EA-262 Pakicetus

> ***"We're basically the Spearhead of the Commonwealth's damn arsenal, yet the A-17s and their smeghead pilots get all the damn glory!"***
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> **-Unknown Pilot-**
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## **Overview**

The Ilmarinen **EA-262** (Electronic Attacker No. 262)*'Pakicetus'* is a Multirole Fighter Aircraft with ground attack capabilities also implemented, specifically designed for service in the Commonwealth’s Air Force. The craft was designed in 2246, in a joint project managed by both **Rarukken Resources LTD.** and **Murad Dynamics**, continuing the line of Electronic Attack aircraft since the use of the EA-109 Indohyus. The single-seated craft bears most capabilities available at its time, and it is a great advance in comparison to the lacklustre combat capabilities the Indohyus provided when it starred in interstellar warfare. The Pakicetus was well received in the Commonwealth as a whole but made much more renown as a large remotely controlled drone once exported to their Entente allies. It saw limited service during the initial void stages of the Great Southeastern War but received many compliments for its later action in planetary conflicts such as Fal'Kaboss or the Battle of Yaan. After more than 40 years of action, the EA-262 was put out of action in 2291.

After many years of continuous action, the aircraft was put as a trainer much like the A-17 at the end of their lifespans, being spared of the catastrophic events found in Voice later in the century. After 2291, though the Pakicetus saw the end of its official use in the Commonwealth, it continued being utilized by many bordering nations all across the Southeast. The EA-262 became present in Eight different nations, including the young Thadrakos Star Union, which adhered to the design as soon as the Suthar-Rakos uprising exploded the civil war, in the late beginning of the 24th. Century.

## **Tactical Role**

The EA-262 Pakicetus has a design mindset focused towards speed, armour and weaponry, coming at the expense of higher costs than other rivalling designs presented for the Commonwealth Air Force. It was first drawn out in together with the Indohyus, manifesting the initial lines with the *YA-109 Falcon*, which later became the main prototype for testing with the newer investment idea of Rarukken Resources LTD. Its combination of adapted lightened Durantium armour, along with the Anti-EMP protection provided by the new *Morganite X-44* protected the craft from several electronic attacks from weaponry of its time. To Commonwealth pilots, the Pakicetus is quick in the void and atmospherical flights but needs extensive attention to control it whenever the engines are turned on for it lacks much stability given its speed and weight, a problem that was not dealt with properly until the implementation of I.A.I. systems, far later in its design lifespan. In short, though more armoured and faster than many other designs, it comes as a much harder craft to control once reaching slow speeds and extremely high ones, dangerous for rookies, usable to combat veterans. The craft was picked by the Commonwealth at the beginning of the occupation in Yadra, place where it saw its first use mere months after its first exemplaries rolled off assembly lines.

Combat-wise, the fighter relies a lot on its EMP capabilities to achieve an edge against their opponents. The weaponry fitted for the Pakicetus can not only be utilized against air elements but also against ground installations, oftentimes causing irreparable damage to local computing systems or digital networks if used successfully. For air to air engagements, the fighter’s greatest ability is to engage afterburners and break the range with the enemy by using the speed of the craft, as conventional weaponry is necessarily smaller if at all fitted to be used in dogfight operations. By using the Electronic systems, the fighter can counter enemy conventional weaponry and cripple enemy interceptors for long enough to turn back and finish off the target with mounted guns, effective at closer ranges against nearby vulnerable enemies. By combining both arsenals, the Pakicetus fairs well in combat with a well-trained hand, but lacking one weaponry system usually means that the fighter can be easily outclassed by rivalling machines in the battlefield.

## **Specifications**

**Designed In:** 2246 (Entered production in 2250)

**Designed By:** Rarukken Resources LTD. & Murad Dynamics (Incorporated into the Ilmarinen Foundation)

**Manufacturer:** Curacao Naval Yards

**Number Constructed:** 61,200 (Not including foreign production)

**Weight:** 25 Tonnes (25,290kg)

**Length:** 21M

**Height:** 5,6M

**Width:** 18M

**Crew:** 1

**Propulsion:** Third Class Yan-Romanov self-sustaining afterburner

**Armour:** 600mm Durantium Light Plating. 50mm Morganite X-44 Light Titanium Welding

**Shielding:** None

**Armaments:** 2x Ilmarinen PLS-12 Kitsune Electric Disruptor, 2x Ilmarinen-Uda AIM-18B Nekomata 20mm Cannons, Ilmarinen TLS-10 Dragon Mounted Gunpod.

**Speed (In Space):** 12km/s

**Speed (In Atmosphere):** 4.1km/s

**Main Role:** Air Superiority Fighter/Ground Attacker