Nieuport-Saulnier Rapace

Nicknamed La Fusée (the rocket).

Armament


The Rapace is equipped with a single 30mm DEFA 530 cannon firing from under the port side air intake, fed by a linkless feed system with 130 rounds.

Primary armament consists of two wingtip rails for air to air missiles, and four underwing hardpoints for various stores, and four recessed hardpoints on the fuselage for R5 air to air missiles. In addition there is a single centreline hardpoint for an external fuel tank that precludes use of the recessed fuselage hardpoints. The two inner wing pylons are plumbed for 1200L drop tanks or may carry multiple ejector racks for various ordinance. The C2 model introduced stores racks for the inner wing pylons for the 1200L drop tank that also provided two rails for air to air missiles. The outer wing pylons are not plumbed but may carry lighter ordnance on multiple ejector racks as well.

The Rapace is capable of carrying an air defense load of ten MICA air to air missiles, four R5 air to air missiles, and two 1200L drop tanks for a single mission.

A typical sea control mission profile may include a single anti-shipping missile mounted on the centreline pylon, two R8 missiles on the wingtip rails, and two R8 missiles along with a drop tank under each wing on the inner pylons. For shipping attack the fuselage pylon and two inner wing pylons may carry anti-shipping missiles for a total of three.

A typical CAP mission may consist of two R8 missiles on the wingtip rails, four R5 missiles in the fuselage recesses, and four more R8 missiles as well as two drop tanks under the inboard wing pylons.

For SEAD/DEAD roles the Rapace can carry up to eight R7 loitering attack munitions in addition to two R8 missiles for self defense.

Variants

 * Rapace C - Chasse. Primary naval fighter variant in Chezzetcook service.
 * Rapace B - Biplace. Two-seat trainer based on C variant. Lacks internal gun and has reduced fuel, otherwise fully combat capable.
 * Rapace A - Export fighter based on Rapace C1. Lacks some navalization such as arrestor hook and landing aids, fitted with Cyrano IV pulse-doppler radar, lacking some sensitive avionics.
 * Rapace D - Export trainer based on Rapace A. As with Rapace B lacks internal gun and some fuel to allow second seat.
 * Rapace E - Export fighter based on Rapace C2 with greater ground attack functionality. True multirole fighter. Lacks carrier capability as with Rapace A.
 * Rapace M - Export multirole fighter based on Rapace C3 retaining carrier capability.

Current
 Chezzetcook
 * L'Aéronavale