XF-45 Lightning III

"Any mission, any time, anywhere... why isn't that our motto?" - Captain Thomas "Eagle 1" Challenger, commander of the United Nations Centurion Peacekeeper Wings, commenting on the versatility the XF-45 gave them as a unit.

The XF-45 Lightning III was the pinnacle of Human fighter design throughout the latter half of the 21st century. It was fast, agile, versatile and capable of taking as much damage as it could dish out. It made use of cutting-edge technologies and traditional design to create an easy to use, cheap and mass-producible aircraft. It became the longest-serving fighter design in all of Human history, quickly rising to the same legendary status as the Supermarine Spitfire Series, P-51 Mustang Series and the F-22 Lightning, the very craft it replaced. Few pilots found a reason to debunk the XF-45's prowess in all the roles it filled. It became known as the "King of Jacks", in reference to it being designed to be a Jack-of-all-Trades, but ending up being better than its counterparts by a substantial amount.

Development

The XF-45 started out as the X-45 Prototype, produced in response to the United States search for a replacement for the F-22. This stage of development was handled almost entirely by North American Avionics, as the key selling point of the aircraft was it's cutting-edge propulsion and onboard systems. The X-45 made use of two new and experimental technologies; Plasma Propulsion and Dark Matter Manipulation. Plasma Propulsion was a sub-product of Fusion Power research, which made massive progression the 2030s. It uses small directed energy beams to focus thermal energy onto a small area inside the engine's combustion chamber, heating Hydrogen fuel to the point of Fusion. The energy created from this reaction is directed to the engine exhausts at the rear of the plane using Magnetic Control Fields, which prevent the plasma from touching and melting the aircraft from the inside out. Dark Matter Manipulation was the brainchild of Dr Fredrick Smith, an incredibly intelligent astrophysicist. He spent most of his university life in the 2020s formulating a new theory for Dark Matter. By 2030 he had proved his theory correct. By using anti-matter particles, specifically positrons, in a magnetically contained area, he was able to prove that the empty space between all atoms is in fact made up of Dark Matter. This theory was given relatively small amounts of publicity, as many scientists debunked his experiments as inadequate, inaccurate and unreliable.
However, Dr Fredrick was offered a job at North American Avionics in 2036 and went on to work on the X-45 project. He was given the task of creating a system that could manipulate the Dark Matter around him to create some kind of useful aerospace technology. Using the same method he used to prove his theory, he was able to use positively charged anti-matter particles to manipulate the Dark Matter "field" to act on objects and give an object a force. Using this technique, the development team of the X-45 used Dr Fredrick's work to create a Dark Matter Manipulation Field or Delta Mike Mike as the test pilots came to know it as. The force created by the DMMF was able to generate lift, small levels of thrust in any direction on the horizontal plane and reduce air resistance at the air intakes and tips of the wings. This marvel of modern technology gave the XF-45 an unprecedented advantage over its competitors. Not only was it able to carry a larger payload because of the increased lift, but it was also able to move much faster thanks to the increased thrust to mass ratio the DMMF gave it and the reduced air resistance. This gave the XF-45 a top speed nearing the Hypersonic Threshold (5 times the speed of sound) when not loaded with any payload.
The only problem with the DMMF was that it required a large amount of the power capacity of the X-45's fusion reactor. During testing, pilots frequently reported having key avionics systems, such as RADAR and tracking systems, lose power when the X-45 went into a tight turn or when the DMMF was used to increase to maximum cruising speed. One of the X-45 prototypes, known by its pilot as Thunder, experienced an engine failure in August of 2038 on a routine test flight. The pilot managed to glide to safety and the craft was minorly damaged during the landing, but the pilot suffered no injuries. During the investigation process, engineers discovered that the DMMF was not actually powering down when the crafts reactor was turned to idle. This was due to an electrical error that had resulted in the switch that regulated power to the DMMF being degraded over time by the high voltage passing through it. This error was corrected by replacing the copper switch with a switch made of a newly discovered rare metal called Ganthium.
In 2040 the Lightning III competitors took a major blow. With the US budget shifting more and more to globalising trade, increasing welfare and reducing military spending, the Lightning III project was hit by a massive budget cut. This meant two competitors to the X-45, the X-30 and the X-52, were knocked out of the project as they could no longer consider the project a viable profitable scheme. Only a few months later the UN took over the project as the US could no longer afford the project at all, which further reduced spending on the program.
Nevertheless, in 2041 the final competition between the competitors, the X-42, the X-45 and the X-48, took place at RAF Northolt. The X-45 proved to be light years ahead of anything its competitors could offer. The UN quickly moved to capitalize on the power of the X-45, designating it the XF-45 and ordering 100s of units for delivery by 2044. In 2042, the United Nations Centurion Peacekeeper Squadrons received the first batch of 4 squadrons of 6 XF-45s and they were very quickly put into combat.

Pre-Interstellar War Service

GLI Incursions

In 2043, the XF-45 was given its first combat scenario when the Global Liberation Initiative launched a coordinated military takeover of multiple Middle Eastern countries. Uprisings in Iraq, Syria, Yemen, Afghanistan and Pakistan were supported by local military forces, and so the governments of these countries were forced to immediately surrender. Saudi Arabia and Iran had a split in their military forces, and a civil war ensued between government loyalists and GLI supporters in both countries. Israel experienced massive civilian protests in the Gaza Strip, which escalated when armed militia, supported by GLI air elements, attacked IDF troops on the Gaza Border, prompting a swift response from the IDF.
The motive of many GLI members was the destruction of the UN, as they believed it infringed on their religious beliefs and exploited their countries without remorse. The UN had to respond quickly to this enormous threat in the East before the GLI could set up large ground and air defences. The situation was made even worse when it was publicly revealed US troops still stationed in Iraq were under siege by GLI forces near the Caspian Sea. The UN decided that a quick response was paramount. A ground transport operation was out of the question, so UN high command decided that the troops should be evacuated by air to nearby Turkey. This became known as Operation Pheonix.
Operation Pheonix was the first combat test for the XF-45. Peacekeeper squadrons were moved to Turkish Airbases on the 23rd January, 1 day after the initial GLI uprisings. 2 days later the distress call from US troops was picked up by the Turkish base, and it was relayed to UN high command. Within 24 hours, 2 squadrons of 6 XF-45s were scrambled to provide air cover for the evacuation. The evacuation aircraft that were decided to be used were Chinook Helicopters and Osprey II Tilt-Engine Jets. Neither of these transports were equipped with any kind of air-to-air defence, and this gave the XF-45 pilots a very clear objective. Obtain air superiority over the US base before the evacuation craft arrived, and maintain it until all the transports were away.
With this in mind, the Centurion Squadrons selected for the mission, Eagle and Raven Squadrons, decided on the loadouts they needed for the mission. The XF-45 had 6 small internal hardpoints to mount weapons on, as well as 2 large ventral internal bays to store heavy ordinance. Eagle Squadron equipped their craft with AAM-56B Guided Missile Pods on 4 of the small hardpoints and Hydra Rocket Pods on the remaining two. They also equipped 2 JZAM Laser Guided Bombs into the ventral bays. Raven Squadron also equipped themselves with AAM56B Guided Missile Pods, but instead of the Rocket Pods, they equipped Hellfire Missile Racks onto their craft. They also used JZAM Laser Guided Bombs in the Ventral bay. This gave both squadrons sufficient ability to attack both Air and Ground threats to the US troops.
Operation Pheonix was a near-total success, with the only loss on the UN-US Coalition side being one of the transports. However, all the troops aboard the transport managed to survive thanks to the expert skill of the pilot. US Black Hawk Helicopters were dispatched from the Turkish Airbase to extract the survivors during the cover of darkness. All US troops who were extracted during the operation made it home.
The Operation was heavily publicised in news stories across the world, and the XF-45 took centre stage as being the key element to the success of the operation. Interviews with pilots praising its versatility, its speed, its manoeuvrability and each other. Not a single XF-45 was brought down during the operation, while Eagle and Raven Squadrons scored 33 confirmed aerial kills on both GLI jets and attack helicopters, as well as 7 unconfirmed aerial kills. Several pilots also provided close air support to the troops on the ground, with Eagles 5 and 6 and Ravens 3 and 4 circling around the US base to provide strafing runs on GLI infantry and precision strikes on any armoured vehicles in the area.
Over the course of the GLI Uprisings, Centurion Squadrons scored a total of 178 aerial kills on GLI air force aircraft, eliminated 60 key strategic buildings with deadly precision, with 0 collateral damage, destroyed over 300 GLI armoured vehicles and killed countless GLI Infantry soldiers.

Keplarian Sol Incursion

In 2045, the XF-45 would be given its ultimate test. A Keplarian Recon Picket arrived in Earth's Orbit on 1st November. The Picket was made up of 2 Val'Goh Cruisers and 4 K-U8 Escort Destroyers. The objective of the Keplarians was perceived to be peaceful at first, as a global transmission was made from the lead Cruiser in British Standard English, informing the world they were merely "looking for one of their own". This was true, however, the extent the Keplarians would go to find this "one of their own" was completely unexpected. The Picket split off into 2 groups, each with 1 Cruiser and 2 Escort Destroyers. One group entered the airspace above London and the other above Paris.
Within hours both cities were almost entirely levelled. A small scale evacuation was undertaken by the Centurions and the UNAF in London, but there was only so much that could be done before the evacuation sites were overrun. The Keplarians wanted it to be known that they would be taking no chances with any resistance. However, the arrival of the entire force of XF-45s over London stunned the Recon Picket's leadership, resulting in a brief moment of disorientation among the Keplarian crews, allowing a full scale counter attack against the ships over London to gain some momentum. The XF-45s worked in tandem with RAF L-107 Hurricanes to disable the Cruiser's shields and cripple its sub-systems. The use of the XF-45's anti-armour railguns made short work of the few point defence and flak cannons on the cruiser's hull, and before long the cruiser was crippled, allowing L-107s to fire GR-09 Cruise Missiles into the engines of the cruiser, disabling it and forcing it to crash in to the Thames. The remaining aerial Keplarian forces, including one of the two K-U8-class Destroyers, retreated to Paris.
Paris had become a Keplarian fortress overnight. The Cruiser had deployed its full detachment of ground troops within hours, with French air elements being unable to mount a significant defence to the overwhelming power of the Keplarian fighters and starships. Many civilians were also trapped within the city, with captured civilians being forced to be human shields around Anti-air emplacements to prevent long range aerial strikes against them, bolstering Keplarian air superiority over the city. UN high command, along with British, French, American and some German units, began to formulate a counter attack plan. Under the cover of night, 2 squads of UN Centurions and 2 SAS platoons would be H.A.L.O. dropped into paris to knock out the AA defences throughout the city. They would also assist in getting any civilians found to safe zones outside of the city. At dawn, an all out Air and land assault would begin. French, German and British armour divisions and motorised infantry would begin sweeping back the Keplarian ground force, while the remaining Centurion Squadrons with British, American and French squadrons would attempt to retake control of the skies.
The plan was executed flawlessly, albiet with heavy air losses against the Keplarian destroyers. Civilian casualties were minimised and the remaining 3 destroyers were destroyed entirely. However, the Keplarian cruiser managed to escape into orbit. It used the lack of a stellar defense network to commence a campaign of hit-and-run attacks against key military installations across the planet. The first strike was a divebomb maneouver over New York, where several US warships were being refitted with Railguns capable of striking orbital targets. The damage inflicted against the US port was substantial. However, the cruiser was unable to pull out of the dive, and crashed into the Atlantic. It was believed destroyed on impact. Four days later the cruiser resurfaced near Plymouth, England, a major naval base and home to the Archer Industries Research & Manufacturing Complex, a major contributor to several large UN military projects. Upon detection of the cruiser, XF-45s were immediately scrambled to provide close air support and air superiority over Plymouth.
The squadrons of XF-45s made short work of the dwindling Keplarian fighter presense. That was until the cruiser released a squadron of XK9 Heavy Fighters, which began chewing through the inbound evacuation transports before they could even approach their landing zones. Several XF-45s were also shot down by XK9s, though their lack of numbers allowed Eagle and Raven squadrons to out maneouver them and ultimately destroy them. The time that the XF-45s brought the forces on the ground allowed many civillians to get on the evacuation craft, as well as giving ample time for the Archer Industries facility to reveal their most top secret project; The U.N.S. Retaliator, the first of any Human Battlecruiser designs to be fully built. It completely obliterated the Keplarian cruiser with its main guns and mopped up the remaining Keplarian forces, both land and air, with its secondary weapon systems.
The Sol Incursion saw many XF-45 pilots killed in action or severly injured. In the space of a single week, Thomas Challenger (then known as Eagle 6) saw his entire squadron, including his mentor, decimated by the Keplarian forces, only to rise up as the leader of the entire Centurion force in the field to lead them to a stunning victory over Plymouth. The other 3 squadrons also saw significant losses, with Hawk squadron losing their commanding officier after she used her crippled craft as a makeshift fusion bomb to destroy one of the Keplarian destroyers.
The XF-45 had proven itself capable in the hands of skilled pilots to not only be capable of tilting unfavourable numbers in its odds, but also being able to stand up to the advanced technology of an alien threat. It was to become the staple of Human fighter design for the next 4 decades before a suitable replacement was found, let alone deemed necessary.

Notable Pilots and Craft

• XF-45 "Thunder", piloted by Eagle 1 Thomas "Scorp" Challenger. 572 Kills and 487 Assists on record before retirement after the Interstellar War. On display at Northolt Aviation Museum in London.
• XF-45 "Lightning", piloted by Eagle 2 Samuel "Trigger" Wilson. 432 Kills and 567 assists on record before being reported Killed In Action in 2084, 1 year before the Interstellar war ended. Reported KIA, actual status is MIA as of 2084.
• XF-45S "Magnitude" piloted by Jonas Prado da Conceição. Used to disable the propulsion systems and Graviton generators of the KINS Fury, an Interdiction Cruiser that was going to be used to trap the 2nd EPU Fleet at Neptune Station. Confirmed KIA.
• XF-45 Squadron Delta, led by Kurt Danielsen. Led a suicidal run on the Keplarian Battleship KINS Devastator to make time for the UNS Retaliator to escape from XC-556. Their sacrifice allowed the UNS Retaliator to return to the battle with reinforcements and destroy the KINS Devastator and her escort. All confirmed KIA
• XF-45M "Typhoon", piloted by Raven 4 Stans Haar. Covered the evacuation of Keplarian Rebels from XC-556 while taking substantial damage and destroying 12 Keplarian Heavy Fighters. On display next to the Rebellion Memorial outside Archer Palace on Keplar.
• XF-45 "Hurricane" piloted by Hawk 1 Susana Zubek. Used to crash into one of the K-U8 Destroyers over Paris, destroying it. Confirmed KIA.

Sub-Models

• XF-45S: Variant of the XF-45 equipped with a stealth drive, rendering the craft invisible to the naked eye. First deployed at the Battle of Neptune Station
• XF-45M: Modernised version of the original XF-45 introduced in 2078, sporting more modular weapon emplacements as well as superior shielding and power generation.
• XF-45A: A drone variant of the XF-45. Only 2 were ever built due to funding issues. Saw no combat action in the Interstellar War

Power Generation

• EXF-56M Fusion Core

Propulsion

Primary Propulsion

• 2x GB-01 Vectored Plasma Engine

Auxillary Propulsion

• ML-5 Impulse System
• DRX-9Y Dark Matter Stabilization Field

Weapons & Armament

Fixed Armament

• 2x AG-30/3 30mm Rotary Autocannons
• 2x IAI-57/1 57mm autoloading anti-armour low power railguns

Interchangable Armament

• AAM-56B Guided Missile Pods
• Fire Devil Plasma Rocket Pods
• JKAM 2000 Kg Dumb Fire Bombs
• JZAM 1000 Kg Laser Guided Bombs
• C-10 Cruise Missile
• B-99 Nuclear Bomb

Armor and defense

Physical Protection

• X-99f Energy Field Generator
• 30mm Titanium Plating on the Nose Cover
• 40mm Titanium Plating on the Fuselage
• 35mm Titanium Plating on all Wings

Guided Munitions and Tracking Protection

• Infrared Flare Launchers
• Stealth Paint Coating
• Wing and Fuselage design diffuses RADAR signals
• Y-9 Ghost Sensor Jammer

Computer Systems Protection

• Closed Network sensor, guidance and propulsion grid
• X-KOMBAT All purpose firewall

Communication Tools & Systems

Local Transmission

• R-4 Radio Communication Array
• Turreted flashlight for visual morse code transmission

Long Range Transmission

• 
  R-9 Tachyon Communication System
  

Sensors

Tactical Awareness

• Sentinel Mk I RADAR
• IFF (Is Friend or Foe) Tag Transmitter and Reciever

Target Designation

• A.T.A.C. Laser Designator
• Model 15R fast-tracking targeting computer
• T-13 TIHS (Thermal Imaging and Heat Source Tracker)

Additional & auxiliary systems

• Heat and Oxygen Circulation (3 hours max up time)

Class

Multi-Role Fighter

Nickname

Lightning 3

Manufacturer

North American Avionics

Owning Organization

Emergency Planetary Union

Price

$18,760,425 per unit

Rarity

Scarce

Beam

9.8 Metres

Length

12.7 Metres

Height

4.6 Metres

Weight

11,098 Kg Dry Weight; 37,098 Kg with max payload

Speed

1372 ms^-1 in an atmosphere, 1557 ms^-1 outside an atmosphere

Complement / Crew

1

Cargo & Passenger Capacity

EPU standard survival box, Container for Personal Defence Weapon in Ejection seat, Internal weapons bay can be refitted to carry light cargo