UPDATE:
I tweaked the shape of the fuselage and wings to make it look even more authentic than before.

HISTORY:
Following the end of the Reformation, the Global Executive Office (GEO) called for the construction of a brand new military to secure Planet Earth. Construction of said military started with the development of a new space-faring star fighter. The GEO Air and Space Authority (GASA) started off by copying the configuration of a pre-reformation era jet fighter and adding improvements provided by technology introduced by the Xenans. The configuration used was from a jet fighter known as the [REDACTED] used by the [REDACTED], a pre-reformation faction that resisted the Xenans during the Five-Day War. Improvements that converted the jet fighter into a star fighter included plasma rocket engines capable of escape velocity, advanced composite armor, ballistic particle machine guns, and new avionics. The end result was the F-17 Hawk. The F-17 Hawk was designed for multiple roles including dog fighting, high-speed interception, and ground attack. The F-17 Hawk is capable of operating on nautical carriers as well as interstellar carriers. The only downsides with the F-17 were that it did not have a VTOL function and flying it was difficult to master. Despite these shortcomings, the F-17 was considered a successful star fighter and it still serves in the GEO military to this day.

ARMAMENT:
14x short ranged unguided air-to-ground rockets
4x medium ranged radar guided fire-and-forget air-to-ground inferno missiles
2x medium ranged radar guided air-to-air guardian missiles
2x long ranged radar guided fire-and-forget air-to-air interceptor missiles
Dual 50 cal. KVA-2 MKII machine guns

OPERATION INSTRUCTIONS AND ADVICE:
Action group 1 engages the main thrust engines.

Action group 2 engages the gyroscope.

Action group 3 engages the VTOL engine.

Action group 4 engages the VTOL RCNs.

Action group 5 illuminates the exterior lights.

Action group 6 jettisons all munitions.

Action group 7 deploys the arrest hook.

Action group 8 primes all munitions.

Do not pitch down too hard and too fast while launching any missiles or rockets, otherwise they might collide with the craft mid-flight and destroy it.

To use the VTOL, first engage action groups 2, 3, and 4. Next, throttle up until the craft starts levitating upward. Once a suitable altitude has been reached, rotate the VTOL nozzles backward (VTOL slider up) to push the craft forward. Then drop the throttle all the way down, deactivate action groups 2, 3, and 4, and activate action group 1. This step must be done relatively quick. While action group 1 is engaged, throttle back up again to start flying forward.

The RCNs (AG4) can be activated at any time, they can help maneuver the craft even when not in VTOL mode. This would be useful while flying in regions with low air density.