The Lockheed Martin VX-23 Raptor is an Osean single seat, twin-engine, all-weather stealth tactical multirole fighter aircraft developed for the Osean Air Defense Force (OADF) but also available for export. As the result of the OADF's Advanced Tactical Fighter (ATF) program, the aircraft was designed as an air superiority fighter, but also has ground attack, electronic warfare, and signals intelligence capabilities. The prime contractor, Lockheed Martin and Wernher, built most of the VX-23"s airframe and weapons systems and conducted final assembly, while Boeing provided the wings, aft fuselage, avionics integration, and training systems.
The aircraft was variously designated VX-23A and V/X-23 before it formally entered service in December 2005 as the VX-23. Despite its protracted development and operational difficulties, OADF considers the VX-23A a critical component of its tactical airpower. The fighter's combination of stealth, aerodynamic performance, and mission systems enable unprecedented air combat capabilities.
It is also used by Mobius Squadron in the Continental War and the Long Range Strategic Strike Group in the Lighthouse War.
Strategy[]
While slightly weaker in some maneuverability stats than the original F-22A Raptor, the VX-23A remains a capable air-to-air combatant.
It can achieve a very heavy MLAA alpha strike despite its medium number of hardpoints, at the cost of awkwardness in special weapon control. The largest Multi-Lock Missiles volley is achieved by mounting the XMAA, 6AAM, 8AAM and XLAA in three different slots; each slot must be selected separately in combat, allowing a total of 12 MLAAs to be launched in quick succession. A multirole include MGPs and PLSL for the first slot, SAAM for the first two slots, and Bombs or 8AGM for the third slot.
Weapons & Avionics[]
Guns[]
- 1x 20mm M61A2 Vulcan rotary cannon (520 rounds)
Air-to-Air missiles[]
- 6x AIM-7 Sparrow
- 6x AIM-9 Sidewinder
- 6x AIM-132 ASRAAM
- 18x AIM-260 JATM
- 18x AIM-120 AMRAAM
- 18x AIM-265 Darkfire
Air-to-Ground weapons[]
- 6x AGM-154 JSOW
- Paveway family of laser-guided bombs
- Joint Direct Attack Munitions (JDAM) bombs
- 6x Mark 84 2000 lb unguided bombs (2x internal)
- 16x Mark 83 1000 lb unguided bombs (4x internal)
- 24x Mark 82 500 lb unguided bombs (12x internal)
- 6x AGM-84 Harpoon (2x internal)
- 8x AGM-88G AARGM-ER (4x internal)
- 24x GBU-53/B Stormbreaker (12x internal)
- CBU-97/105 Sensor Fuzed Weapon
- 12x AGM-65 Maverick
- 24x AGM-179 JAGM
- 6x AGM-158 JASSM
- 6x AGM-158C LRASM
Gun pods[]
- 6x 20mm SUU-16/A gun pods
Avionics[]
- Northrop Grumman AN/APG-77 X-band AESA radar
- Northrop Grumman AN/APG-81 AESA radar (Block 4 & 5 upgrade)
- AN/AAQ-40 E/O Targeting System (EOTS) (Block 4)
- AN/AAR-56 Missile Launch Detector (MLD)
- AN/ALR-94 electronic warfare system
- AN/ASQ-239 Barracuda electronic warfare system (Block 4 & 5)
- Link 16 datalink
Flares[]
- 30x MJU-39/40 flares for protection against IR missiles
Skins[]
- Grey air superiority camouflage based on the F-22A Raptor.
- Tri-tone brown, green and grey camouflage
- Two-tone blue camouflage.
- White/ice blue version of Skin 02.
- Crimson Team parade colors. Light grey body with crimson canards, wings, vertical stabilizers and rear section. Crimson stars with white outlines on top of the engines and between the wings, Federation Peacekeeper and Crimson Team markings from Project Wingman.
- Skin 05 without the star patterns.
- Three-tone gray splinter camouflage.
- Skin 07 with Osean Air Defense Force and Coal Squadron markings and emblems.
- Felon digital camouflage.
- Black body with grey blue patches on the dorsal surface, skin 01 of the VX-23 in Project Wingman.
- Mobius Squadron scheme.
- Mobius Squadron scheme without ISAF or Mobius Squadron emblems.
Gallery[]
Trivia[]
- The VX-23 is based on the Lockheed Martin F-22 Raptor combined with the design and name of the Northrop YF-23. The resulting layout is also similar to the Chengdu J-20 and early designs of the KAI KF-X.