ZP-6 Antares

ZP-6 Antares
Maritime Patrol Aircraft
National Origin		Zokesia
Production History
Designed
2160 - 2162
Produced
2162 - Current
Designer		Cyten-Ward Industries
Unit Cost		51,000(√)
Number Built		58
Service History
In Service
2162 - Ongoing
Used By		Zokesia The Confederacy UIF
Aircraft Characteristics
Dry Mass		47,800kg
Length		28.5 m
Width		25.9 m
Height		7.5 m
Propulsion		4 x Logi CW-25T Turboprops
Maximum Velocity		340 m/s
Operational Range		450 km

The Cyten-Ward ZP-6 Antares is a four-engined, turboprop anti-submarine and maritime surveillance aircraft developed for the Confederate Navy and introduced in the 2160s. Cyten-Ward based it on the Z-188 Turboa commercial airliner; it is easily distinguished from the Turboa by its distinctive tail stinger or "MAD" boom, used for the magnetic anomaly detection (MAD) of submarines. Over the years, the ZP-6 has seen numerous design developments, most notably in its electronics packages. A total of 58 ZP-6s have been built, the newest being the ZP-6C.

Development

The ZP-6 was built to fulfil a requirement by the Zokesian Royal Navy for a long range antisubmarine and antisurface warfare aircraft, capable of defending the seas from enemy shipping and submarines. Following the success of Operation Carolinas in the North Point Campaign for Reclamation, analysts realized the growing number of effective submarines operating on Kerbin, and the vulnerability of future task forces to attacks from below the surface.

Design

With advances in sonar technology, a demonstrator aircraft was put together from the airframe of a Z-188 Turboa airliner, now recently on the market as most airliners were divesting them in favor of larger, longer range airlines, and in the place of cargo and passengers, a dual rotary torpedo rack and sonobuoy launcher were installed fore and aft respectively. With an endurance of nearly 25 hours and over 900km, and with refueling the range could be stretched to anywhere on the planet. The ZP-6 was able to loiter and listen in for enemy subs, surface vessels, and attack said targets or operate as airborne command for ship-based antisubmarine helos or attack craft. Featuring a customizable 6-buoy launcher and 8 outboard hardpoints, mission set and weapons loadout varied from operation to operation, but for ASW work typically four antisub sonobuoys were carried as well as two radar-buoys to detect surfaced vessels at longer range. 10 torpedoes on dual racks meant a ZP-6 would have the ordinance to stay on station to respond to multiple threats in one sortie. On the wing pylons, the ZP-6 was able to carry initially brimstone and Maverick antitank weapons, but the ordinance was expanded to HARMs and other antiship missiles as mission dictated.

Operational history

ZP-6s deployed often to the far flung reaches of the Confederacy, operating out of Chikushinal, Krakain, and Fish Island regularly in the late 22nd century.

In 2210, a ZP-6 was intercepted over East Hook by a Basilian fighter, but Z-40s of LHD-2 Crater Bay escorted the Antares to safety and prevented international incident.

Variants

In 2190, the ZP-6B was introduced which featured expanded mission capability and antiship strike capability for the first time. Through the 2110s, there was talk of replacement with a larger, more capable airframe, most notably the ZP-20 Aquitane, an ASW aircraft designed from the famous W-2022 Comforjet airframe, but for budgetary reasons this was cancelled in 2212. In 2213, the new ZP-6C was introduced as an upgrade to the avionics and systems aboard, and as of 2214 all ZP-6s operating in the Confederate Navy are of the C-type.

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  ZP-6A patrolling the Baskay, 2176

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  A ZP-6B shows its ordinance as it enters a left bank.

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  Marine C-24 Mastodon refueling a ZP-6B Antares

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  ZP-6B Intercepted by an AL-27 of the Basilic Air Force over East Hook, 2210.

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  ZP-6C over Kafrica, 2113