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The M.Cs 82 ‘Falmentyr’ (Illusion), known in development as Unit 1205, is a twin engine, close-coupled canard delta wing jet fighter developed by Archeron, an aviation consortium consisting of Aeon Aerospace, the electronics entity Eletyr and several other Anemonian concerns, and Argus Industrial Manufacturing (with design contribution and testing assistance from Irkana Aviation Corporation in Estovakiva and Triumvirate Enterprises in Belfras).
Developed as a multirole fighter with the primary aim of replacing the Dassault Rafale in Anemonian service, the Falmentyr is capable of land and carrier based operations depending on its configuration, and is designed as a large-body, twin engine fighter aircraft, to reach and match the combat capabilities of first-line air superiority fighters such as the F-22 or Sukhoi PAK FA while retaining the multirole flexibility of its predecessor in Anemonian service.
In 2002, two years following the adoption of the Dassault Rafale by the Anemonian Armed Forces (serving in the Imperial Air Force and Fleet Air Arm), a number of revelations concerning the capabilities and upgrade potential of the fighter began to make themselves clear through experience gained flying the fighter. The Rafale, designed as a lightweight fighter and one developed to enter service in the earlier stages of the new century, had been developed in a fashion that severely restricted its capabilities on paper but, more importantly, some basic issues concerning the airframe severely restricted the potential for a meaningful upgrade program ironing out these basic issues. The small airframe of the Rafale meant that the engine size and thus output of the aircraft was physically limited, creating speed and take-off weight issues. This in turn restricted the ordnance capacity of the aircraft; larger missiles, such as anti-radiation ordnance like the AGM-88 or increasingly important anti-satellite missiles could only be carried with great difficulty. More problematic, however, was the limited size of the Rafale’s nose cone. Equipped with a past-generation passive phased array radar (the RBE2), comparative tests between prototype AESA radars developed for the Rafale and the AN/APG-77 of the F-22 then in Anemonian service showed that the radar mounted on the Rafale would inevitably be comparatively weaker than some of its contemporary counterparts. Despite its aerodynamic strengths and its multifunctionality, the size and construction of the Rafale proved to be its primary weakness; as such, despite moving forward with the installation of AESA radar (the RBE2 AA) on the Rafale and implementing a number of basic upgrade programs, the Imperial Air Force of Anemos Major issued a tender for a multirole fighter in 2003 to succeed the Dassault Rafale, one that would inherit the strengths of its predecessor and remedy its weaknesses in one fell swoop to sharpen the edge of an already potent weapon.
The Rafale, which the Illusion was developed to replace.
The specification issued by the Imperial Air Force of Anemos Major (IAFAM) was a relatively open one, specifying the need for a fighter with capabilities and upgrade potential above that of the Rafale (in recognition of the relatively fluid nature of contemporary aircraft technology). Dubbed ‘Omnirole’ from the early stages of its conceptualisation, the fighter program was, within the first year of the tender being issued, dominated by two major entrants; a loose conglomerate of corporations headed by Ordothei Aviation Corporation (a Fierei based firm responsible for most of the major Anemonian aviation designs of the late 20th century), and the newer Fyrkondierikan-based Aeon Aerospace. The proposal put forward by Ordothei was for a fighter based heavily off the existing F-15, a conventional, large body fighter treading along relatively safe lines. Though Aeon’s proposal, a delta-winged fighter with a much more unorthodox basis and aerodynamic innovation, was more to the liking of the IAFAM, the significant amount of corporate support and resources at the disposal of Ordothei following its decision to partner domestically gave them an advantage over their competitors in terms of design implementation. As such, they were able to produce flying prototypes within a year of the contract being issued, as the basis for their design had already been fully developed elsewhere; in spite of this, as per the direct orders of the First Marshal of the Air Force, entrant selection was extended by another two years to give Aeon the ability to achieve developmental parity with Ordothei if possible.
By mid-2005, half a year after the program extension announcement, Aeon’s corporate leadership, with the tacit approval of the Holy Office of War, moved to establish working partnerships with other corporations. Accusations were levelled by Ordothei concerning supposed diplomatic supported offered to their competitors; whatever the truth of these accusations, it took Aeon half a year to establish a working corporate conglomerate capable of competing with Ordothei; in January 2006, they announced the establishment of Archeron, a domestic consortium of aviation and aviation-related firms ‘dedicated to the development and production of the next generation of Anemonian aviation’ and a partnership with the Amastoli Argus Industrial Manufacturing (for the design and production of the aircraft’s integrated cannons). Submitting their final technical draft to the Imperial Air Force by mid-2006, as most of the aircraft’s technology had been developed by that point (with the exception of its MASTER radar and its powerplants, which were based on design concepts developed by the Estovakivan Irkana Aviation Corporation, which had sold said concepts to Aeon in the late 1990s), Archeron’s design proposal was selected over Ordothei’s in September 2006, and from there, the development of the next generation Anemonian multirole fighter began in earnest.
The electronics giant Eletyr was a key participant in the M.Cs 82 project.
Unit 1205, as it was then known, was developed rapidly from that point onwards. Provisionally equipped with a pair of Pratt & Whitney F100-PW-229 engines, the prototype aircraft (Unit 1205-1) was produced in March 2008, first flying in the same month (on the 27th). The second production prototype, now equipped with its final production powerplants, was produced in October 2008, and the MASTER radar for the fighter was finalised in April the year after that, marking the end of the fighter’s developmental phase. Unit 1205-11, the final production single seater prototype, Unit 1205-12, the final production two seater prototype, and Unit 1205-13, the prototype carrier variant of the 1205, were the results of this fast final developmental phase, and starting in May 2009, the fighter began to undergo rigorous testing.
The basic aerodynamic soundness and operability of the aircraft, expected to be displayed in its initial tests, far surpassed all expectations. In exchange for a size increase, Unit 1205 exhibited clearly visible performances improvements over its predecessor, even prior to the electronics tests, and an additional testing model (Unit 1205-15) was produced with radar absorbent material coating and a number of dedicated electronic features to test the aircraft’s potential stealth capabilities. A number of features incorporated into 1205-15 eventually found themselves in the final production variant of the fighter aircraft, providing Archeron with useful information concerning the application of what is widely considered to be ‘fifth generation’ technology. Following domestic testing between July and September, 1205-13, trialling at the land-based catapult test facility at Karonin Island, was sent to the Kingdom of Belfras for live carrier testing aboard examples of the Achilles-class CVN, which the IFAM had indicated their desire to procure within two fiscal years. Successful testing in all areas, save for some electronics compatibility problems involving MASTER and a series of engine flameouts caused by design flaws that led to insufficient oxygen supply at higher altitudes (nearly leading to the loss of one testing aircraft, saved by the imaginative deployment of drag chutes) allowed Archeron to rapidly accumulate the data and flight credentials required to certify the 1205 as an operational aircraft; in November 2009, the third round of testing was completed at Nornal, Barony Fierei, and the aircraft was formally accepted into service by the Imperial Air Force of Anemos Major as the M.Cs 82 ‘Falmentyr’ (Illusion).
The EMALS land catapult facility at Karonin.
Production of the aircraft formally commenced in February 2010, with the IAFAM placing a colossal order for 18,200 aircraft and the Imperial Fleet one for 6,000, with both services leaving options for further orders. Initial production batches entered service in January 2012 and the first service aircraft, an M.Cs 82/F Falmentyr Flottise of the Imperial Fleet of Anemos Major, deployed as part of the 47th Fighter Squadron aboard the IFAM Eleshentyr. The launch partners of the M.Cs 82 were Anemos Major and Amastol, with additional launch customers including the Administratum, Belfras, City of Lights, Estovakiva, Ikruchystan, Milograd, Minnysota, New Azura, West and Yohannes.
The M.Cs 82, like its predecessor, relies upon a delta-wing with close-coupled canard configuration to provide it with high levels of stability at speed coupled with high manoeuvrability. The primary advantages of the delta wing lie in its position along the aircraft’s airframe; the angle at which it sweeps back and away from the aircraft is sufficient to ensure that the first surface of contact between the wing and oncoming air, the leading edge, is placed away from the boundary of the shock wave formed during the transition into supersonic speed, as well as keeping down the speed of the lifting air travelling past the wing. As such, the controllability of the M.Cs 82 in supersonic flight and its transition into higher speeds is more stable than might be the case in other aircraft, allowing the M.Cs 82 to make full use of its powerful engines. Furthermore, the aerodynamic characteristics of the delta wing mean that, at lower speeds, its leading edge is able to generate lift via a flow-energising vortex where a standard shaped wing would simply lose lift, giving it the ability to retain lift on balance at lower speeds and higher angles of attack than conventionally shaped aircraft.
The close-coupled canards employed on the M.Cs 82 are utilised as control surfaces. Utilised to control lift in much the same way as a conventional tailplane, the canard has the additional advantage of being able to act as a preventative component against pitch-up; as the wingtips of a swept wing have a higher lift coefficient than the inboard sections of the wing, and are located behind the roots of the wing itself, lower speed flight results in the wingtips stalling before the plane’s main body. If this occurs, the stall of the wingtips results in the rapid upwards pitch of the aircraft which, in the event that conventional control surfaces being used, can result in the generation of pitch beyond the controllable limit of the tailplane, thus resulting in the loss of control. With the control canard, however, the ability to deflect significantly means that, as a control surface, it is capable of effectively preventing pitch-up, thus meaning that allowances do not have to be made in the main wing design to compensate for this phenomenon. The primary disadvantage of the conventional canard wing is the fact that canard-generated turbulence upon the control surfaces of the main wing, especially at high angles of attack, can lead to stalling. By utilising a close-coupled layout, the canard, at these problematic high angles of attack, adopts a position which directs airflow over the wing; as such, as well as decreasing the inherent turbulence of canard designs significantly, the close-coupled canard also generates additional lift. This ability to sustain high angles with attack gives the M.Cs 82 a significant altitude advantage over potential opponents, which offers it a significant edge in aerial combat. As such, it is an effective control surface that, unlike traditional canards, offers significant performance advantages at both high and low speeds. In order to effectively control the positioning of the canards in flight, as well as to decrease the inherently high radar cross section of protruding canards, the M.Cs 82 relies upon computer control of these control surfaces to achieve optimal positioning (though capable of operating independently of software control if necessary).
Another added aerodynamic advantage of the close-coupled canard, delta wing arrangement is the very low wing loading of the overall design. The low weight-to-wing area ratio of the M.Cs 82, together with its inherently powerful powerplants and three dimensional thrust vectoring, gives it extraordinary manoeuvrability for an aircraft of its size and layout, rendered far less prone to the traditional power-bleed characteristics of delta wings while turning than most through effective design and sheer power.
Illusion inherits its close-coupled canard, delta-wing configuration from its predecessor, the Rafale.
The construction of the M.Cs 82, much like that of most modern fighters, is one which attempts to minimise the traditional metal construction of the aircraft in favour of modern alloys and composite materials, allowing for higher performance with lower weight. The fuselage of the aircraft is constructed primarily of titanium alloys and thermoset composites, with titanium alloys (primarily constructed of Ti6Q2 (a chromoly alloy of Titanium), with some structures composed of Ti6Al4V where the strength characteristics of the more expensive Ti6Q2 are not required. On the M.Cs 82, it is used in the mid-fuselage (the forward engine intakes and structures, including the wing roots), control surfaces, leading edges and undercarriage of the aircraft, and hot isostatic pressing is employed following casting in the case of the undercarriage, leading edges and control surfaces to increasing the material density and overall strength due to the high stress placed on these components in use. In the case of the fuselage, form and attachment is achieved via electron beam welding; by doing this, the removal of the need for fasteners within the fuselage structure result in more ease of assembly and less leaks and structural failures. The forward edge of the tail is composed of an Al-Li alloy, as well as some components of the tail (primarily the electronics casings, with the actual tail structure composed of composite materials). In terms of thermoset composites, the aircraft’s exterior skins, and some components (parts of the forward fuselage, the wings, the rear half of the canard wings and the fuselage rear of the wing roots) are constructed of carbon fibre/bismaleimide (CF/BMI) composites, providing structure to these parts of the aircraft, while areas more prone to heat exposure (jet engine nacelle skins, as well as the forward fuselage rear of the radome, which is prone to high levels of heat generation, is constructed of carbon fibre/polyimide (CF/PI) composites - these composites, while being harder to machine and more expensive to procure, nonetheless provide the aircraft with more temperature resistance in areas which necessitate it. The landing gear bay doors are constructed of Ti6Al4V, while the landing gears themselves, due to the need to support large shocks as a basic requirement of carrier operations, are composed of a martensitic alloy steel, utilising cobalt and nickel as primary alloying elements to provide it with exceptional hardness and fracture resistance. The nose cone of the M.Cs 82 is designed to allow for the one way travel of radar waves, and as such, is constructed from spun fiberglass, giving it as much resistance to the elements as possible while remaining aware of the necessary characteristics of a radome.
Unlike its predecessor, the Rafale, the Fleet variant of the M.Cs 82 (M.Cs 82/F) does not share wing components with other configurations; despite the decreased commonality, this is so as to allow for folding wings, which helps to compensate for the M.Cs 82/F’s size increase over the Rafale M in carrier-borne service.
Uniquely, the M.Cs 82 has opted not to utilise fly-by-wire technology; rather, for flight control, the aircraft relies upon Fly-by-Light (FBL) technology; utilising bundles of fibre-optic cables in place of heavy electronic wiring, the inherent lightness of the system, together with the added benefit of integrated redundancy (as opposed to requiring an additional redundancy harness) together with marginally faster response speeds than FBW systems makes it a highly effective replacement for this tried and tested aspect of modern fighter design.
Fly-by-light technology provides a number of significant advantages over traditional FBW systems.
Another one of the primary driving forces behind the development and introduction of the M.Cs 82 was the need for a high performance, large nose cone radar system. As such, the aircraft’s avionics have been wholly redesigned along the lines of newer, 5th generation systems, drawing together a number of significant design concepts to ensure high performance in an age of aerial warfare where such capabilities have proven to be increasingly vital and potent.
The avionics suite of the M.Cs 82 consists of the ELO.33 EOPAS (Electro-Optical Peripheral Aperture System), which acts as a combined architecture for traditional radar and missile warning arrays, the ERM.223 EODAS (Electro-Optic Detection and Acquisition Suite) consisting of a standard optical (video), laser rangefinding and FLIR units, ELO.33 ADA (Active Defensive Architecture), which utilises information from the EOPAS suite and utilises active defensive measures as well as performing hostile emitter analysis, and the cornerstone of the fighter’s avionics suite, the high performance, multirole Eletyr ERE.23 MASTER (Multirole Active Scanning, Tracking, Engagement Radar) active phased radar array.
The Eletyr ERE.23 MASTER is an active phased array radar designed to provide the M.Cs 82 with a significant capability advantage over its predecessor in Anemonian service, the Rafale, and countless competing fighter aircraft in service today. Active phased array radars, also known as AESA (Active Electronically Scanned Arrays), incorporate thousands of individual transmit/receive modules as part of its construction, as opposed to a single, central T/R device and antenna. With each module capable of acting independently, AESA radars are able to direct modules to work in conjunction on a single task, or in groups on different tasks. Furthermore, unlike traditional Mechanically Steered Arrays, AESA arrays do not utilise moving parts to steer radar beams; rather, the beams are steered electronically at speeds approaching those of light. This lack of moving parts greatly increases the reliability of the system, which the high speed electronic steering permits rapid target allocation and reallocation. As AESA radars distribute power amongst modules, rather than through a single transmitter, they are not subject to the ‘bottleneck’ performance reductions seen in standard Electronically Steered Array radars either.
Another advantage of the AESA configuration of MASTER is the low probability of intercept (LPI) characteristics of the radar. This advantage lies in the nature of the radar’s operation; unlike conventional, single antenna radar systems, which utilise high energy pulses within a narrow frequency bands, AESA radars utilises a multitude of low energy pulses across a wide band of frequencies (spread spectrum transmission). These multiples pulses all return their respective echoes, which are collated by the radar’s signal processor; ultimately, though the returns are as strong as those of a conventional radar system, the pulses are, individually, far less powerful and spread across a variety of spectrums, making it considerably more difficult to match them to standard modulation patterns and thus to detect the radar system itself. This gives MASTER, despite a lack of dedicated airframe stealth design, an edge to its already formidable first-strike advantage in its ability to decrease the chances of detection by conventional radar warning systems. This frequency-hopping also increases the difficulty of successfully jamming the system, as doing so would require jamming across the entire frequency range on which the radar operates.
Possessing a significantly larger nose cone than the Rafale, the M.Cs 82 is capable of housing much larger diameter radars than its predecessor. Furthermore, however, the utilisation of next-generation materials in the construction of the ERE.23 have allowed Eletyr to incorporate more power into a smaller package, far outstripping the effectiveness of earlier generation AESA platforms to maximise the effectiveness of its radar system. A key component of this is the Gallium Nitride Monolithic Microwave Integrated Circuit (GaN MMIC). The key component and enabler of the AESA radar, the MMIC allows for the production of complete microwave circuits on single chips. Earlier generation AESAs rely on the use of Gallium Arsenide as the chip manufacturing material; by radically decreasing the area taken up by single chips, the GaAs MMIC became the core component of AESA technology. Following on along the same conceptual line, the M.Cs 82 incorporates a Gallium Nitride MMIC (GaN). Prohibitively expensive to produce at first, Anemonian research into GaN MMICs was begun in the late 1990s, when mature, production-scale AESAs were beginning to come into service with a limited number of Mirage 2000s in service with the Imperial Air Force. This research and subsequently production was performed through small scale, research-oriented ‘boutique’ fabrication funded by corporations like Eletyr and, ultimately, heavy subsidies from the Anemonian state. The primary difficulties encountered were in the production of the material itself; however, an early start to the research allowed the fabrication process to mature over the subsequent decade, and as such, production costs by the time the radar entered development were, though still notably higher than that of GaAs MMICs, not exceedingly so, while continually decreasing. GaN MMICs provide users with the same level of compact microelectronics but with significant advantages, offering higher voltage operation, lower heat losses and decreased sensitivity to jamming. As such, these MMICs are capable, rudimentarily speaking, of providing more output per equivalent volume than GaAs MMICs, and potential for expansion beyond the level of what is currently offered by the ERE.23 (with some optimistic predictions suggesting 600% performance increases over contemporary GaAs MMICs). The design of the radar system opts to make use of this in two manners; by increasing the output of individual T/R modules, and also by decreasing the size of these T/R modules to allow for the incorporation of higher numbers of elements into the radar. This, together with the M.Cs 82’s large radome, allow for the utilisation of a large radar surface composed of 2,600 individual elements. This significantly large figure, together with the efficiency advantages of GaN MMICs, was also reached through the employment of a ‘twinpack’ module design in the radar layout, combining transmit and receive chips in individual modules to save space and decrease weight. In addition, this layout greatly increases ease of maintenance; where many contemporary AESA radars require the full replacement of the radar panel to permit maintenance (due to the use of soldered manufacture), the twinpack layout allows for the individual replacement of modules as required. Each T/R module is capable of producing a maximum output of 7.5w per unit, but normal (in-use) output varies between 5-6w; as such, where the ERE.23 is capable of attaining a staggering peak overall output of 19.5kw, this output, partly due to heat and energy consumption considerations, and partly due to the fact that an output level of this kind is not normally required, is most often moderated to lower levels when in operation.
Of course, with the high performance characteristics of the ERE.23 in mind, it is only natural that a similarly effective cooling system is required. The radar system is backed by an Annealed Pyrolytic Graphite (APG) cold plate, liquid cooled by polyalphaolefin (PAO) cooling fluid.
The RBE2 AA AESA employed on late-generation Anemonian Rafales.
In air-to-air combat, the MASTER comes into its own. The electronically steered radar beams’ speed, together with the multitude of operating elements, allows the AESA radar system to acquire and track multiple targets while continuing to do so rapidly and at long ranges, giving it a first strike advantage over aerial opponents. With a maximum search range of about 350km against 1m2 aerial targets (most fighter aircraft sized targets), and an azimuth of 120 degrees, the radar system is capable of instantly scanning the search area in front of it and acquiring targets accordingly before even entering the range of the opponent’s radar; this gives the M.Cs 82 a significant edge in aerial combat, which translates in most cases to the difference between predator and prey in the skies over the modern battlefield. Capable of attacking targets as large as bombers to those as small as cruise missiles at extended ranges, the M.Cs 82 gives new meaning to the word ‘potency’ via the capabilities of the ERE.23. The ERE.23 is a highly configurable radar system in this role; it is capable of sector sweeps, focused threat sector searches, cued searches, passive detection, and upon detecting the target, is capable of identifying the target category based on return.
As an AESA radar mounted on a multirole fighter, however, ERE.23’s true utility is in its ability to perform a multitude of roles beyond this. In terms of air-to-ground capabilities, MASTER’s effectiveness lies in its Synthetic Aperture mode. With levels of precision unprecedented in pre-AESA radar, the ERE.23’s functionality as a SAR allows it to perform ground scan functions rapidly and effectively; capable of mapping far wider areas than older radars due to beam speed and the number of operating elements; the precision and accuracy of the radar is such that it is capable of creating a visual map interface for use by the pilot, from where he can zoom further in. This removes the need for multiple ground scans by the radar, thus decreasing the workload and increasing the responsiveness of the pilot to developments under him. MASTER is capable of further acting upon the information gathered and collated by its signal processors; it is able to detect targets, perform category identification based on existing records and return samples, and track multiple ground targets, either for elimination by guided weapons carried by the aircraft (the accuracy of ERE.23 is such that the aircraft is no longer as reliant on external electronics to either set targets for GPS guided weapons or to track them for other guided weapons without the assistance of its EODAS suite.
A series of additional roles are further performed by MASTER. These include automatic target cuing, integrated systems diagnostics, as well as some electronic warfare roles (the power and speed of AESA radars allows them to perform threat jamming and aircraft protection where necessary), operating as part of the M.Cs 82’s ADA architecture. All of these roles are, of course, performed within the framework of a high performance, all weather, next generation radar system, one fully capable of meeting the demanding needs of a high functionality multirole fighter.
ERM.223 EODAS (Electro-Optic Detection and Acquisition Suite) is a multiple capability combined architecture and sensory array used for high precision air-to-air and surface target detection and acquisition. EODAS consists of three primary data sources; an optical (video) feed, a focal plane (staring) FLIR and a laser transmitter, as well as a laser spot tracker and GPS locator for support roles. The optical feed sensor is located just in front of the aircraft canopy, fixed in an angular housing, while the FLIR and laser arrays are housed in a durable sapphire casing located underneath the aircraft’s nose. Capable of rapid removal and replacement, the integrated EODAS represents a step up from the OSF sensors employed on the Rafale, being more sophisticated alternatives to those electronics suites found in that fighter. The third generation staring FLIR utilised in the EODAS is capable of simultaneous long and mid wave sensory input, giving the pilot the advantage of both IR bands (the former being rapid scanning while the latter, of particular importance for acquisition and engagement, is high accuracy and thus target identification at long range). Capable of acting as both an air-to-ground and air-to-air IRST FLIR, the FLIR’s primary advantage is that it is a passive sensory device, meaning that it is naturally more difficult to detect than an active radar system. In its capacity as an air-to-air implement, it is capable of wide area search and track, much like the ERE.23. As an air-to-ground sensor, the FLIR is capable of providing a wealth of passively obtained data to the pilot in the form of a visual output, with a digital zoom capability similar to that of the radar’s SAR mode allowing the pilot to view accrued information in greater detail and act accordingly. It is capable of acquiring, identifying and tracking targets on the ground for ordnance guidance purposes, while feeding information to the GPS allows it to utilise ordnance in that category as well via IRST input. EODAS is also equipped with an LRMTS (Laser Ranger and Marked Target Seeder) for rangefinding and weapons guidance purposes. Employing a diode pumped solid state laser, the laser can be used to independently designate targets for laser guided ordnance, as well as active rangefinding against individual targets. The laser spot tracker is used as it is named, detecting laser spots generated by other assets for weapons guidance, providing it with useful close air support capabilities as part of its multirole function. The optical feed is simply used to augment the standard field of vision of the pilot, capable of digital zooming and direct output to the cockpit displays.
EODAS removes the need for specialist pods, such as the Thales Damocles.
The ELO.33 EOPAS (Electro-Optical Peripheral Aperture System) acts as the combined architecture for the peripheral awareness sensors (radar and missile warning arrays) generally found in several subsystems on modern fighters. Its primary components are the windowed IR sensors located around the aircraft (of which there are seven), and a number of antennas (thirty-two) integrated into the fighter’s body. Between them, they are capable of providing comprehensive, all around radar warning and infra-red coverage to the aircraft; the data collected from the sensors is collated digitally, thus providing the M.Cs 82 with unbroken area coverage, permitting all around surveillance and monitoring. The system is capable of detecting and tracking aircraft and missiles in every direction around the aircraft, and in the case of the latter, is also capable of recording launch locations. The radar warning receivers operate similarly, capable of radar emission direction and location finding and analysis as well as basic detection; these SIGINT capabilities are put to use in the M.Cs 82’s ADA array. Furthermore, the ADA suite of the M.Cs 82 is capable of detecting low power beams across a number of spectrums and associating them through stored data with radar tracking, increasing the possibility of detecting multi-beam, low-power frequency hopping radar systems. The effective range of EOPAS is significantly greater than that of the MASTER radar, and does not require active emissions for target detection; as such, it provides both a powerful complement and a stealthier alternative to the M.Cs 82’s powerful radar array. EOPAS also fills a number of other roles. Its all-around IRST coverage allows it to track hostile aircraft regardless of their position relative to the aircraft when within range; from here, the pilot is able (with the correct helmet interface) to perform off-boresight targeting and engagement with short-range air-to-air missiles, where engagement simply involves looking at the target and firing. Another use of EOPAS is as a replacement for traditional night-vision optics; as the system provides all-around IR imaging coverage, the pilot is able to eliminate the need for heavy night-vision goggles and cockpit illumination; rather, through his helmet interface, he is able to make use of thermal imaging that substitutes traditional night-vision equipment, thus removing a significant amount of bulk from the fighter pilot’s equipment. Another use of EOPAS lies in the provision of all-around vision; the pilot’s ability to utilise 360 degrees thermal imaging to give him all-around sight greatly affects the disadvantages of a closed, canopied cockpit in terms of peripheral visual awareness.
Equipped with a wide array of sensory inputs, the M.Cs 82 achieves exceptionally high levels of peripheral awareness through the data collected by its EOPAS, and indeed MASTER, electronics suites. However, this data must be collected and utilised in a coherent fashion to maximise its utility; this role is filled by the M.Cs 82’s ELO.33 ADA (Active Defensive Architecture). The Active Defensive Architecture is a systems structure that collates the data obtained via the fighter’s sensory inputs and directs the M.Cs 82’s extensive electronic and physical countermeasures suite accordingly. The term is utilised to refer to both the system and the countermeasure components. As its electronic countermeasures suite, ADA features two-stage active defensive jamming on electronic warfare pods located at the rear of the aircraft. The first stage relies on DRFM (digital radio frequency memory) based jamming; digitally capturing radio signals and, utilising solid state transmitters, retransmitting it to the source radar system. The DRFM jamming suite is capable of retransmitting the signal stored in its memory, thus creating the impression of a normal return. However, the signal is modified prior to retransmission; by changing areas of the signal such as frequency, the jamming suite is capable of returning false returns to the source radar that cannot be identified as fabricated signals, while changing key characteristics of the return such as detected size, range and velocity. As such, DRFM is an exceedingly difficult form of jamming to detect and counteract, as it is virtually indistinguishable from actual radar signal returns. This is the ‘low power’ component of ADA’s defensive jamming suite; it also possesses a high power jamming system which operates along cruder premises, with an active array employing directed active high power radiation beams to directly attack and incapacitate enemy radar arrays directly. In addition to its defensive jammer suite, ADA also utilises a number of physical countermeasure suites, located in small underwing dispensers and pods generally attached to the sides of pylons. The chaff dispensers stack the canisters horizontally, with each canister containing differently sized strips of aluminium coated glass fibre. This is utilised to flood hostile tracking radar with returns. ADA is also equipped with chaff pods (of six launchers, with two cartridges per launcher), the aluminium chaff cartridges employing electrical expulsion of Magnesium/Teflon/Viton pyrolant and separated oxygen for high speed, high effectiveness ignition at higher altitudes.
Due to high quantities of inter-system data sharing and transfers, as well as the need to provide the M.Cs 82’s vast array of avionics with enough processing power to function while remaining space and cost effective, the fighter opts not to utilise dedicated processing for individual components of its avionics array; rather, in order to achieve higher levels of efficiency and to facilitate system component additions and replacement, it employs what is known as Modular Data Processing; the centralisation of processing tasks allows for the creation of a highly interlinked modular systems architecture to which components can be added or removed with relative ease. This ease of systems modification is further enhanced through the fact that all coding for the M.Cs 82’s software is written in Aleos, the universal coding language employed by the Anemonian Armed Forces (though commercial coding tends to be done in globally recognised languages such as C++, Aleos draws notational meaning from the Anemonian language rather than English). The decision to do this stemmed from difficulties experienced during Anemonian efforts to tamper with the F-22’s archaic base software, leading to revelations concerning the importance of an accessible programming base to ensure the further development of the M.Cs 82. The Modular Data Processing Unit of the M.Cs 82 utilises an incredibly powerful base of two processors, each providing 2GB of memory, to direct powerful processing power to the many avionics systems and subsystems of the M.Cs 82. This incredibly high level of computing power is necessitated by the multirole configuration of the M.Cs 82; equipped with a wealth of sensors, the fighter is designed to draw the maximum possible utility from its wealth of sensory inputs and process incoming information at high speed in real time to provide the pilot with complete battlespace awareness at his fingertips. Information transfers within the aircraft are performed at high speed by fibre-optic cables. The system is also capable of self-diagnostics, providing the pilot with real-time information concerning not only issues to the aircraft’s avionics but damage to its flight surfaces, capable of automatically adjusting flight control surfaces to compensate for damage if set to do so by the pilot.
With a formidable array of internal electronics, the M.Cs 82 features similarly extensive systems architecture for external communications and data sharing, capable of operating at levels as diverse as squadrons to warzones. The Communications, Navigation and Identification suite of the M.Cs 82 comprises a number of elements. The first is an Identification Friend and Foe (IFF) interrogator transponder; utilising encrypted data pulses across different frequencies, the IFF component of the CNI is the traditional means of identifying local area aircraft. These, in Anemonian service, are compliant with civil and national secure modes, while other operators may choose to introduce multinational IFF rule compliancy. The M.Cs 82 primarily employs a radio navigation system (GPS) in use, but is fully fitted to use D-VOR/DME (TACAN) and MLS based navigation, as well as inertial guidance, so as to remain highly operational in a no-GPS combat environment. Secure communications (voice, data link and image transmission) is provided in VHF and UHF bands for air-to-air and air-to-ground transmission modes; Anemonian Armed Forces ‘D-99’ standard secure high-speed data link operating in UHF bands allows for high speed data transfers between combat assets including aircraft within a squadron, permitting sensory input sharing between aircraft and to command assets to provide a clearer picture of the battlefield to all forces through the sophisticated sensor systems of the M.Cs 82. This sharing of targeting information can be provided to older generation fighters and used as targeting references for active-guided missiles, though this is not implemented as an intended function of the system on Anemonian fighters. The M.Cs 82 is also a fully functional component of Anemonian battle networking; capable of entering both the Army’s WARNET and subsidiary levels, as well as the Fleet’s MARCOM (the Air Force’s battle networking has been implemented in aircraft as a component of existing navigation systems, without a specific name), rapid data sharing and download capabilities allow it to remain fully aware of the battlefield around it in near real time, while greatly facilitating its role as a support aircraft by clarifying the placement of hostile positions relative to allies.
The design of the M.Cs 82’s cockpit, following along lines pioneered by aircraft like the Dassault Rafale and the Lockheed-Martin F-22 (both aircraft formerly in the employ of the Imperial Air Force) is fully glass, relying almost entirely on digital displays and audio cues to provide real-time information to the pilot. Like the Rafale, the M.Cs 82 employs a HOTAS (Hands-On Throttle And Stick) layout in a force-sensitive side stick/throttle layout so as to maximise pilot access to key flight and combat systems without changes of position to facilitate the use of the aircraft despite its complex electronics suite. Additional, command and control input can be fed through the M.Cs 82’s Voice Input Control (VIC) system; this additional level of human-machine interaction, albeit primitive and partly user-dependent, nonetheless provides the pilot of the M.Cs 82 with an alternative to manual interaction with systems equipment, reducing his workload by increasing the range of tasks accomplishable from the HOTAS position without movement.
The glass cockpit pilot interface of the M.Cs 82 is designed with three main objectives in mind; the ability to fully harness the power of the M.Cs 82’s formidable capabilities through a human channel, relative simplicity and ease of use to reduce pilot workload, and systems redundancy in the event of failures. The primary source of flight and combat information for the pilot lies in the Helmet-Mounted Display System (HMDS) that forms the cornerstone of data provision on the M.Cs 82; as well as providing protection at ejection airspeed to prevent pilot injury when attempting an emergency egress from the aircraft, the integrated active-matrix Liquid Crystal Display mounted over the usual location of the pilot visor provides the pilot with a HUD replacement not only capable of displaying flight and target information, but of following the pilot’s head movements to follow targets and engage them is so desired utilising the IRST tracking functions of the EOPAS system for off-boresight engagements. Other such information can be shown here; though the uses of the HMDS in actual flight are too varied and too many to be comprehensively listed here, a number of notable capabilities permitted by complete interface/sensor fusion includes the ability to switch between navigation maps within the HMD interface itself, allowing the pilot to fly the aircraft while observing a map at the corner of their eyesight, the HMDS’s complete display of scanned, tracked and engaged targets in real time, allowing the pilot to respond more quickly and effective (this is a modifiable attribute of the HMDS, with the option to select displayed targets according to the sensory input used (thus preventing BVR contacts from cluttering the HMDS interface), and the ability to use the all-around IR sensory inputs to shift a 360 degree digitally constructed IR return map onto the HMDS visor, thus giving the pilot complete vision in every direction, complete with the targeting returns obtained by the IRST if desired, giving the M.Cs 82’s pilot a significant advantage over traditional, ‘analogue’ pilots (this is utilised by most pilots as their all aspect night vision array in place of heavy goggles). The HMDS helmet is also equipped with a piezoelectric vibration microphone so as to ensure that accurate voice returns are obtained over the background noise of an aerial combat vehicle, as well as an active noise dampener; overall, the high speed responses obtained via the use of the LCD HMDS give the M.Cs 82’s pilot a significant engagement speed advantage despite the relative complexity of the aircraft by further decreasing the workload placed upon certain parts of him, splitting it between other areas of his body as well as passing most visual functions to his display, thus decreasing his reliance on heads-down, attention drawing electronic displays.
However, despite the presence of a HMDS, the M.Cs 82 was not designed similarly to the minimalist cockpit configuration of fighters such as the F-35. The two primary reasons for this are the high potential for systems failure inherent in complex electronics such as those found in the HMDS, thus necessitating the existence of effective redundancy measures, and the highly complex array of electronics inherent in the M.Cs 82’s design, requiring a number of flexible displays beyond that shown on the pilot’s helmet to fully project the full systems information and controls of the M.Cs 82 to the pilot. Directly ahead of the pilot, a wide field of vision HUD with a rubber buffer to prevent inward shattering during canopy impact is placed so as to provide the pilot with an alternative display in the event of HMDS failure; relatively unobtrusive, it is designed to ensure that the pilot is able to use it immediately when required, employing the same symbology as the HMDS, from targets to warnings. Directly underneath the HUD mount, a small communications frequency control panel is place to allow the pilot to easily switch across communications channels while remaining aware of the battlefield, adding to the M.Cs 82’s practical level interconnectivity with other combat assets on the battlefield. As well as this communications control panel, a warning display panel is also located into this electronics ‘block’ to ensure that the pilot is provided with heads-up awareness of faults within the M.Cs 82, ensuring rapid responses. This warning display is a small LCD screen, taking up minimal space on the cockpit panel itself, working in conjunction with the audio cue system to ensure that faults identified by the self-diagnostics system are rapidly communicated to the pilot. The screen arrangement of the M.Cs 2 is an unusual one, utilising six screens in a layout that balances ease of utility and system redundancy to ensure usability under any circumstances. The Central Interface Display is a 27.5 x 25cm (height by width) liquid crystal display touch screen located in the centre of the cockpit panel. The CID utilises a purely touch-based control interface (the pilot utilises conductive thread interwoven gloves for this very purpose) with no button based redundancy, opting instead to fully employ the available space to present necessary information to the pilot. To either side of the CID, two Secondary Interface Displays (SID) of 32 x 16cm are found running along the sides of the cockpit panel; like the CID, these are LCD touch screens, but come equipped with MFD physical button based controls for redundancy purposes. Located directly underneath the CID, between the pilot’s legs, a Lower Interface Display (LID) of 15 x 15cm can be found; against, like the SIDs, this is an LCD touch screen equipped with MFD button based controls. To either side of the legs, a pair of smaller purely touch screen LCDs of 12 x 7.6cm can be found for minor display purposes.
An early development model of the M.Cs 82's HMDS.
In practice, these displays can be shifted and reconfigured to the pilot’s need and desires, with the ability shift critical information to other screens in the event of screen failure as part of the M.Cs 82’s system redundancy features. The default standard configuration is as follows. The CID and left SID are interchangeable; between them, ground and aerial combat sensor information, flight critical instruments, and aircraft bearing are displayed; the CID is utilised to display the sensory inputs relevant to the mission being carried out at that time by the aircraft (ranging from an air-combat display collating the various sensor inputs of the M.Cs 82 for use by the pilot to the SAR map used for ground attack missions), with flight critical instruments displayed in bars across the top of the displays. The right SID is used to display navigation equipment, while the LIDs can be used to display a number of items; in general, they are used for instruments that do not need to be visible by the pilot during manoeuvres, such as the fuel gauge, as well as additional warnings and controls. Panels to either side of the pilot’s seat house the HOTAS control implements as well as various engine and power related manual controls, thus centralising the start-up and power regulation controls of the aircraft in a head-down position to prevent them from obstructing flight controls.
The M.Cs 82’s canopy utilises a two-piece polycarbonate structure, and is made up of drape formed laminated sheets built for resistance against BC elements, both man-made and environmental, and high speed impact with small, airborne objects, namely birds. The canopy is iridium-tin oxide coated to preventing radar from entering the cockpit, thus decreasing the fighter’s overall RCS. It is designed to slide rearwards when opening, locked in place by pins. Weighted on one side, the M.Cs 82’s canopy features explosive disconnection and thrusters to lift it clear of the aircraft, with the weighting dragging the canopy at an angle away from the aircraft to prevent collision with the pilot.
Though it is a first-class combat aircraft, the M.Cs 82 is also, ultimately, an aircraft; as such, it is equipped with a high effectiveness ejecting seat system designed for effectiveness in any situation, from high speed to no speed (a zero-zero ejection seat). When in use, the seat is placed at a 29 degree angle, much like the Martin Baker Mk. 16F found in the Rafale, to improve pilot tolerance of high g-forces without compromising the pilot’s access and view of flight instruments and controls. In its capacity as an ejection system, the seat is both accessible and effective. Unlike many modern aircraft, the ejection system is activated mechanically via two handles on either side of the seat; with a relatively large cockpit, the space premiums that necessitate the use of centrally placed handles on some aircraft do not exist on the M.Cs 82, and the dual handle system was used due to its ease of accessibility from a HOTAS control position like that found on the M.Cs 82. The seat is a twin catapult and thruster ejection model, mounted along side rails, and comes with a number of features to ensure pilot safety. A net based arm restraint system is mechanically deployed together with the seat’s ejection to keep the pilot’s body within safe confines during the ejection process. An on-board oxygen generator works in conjunction with backup oxygen bottles to provide the pilot with a redundant oxygen supply while nonetheless achieving overall weight advantages over traditional oxygen-bottle based designs, allowing for safe ejection at higher altitudes by balancing out the oxygen supply as necessary. The drogue parachute is located behind the pilot’s head, and forced out by a mortar mechanism; the lack of a fixed cord system or any deployment mechanisms of that nature are to allow the ejection seat to deploy the parachute according to altitude and flight speed data uploaded at the point of ejection, thus maximising pilot safety according to position and decreasing the possibility of failures such as the application of immense shock to the pilot through parachute deployment at high speed, or late parachute ejection in zero-zero conditions. The seat comes with a survival pack housed in a fibreglass box located underneath it.
The Illusion's ejection seat undergoing testing.
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