LF-17 Condor

The Kenzar Aircraft Manufacturing LF-17 Condor is an all-weather supersonic, twin-engine multirole combat aircraft, designed as an aircraft that can effectively engage air and ground targets. Designed in 1980, the LF-17 was derived from the earlier PLF-17 prototype fighter to be used by lathistia and its allies. The LF-17 is also used by the Lathistian aerobatic display team, the Lathistian Angels, using an unarmed variant with thrust vectoring engines.

Origins
In 1980, the Lathistian Air Force found themselves in need of a multirole aircraft that would replace the LF-14. Kenzar Aircraft then began work on this updated aircraft. It was prototyped in the PLF-17, which flew on 1981 and was ordered to be developed further. It carries the R-34/AESRA radar, one of the most powerful radars mounted to fighter jets, as well as targeting computers and avionics for both air to air and air to ground.

Design
The LF-17 is a twin engine, midwing, multimission tactical aircraft. It is highly maneuverable, due to its good thrust-to-weight ratio, digital fly-by-wire control system, and leading-edge extensions, which allow the LF-17 to remain controllable at high angles of attack. The wing is essentially a cross between a swept wing and a cropped delta. The wing has full-span, leading-edge flaps and the trailing edge has single-slotted flaps and ailerons over the entire span. There are 11 pylons on the airframe, 6 on the wings, 2 on the fuselage, 1 centerline, and 2 wingtip pylons.

Avionics
A multimission avionics system includes a helmet-mounted display (HMD), advanced radar, inertial guidance system, flight instruments, ultra high frequency communications, and tactical air navigation system and instrument landing system receivers. It also has an internally mounted, tactical electronic warfare system, Identification friend or foe system, an electronic countermeasures suite, and a central digital computer. The HMD allows the pilot to lock onto opposing aircraft in a 360 degree area, unlike other aircraft which require the opposing aircraft to be in front of the nose.

Weaponry
A variety of air-to-air and air-to-ground weaponry can be carried by the LF-17. An automated weapon system enables the pilot to release weapons effectively and safely, using the helmet-mounted display and the avionics and weapons controls located on the engine throttles or control stick. When the pilot changes from one weapon system to another, visual guidance for the selected weapon automatically appears on the head-up display.

The LF-17 can be armed with combinations of two different air-to-air weapons: AIM-35 ALRAAM Advanced Long Range Air to Air Missiles or AIM-22 ASRDM Advanced Short Range Dogfighting Missiles on its lower fuselage, or on six pylons under the wings, and an internal 30mm (1.18 in) cannon in the left leading edge root extension.

Heavy Weaponry
The LF-17 can also carry several cruise missiles; the AG-59 "Numpty" hypersonic air launched cruise missile, AG-55 "Nemesis" hypersonic anti-ship missile, AG-90 RS radar-seeking missile, and the currently in-development AG-88 low-observable cruise missile.

Entry To Service
The first LF-17 rolled out on october 20th 1983, with a grey paint scheme. Following trials and operational testing, LF-17's began to be introduced to training squadrons, where pilots are introduced to the LF-17. The LF-17 entered operational service with the LAF 32rd Fighter Squadron "Tabby Cats" on 7 december 1983.

The initial fleet reports were complimentary, indicating that the LF-17's was extraordinarily reliable, a major change from its slow and unwieldy predecessor, the LF-14.

Gulf War and Operation Desert Storm
The first combat the the LF-17 ever faced was when the LAF began deploying aircraft to the Persian Gulf region in September 4th 1990 for Operations Desert Shield and Desert Storm. During the Gulf War, the LF-17 accounted for 43 of the 45 air-to-air victories by Lathistian Air Force against Iraqi forces. The fighters were used in both the air-superiority role and in air-to-ground attacks mainly at night, hunting modified Scud missile launchers and artillery sites using the LALDTS system, while the A-E4 primarily did strike missions. According to the LAF, its LF-17's had 43 confirmed kills of Iraqi aircraft during the 1991 Gulf War, most of them by missile fire: ten Mikoyan MiG-29s, four MiG-25s, four MiG-23s, two MiG-21s, four Sukhoi Su-25s, six Sukhoi Su-22s, one Sukhoi Su-7, eight Dassault Mirage F1s, one Ilyushin Il-76 cargo aircraft, and three Mil Mi-8 helicopters. Air superiority was achieved in the first three days of the conflict; many of the later kills were reportedly of Iraqi aircraft fleeing to Iran, rather than engaging Lathistian aircraft. No LF-17's where shot down durning this conflict, or ever.