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 160 rounds.

Primary armament consists of two wingtip rails for short range air to air missiles, four underwing hardpoints for various stores, and two recessed hardpoints on the fuselage for R5 air to air missiles. The two recessed hardpoints are in tandem along the centreline of the fuselage and may be replaced with a single pylon for different stores. The centreline pylon fitting is plumbed for fuel, allowing the carriage of a single 2,200L drop tank along the centreline. Use of the centreline pylon precludes the use of the recessed hardpoints for the R5 missile. 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.

As an air defense fighter on a combat air patrol, the Rapace can be fitted with two 1,200L drop tanks, four R5 BVRAAMs, and six R8 AAMs. Such a loadout provides a for a two hour loiter time on partrol and sufficient firepower to deal with most airborne threats. The Rapace is also able to carry up to eight R5 BVRAAMs total, plus two R8 AAMs without drop tanks. Alternatively because of its multirole nature a 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. Various air to ground ordinance can also be carried, including up to a maximum of twenty 250lb bombs and two R8 missiles, without drop tanks. Alternativly for conducting SEAD/DEAD operations, the Rapace can carry up to eight R7 loitering attack munitions as well as two R8 AAMs for self defense. The Rapace is capable of carrying all types of airborne ordinance in Chezzetcook service, including nuclear weapons.

Powerplant
Due to delays with the development of the engine intended for both the Rapace attack fighter and Aquilon fleet defense fighter the Rapace C1 was introduced with the developed to upgrade its predecessor the Étendard. The M60 provided acceptable performance for the requirements of the Rapace and the aircraft was well liked by its crews. The M60 however was becoming an old design, and a number of deficiencies in capability and flight characteristics were clear from introduction with the higher performance Rapace. Deficiencies which did not present themselves on the lower performance Étendard. These problems were also showing in the twin engine Aquilon which shared the M60 engine. The was finally accepted into service in 1990 and introduced with the Rapace in 1991 as the C2. The Rapace C3 introduced in 1999 and C4 introduced in 2013 continue to use variants of the M90 engine.

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