Scandian Aerial Fighters

Scandian aerial fighters are operated both by the air forces (SLCM-Air) and the Navy (SLCM-Sea). Overall, SLCM-Sea is considered to have better craft; carriers and carrier aviation are a major strength of Scande's naval forces. SLCM-Air , on the other hand, is often regarded merely as an extension of the ground forces, with the primary duty of air defense. SLCM-Air's bombers are typically only used against opponents with no significant air capability of their own. Around 45 WR, after the very strange flight of Kel Hothead, SLCM disbanded the air forces as an independent branch, splitting their responsibilities between SLCM-Ground and SLCM-Sea, reflecting their view that in modern warfare traditional airpower is best viewed as an adjutant to those arms.

SLCM-Air (later SLCM-Ground)

Although Scande has some ground attack craft, Scandian doctrine has the ground forces and artillery do most of the heavy hitting, and aircraft are mostly defensive in nature. This reflects a mentality of "keep our artillery, tanks, and mecha from getting blown up from the air and they will usually beat the other guys artillery, tanks, and mecha."

Dragonwing Interceptor

A small, stripped-down, fast interceptor. It has 2 supervolt coils as its armament. Cramped even for one pilot, the Dragonwing presents a small target profile. It is impaired by its lack of missiles, however, and has short range that keeps it from being an effective escort. The supervolt coils have short range, and the Dragonwing must get in close to do its work. It is light enough to take off from a small airfield, however, which allows for field deployments as the Assault Engineers are capable of rapidly plowing a field.

Valiant Strike Bomber

Specialized ground-attack aircraft. With two turbofans and broad wings, the Valiant is a solid design. The fuselage contains an antipode Vulcan for ground strafing, armor plating like the Spitfire to protect the pilot and the wings have ample room for several thousand pounds of bombs. Like the Dragonwing the Valiant is a rugged aircraft capable of short take off. Usually makes strikes behind enemy lines on important facilities and roads. However, during the Leviathan War production of the Valiant all but stopped, and ninety percent of SLCM-Air’s aircraft output went to Dragonwings, in a desperate effort to counter Esperian air superiority. Air defense, not ground attack, is the main priority for Scande's air forces. Nonetheless, the Valiant is still used against enemies with little air capability of their own, such as in the various Ticonderan Civil Wars or counter-insurgency efforts.

Suzhinsky Fighter

After SLCM-Ground took over for SLCM-Air, they wanted a newer, better fighter, but one that was not too expensive. The result was this utterly average and uninspired fighter armed with a bog-standard mix of guns and missiles. It is somewhat bulkier than the Dragonwing it replaces or the Kuat Quickdraw. It is, however, still rugged enough to operate from forward airfields (even regular roads in a pinch) and can be produced in numbers. After all, no one (besides the Luftwaffe) is shelling out for expensive atmospheric fighters these days, and cost gives the Suzhinsky a numerical edge against expensive "aerospace" fighters like the Epoch.

SLCM-Sea Aircraft

SLCM-Sea's naval aviation actually gives has access to some of the best planes in Scande's inventory. Although most of Sea's aircraft are carrier-based, they also have special land-based squadrons for sea patrol and attack.

Dragonwing II Air Superiority Fighter

The Dragonwing II is slightly longer than the original, which allowed forward canards to be added. These were mainly added for the purpose of mounting two short-range dog fighting missiles. Initially it was believed that the change would wreak havoc with the design, but improvements in engine output negated the downside. The Dragonwing maintains its supervolt coils, but the addition of missiles makes this a much better dogfighter. SLCM-Air has asked to be provided with the Dragonwing II. The request has thus far been unfunded, although SLCM-Air get Dragonwings as "hand-me-downs" as production of the Hellcat ramps up. Even with the Hellcat, however, the Dragonwing II maintains a niche as a high-speed, high-maneuverability interceptor.

Bloodhawk Jumpjet

A leap forward for Scandian air capabilities when the Bloodhawk was introduced, this aircraft remains a workhorse for SLCM-Sea. A large, bulbous craft with Very Short Take Off and Landing(VSTOL), the Bloodhawk is built around a ducted turbofan that allows it to take off and land nearly vertically as well as hover. The Bloodhawk's primary armament is its missiles. Each of its six mounts has room for either an air-to-air missile, a heavy air-to-ground missile, an anti-ship missile, or a pack of four short-range wire-guided anti-tank missiles, or a two-pack of laser guided bombs. The Bloodhawk was also one of the first Scandian aircraft to incorporate the night vision/thermoptics package common in Scandian ground vehicles.

As other powers build their navies, the Bloodhawk has been modified slightly. SLCM-Sea has added a cannon for defense against enemy fighters, and has developed an air-launched torpedo to give the Bloodhawk more options in a naval confrontation. Although capable of threatening aircraft with the right configuration, the Bloodhawk's primary roles are sea and ground attack.

Rybak Maritime Patrol Aircraft

Designed for long range and long-loiter times, the Rybak ("fisherman") supports SLCM-Sea in anti-submarine warfare, search and rescue, and can even be kitted out to interdict enemy shipping. Used to patrol all Scandian coastal waters, and instrumental in Scande's ongoing fight against the Pyra trade in the Velorian Islands. Fitted with a wide variety of sensors and cameras, including air dropped sonobuoys.

Hellcat Stealth Superiority Fighter

The Hellcat was a Communist Protectorate-wide project to develop a high-performance, carrier-based fighter. Kuvalla was eager to recapture some of its old fame in aircraft production and the expertise of its Thunder Moogle line. The FTSR brought its computer knowledge to the plane's avionics. Representatives from the Merge League, Tycoon, and Orkish Tribal Union attended as observers.

This did lead to some issues as different members had different requirements. The Scandian League insisted on an aircraft capable of carrier operations, which was not a concern for the other partners. The Kuvallans wanted a name that included "moogle". The Ticonderans wanted something that could serve as a ground-attack craft equally well, to support their ongoing conflict with Viper District.

Nonetheless, the design team was able to put aside their differences and produce an excellent craft. Although the Hellcat has enough speed and maneuverability to make it a viable fighter, its most distinctive feature is its stealth capability. The Hellcat is the first supersonic, carrier-based, stealth fighter produced. SLCM has finally applied its knowledge of signature-reduction technology (evident in many Scandian vehicles and the Wavekiller submarine]]) to an aircraft. Although the Hellcat is far short of completely invisible, it is very difficult to pick up and track on radar and easily evades many missile lock technologies.

A well-armed craft, the Hellcat has twin vulcan cannon, two supervolt coils, and several air-to-air missiles. The missiles are loaded internally to preserve the Hellcat's stealthy profile.

Although the primary role of the Hellcat is a fighter, it is equally capable of strafing runs and carrying laser-guided bombs. The Hellcat can mount additional weapons on external hardpoints, but doing so sacrifices its stealth capability.

The Hellcat is much larger then the Dragonwing, and is a 2-seater aircraft. A co-pilot is needed to handle weapons and ECM. Because of its size, the Hellcat can usually only be launched from SLCM-Sea's larger, Kraken-class carriers, and cannot be operated from the small Hive-class carrier.

The first production run of Hellcats goes to SLCM-Sea's Kraken carriers. FTSR and Kuvalla will receive follow-on runs, as lead development partners, with the option for other Protectorate powers to acquire the plane later The Hellcat cements SLCM-Sea's lead in naval aviation. The Kriegsnavee is reputedly interested in the fighter, as the GA has used more and more 'off-the-shelf' designs in certain areas in an era of budget cuts.

Thankfully for Coalition countries, the Esper Union, and various other enemies of the working man, the Hellcat is quite expensive to produce and unlikely to supplant the Dragonwing II as the most common fighter in Scandian service.