Sea/Air fighters using current/near future tech?

The Setting

I'm doing background work on a story involving a civilization about as advanced as ours materiologically. A significant part of their military operates along the continental shelf zone protecting undersea or coastal bases, as well as submersible carrier battle groups.

The Problem

Entering the water from the air while under power tends to be fairly destructive to modern aircraft.

The Question

Without handwavium-style alloys or configuation changes, I'd like a fighter to be able to fly in the air and underwater as well as survive a controlled transition from air into water.

What is this fighter made of?

Extra Info

A fighter design based upon the rounded, long, and broad wings of a manta ray seem like they would be useful in both media. This helps with some of the basic physics questions, but under what sort of circumstances can something buildable without handwavium materials enter the water (as noted above)?

posted about 7 years ago

Gio‭

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