AO-62 electro-optical distributed aperture system (EO-DAS)
- AE-202 Electronic Warfare/ Defensive Electronic Countermeasures System
- AO-104 electro-optical multifunction targeting system
