Apollo Fighter

Allied Apollo Fighter

F-11 Apollo Air Superiority Fighter
An Apollo Fighter on patrol
Faction	Allied Nations
Minor Faction(s)	Peacekeeper Reinforcements
Unit Type	Fighter
Designation	Anti Air
Tier	1
Production Building	Airbase
Secondary Ability	Return to Base
Cost	$1000
Production Time	0:10
Heroic Upgrade	Rattler Missiles • Gains Air-to-air missiles • Rattlers deal Missile damage
Dev. Status	Original RA3 Unit

Country of Origin	Sweden
Produced by	Angstrom Defense, Stockholm
Key Features	» 20mm PV-7 "Sol" autocannons (x2)  » VTOL design allows for rapid deployment  » Triple thrust vectors provide maximum manoeuvrability  » Hardpoints for additional weapons ("B" model only)  » AN/APQ-71 "Birdhunter" radar

"They're in MY airspace?!"

- Apollo Pilot on intercept

Tactical Analysis

• Not a Pound for Air-to-Ground!: You couldn't point to a more-specialised vehicle in the Allied arsenal than the Apollo, which is directly and exclusively suited to its role as an air-superiority fighter. While it cannot retaliate against surface targets, it is fast enough to simply outpace them.

• The Last Gunfighter: Unlike more-versatile and more expensive aircraft, the Apollo is armed with just one type of weapon. On the plus side, the "Sol" can cut through all but the most heavily-armoured enemy aircraft in moments, and can sustain firing constantly without risk of overheating or loss of accuracy.

• The Best Get Better: On authority from Allied High Command, some commanders are beginning to field newly-enhanced Apollo Fighters featuring Rattler-2 air-to-air missiles, which supplement the "Sol".

• Time to Bug-Out!: Like some other Allied aircraft, Apollos have an autopilot mechanism that causes them to return to base immediately using an emergency afterburner. This lets the Apollo deftly retreat from dangerous situations or rearm its weapon as quickly as possible.

WWIII Operational History

An Apollo Fighter on display

In spite of the combined treasuries of Allied nations, ongoing struggles against the Soviet war machine have proven undeniably costly. As a result, the Allies have increasingly sought to fill their military with highly specialised and efficient machines that perform exceedingly well in a given role yet work best as part of a combined-arms strategy. One of the finest results of this philosophy is the F-11 Apollo Fighter, born from Stockholm-based Angstrom Defense and now seeing active duty throughout at least a dozen nations. This is one of the world's best, fastest, most dangerous air superiority fighters.

Like other Allied aircraft, the Apollo features a VTOL (vertical take-off and landing) engine configuration, which provides maximum stability and manoeuvrability. This also lets the Apollo operate effectively in urban environments as well as out in the open. The sight of this delta-wing jet slicing through the sky with incredible agility and speed is amazing, yet its triple thrust vectoring nozzles keep the Apollo trim with near-perfect stability - all the better to let the Apollo bring its 20 mm "Sol" radar-tracking autocannons to bear on any enemy bandits.

The Sol is a single-barrel weapon yet can spit out 500 rounds of armour-piercing ammunition per minute easily. Moreover, it is extremely accurate for such a weapon, partly due to the Apollo's own targeting systems and manoeuvrability. Once an Apollo has marked an enemy target, there is little the enemy can do to escape the Apollo's withering fire, especially because the Apollo can outpace virtually any other aircraft.

Artwork of the Apollo Fighter

The Apollo Fighter is very direct in its design. For better or worse, it is armed with a more-conventional weapons system than some of the latest, more-experimental Allied vehicles (not the least of which are Angstrom Defense's own Athena Cannon). However, a little-known fact is that the Apollo underwent several bids and design iterations before the Allies finally accepted the model currently in use. Predecessors of the F-11 lacked the VTOL engine configuration, which made them far faster in the skies but also far less reliable and, in the end, less survivable or dependable.

The Allies also experimented with fitting a modified version of France's spectrum-dispersion cannon design onto the aircraft, to make it score enemy kills even faster while potentially taking down multiple hostiles in a single brilliant attack. However, the spectrum cannons tended to temporarily blind Apollo test pilots, even through their goggles, which was an unexpected safety concern that Angstrom continues to lament to this day. So this design was ill-conceived, as well as prohibitively expensive. The Apollo model now in use, by comparison, is widely appreciated by for its tried-and-true performance (though the concept of a spectrum armed interceptor was not totally abandoned).

Today, Apollo Fighters are a common sight in Allied military bases, and frequently take point alongside close-support or bomber aircraft such as Cryocopters or Century Bombers. They have proven to be absolutely vital to this role, for their unparalleled ability to defend these mission-critical assets. At the same time, Apollos excel at hunting down Soviet aircraft reckless enough to trespass into Allied airspace.

The sleek angles of these fighter jets, as well as the age-old romantic allure of air combat--not to mention the necessity of having to fight for one's freedom against the ever-present Soviet agenda of a global communist state--have drawn out many brave men to Allied flight schools worldwide in the hopes of one day being the Allies' next famous fighter ace.

Post-War Operational History

During a recent Allied airshow in the United Kingdom, the Allied Nations unveiled the new F-11B Apollo Fighter, showcasing its capabilities during the airshow. The F-11B sports several improvements over its predecessor, such as improved engines and radar, as well the capability to mount ordnance on two external hardpoints.

These wing pylons are being used to mount the new AAM-8M "Rattler-2" air-to-air missiles, which use infrared sensors to track their targets by the heat they give off. The Rattler-2 is an improvement over the original Rattler, with increased reliability and a smaller size and weight. The F-11Bs have already proven themselves highly effective in engagements over Vietnam, and the Rattler-2 has received praise from Allied pilots.

Apollo Fighter sorties are now a common sight over South Vietnam following Allied intervention in the Vietnam war. The duo displayed are equipped with Rattler-2 missiles.

The Peacekeepers plan to switch over to the new variant of the Apollo as soon as possible. However, as the F-11B has only just entered production, priority for the new fighters is being given to more experienced pilots over less experienced ones, and it will be sometime before the "B" variant fully replaces its predecessor.

Behind the Scenes

• The Apollo may be based on the J35 Draken (Kite) fighter. It could also be based on the F7U Cutlass fighter.

Just the Stats

F-11 Apollo Fighter
Circling(150), Take-Off Speed(10)
Interceptor
Cost	1000
Build Time	0:10
Health	200
Speed	375/0.8
Armour Type	Thin-Skinned

Sol 20mm Autocannons
Limited Ammo(25/10s), Lock-On(.75s), Firing Arc(90°)
Flak
Range	400
RPS	5
Damage	25
Suppression	N/A
DPS	125

★ Rattler-2 Missile ★
Limited Ammo(2), Firing Arc(90°), Fixed-Wing Only
Missile
Range	400
RPS	6
Damage	75
Suppression	N/A
DPS	150

Vietnam Theatre Apollo Fighter

F-11 Apollo Air Superiority Fighter
Minor Faction	Peacekeeper Reinforcements
Other Faction(s)	Allied Nations
Unit Type	Infantry
Designation	Anti-Air
Production Building	N/A
Secondary Ability	Lazy Dog Bomb Drop an anti-infantry bomb and return to base
Cost	N/A
Production Time	N/A
Heroic Upgrade	Tear Gas Bomb
Dev. Status	In game

Country of Origin	Sweden
Trained at	Angstrom Defense, Stockholm
Key Features	» 50 Cal machinegun with incendiary ammo (x2)  » VTOL design allows for rapid deployment  » Triple thrust vectors provide maximum manoeuvrability  » Hardpoints loaded with “Lazy Dog” ordnance  » Flame paint job

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Tactical Analysis

• Fire Spitter: Deployed from the carrier USS Forrestal, Apollos provided sorely needed air superiority for the ARVN. Machine guns loaded with incendiary ammunition insurers that even if an enemy does manage to escape them they will still go down in flames.

• Like throwing a fistful of darts: Unlike its stock model Vietnam Apollos are equipped to deal with enemies on the ground. If anti-air fire becomes too thick or a target of opportunity is spotted the Apollo comes armed with a canister filled with steel darts. After dropping Apollos will hit their afterburners and fly to either the nearest base or offscreen to repair and rearm.

• Elite air but somewhat rare: Peacekeepers only have a limited number of Apollos they can call on and there is a lot of airspace to cover. Vietnam Apollos can only called in via reinforcements and only in limited numbers.

• Don’t cry now: A supply error resulted in shipment of tear gas being sent to the Vietnamese front. Inventive ordnance specialists have managed to fill lazy dog bombs with the noxious chemical, assuring anything that survives the rain of darts will be crippled . Due to limited supply only ace pilots are cleared to use the modified munitions.

Operational History

While Peacekeepers on ground may be having the time of their life, for Allied pilots the Vietnamese campaign has been a more miserable experience. Early predictions of enemy air opposition and their tactics prove to be in error, rather than throw wave after wave of MiGs the North Vietnamese prefer to conserve the few aircraft they have and use them in quick hit-and-run operations. That means most of an Apollo’s time is spent either flying escort for the ARVN’s antiqued Air Force or rushing to intercept MiG strikes. Even when they do manage to engage with their opponents such battles rarely last long as the communist pilots are quick to rush back across the border where Allied aircraft are forbidden to enter, partly due to politics and partly due to the North Vietnamese’s extensive antiair defenses guarding from intrusion. Pilots couldn’t even use their brand new “Rattler” AAM due to concerns of friendly fire, a justified fear giving the numerous elderly aircraft fielded by the ARVN often lacked FoE equipment. And all the while pilots are taking potshots from what seems like every farmer with rifle shooting up in the air.

Clearly, this called for a change in equipment.

The first modification was replacing the Apollo’s 20mm “Sol” autcannons with Browning .50 caliber machineguns. While this would at first seem as a downgrade, not only could one pack in more rounds due to their smaller caliber but the new armaments could accept incendiary ammunition. The thinking was that even if an enemy broke off the lingering damage done by the fires would continue, with luck this would cause the MiGs to crash before they reached their hangers or at least put them out of action longer as repairs were made.

Next technicians looked to the Apollo’s empty hardpoints. Since enemy antiair was such a problem, why not equip the Apollo with some air-to-ground ordnance. Though a radical idea it had some merit, but what to arm it with?

Standard bombs were impractical as the Apollo lacked to equipment to drop them accurately. Cluster munitions were considered but rejected by both AN Humanitarian Forces and, surprisingly, the ARVN; the former were concerned about the dangers of unexplored munitions (a frequent criticism of cluster bombs) to civilians and wildlife why the Vietnamese feared that Vietcong would recover unexploded bombs for use in traps.

ARVN’s suggestion of napalm instead was quietly ignored.

Then one soldier came up with a new, completely out-of-box idea: flechettes. Like how WW1 pilots attempted, Apollos could carry canisters filled with metal darts they could drop on the enemy. The darts could be easily made using local tools and could punch through the dense forest canopy, puncturing flesh, canvas and light armor. Given the code name “Lazy Dog”, hundreds of dart filled bombs made.

These adjustments quickly proved their worth and by the end of the month Forrestal’s entire fighter complement had upgraded to what would be called “Vietnam Theatre” type.