HCSAF to replace A-84 with... A-84

The A-84 is one of the key types in the HCSAF, a reliable and sturdy bombtruck that has served on every front the HCSAF has been involved with since it's inception (like the F-40). However production ceased a couple of years ago with the type at the A-84F5 variant. Over 1700 remain in HCSAF service but many are of the older models and will start to reach the ends of their fatigue lives over the next few years. By the middle of the next decade the number of A-84s could drop to 1250, by the end of the decade less than 1000.

The HCSAF have recently begun to investigate a new attack aircraft to enter service around 2115 and after examining a number of options have decided to build A-84s again! The A-84NextGen will be, like the F-45C, a total redesign that just happens to look more or less the same as it's predecessor. The NextGen (which is likely to be called the A-84NG in service) will look pretty much the same as existing aircraft but will be totally new "under the skin" including a new data architecture, avionics suite, sensor backbone and engines.

The go-ahead has been given to begin development, the prototype has been pencilled in to begin flight testing by 2113. Much of the design work may utilise work done on the cancelled A-84G project. The HCSN are also looking at whether a navalised version fits into their plans.