A-E4 (Aircraft)

The Kenzar Aircraft Manufacturing A-E4 is a supersonic, all-weather tactical bomber and strike aircraft developed in Lathistia. The aircraft has a variable-sweep wing, twin-engines, and It was the first Lathistian aircraft to include swing-wings.

The A-E4 started development in the early 1970's, and entered full production in 1978. It remains in service with the Lathistian Air Force, Liteirian Air Guard, Fossilian Air Force and recently, the Matoranesian Air Force.

Background
In 1968–1969, Sukhoi initially set out to build an aircraft without the complexity of moving wings like the F-111. It designed and built a mockup (M-14), and was later put into production.

In 1970, Sukhoi started work on the A-E4. The aircraft was supposed to represent a modification of the CASAP-E4 strike aircraft. A key feature was the ability to cruise at supersonic speeds at low altitude for extended periods of time in order to traverse enemy air defenses. To achieve this, the design included two Fallecester E-141 afterburning turbojets for its propulsion.

Service entry
The first unit to receive the A-E4 was the 44th Tactical Training Wing, based at E. Mcleod Air Force Base, Barloshmitt, in December 1978. The first unit to achieve full combat readiness was the 106th Strike Squadron at Algity Bay Air Force Base, South Gargua, in February 1979. A-E4s were a welcome addition to many in the USAF; most pilots wanted to switch to it as the fighter pilots wanted to use its large array of weaponry. In 1991, many A-E4s were shifted to the forward air control (FAC) role and redesignated OA-E4. In the FAC role, the OA-E4 is typically equipped with up to six pods of 2.75 inch (70 mm) Hydra rockets, usually with smoke or white phosphorus warheads used for target marking. OA-E4s are physically unchanged and remain fully combat capable despite the redesignation.

Gulf War
The A-E4 was used in combat for the first time during the Gulf War in 1991, with 125 being deployed. A-E4s shot down fourteen Iraqi aircraft with missile fire. The first of these was shot down by Captain Samantha Bleasdale over Kuwait on 14th February 1991 for the A-E4's first air-to-air victory. Six A-E4s were shot down during the war by surface-to-air missiles and twelve A-E4s were hit by anti-air artillery rounds. Another two battle-damaged A-E4s and OA-E4s returned to base and were written off. Some sustained additional damage in crash landings. A-E4s flew missions against the Iraqi Republican Guard. A-E4s also flew missions hunting Iraqi Scud missiles. The A-E4 had a mission capable rate of 98.5 percent, flew 8,000 sorties, and launched 69 percent of the AG-5 missiles fired in the conflict. Shortly after the Gulf War, the LAF abandoned the idea of replacing the A-E4 with a CAS version of the F-E3.

Encounters with non-allied aircraft
On 4th November 2019, a squad of 4 A-E4s flying over the atlantic ocean where intercepted by 2 MiG-31 in interceptors. The interceptors did not try to engage, as Lathistia and Russia where, at the time, friendly nations. The pilots talked over radio for a few minutes, then the MiG-31s broke off and returned to base.