AviaTech F20

A Federate Asian Air Forces F20B in flight.

The **AviaTech F20** (Official Designation: Low-Observable Supermaneuverable Multirole Aircraft F20; Japanese: アビアテック アテ-20; NATO Reporting Name: **Falsetto**) is a twin-engine, carrier capable, all-weather, Low-Observable multirole fighter developed by AviaTech in a partial collaboration with Defender. It is a product of Project HC-M4+ F/MP (High-Capacity Multirole (4+ Generation), Full/Mass Production) which aimed to advance the Asian Union's fighter arsenal past their existing 4th-generation aircraft.

A 4.5th generation multirole aircraft designed for both aerial combat and ground strike missions, the F20 was designed with versatility and ease of modernization in mind. The aircraft was designed with potential for a large payload, but early variants didn't utilize all the space to keep the aircraft relatively lightweight. From 2007 onwards, the aircraft replaced the Beleit C-11 in Federation Navy Forces (FNF) and the AviaTech F16 in the Federate Asian Air Force (FAAF), where it was praised for its quicker response capabilities, though it was also criticized for its relative difficulty of maintenance.

## Development

### Origin

In 1997, the Federate Asian Air Force started Project HC-M4+ F/MP to advance their fighter arsenal and get a replacement for the AviaTech F16, A9, and Beleit G6. The Project was highly controversial within the FAAF, as their existing aircraft was still sufficient. However, when the Federate Congress requested specialized multirole aircraft to cut maintenance costs, the program pushed through.

### Development

With Beleit securing the contract for replacing the C-11 in carrier service, AviaTech was left with designs for another aircraft. However, with the creation of Project HC-M4+ F/MP, the design was given another life.

#### Funding

To gain additional funds for further development, AviaTech reached out to various other nations, such as the United States, Imperial Iran, Japan, Germany, and the United Kingdom, discussing potential sales. All countries initially expressed interest, but most eventually withdrew from the purchase due to cost concerns. TheSoviet Union reached out, expressing interest in including AviaTech in the PAK FA program, but AviaTech, upon insistence of Congress, declined so as to favor NATO allegiances. Ultimately, Japan ordered 5 aircraft in advance and the United States didn't order any, instead investing in the project to discourage collaborating with the Soviets.

#### Features

The various features on the F20, mainly the airframe and improved avionics, were each tested individually on old test aircraft built over the F14D, redesignated as the P-114/20-1 (Improved avionics, lightweight airframe), P-114/20-2 (Stealth oriented structure), P-114/20-3 (Improved engines, improved stealth oriented airframe), and P-114/20-4 (Improved flight control), which were all constructed, test flown, and tweaked within November 1999 - October 2002, before all being merged together in the P-214/20 for a final set of tests in April of 2003. With the success of the P-214/20's final test flight in February of 2004, work commenced on properly designing the first F20 prototype, the P-20/F20A.

#### Prototyping

The first F20A prototype began construction by March of 2004, though construction was delayed by shipping and transit disruptions caused by various conflicts in the Middle East, bumping the test flight schedule from April of 2005 to September of 2005, then to December of 2005, then January of 2006. The prototype was finished on October of 2006, thus being slated for a test flight and a ceremonial firework deployment flight on New Years Eve of 2007.

At 22:30 on December 31, 2006, the F20A received final pre-flight checks and was fitted with rocket launchers filled with fireworks for New Years Eve. At 23:53, it took off from Airstrip 2 at Lance Wright airbase in Taiwan for a flight demonstration. It passed over multiple towns and cities, launching fireworks in the air on New Years Eve before returning to the airstrip.

Officers present for this event were chewed out for allowing such tomfoolery to happen, but ultimately nothing came of the event.

Within January 2007 to May of 2009, the aircraft was tuned, redesigned and test flown over and over, with four more F20A series aircraft of slightly different specification being produced over this period. By 2010, the aircraft was finalized and finished.

##### F20A Series Aircraft

F20A P1 - The initial prototype. Fitted with basic features.

F20A P2 - Improvement over the P1, featuring a lighter airframe.

F20A P3 - Further improvement of the P2.

F20A P4/P5 - Two aircraft of the final specification, fitted with the advanced avionics, improved flight control, and improved engines. Redesignated as F20A Final.

#### Production

After the testing of the F20A Final, AviaTech produced the 5 F20A series aircraft for Japan and an initial batch of 45 aircraft for the FAAF. All the aircraft were finished by March of 2013, when they would be delivered to their respective clients.

##### F20B Series

In 2014, AviaTech created a version of the aircraft which carried a weapons bay to increase the stealth profile and slightly improved aerodynamics, which was classified as the Full Production F20B. They also produced F20Bs without weapons bays for export, which were classified as Mass Production F20Bs. Japan ordered 3 Mass Production F20Bs, and the Heavy Spears Paramilitary Company ordered 9 Mass Production F20Bs, all of which were delivered by June of 2016. The US purchased two Full Production F20Bs, while Iran bought one Mass Production F20B which it sold to Russia for double the price.

## Design

### Overview

The F20 is a 4.5th generation multirole fighter aircraft intended for universal use on any flat terrain, with a relatively short takeoff run. This can be attributed to its insane thrust-to-weight ratio of 1.78 and its relatively lightweight build. The aircraft, while not initially designed for stealth purposes, ended up being redesigned with a stealth fuselage about 3 years into the design process. It was also fitted with the latest sensor arrays available to the Federation.

### Supermaneuverability Features

The aircraft features a wide build, with its engines widely spaced out to assist the yaw axis of supermaneuverability. It also features leading-edge flaps/vortex controllers at the front of the aircraft (Only on F20 Early series, the D has none, the E/F have canards that fulfill the same purpose), and its trapezoidal wings feature both ailerons and flaperons. It also features thrust vectoring nozzles, all of which can bolster its high-AoA and PSM capabilities. The aircraft also features the most advanced flight control systems available at the time and was designed with a high degree of relaxed stability, allowing it to turn on the fly.

### Armament

The F20, depending on the variant, can mount a multitude of weaponry.

#### F20A

The F20A mounts a Mark.4 15mm Garrison AutoCannon right next to the leading edge of the right wing. All other weapons can be mounted on four hardpoints between the intake tubes and a further six on the wings.

#### F20 Early (B, C)

This series of F20 mount the Mk.4 15mm Garrison AutoCannon in the same spot and have a single internal weapons bay between the intake tubes, which can mount between six to eight missiles of various sorts. They also have between four to six hardpoints on the wings.

#### F20 Late (D, E, F)

This series of F20 mount the 25mm General Ordnance Aircraft Cannon where the M4 15mm GAC would normally be. Aircraft of the series have an expanded internal weapons bay and (for the E and F variants) two more weapons bays that can house five to ten missiles (plus two to four smaller missiles on the extra internal bays) or two bombs each.

#### Mass Production F20 (B, C)

The mass production F20s have four hardpoints between the intake tubes and a further six on the wings for their weaponry.

### Stealth

The first fighter in the FAAF to actively incorporate some semblance of stealth technology, the F20 lowers its radar cross section in multiple ways, such as having canted surfaces and radar absorbing coating on its surface. However, it falls short of being a true stealth aircraft due to its un-angled intakes which show most of the engine fans from the front and bounce a lot of radar waves back from the sides, though both of these would be amended for the F20 Late series with a newer intake tubing design.

Typical of stealth fighters, though, these measures only work against high-frequency radar waves, though low-frequency radar waves typically come from bulkier and less precise systems.

### Engines

The F20A to C variants are powered by two AviaTech SLa-22-4 afterburning turbofan engines that each produce 150kN of dry thrust and 215 kN of afterburning thrust. The D to F variants are powered by the SLa-24-1 afterburning turbofan engines that each produce 170kN of dry thrust and 220kN of afterburning thrust.

## Operators

#### State Federation of the Asian Union

The State Federation of the Asian Union operates 723 F20s of varying type.

#### Heavy Spears Paramilitary Company

The Heavy Spears Paramilitary Company operates 9 Mass Production F20Bs, which they designated as Fighter 05 - 13. Each unit is used mainly as patrol and escort aircraft for the PMC's logistical operations, with the higher-ups too afraid to lose them in a conflict. They were once deployed together during the assassination of the leader of the Germano-Austrian Coalition, Heinz Wolfgang.

#### Japan

the JASDF operates 5 F20As and 3 Mass Production F20Cs.

#### United States

The United States Navy operates two F20Cs.

#### Soviet Union

The Soviets operate one Mass Production F20B as a test vehicle and mock opponent in training exercises.

## Variants

### F20 Early

#### F20A

The F20A is the final prototype and initial production variant of the F20 Series, entering testing stages in 2009 and production in 2011, then service in 2013.

#### F20B

The F20B is an improvement over the F20A, featuring an internal weapons bay and slightly improved flight control.

#### F20C

The F20C is a navalized version of the F20B, featuring folding wings and rudders, as well as a carrier catapult connector.

#### F20C2

The F20C2 is a variant of the F20C that the Soviets believed to exist after Lieutenant Damien Veda made a typo in a message that the Soviets intercepted.

### F20 Late

#### F20D

The F20D is an improvement over the F20B, carrying a slightly larger gun and a new intake design to hide the engine fans, also allowing space for a larger internal weapons bay.

#### F20E

The F20E is a twin-seater version of the F20D.

#### F20F

The F20F is a navalized version of the F20E, featuring folding wings and rudders, as well as a carrier catapult connector.

### External Variants

#### F20-JH

The F20-JH is an upgrade package produced by Tschep Automobiles for the Mass Production F20B which reduces radar signature, achieved by slanting the intake tubes upwards. It also sports a larger weapons bay which can fit more missiles than the standard F20B's internal weapons bay.