“You’re nothing but a piece. Your absence wouldn’t hinder my progress in this game in the slightest. If you can’t think of any other theories in particular, please just go back to the piece tray and gather dust or something. It’s painful to even remember useless pieces.”

Frederica Bernkastel, Umineko no naku koro ni

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Also known as A.140G Kongou

Manufacturer: Oshira Aerospace, Arsea, and Poyasakai Kariansk Export Extensive Production Plant

Ministry of Aerospace Industry Designation: Kongou, namesake IJN Kongou

Years of Development: 2001-2003

Year of Rollout: June 22, 2005 with the Royal Fabellan Marines

Desired Role: Multirole maritime strike fighter, reconnaissance

Status: In production, in service

Primary operators: Imperial Arsean Marines, Royal Odrasean Marine Corps, Royal Fabellan Marines, Karyan Union Navy, and other Marine Corps

Produced: 2002-present

Number built: 140 by Oshira, 30 by Poyasakai (170 total)

Powerplant: 2x Poyasakai Astrid 200-3C afterburning turbofans

Max Top Speed: 1500+km/h (932mph, Mach 1.2) on 8000m / 26.2ft, 2500km/h (1553mph, Mach 2) on 16,000m / 52.5ft

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Brief Information

The Oshira M60A Bernkastel (named after Frederica Bernkastel from Umineko no naku koro ni) is an Arsean carrier-based STOL-capable tandem-seat maritime strike fighter served as a successor to the Poyasakai J.74 Hiei, currently in service for the Marine infantries of the Allied countries.

Known by start as Poyasakai's planned FA-140 Kongou, her starting point became the core of Arsea's Extensive Marines Strike Fighter program, to participate in close air support and maritime fleet defense missions. Alongside newer avionics and an extensive fly by wire system, new features have been introduced for added versatility, such as variable incidence wings (a la F-8 Crusader) for STOL capability in amphibious assault ships, thrust reversers, a stronger landing gear structure, and a G-limiter system. She is designed to operate on amphibious assault ships; albeit she lacks arrestor hooks, reverse thrust can be used, alongside with a new braking system.

The only Bernkastel to achieve combat status was from the Royal Fabellan Marines' VMA-28 Seagull Squadron; One of their Bernkastels sought action against Avgad ships during the Avgad Siege. "Battler" and "Beatrice" were aces among the mission, with ten targets destroyed by Battler and eight by "Beatrice". Another mission came with VMA-34 Seacat Squadron, where "Nightskull", dubbed the "Strike Ace of Oyashiro-sama" shot down 4 Loscad attack fighters and 9 tanks by a powerful dual-barrel TKsk-M23-5 autocannon with APHE rounds loaded during the Modern Crusades.

In the future, Bernkastel will operate in more missions, such as maritime reconnaissance with the Royal Fabellan Coast Guard, and also a multi-role air defense fighter for the Selovnean Air Force.

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Development

PoiyaYudatsi FA-140 (1997-2001)

The FA-140 is an improvement of the A.140 and the J.74 fighter-bombers. Its project was launched at the mid-1990s as a frontline strike fighter for the Karyan Union Air Force. She is projected to get a long-range endurance rating, a new engine selection, improved avionics, and a better fly-by-wire system.

Allied are interested in the program, however due to financial problems and modernization terms, the FA-140 project was put on hold. However, Arsea sought plans to work out with the FA-140 project; its name, Project Bernkastel

Project Bernkastel (2002-2004)

The FA-140 project turned to Oshira Aerospace after Arsea bought the project. During Project Bernkastel's development, she was extensively redesigned with achieving new design measures, whilst keeping the layout; however, the exclusion of the bomb bay had to be done, since it must be a light fighter as well. Design measures include:

• a new canopy

• redesigning of the inlets

• stronger landing gear and suspension

• all-moving tailerons

However, when the new Extensive Marines Strike FIghter program was announced, new features were being added to the airframe. The airframe should withstand short landing operations, but more importantly in the program, to operate in amphibious assault ships. New features include:

• variable incidence wings

• thrust reversers

• a Cranston Standard N610 avionics bus, for extensive strike use

• a Stravius A multi-mode pulse-doppler radar

• Targeting Pod support

Testing started in September 2003, with STOL trials on the ground and on the HMArS Kaga amphibious assault ship (LHD-11). Clearly, she was proven air-worthy as the MAI gave green light to unveil and roll out the models. The designation has been kept ever since.

She was exhibited on the Area Seven-One-Nine defense convention at Heiwa, Arsea. Orders from the Fabellan, Odrasean, and Karyan forces were being placed during export evaluations. She then entered export service in 2005 firstly with the Royal Fabellan Marines. assigned to the San Pedro Calungsod Maritime Strike Flotilla, firstly to operate with the HMFS San Pedro Calungsod (LHD-20).

In 2009, Karya's Poyasakai Kariansk Export Extensive Production Plant began to build more Bernkastels for the Civil Air Reserve in agreement to joint production measures, as Oshira joined Poyasakai Group as a joint defense contractor.

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Design and Characteristics

Michael Bay! MA BA SPLOOM!

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Overview

The M60 (Model number 60) Bernkastel is an orthodox high wing, tandem-seat, swept-wing, twin-engine monoplane (almost the same as the SEPECAT Jaguar, her real-world counterpart) with tricycle landing gear, with two wheels on the main gear for durability. From what I expect, she is a cross of the Jaguar, J-22 Orao/IAR-93 Vultur, and Mitsubishi F-1/T-2. Her intakes were being redesigned with a Hornet-esque look, leading to two Poyasakai Astrid 200-3C engines with a thrust reverser added. She does not use separate ailerons, but instead flaperons and spoilerons once on full flap down, coupled with leading-edge slats. Additional hardpoints have been added for future extensive combat use. She has an extendable refueling probe (seen also on the Cormack MRF.70) for refueling missions.

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Bernkastel with refueling probe extended

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Bernkastel's variable incidence wings

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She includes variable incidence wings (or a tilt-wing) to perform short takeoffs from amphibious assault ships, such as the HMArS Shouhou-class landing helicopter docks, HMFS San Pedro Calungsod-class LHDs, and light aircraft carriers.

Engines

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Astrid on afterburner

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She is powered by the Poyasakai Astrid turbofan engine, which was also found in newer variants of the J.74 Hiei. Originally, the Rolls Royce Spey 807 was being offered by Tchesal (as they license-built the Spey), to power the Bernkastel. However, due to technical terms, the Astrid engine was chosen. With these engines, she can fly from subsonic on low altitudes and supersonic on higher altitudes. They have support for thrust reversers, as to comply with the EMSF standards they will able to land with no need for an arresting hook.

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Bernkastel landing with thrust reversers deployed

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Avionics

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Stravius A multi-mode pulse-doppler radar

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Under the hood, the fly-by-wire system and TAWS warning systems are being integrated with the Cranston Standard N610 avionics suite. She is supplied with Karya-built navigation and attack systems connected to the N610 bus, with MAWS and TAWS/GPWS alert systems inside. All were programmed with an integrated Voice-assist system all voiced by "the Voice of Poyasakai", imaginary v/a's Kikuko Inoue, or Yukari Tamura (Block III).

The Stravius A multi-mode pulse-doppler radar is used to track enemy targets. Block II and III will use the Stravius E AESA radar in newer upgrades, with the N615 bus.

M60A

Strike variant of the M60, with combat-proven capabilities. Currently the most-produced Bernkastel variant to be seen in combat.

Armament

• 4x ATG-34H Oyashiro

• 6x M.50 GPB

• 2x Ryzal-30E LRAAM

• 23mm dual-barrel TKsk-M23 autocannons

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Controls

SP controls as usual. Do not land very hard!

• Brakes for thrust reversers (activated around less than 200 meters, will deactivate once slowed down)

• VTOL up for folding wing, VTOL down for flaps (spoilerons will activate)

Activation Groups

• AG1 for tilt-wing

• AG2 to disarm weapons

• AG4 for gyro leveling

• AG5 to extend refueling probe

• AG6 to open radome

• AG7 for aileron auto-leveling

Sadly, no supercruise

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As always, I'll see you on the next build, so stay safe and GOD BLESS you all. Aim high, comrades! Nipah~