Principality of Belka

The Principality of Belka
-a History of the "Belkan Federation" and "the Principality of Belka".

Location: Northern Osean Continent
Nation Capital: Dinsmark
First Mentioned: Ace Combat 05: The Unsung War

Modern Foundations
???? - 1900s

Belka survives the harsh, Dark Ages and is a monarchic country, with its capital being Stier Castle. This monarchy is known as the Belkan Royal Dynasty. A group of Belkan knights, charged with upholding the honour of the Belkan Royal Dynasty, distinguishes themselves during these harsh times and make themselves known in Belkan history. However, Belka enters the next era of their history. After doing away with their old monarchic system, they adopted a democratic-based government and soon established a stable government which modernized the country. Belka would officially be known as the Belkan Federation.

Osean Conflict
1905 - 1940s

In 1905, the Belkan Military had entered war with the neighboring country of Osea. This was one of the first conflicts in which Osea was involved, and it became known as the Osean War. During this war, the Belkan Federation used aircraft for military operations; a first for any military in world history. The war dragged on for five years straight. The Osean War ended in 1910 with Osea as the victor.

Despite their defeat, the Belkans entered war once more in the 1940s, during a second great war. The war did not end with a clear victor, but Belkan did manage to secure lands in the south, which reached the Great Lakes. This land became known as South Belka.

Expansionism
1940s - 1968

In the late 1960s, the Belkan government saw fit that the country expand its borders to include the lands around it. However, the countries which owned these lands were not supporting this idea and would now allow Belka to simply take these lands from them. The Belkan Government decided that it would take these lands by force and began to move its military forces into the neighboring countries of Sapin and Ratio.

The Belkan Federation split its attacks on the neighboring countries into battle lines; the Eastern, Western and Southern battle lines. The fiercest actions took place on the Eastern Line.

As the annexation battles took place, the Belkan Air Force had quickly established itself as a formidable force, just by itself. In some cases, a few pilots had become aces and had made their name known in their own country and across the continent. On the Western Battle line, the Wing Leader of the 156th TFS Silber, Dietrich “Boss” Kellerman and his unit had been recognized as a vital part of that line and its ability to hold.

Soon, the last opposing nation, Recta, is under attack by Belkan forces. Recta’s air force, while smaller but more experienced, is effectively defending itself from the initial attacks and maintains its air superiority. The 156th TFS Silber is deployed there, from the Western Battle line and soon the tide of war changes. Most notably at the Battle of Mt. Mainz, in which they claimed air superiority and allowed Belkan ground forces to take the city of Calle, wiping out the Rectan Liberation Front Forces.

Anton Kupchenko, joined the Belkan Air Force in 1970. Before the 1980s, Kupchenko was made a part of the department of weapons development and technology, because of his capabilities as an engineer. While there he formed a Belkan weapons development project, known as "Pendragon". The project was ran by the Belkan Military as a part of a national defense strategy. Pendragon resulted in the development and construction of various weapons.

The last action of the Belkan Annexations ended with the 156th TFS Silber engaging unknown fighters over the Crescence Islands, north of the Belkan capital city Dinsmark, in 1985. After they were shot down, all actions against the Belkans begin to cease. The origin of these fighters was never discovered, as far as the general public knows.

Just two years later, the Belkan Democratic party came under heavy opposition, due to the fact that the Belkan economy was declining rapidly and soon the government was forced into a process which would re-evaluate their effectiveness to run the country.

The Federal Era
1987- 1994

The Belkan Federal Law Review was held in 1987. In the end, a new Federal Government was established and new laws were set in place. Soon afterwards, two territories had broken away from Belka, not agreeing with the new system. In 1987, the North-Eastern State of Belka were these territories and split into multiple small nations. They were later known as the FATO Nations. Also, in 1988, the Republic of Ustio was formed when a South Belkan state also broke away.

The Belkan government could do little to stop them from breaking away, since their economy continued to fall. This economic down turn forced "Project Pendragon" to be cancelled. The project yielded weapons like the XB-0 Hresvelgr, V2 MIRV Mass Retaliation Weapon, the Avalon Dam Missile Launch Facility and the 'Excalibur' Chemical Laser. It most likely yielded other weapons like the ADFX 01/02 Morgan, Burst Missile Technology, and the Tactical Laser System. Many of the weapons developed by Pendragon were not completed or leftthe drawing board.

In 1991, Belka had sold lands back to the eastern nations. This caused all Belkan military forces to return to Belka. These lands were distributed among Sapin, Ustio and the FATO Nations and resulted in the expansion of the Sapin and Ustio and the formation of Gebet and Recta.

However, nothing seemed to help the Belkans come out of their economic bind and the country entered a state of unrest. During this time the public cries out for order to be restored. Amidst the chaos an extreme-Right Wing Democratic Liberal Party takes power in Belka. They had learned of Osea’s lies and their plan to take the resource-rich lands around the Great Lakes, and also had intentions of reclaiming the two territories which had broken off.

In 1987, Belka had surrendered its northern and southern lands of the Great Lakes to Osea, in hopes of revitalizing its economy, since a Joint Research Group announced that there was a large amount of resources there. Osea had promised to repay them a high percentage of the materials there. However, there were not as many resources as they had said were there.

They had attempted to retake their land from Osea after finding out that reports of theirs, reading that they were not rich in minerals, were false and made up by Osean officials.

The Belkan Military began to re-amass itself under the orders of this new regime and conflict on the continent became imminent.

The Belkan War
1995

The Belkan Military crossed the borders of the Independent countries and open war was declared. The Belkan Military advanced on all fronts and never stopped, despite the military opposition in front of them. The southern states lost air superiority after the opening week of the war. The Republic of Ustio had lost 90% of its air force and was forced to retreat; during the retreat they lost a third of their land in order to reduce the number of fronts they had to fight on. The Belkan forces continued a steady advance. Osea, too was thrown off guard by the sudden Belkan advance.

On April 2nd, the Belkan advance had reached its zenith on all fronts. On the Ustian front, only one major base remained: Valais, which was perched on top of the Ustian mountains. The Belkan Air Force attempted to neutralize it, but was unsuccessful, due to the reformation of the 6th Ustian Air Division into a force of foreign mercenaries. With their resources stretched thin by the multi-front offensive, the Belkan drive ground to a halt.

This gave time for the Allies to regroup. In early April, the now-unified Allied forces of Osea, Sapin, Ustio, and Yuktobania, conducted Op. Roselein, which connected the Allied nations of Ustio and Osea through Belkan occupied Arlon, Sapin. This was in preparation for the Allied counter-offensive against Belka.

After diverting the Belkan Air Force's attention to the Round Table on the 20th with a diversionary recon mission, The Osean 3rd fleet, with its new capital ship, the OFS Kestrel, moved through the Belkan-occupied Futuro Canal into the bay of Lumen, opening up an air corridor into South Belka. This was the beginning of Osean Offensive 4101. By early May, all Osean and Sapin land had been liberated. All that remained was Ustio.

On May 12th, the Osean 101st airborne launched Op. Varsity, a paratroop mission to take Solis Ortus, to gain access to the Ustian capital of Directus. Although the Belkans put up a fight, they were unable to hold Solis Ortus and were forced to fall back to Directus. The following day, with the Osean Army from the south and the Ustian Army from the north, as well as a civilian resistance movement directly in the city, the Allies were able to take Directus. This proved to be disastrous to the Belkans, for the HQ of the Ustio branch Belkan army was in Directus, as well as most of the occupying army. With the loss of Ustio, the Belkan Army fell back to the Hydrian line, Belka's first line of defense.

At this point, there was a dramatic shift in the war. Belka is no longer the aggressor, but the defender, as the Allies prepared to invade Belka. The story is told differently from each standing point. Here is what we do know:

On May 17th, the Allies launched Op. Hellbound, an attack on the centerpiece of the Hydrian line, Glatisant. The Allies suspected that Glatisant was not just a fortress, but a nuclear weapons production facility. The mission was pegged as a nuclear inspection, which some of the Ustian mercenary pilots found laughable. Despite the heavy AA defense network at Glatisant, the mercenary forces are able to neutralize the defense capabilities of Glatisant.

With its main fortress neutralized, the Belkan Military abandoned the Hydrian line, pulling back to their second line of defense in the Schayne plains. Although this was well into South Belkan territory, the plains lacked defensive cover. The Allies thought to capitalize on this weakness, and on May 19th, they launched an air raid on the defensive positions in the plains. After the objective was completed, however, the Belkans deployed Excalibur against them. Most of the attacking force was destroyed by the laser before they could escape, but a few pilots made it through, including the mercenary Galm team.

Excalibur soon became the Allies’ priority target, as the withering fire power of the laser tower kept their forces from advancing. Causality figures were placed high, as this was Belka's pillar of defense. On may 23rd, Ustian mercenaries attacked Tauberg, the place where Excalibur was built, deep in North Belkan territory. Although 4 jammers were present, and the defenses at Excalibur itself were fierce, the Ustians were able to destroy Excalibur. With Excalibur out of the way, the Allies continued to advance northward.

Then, on May 28th, Osea announced its permanent abrogation of the Non-aggression treaty in front of the Assembly of Nations, and commenced Op. Battle Axe, a large scale air sortie into the Round Table, which was still tight in the grasp of the Belkan Air Force. Although at first the battle seemed to go in the Belkans’ favour, destroying 40% of the Allied forces, the balance swung into the Allies court when Galm 1, earning the new moniker of Demon Lord, entered the fray, and routed the Belkans, even defeating an ace Belkan squadron.

Around the same time, South Belka was beginning to become weary of the war. Disillusioned of the patriotism and nationalism that lead them into the war, as well as having there land be torn up for defense line after defense line for the "Fatherland" in the north, South Belkan cities began to surrender and disarm peacefully. Unable to set defense positions, the Belkan Army retreated to the north to the Waldreich mountain range and the border between the Belkas. The end of the war was drawing near.

The Allied air forces then started to make the destruction of Belkan war productions their main priority. On June 1st, the Allies launched a heavy bombing raid on the industrial center of Hoffnung. The bombing run wasn't a surgical strike, but saturation bombing, where the bombers released ton after ton of unguided bombs on Hoffnung. In turn, the Belkans began to sabotage the facilities, to let nothing fall into the Allies’ hands. The mission was a success, but with a terrible cost to civilian life.

With the fall of Hoffnung, Sudentor was the last major South Belkan city still under North Belkan control. Resistance there was fierce, due to weapons from the South Belkan munitions plant that was in the city. To put down the resistance, the Allies called upon the Ustian mercenaries to meet up with the Allied ground forces south of the city. On the way there, they flew over Stier, when a large bomber formation appeared to the north. Supposedly, it was carrying a nuclear bomb destined for Ustio. Through valiant fighting against improbable odds, the mercenaries were able to destroy the entire formation, which, curiously, was being attacked by South Belkan fighters as well. Although they had stopped the bombers, several smaller jet fighters made it through, and dropped their payload.

Seven nuclear bombs were dropped on the Waldreichs, killing over 12,000 people. The EMP discharge from the nukes made communication difficult for several days, but that did not keep the world from knowing what had happened. Everyone was stunned by the Belkans’ grand act of self-sacrifice. They had lost the will to fight after watching the tragedy unfold before their eyes. The Allies quickly agreed with the Belkan high command for a ceasefire. For the most part, the war was over.

Some Belkan officers, however, refused the ceasefire order, and began to regroup in the Yaring mine region near Mt. Schirm. Ustian mercenaries were sent to quell the resistance, but found it to be larger than anticipated. Nevertheless, the mission was successful.

On June 20th, the official peace accords of the Belkan War were held in Lumen, South Belka. At same time, unfortunately, another group of Belkan insurgents appeared on the Belkan coast near Anfang, decrying the peace accords. Due to the circumstances, the Allies secretly sent in mercenary forces to take care of the insurrection. Although, as, one of the pilots pointed out, there was too much resistance to be simply an insurrection, the mission was successful. The peace talks were held without incident.

The treaty signed at Lumen was one that heavily favoured the Allied nations. Belka lost all its southern territories, leaving only North Belka, which was renamed the Principality of Belka. Its military was heavily restricted as well, to ensure that Belka would never again be a threat. The diplomats then proceeded to squabble over the same resources that had ignited the war in the first place. Nevertheless, the world seemed to be at peace, with the Belkan War behind them.

Then, on Christmas Day, 1995, "A World With No Boundaries" revealed itself, by first attacking Lumen, the signing place of the peace accords, and Valais airbase with the XB-0 Hresvelgr. Although the bomber and its escorts were destroyed, it was discovered that AWWNB had control over Avalon Dam. A strike force was quickly assembled, and made its way to Avalon. Although the strike team suffered severe casualties, Galm Team made it through, and was able to destroy the V2 controls, disabling the V2 before disappearing into history.

Some technicians who worked on the V2 did not join AWWNB, as the fervent Belkan Nationalists and later became a part of "Grunder Industries". "A World With No Boundaries" had managed to keep any information about them extremely secretive, so information about them is somewhat scarce.

Post-Belkan War
1996- 2009

After the Belkan War, a new government was being put into place with help from the many of the Allied nations. The Belkan Federation was now known as the Principality of Belka. In a show of good will by Osea, a new fighter squadron comprised of Belkan aces from the war was established in the Osean Air Force. Around this time, the Belkan managed Grunder Industries arms and weapons manufacture in former South Belka, became the main supplier of weaponry for the Osean Federation.

Individuals of the former Belkan Air Force that fled the country managed to further the development of, "oversized" aircraft technology which resulted in the end of the Estovakian Civil War and the beginning of the, "EE War"; and even continued to fight against the Osean Federation. Members of the Belkan Air Force created a terrorist group known as "The Falcons of Dawn". The group, created by former Belkan ace Oswald "Regen" Baermann, carried out up to seven terrorist attacks against the Osean Federation by 2005. Despite these radicals, it seemed as though the nationalistic ideals of the former Belkan Federation had died with the country's defeat in 1995.

The Circum-Pacific War
2010

In 2010 neighbouring Osea was being probed by unknown aircraft from an unknown country. Days later, a former ally during the Belkan War, Yuktobania declared war on Osea. In the initial days of fighting, Yuktobania had attacked the Osean fleets and launched amphibious assaults, but those were repelled by Osean military forces and soon, Osea had preformed an amphibious assault on Yuktobanian soil and established a foot-hold.

Little did each country know, the war between them was engineered by extremists from Belka, still angered by the Belkan War 15 years ago. These extremists were believed to be the, "Grey Men". They had been planning to use operatives within the Osean and Yuktobanian militaries. They had two squadrons at their disposal in each military. The Yuktobanian, 'Ofnir' Squadron lead by Michael Heimeroth and the Osean 8492nd Squadron, actually known as the Grabacr Fighter Squadron, lead by Ashley Bernitz; each were Belkan aces from the war 15 years ago.

The 'Grey Men' had planned on keeping the war between the two countries active so they would eventually lose economic capabilities. They did this by capturing the Osean and Yuktobanian government leaders. Also, they were beginning to rebuild their military by using funds from a South Belkan company in Sudentor, known as Grunder Industries; which sold weaponry and aircraft to each nation.

During the Osean operations in Yuktobania, the 8492nd Squadron was operating covertly. In one case during the Osean advancement into Yuktobania they had attacked a Yuktobanian college facility, during an Osean campaign to reassure civilian safety. This move by them had taken a vital Osean squadron, known as Wardog Squadron, out of the war temporarily; the Wardog squadron were a pivotal Osean squadron in the war, which was responsible for the success many large operations. Unfortunately for them, the Wardog group returned to the front lines.

During that time an unknown group of assailants had managed to board the Osean super weapon, the Arkbird in space and sabotaged it, thus knocking it out of action and balancing the power between each side.

The Belkan operatives then managed to help Yuktobanian aircraft penetrate Osean air space and attempt to kill the Osean Vice President during a speech in November City. The 8492nd, also there, had another chance to attack Wardog Squadron. After an aircraft crashed on landing at a nearby air field, the 8492nd managed to fool incoming Osean aircraft into thinking the raid was just a drill and they turned back. Because of this one of the Wardog members was Killed In Action.

Days later in Yuktobania, the 8492nd and multiple aircraft, believed to be Belkan aircraft, jumped Wardog Squadron during their flight back to Sand Island. The Osean squadron managed to escape.

However, a former 8492nd Pilot, now an advisor at Sand Island Air Base, Allen C. Hamilton indicated Wardog members to be spies. When they landed, military police attempted to capture them, but they escaped in trainer aircraft. All Osean aircraft were ordered to shoot them down on sight. The 8492nd Squadron, in the area, pursued them, but lost them and disengaged. Wardog Squadron was later shot down by an aircraft from the Osean Marine Defense Force.

With Wardog not tipping the balance of the war, the 'Grey Men' continued their efforts. However, soon Wardog had resurfaced as "The Ghosts of Razgriz" and rescued the Osean President from Stier Castle in Belka. The Razgriz then were sighted operating over Belka, near a mine shaft where the Belkan nuclear weapons from the Belkan War, were located, also there they found aircraft from the Grabacr and Ofnir squadrons. The next day the mine was destroyed, but two nuclear devices were taken out of the country. The first was stolen, days later by Yuktobanian Resistance Fighters, in a canyon. The ‘Razgriz’ had appeared in the canyon air space and destroyed all Yuktobanian military forces searching for them. However, the Ofnir Squadron had also entered the canyon in pursuit of them. After a high-speed air-to-air battle, Ofnir was shot down, but ejected.

The next nuclear weapon was found onboard the Arkbird, which was secretly repaired and modified by Belkan units, during the midst of the war. It was attacked by the Razgriz as well. Unfortunately for the ‘Grey Men’ the Arkbird was too shot down and the nuclear weapon was lost over the Ceres Ocean. Soon after that, the Yuktobanian prime minister was rescued by the Razgriz in Yuktobania. The Grabacr Fighter Squadron did engage them, but also were shot down. They too had ejected.

After losing the two weapons their last card, the re-vamped V-2 project was the only thing that the Belkans had left. The V-2 was stored in the Grunder Industries’ underground test facility in Sudentor. However, the Osean president and Yuktobanian prime minister had made their way back into Osea and announced the Grey Men’s plans to use the V-2 on one of their countries. A combined Osean-Yuktobanian force, with the Razgriz, had then attacked the Grunder facility. The Belkan operatives there then said that they would hand over the V-1, the less powerful weapon, if the warmongers in the area would protect their facility. Soon, each force was engaged in combat over Sudentor.

In a rush effort, the Belkan forces managed to make the SOLG, a Sub-Orbital Laser Gun made during the Belkan War, but never completed; now it was operational. It then began to attack the advancing ground forces, heading towards Grunder Industries. The combined forces working against the Belkans managed to open the base’s main blast doors and the Razgriz had flown into the maintenance tunnel being chased by Allen C. Hamilton, the Sand Island base advisor. The Razgriz managed to destroy the V-2’s first power generator, while an Osean Pilot named Jack “Heartbreak One” Bartlett flew in from the other side and destroyed the secondary generator. During their escape, the Razgriz were engaged by multiple aircraft, but managed to escape.

Allen C. Hamilton was killed by one of these aircraft which had come in front of them. The V-2 and the SOLG control facilities were destroyed and the Belkan operatives, seeing their defeat they had pre-programmed the SOLG to fall onto the Osean capital of Oured if contact was lost with Grunder Industries. As SOLG fell into the atmosphere, the Razgriz had launched from Oured in an attempt to destroy the satellite. They were intercepted by a combined Belkan fighter unit of Ofnir and Grabacr. As the SOLG fell into the atmosphere, the Ofnir and Grabacr continued their fight against the Razgriz, but were ultimately shot down and killed. Later, the SOLG was also destroyed by the Razgriz and all Belkan activities had ceased once again. The Grey Men had managed to slip away unharmed, as they did once before.

SOURCES
Ace Combat Zero: The Belkan War
Ace Combat Zero: The Belkan War Official Strategy Guide (JP/EN)
Official Ace Combat Zero Website
Namco CH Ace Combat Zero Website

Ace Combat 05: The Unsung War
Official Ace Combat 05 Website
Namco CH Ace Combat 05 Website

Anton Kupchenko Biography

Dietrch Kellerman Biography

Dimitri Heinrich Biography