Manufacturer
MIK Industries

Year
2015

Special
Tribute to Hispanic Heritage. National Holiday of October 12

History
The MIK LTV A9A Flashback emerged as a direct response to the new strategic direction adopted by the Spanish Navy in the early 2010s. After years of limiting its air capabilities to land-based operations, the General Staff launched a naval modernization plan that included the design and construction of a next-generation aircraft carrier. The challenge was not only to build the ship, but also to create a domestically produced fighter capable of operating in extreme maritime environments and embodying Spain’s 21st-century technological self-reliance.

The program, internally named Project Phoenix, commissioned MIK Industries to lead the development of an aircraft that would combine maneuverability, power, and naval durability. The name “Flashback,” chosen during the conceptual phase, symbolized the idea of looking back at the glorious past of Spanish aviation to shape the future of its carrier-borne air power.

The first concepts of the A9A appeared in 2011. Engineers opted for a canard, high-wing configuration, a bold choice but ideal for improved lift at low speeds and allowing deck takeoffs without requiring long runways. Between 2012 and 2014, advanced aerodynamic simulations were conducted, and the first scale prototypes verified the design’s stability. At the same time, reinforced landing gear made from composite materials and vector-thrust control systems were developed to optimize carrier landing performance.

The first official flight of the Flashback took place in 2015, marking the start of an intense phase of naval trials. Over the following years, the aircraft was tested under extreme conditions, simulating both the marine environment and the structural fatigue typical of carrier service. Each modification brought the design closer to its final form: a multirole carrier-based fighter capable of air superiority, tactical strike, and cooperative naval defense.

The development of the Flashback was not only a technological milestone but also a political and symbolic one. Spain proved that it could fully integrate its air-naval system without relying on critical imports. By the mid-2020s, the aircraft had passed every validation phase and was ready to operate from the future carrier that would serve as the launch platform for the nation’s renewed maritime power.

In 2025, coinciding with October 12th (Spain’s National Day), MIK Industries unveiled a commemorative version of the Flashback, painted in a special livery evoking the national flag with metallic tones and golden accents. The event symbolized not only the country’s anniversary but also the culmination of a historic cycle: the transition from dreams of technological independence to a fully realized reality.

In the official lore, the MIK LTV A9A Flashback is remembered as the fighter that paved the way for the rebirth of Spanish naval aviation. Its development was the prologue to a new strategic era, marking the moment when Spain stopped seeing the oceans as a boundary and began to view them as the natural stage for its power and progress.

Options
AG1 - Open the airplane cabin
AG2 - Fold wings
AG3 - Airbrakes
AG4 - Arrest hook
AG5 - Drop fuel tank
AG7 - Ejection seat