Fujino Fu-15 (FT)

Design and development
The Fu-15 traces its lineage to the Kanazawa Ka-43 space superiority fighter, first created by the Kanazawa-Ono Aeronautics Corporation for the Imperial Holdouts during the Imperial Holdout Conflict. Following the Second Imperial Civil War, the New Greater Empire essentially absorbed what would become the Imperial Frontier. During this period, the main space superiority fighter was the Ka-65, an upgraded Ka-43 that served with distinction during the War of Imperial Restoration. Shortly after the War of Imperial Restoration, the Imperial Frontier broke away from the New Greater Empire in the Third Imperial Civil War.

Due to the ongoing state of war between the two states, Kanazawa was prohibited from selling subsequent space superiority fighter designs to the Imperial Frontier, forcing the Imperial Frontier to develop any subsequent new fighters. Eventually, the Imperial Frontier's Imperial Department of Military Research developed the Fujino Fu-85 fighter, which was contracted to the Fujino Imperial Aerospace Corporation for production. Fujino is allegedly a surreptitious subsidiary of Kanazawa-Ono, and Kanazawa-Ono is suspected to have had a hand in the design and development of the Fu-85 and the later Imperial Frontier space superiority fighter models.

In 200, the Imperial Department of Military Research commenced development of a new space superiority fighter capable of surpassing the Empire's Kanazawa Ka-99 space superiority fighter. The new fighter was also intended to have greater independence and small-unit capabilities as the Imperial Frontier increasingly shifted away from unsustainable "swarm" tactics due to their lack of resources and manpower compared to their regional rivals in the Coreward Frontier.

Following the familiar layout pioneered by the Ka-43, the Fu-15 features two large solar collectors and a central pod that contains the cockpit and engine systems. Like its various ancestors and cousins in the series, the Fu-15 uses vectored twin ion engines that are powered by a more efficient and newly-designed high-output reactor than that on the Fu-85, allowing for longer range and higher acceleration. In an effort to improve structural integrity over the Fu-85, additional reinforcing has been installed around the central pod and along the wing struts. The Fu-15s are also equipped with high-powered sensors and long-range communications systems to enable them to carry out long-range patrols. Working around the limitations of sanction-isolated Imperial Frontier technology, the electronics package relies on a fairly primitive but reliable antenna module mounted on the starboard side of the central pod.

The Fu-15 is lightly armed but is well capable of dogfighting and space superiority missions, with an automatic cannon that is an unlicensed copy of the 31.5 mm Arakawa Type-99-3 automatic cannon on the Imperial Ka-99. Again compensating for the limitations of the available technology, the engineers that designed the Fu-15 installed an external missile rack capable of carrying four light missiles, likely as they seemingly could not install an internal weapons bay. There are also four hardpoints on the wing struts for additional weapons.

Similar to the Ka-99, the Fu-15's cockpit can be fully sealed and pressurised. However, the Fu-15 does not have a life-support system, unlike its Imperial counterpart.

Operational history
The Fu-15 was first spotted by external observers in late 215, when several fighters were seen as part of a routine Imperial Frontier long-range patrol in the Coreward Frontier. However, the Empire would only get its hands on a Fu-15 in 220, when a largely intact example was recovered following a brief skirmish in the Kamisuwa System between the Imperial Frontier Navy and the Imperial Space Rangers. Initially believed to be an upgraded Fu-85 during the battle, it was determined after the battle through analysis of camera footage that the Imperial Frontier had fielded a new fighter. The wreckage from the skirmish was trawled, fortuitously discovering a relatively intact wreck. After repairs were conducted, the Fu-15 was put through various trials and was determined to not be a major threat to the Imperial Navy.

Between 225 and 228, Fu-15s were spotted in use with pirates as far as Kanagawa, suggesting that the Imperial Frontier had begun exporting the model. Arms sales to external groups in violation of trade sanctions are one of the few vectors through which the Imperial Frontier makes a profit.

Spies from the Confederation of Coreward States within the Imperial Frontier reported that the Imperial Department of Military Research had begun development on a next-generation space superiority fighter since the Imperial Navy's introduction of the Kanazawa Ka-25 in 225, especially after the stellar performance of the Ka-25 in the Second Hyperpower War. This program would eventually lead to the creation of the Fujino Fu-39, which was intended to supplant all remaining Fu-85s and later the Fu-15s in the Imperial Frontier Navy's inventory.

General characteristics

 * Crew: 1
 * Length: 6.7 m
 * Wingspan: 6.2 m
 * Height: 8.1 m
 * Powerplant: 2 × Fujino Wi-5 ion engines (copy of Niinuma Dynamics Kiso-4)

Armament

 * Guns: 1 × 31.5 mm cannon (copy of Arakawa Type-99-3 automatic cannon)
 * Missiles: 4 × on external missile rack
 * Hardpoints:
 * 4 × hardpoints on wing struts