F-26 Sabre II (Infinite Horizons)

The **Lockheed Martin-Northrop Grumman F-26 Sabre II** is a sixth-generation, twin-engine, all-weather stealth tactical fighter aircraft developed for the United States Air Force (USAF). It is designed to be the USAF's premiere air superiority fighter, replacing the F-22 Raptor from the pedestal. While it is primarily an air superiority fighter, it is capable of performing other duties, such as precision strike missions and as a mini-AWACS.

## **Development**

As of now, much of the Sabre II's history has been clouded with secrecy. However, what is written below is what is known and/or declassified at the moment.

### **Origins**

With the opening of the USEAN Insurrection, the U.S. Air Force was in dire need of a new air superiority fighter. The appearance of an unknown advanced fighter aircraft from the USEA Federation during Operation: Override meant that their air supremacy is drifting away rapidly. This prompted the development programs of U.S. sixth-generation fighters, the USAF's F-X and the US Navy's Next Generation Air Dominance programs, to be accelerated.

## **Design**

### **Engines**

The F-26 is powered by two variable-bypass engines, the Pratt and Whitney F220. The engines were developed from the research obtained by the ADaptive Versatile ENgine Technology (ADVENT) program, where the goal was to engineer a jet engine capable of operating for extreme speeds or for high fuel efficiency. As a result, the F220 has a dry thrust within the 30,000 lbf (133.5 kn) class, and a maximum thrust just shy of the 50,000 lbf (222.4 kn) class, all the while giving the F-26 a combat radius of nearly 900 km and a maximum range of around 3,500 km. It also allows the F-26 to supercruise at Mach 1.95, and a limited top speed of mach 2.35. The engines can theoretically push the F-26 through Mach 3 barrier, but that would require an increase in structural rigidity on the aircraft, which would increase weight, due to the fragility of the W-wing configuration at extreme speeds.

It's nozzle is a two-dimensional converging-diverging nozzle equipped with fluidic thrust vectoring. It uses the bleed air from the turbofan to manipulate and control the flow of the exhausts for pitch and roll authority up to 20 degrees. This grants the F-26 greater mobility, as well as amazing post-stall control.

### **Avionics**

Due to the accelerated development of the aircraft, pre-F-26C models, including the YF-26, only carried pre-existing avionics from the F-22 and F-35, except for the radar. It makes use of the BAE Systems AN/ASQ-239 electronic warfare suite and the Northrop Grumman AN/AAQ-37 distributed aperture system from the F-35, and the Lockheed Martin AN/AAR-56 missile launch detector and the Raytheon Common Integrated Processors from the F-22.

The radar system is completely new and designed from the ground up. The Sabre II comes with a single swiveling Northrop Grumman AN/APG-96 active electronically scanned array (AESA) X-band radar at the nose, complemented by a pair of Northrop Grumman AN/APG-96L AESA L-band radar hidden on the leading edges of the air intakes. The weaknesses of either radars are compensated by each others' strengths. While the higher frequency of the X-band radar allows for high target acquisition accuracy, it is weak against stealth aircraft. The lower frequency L-band radars are very sensitive, so they are able to acquire stealthy targets better. However, because they are so sensitive, they pick up clutter more often, and they lack the accuracy of the X-band radar. Both the AN/APG-96 and the AN/APG-96L are low-probablity-of-intercept radars (LPIR), capable of changing frequencies for more than 2,000 times per second. The estimated range of the radar system is estimated to be around the 500-kilometer mark.

Ace pilots Ethan Cohen and Amelia Hanson of Task Force 118's Bone Arrow Squadron flew both YF-26 prototypes into battle during the later stages of the USEAN Insurrection. Their aircraft were mechanically identical to standard Sabre IIs, but their difference lies in the avionics and computer systems. Their Sabre IIs were fitted with the *Pendragon* Operating System, a highly advanced artificial intelligence specifically created for Ethan and Amelia's personal F-26 Sabre IIs. It was created from a black project in which the structure of human consciousness is "sublimated" and stored in a special quantum computer. As a result, the *Pendragon* OS is capable of thinking, acting, and learning 100% like a human; however, it is limited by the original human's capabilities, so careful consideration was taken when choosing the subject.

### **Armament**

The Sabre II has three internal weapon bays: one large main bay at bottom of the fuselage, and two smaller bays at the top sides of the fuselage, aft of the air intakes. Due to the accelerated development of the aircraft, the LAU-142/A and LAU-141/A launchers were carried over from the F-22. The main bay can accommodate six LAU-142/A launchers for beyond-visual-range missiles, four of which can be replaced with two bomb racks carrying four 250 lb. bombs or two 500 lb. bombs each. The side bays accommodate the LAU-141/A launchers for short-range missiles. The F-26C also carries the new electromagnetic rail launcher for the side bays, the LAU-152/A. It launches the short-range missile using electromagnets before the rocket motor ignites and propels the missile to its target. It has a much higher launch energy and it gives the short-range missile a substantial range boost.

The Sabre II, in its air-superiority loadout, can carry six AIM-120 AMRAAMs (C variant and beyond) or six AIM-197 Have Dash III long-range missiles, and two AIM-9 Sidewinders or AIM-132 ASRAAMs. Air-to-surface ordnance are limited due to the main bay's tight fit. Those that can fit are the Paveway IV guided bomb, the GBU-38/B and the GBU-54/B JDAMs, and the GBU-39 and GBU-53 Small Diameter Bombs. Alongside missiles and bombs, the F-26 carries the M61A3 Vulcan cannon on the top starboard aft of the intake, complete with 500 rounds and a variable fire rate with a maximum of 6,600 rounds per minute.

It has one hardpoint on each wing located at the turning point. Each hardpoint can hold one under-wing pylon, which can carry a variety of equipment, such as a 600-gallon drop tank along with two missile rails, a single AGM-154ER Joint Standoff Weapon-Extended Range, or a low radar cross section weapons pod similar to that of the F/A-18 Advanced Super Hornet and the F-22 Raptor.

The stealth weapons pod can carry a variety of extra air-to-air and air-to-ground munitions for lower-threat environments. It is compatible with the AIM-120 AMRAAM, the AIM-197 Have Dash III, the AIM-9 Sidewinder, the AIM-132 ASRAAM, the AGM-88E AARGM, the AGM-169 Joint Common Missile, all models of the Paveway guided bomb, all JDAM models up to 1000 lbs., all models of the Small Diameter Bomb, and the BLU-109ER.

## **Variants**

**YF-26** - The pre-production technology demonstrator that was used in combat in the later stages of the USEAN War; two were built, both of which were modified as they personally belong to Ethan Cohen and Amelia Hanson.

**F-26A** - The single-seat production version. Much of its internals were carried over from the F-22 and F-35 due to an accelerated development timeline.

**F-26B** - The two-seater version of the F-26A.

**F-26C** - The modernized version, complete with a COnnection For Flight INterface system; it saw combat in the Third World War. Most of the carried over equipment from older aircraft are replaced by new systems, and an upgraded radar.