Kyrenaian Aircraft Factories KAF-140 Qatara VTOL Troop Carrier

### Notes

Can carry up to 15 tons of cargo internally, 50 fully-equipped troops or 25 stretchers and 8 medical personell

The **Kyrenaian Aircraft Factories KAF-140 Qatara VTOL Troop Carrier** is a VTOL Troop Carrier developed by KAF to supplement the KAF-210 Midrab Gunship. Original plans called for the Qatara to replace the Midrab by 2030, but a variety of shortcomings in the field caused the Kyrenaian Armed Forces to put the procurement of the KAF-140 on hold for now.

In 2024, the Qatara was officially adopted by the RKA as heavy troop carrier and heavy cargo carrier. The RKCG requested, and was granted a specialized air-sea-rescue version with enhanced range and better management of the tiltjet's exhaust. Meanwhile, the RKN withdrew from the programme completely and handed their Qatara to KAF for adoption into the Coast Guard Qatara.

Technology pioneered in the Qatara would go on to be crucial in the development of the Kyrenaian Aircraft Factories KAF-151 Thawr VTOL-Gunship (produced under license by Cumscóir Aircraft Manufactories Limited as the Síoda VTOL-Gunship and as the Ochse VTOL Attack Craft by the Flugwerft Elms-Sytzerheim since 2030).

## Design

The exhaust temperature of the turbofan engines can reach up to 600 degrees Celsius, which caused a variety of problems in the field and over the water, especially in sea-rescue roles.

* Avionics:
	+ Radio, plus encryption systems
	+ Radar Warning Receiver, missile approach system
	+ Mission Computer
	+ multifunction radar

### Variants

#### Mark I

Adopted in 2024, the Mark I featured the flaps found on the Coast Guard Qatara.

#### Coast Guard Qatara

In 2022, bored technicians at the RKCG Station Buqea Archipelago modified their Qataras to create their own variant, the Coast Guard Qatara: This version featured a system of flaps, which deflected the exhaust from the tiltjets, slightly to the side, away from underneath the craft, thus making rescue operations easier. Additionally, much of the cargo capacity was converted into additional fuel storage, increasing the range to 3,500 kilometres and more.

As a standard, Coast Guard Qataras were painted in bright orange and featured a crew of 3 (pilot, copilot, flight engineer) plus a number of special additional personell.

## Service History

### With the RKA

The RKA began equipping their Helicopter Brigades with the KAF-140 in 2017, starting with the 61st Helicopter Brigade, which went to Kupandukira in 2020. In 2024, after more extensive testing and training, the Qatara was adopted officially into service.

The flight readiness is looking to acquire a triplet of KAF-140s for service as the Sultana's personal transport.

### With the RKN

Due to the size of the KAF-140, the Navy, for now, operates theirs in a shore-based occupation, mostly in maritime patrol and transport roles. Currently, there is a dedicated variation for that in development.

Plans for Carrier Deployments were scrapped in September 2019 as the turbofans' exhaust proved to be too hot for carrier flight decks, in one instance softening the test deck (which led to a wholly different inquiry). Concerns over the downwash and how it might affect deck crew in more cramped conditions were raised together with concerns over the actual taking off, with one nacelle over the water and one on deck and the corresponding lift asymmetry. The size of the aircraft only compounded to the scrapping of the idea. As such, "the KAF-140 either requires a new carrier or the RKN another aircraft", as Crown Prince Ilia ibn-Razia put it.

### With the Royal Kyrenaian Coast Guard

The Kyrenaian Coast Guard received three aircraft from the RKN for testing purposes, where they performed well in patrol missions, as well as in air-sea-rescue missions. In 2025, the RKCG placed an order for 150 Coast Guard Qataras.