Istalia

[XanderOne]

"Exercise Afterburn 4": below average prestions and technical issues for the Istalian aircrafts

The Air Force denounces the block on modernization and for the lack of progress on equipements, transport and supplies: "National security at risk, priority only to the Army and Navy"

One of the aging bombers of the Air Force, its condition speaks for itself and somewhat reflects the claimed overall state of the Air Force.

January 5651

ROMULA – In the aftermath of the massive multinational aeronautical exercise "Exercise Afterburn 4", which took place in the skies of Lodamun and saw the joint participation of numerous foreign air forces, Istalia comprised, the leadership of the Imperial Air Force breaks the silence and entrusts to the press a note that expresses strong disappointment and growing frustration for the stalemate in the modernization measures of the Air Force.

The exercises were a disappointment for the Istalian Imperial Air Force, whose aircraft involved reported below-average performances compared to the foreign counterparts, especially the F-43s and G-21s, even causing embarrassment for the Air Force when our SHB-450 bomber had to withdraw at the last minute an action due to technical problems, following other problems encountered even before the excercise phase. The F-50s were able to report initial success during the excercise, thanks to the preparation of our pilots and because they are the most recent fighters, but eventually all the limits of our equipement emerged. The inatiative has highlighted the condition of operational backwardness in which the Imperial Air Force finds itself, perceived by its leaders as increasingly penalized compared to the Army and the Navy, pointed as the object of political and financial priority.

In the statement released by the Air Force, it is said that:

The White Paper for the modernization and restructuring of Defense envisaged a rebalancing of capabilities between the Armed Forces, and yet, in the face of results on the anti-aircraft defense front and space programs, the combat component of our Air Force continues to operate with obsolete equipement and a constantly declining operational availability.

Among the results cited were the progress in surveillance, intelligence and electronic warfare systems, with the commissioning of the multi-role aircraft dedicated to SIGINT and ELINT intelligence gathering and Airborne Early Warning missions Ajace AASC-5400 "Occhio di Falco", one of which, joining Afterburne 4, was the most positive and truly satisfying note for the Air Force, and therefore the network of brand new Defense satellites, managed by the Air Force, and the advanced radar and surveillance stations on the national territory. However, as regards the fleet of fighters and bombers, and secondarily the strategic transport aircraft and the tankers for in-flight refueling, the balance is bleak.

Currently, sources within the Armed Forces report, only three wings are equipped with the Ajace F-50 "Predator" superiority fighters, while five wings use the even older Magistro-Leonardi S.A.G-21 "Cobra". In even more critical conditions, two wings rely on the Ajace F-43 "Falco", an even older generation aircraft resurrected during the Patriotic War from the reserve. Finally, there is just a single Wing equiped with old Artanian Defense Group SHB-450, considered by many more as museum pieces than operational aircraft, so much so that they have been kept in hangars since time immemorial, and its prestations at Afterburne 4 showed such a condition.

In almost all cases, the flight groups are undersized and a significant portion of the aircraft are communly grounded for increasingly complex and expensive maintenance.

The situation is even more serious if we consider that, in 5641, the Ministry of Defense had rejected the Ajace Aeronautics proposal for the development of a new national superiority fighter, judging it too expensive and ambitious for the needs of the Defense. The government line, then, aimed at more immediate solutions through purchases from abroad but to date, however, no contract has been signed, nor are there any negotiations at an advanced stage.

In such a situation, even the huge funds invested in the development of reconnaissance and combat unmanned crafts, although very advanced and promising, have not reassured the top brass of the Air Force, funds that in any case have mainly gone to DIRSAD, the Department of Defense for Advanced Research. After all, many point out, "the country's skies cannot be defended just with drones".

The Air Force warns that the delay risks turning into a serious strategic vacuum:

In an uncertain geopolitical context, the country cannot afford to have undefended skies. The operational shortcomings of our air component risk becoming an irreparable breach in national security.

In military circles, there is also the suspicion that behind the continuous political hesitations there is a lack of real will to strengthen the Air Force, in favor of a structural imbalance towards the Army and Navy. A dynamic that, according to some observers, undermines the inter-force balance and compromises the overall operational credibility of the Imperial Armed Forces. The Ministry of Defense, however, has been categorical in denying these accusations, attributing the situation to other factors.

Now, with "Afterburn 4" as a symbolic goad, the Air Force is launching an appeal:

We need resources, courageous choices and a strategic vision. Without them, our future in the skies risks remaining anchored to the past.