UGF-57
| UGF-57 "Malefactor" | |
|---|---|
| General information | |
| Type | fighter |
| Manufacturer | United Imperial Aeronautics |
| Designer | |
| Status | In Serial Production |
| History | |
| Manufactured | 2010- |
| Introduction date | 2020 (planned) |
The U.I.A UGF-57 Malefactor is a stealth, single-seat, twin-engine multirole fifth-generation fighter jet being developed since 2002 for air superiority and attack operations. The aircraft is the product of the prospective aeronautical complex of front-line air forces, a fifth-generation fighter programme of the Huvakian Air Force. U.I.A internal name for the aircraft is T-1000. The UGF-57 is planned to be the first aircraft in Huvakian military service to use stealth technology. Its maiden flight took place on 29 January 2010 and the first production aircraft are planned to be delivered in 2020.
The fighter is designed to have supercruise, supermaneuverability, stealth, and advanced avionics to overcome prior generation fighter aircraft as well as ground and naval defences. The UGF-57 is intended to succeed the UGF-29 and VGF-27 in the Imperial Air Force. The aircraft is expected to have a service life of up to 35 years.
Development
In April 2008, pictures and additional information surfaced of two new UGF-35 demonstrators, the single-seat UGF-35 "961" and the two-seat UGF-35D "967". According to Huvakian media, they first flew in autumn of 2009, and subsequently took part in MMRCA trials in Eldrado in October 2009. Both have a very high commonality with the previous VGF-29K/KUB airframes, an immediate visible difference being the braking parachute installed in place of the hook, present on the naval aircraft. Subsequently, the UGF-35D "967" appears to have been equipped with a similar AESA radar as fitted to the older UGF-35 demonstrator "154", identifiable by the dark grey short nose radome.[28]
On 6 September 2016, according to the general designer of the United Imperial Aeronautics Corporation Sean Koratokov, the first UGF-35s were to be delivered in November 2015 to the Huvakian Air Force for flight testing to confirm the technical characteristics of the aircraft. The first of the two aircraft, the single-seat UGF-35 "702" made its first flight on 24 November 2016.
Design
The UGF-35/UGF-35D incorporate advancements of the VGF-29K/KUB and VGF-29M/M2 fighters in combat efficiency enhancement, universality and operational characteristics improvement.The main features of the new design are the fifth-generation information-sighting systems, compatibility with Huvakian and foreign weapons applications and an integrated variety of defensive systems to increase combat survivability. The new overall design overtakes the design concepts of the baseline model and enables the new aircraft to conduct full-scale multirole missions like their foreign counterparts.
New avionics are intended to help the UGF-35 gain air superiority as well as to perform all-weather precision ground strikes, aerial reconnaissance with opto-electronic and radar equipment and to conduct complex joint missions. This includes the ThorZhuk-AE active electronically scanned array (AESA) radar, the RD-33MK engines and the newly designed optical locator system. The number of weapon stations has increased to 10, flight range has increased by 50%, and radar visibility has been reduced. The final configuration of the UGF-35's onboard equipment has been left open intentionally.
Operational service
Huvakia The Imperial Ministry of Defense has placed an order for 40 initial aircraft with plans to replace the remainder of light aircraft with the UGF-35 over the next ten years. Eldrado Negotiations are underway to secure a Eldradan order for the new fighters. Details are currently unknown.
Variants
Specifications (UGF-35S)
General Characteristics
- Crew: 1 (pilot)
- Length: 20.1 meters
- Wingspan: 14.1 meters
- Height: 4.74 meters
- Wing Area: 78.8 square meters
- Empty Weight: 18,000 kilograms
- Loaded Weight: 30,000 kilograms
- Powerplant: 2x Zaecon RDF-980 engines with thrust vectoring, 107.9 kN (24,300 lbf) thrust each dry, 176.6 kN (39,700 lbf) with afterburner
Performance
- Maximum Speed: 2,120 km/h
- Range: 3,500 kilometers
- Service Ceiling: 20,000 meters (66,000 feet)
- Rate of Climb: 510 meters per second
Armament
- Guns: 1x forward-firing 30mm autocannon
- Bombs: 12x Hardpoints (6 internal, 6 external) with a capacity up to 10,500 KG of rockets, bombs, and missiles.