The Merso/Messerschmitt Dracotai AR-2016 codename lancer (Lanzenträger in Mersorkan) or "????????" (musorshchik) by northern shigu clasification is a supersonic interceptor aircraft developed initially by Messerschmitt AG in the year 1963 to fill the requirement of a medium range interceptor jet for the Mersorkan WoF.

begining of the project:

after the end of the First Sakuran war in 1956 it was clear that the new shigu TU-95 bombers could be a threat for mersorkan airspace in the northern areas, by that time the interceptor role was held by early Hawker hunters F.6A.

in late 1956 the mersorkan air minister opened the "next generation interceptor program" that requested a mach 2 capable jet interceptor,a mock up of the 2016 was presented in 1957 it was different from the final desing, it was a single engine delta wing jet with a V tail. in the begining the F104 sratfighter was chosen due it being developed earlier

revival

in 1959 after various accidents with the F104 the 2016 program was resumed this time Merso.aerospace joined to the program to oversee and make changes to the original design, the changes made were the change from a single engine to a twin engine design, the replacement of the M61 Vulcan with 2 30mm ADEN cannons, and the replacement of the V tail with a more regular tail, in 1961 the first Dracotai AR-2016 prototype was flown, following the first flight more test were made a bigger radar was implemented and 2 belly hard points were added to fit the new AIM-7 spawrrow missiles (later models could equip aim-54), the aircraft was also able to equip 4 aim-9s in the wings and was also able to equip the experimental AIM-26 nuclear guided air-to-air missile, the aircraft was equiped with 4 chaff and flare dispensers, 2 in the tail area and 2 under the engines, the aircraft entered Mersorkan WoF service in 1963.

Service with the WoF

the aircraft was heavily used by the Mersorkan WoF during the second Sakuran war of 1964-1975, mostly being used as a bomber interceptor but also got some fighter air-to-air kills, during the war, they got arround 86 air to air kills, but some 32 aircraft ended being shoot down, most of them by anti air fire.

the aircraft were also used by the WoF during the intervention in The republic of Linorah (1979) getting only 1 air-to-air kill and none being shoot down.

during the operation red sea (1990) they were deployed one last time, getting 3 air to air kills, 1 being shoot down.

this aircraft saw no combat during the 1990-1996 kutziwalt war

the aircraft was retired from Mersorkan WoF service in 1995.

Service outside the WoF

in Merso:
-the Mersorkan Space Agency (MSA) bought arround 50 aircraft in 1972 used for supersonic training and testing, arround 10 are still active to 2022

-Molten energy owns 2 aircraft for air racing

outside Merso:
the aircraft was exported to 4 countries as Dracotai AR-2016-X

-State of Libanthion
their airforce operated 52 aircraft being used in the week long war (1968), The Libanthion-south Sakuran war (1973-1975) ,and operation red sea its unkown how many aircraft were lost, the aircraft were retired in 2002

-The kingdom of Karmiruh
20 aircraft operated from 1981 to 1999

-Nevakor kingdom
6 Aircraft operated, 2 aircraft used during their coup in 1983, still active in 2022

-The UIR
78 aircraft operated by the UIRSDAF since 1988, still active in 2022

failed bids:
-The republic of Coastland
1 aircraft examinated

-Vogelland republic
2 aircraft examinated

-sealand kingdom
showed interest in 1990 to buy 5 ex-mersorkan aircraft to replace their old Me 262A-1a/U1

AG.8=landing gear