Aviation Monthly |
Aviation Monthly |
13 Jan 2014, 4:32
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Group: Dev. Team Posts: 838 Joined: 7 June 2009 From: Southeastern USA Member No.: 47 |
Hey guys, this is the first installment on a magazine style review of the weapons and technology used in the ROTR world. I'll be doing most of the US aircraft first, I do plan on moving on to other faction's aircraft later on and perhaps expanding to ground vehicles, firearms, and warships. (Ever wanted to learn more about the Spirit of Freedom and it's sister ship?) Here's the first part:
Aviation Monthly: September 203x United States Airpower, Part I - Written by Amy Kelly As tensions rise in Eurasia over the recent skirmishes in Africa and economic stagnation in Russia, so too has the specter of another major war in Europe and the eventual American involvement. Despite the downfall of NATO after the ill-advised US retreat from Europe 15 years ago, the Bradford administration maintains a strong anti-Russian expansionist policy and indications hint at possible military and economic action in favor of the European Continental Alliance should hostilities break out. Ever since the Second World War, the United States military has relied extensively on air dominance to achieve battlefield superiority. As any member of the USAF or Naval Air Force can tell you, no US soldier or Marine on the ground has been killed by enemy aircraft since the Korean War. Even after the post GWOT cutbacks, the US military has maintained a strong Air Force and naval air capabilities, and seeks to further expand said capabilities in an ever more dangerous world. This article seeks to explore information about the aircraft used today by the various branches of the US armed forces. TRANSPORT/AIRLIFT: Though the majority of heavy airlifting by the USAF is done today by conventional aircraft such as the C-130J Super Hercules and C-17B Globemaster III, VTOL aircraft have become a more and more capable replacement for helicopters and light cargo transport. Bell-Boeing V-22 Osprey: Although the V-22 Osprey had a troubled development phase, today it serves as the main medium lift aircraft used by the US Marine Corps, Air Force, and Navy. Even though newer designs such as the V-25 Goshawk are planned to eventually phase out the Osprey, it still sees heavy use as a transport aircraft by American combat forces and will see heavy use in the foreseeable future. Bell-Boeing V-25 Goshawk: The V-25 Goshawk is one of the newest aircraft used by the US Armed forces, and is the end result of the JMR-Heavy Future Vertical Lift program. By the end of the last decade, the US Army desired a new VTOL transport to replace the aging CH-47 Chinook fleet, which had been wearing out through heavy use in the past two decades. Although the Army had declined to take part in the V-22 program, they looked with interest in the further development of tiltrotor aircraft. The V-25 Goshawk was the intermediate step between the light V-22 Osprey and the heavy V-34 Starlifter II. Compared to the CH-47 Chinook, the V-25 is capable of carrying more cargo faster, longer, and at a higher altitude. As an infantry carrier, it can transport a platoon of infantry or a single Cougar MRAP or HMMWV. In contrast to the Osprey, the Goshawk is a semi-tilt-wing with 250% more wing surface, roughly 60% of which tilts along with the engine nacelles, and a lifting body, significantly improving glide capability and allowing to remove the fancy - and heavy - transmission, converting the engines to straight-up carbon composite turbine turboprops with only standard reduction gearboxes remaining. Today, the US Army and US Navy are the main users of the V-25 Goshawk whilst the USMC and US Air Force are considering purchasing them to replace their aging Ospreys. Bell-Boeing V-34 Starlifter II: The first examples of the V-44 entered the late prototype testing phase during the end of the GLA War, but budget cutbacks slowed its entry into service until quite recently. By the end of the last decade, the US Army desired a new VTOL transport to replace the aging CH-47 Chinook fleet, which had been wearing out through heavy use in the past two decades. Although the Army had declined to take part in the V-22 program, they looked with interest in the further development of tiltrotor aircraft. As the end result of the Bell-Boeing Quad Tilt Rotor program, the V-34 is the direct replacement of the CH-47 Chinook and the CH-53 Super Stallion, and is planned to phase out the C-130J Super Hercules. The quad tilt rotor engines give it a cruising speed of over 350 knots and allow it to land in places the C-130 cannot. It is capable of carrying around 26,000 kilograms of cargo (or several M5A1 Schwarzkopf ”Crusader” light tanks or IFVs), or 110 paratroopers/150 infantry. Lockheed-Martin C-130J Super Hercules, Boeing C-17B Globemaster III, & Lockheed C-5M Super Galaxy: When heavier lifting is required by the US military’s expeditionary forces, the fixed wing airfleet comes into play. Though the C-130J Super Hercules and C-5M Super Galaxy are old (yet proven and popular) designs, the more advanced Boeing C-17B Globemaster III is an increasingly common sight in the US Air Force as well as the air forces of other nations. The C-17 underwent a mid-life upgrade even before the newer export production run, including double-slotted flaps, an additional main landing gear on center fuselage, more powerful engines (F-117-PW-200 turbofans) and other systems for shorter landing and take-off distances, a LANTIRN AN/AAQ-13 pod and passive radar installed into the nose, and an optional bulkhead separating the troop bay from the cargo bay for passenger comfort. ~~~ I hope you enjoyed the first part, stay tuned for Part 2! This post has been edited by DerKrieger: 29 May 2014, 15:52 -------------------- "No bastard ever won a war by dying for his country. He won it by making the other poor dumb bastard die for his country."-- George S. Patton
Resquiescat in pace, CommanderJB 1991-2009 |
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15 Apr 2014, 4:58
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Group: Dev. Team Posts: 838 Joined: 7 June 2009 From: Southeastern USA Member No.: 47 |
Here's an update on the Jagdmammut!
Rheinmetall/Krauss-Maffei Wegmann Jagdmammut: By the outbreak of the Global War on Terror, weapons manufacturers in the United States and China had developed means to deal with the missile-heavy arsenal of the Global Liberation Army. The United States had introduced the Raytheon Quick Kill active defense system on their armored vehicles, which was improved upon by Raytheon's advanced Perimeter And Local Area Defense Integrated Network (PALADIN) active laser defense system; originally designed for warships to replace the Phalanx radar targeted Vulcan cannon, miniaturized versions of the PALADIN and its AI suite were later installed on aircraft and the latest generation of the Abrams tank and Avenger AA vehicle. Meanwhile, the Chinese created advanced and effective ECM emitters that could be mounted on tank chassis as well as aircraft and warships. Such advancements did not go unnoticed by the German military, which had heretofore relied on defense-in-depth by means of a wide array of anti-tank missiles and rockets. Not long after the establishment of the European Continental Army, funding was procured for the development of a heavy tank destroyer that would provide reliable anti-armor support in the case of heavy anti-missile weaponry. A design based on the prototype VT tank destroyer was proposed by Rheinmetall and KMW and was soon approved for production. The Jagdmammut was a controversial choice due to its lack of mobility and turreted guns, but its defenders cited its heavy armor and powerful dual Rheinmetall 140mm cannons as proof of its suitability for defensive actions in Central and Eastern Europe. The 140mm twin cannons are an ingenious gas operated auto-loading design that is capable of using specialized Jormund jet-assisted laser-guided graphene penetrator rounds. Originally developed for an upgrade program for the Leopard 2, the 140mm cannon was briefly resurrected for the Leopard 3 program before being rejected again due to logistical concerns and the large size and mass of the cannon and its projectiles. The extreme specialization of the 140mm cannon turned out to be perfect for a tank destroyer, however. Even without the combustion light gas shells later created for the Jagdmammut's cannons, the 140mm anti-tank gun was theoretically capable of knocking out even the Overlord tank at range. As with most ECA vehicles, the Jagdmammut is powered by a highly efficient multi-fuel engine fitted to an electrical transmission. During the Russo-European War the Jagdmammut proved itself in combat. Its heavy armor and powerful, long-ranged guns were more than adequate against Russian armor, and there were many reports of the tungsten alloy penetrators destroying multiple tanks with one shot. -------------------- "No bastard ever won a war by dying for his country. He won it by making the other poor dumb bastard die for his country."-- George S. Patton
Resquiescat in pace, CommanderJB 1991-2009 |
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