Orbert Jager and Rainer Altman

ORBERT JAGER AND RAINER ALTMAN "Cormorant"

Altman's BAF ID Card

Personal information:
Name: Orbert Jager
Rank: Major
Call Sign: Gelb 1
Nationality: Belkan
Age: 34 [as of 1995]
Sex: Male
Status: Killed In Action

Personal information:
Name: Rainer Altman
Rank: Lieutenant
Call Sign: Cormorant
Nationality: Belkan
Age: 32 [as of 1995]
Sex: Male
Hair: Brown or Black
Status: Shot down (Survived)

Biography:
The Belkan 23rd TFS, 'Gelb' was a Squadron that consisted solely of two Su-37s. Orbert Jager was the flight lead, and Rainer Altman his wingman. They were assigned intercept missions on the southern defense line known as "The Hydrian Line" as much-needed support for the troops in that area. With the help of the thrust vectoring Su-37 "Terminator", they flew and fought with unparalleled maneuvers and flawless teamwork, earning them the alias "The Mated Pair of Cormorants".

Until April of 1995, Belka was on the offensive on the southern defense line; but soon, the powerful Allied offensive campaign launched on April 23rd, drastically changed the tide of the war. The 23rd Tactical Fighter Squadron "Gelb" contributed to Belka's air and ground supremacy in the early stage of the war. A two-man formation was very unique in the Belkan Air Force in those days, but the upper echelons of the Air Force flexibly and objectively recognized them as more powerful than a conventional formation of average fighter pilots.

Compared to the eastern front, the situation was fluid on the southern front. Until the Allied Forces' offensive campaign began, the situation was relatively balanced. This could be attributed to the skill of the Gelb Squadron, but in reality, they were overused. Since the southern battlefront stretched too quickly, the logistics support became infrequent and even paralyzed in wide areas during and after the middle stage of the war. Their supply lines were spread too thin to adequately support the troops. The Gelb Squadron was stationed at Dionbill base, which was located in the southern central region of Belka. It is said that they launched for a combat sortie five times a day in order to maintain the front line. This hand-to-mouth deployment became more frequent as the tide of the war began to turn against Belka.

Even under this circumstance, Jager and Altman steadily increased their kill scores. Compared with the eastern front where many ace pilots were born, the southern frontline seemed rather nondescript, but the front could not possibly have been maintained without committed pilots like Gelb Squadron. One can never regard the southern front in the same light as the eastern front.

Gelb Squadron's Su-37 utilized high-mobility missiles that are possible to attack from all directions, including targets at their six o'clock. Their super agile aircraft in combination with their formidable air combat tactics was the key point of their strength on southern defense line. In a combat simulation exercise against 13 F-15Cs, it turned out that Jager and Altman, had officially gone on record to down all the planes, and proved that numbers alone were not the key factors to air superiority.

However, despite their successes, the time eventually had come for Jager and Altman, who earned the title of ace in the course of their tightrope sorties on the southern front, to fly as a duo for the last time. They were given the order to fly to the Ustian capital, Directus to prevent the Allied Forces from liberating the city. On May 13th, 1995, they arrived in battle too late to prevent the inevitable and soon found themselves in combat with the Ustian 6th Air Division's 66th AFU "Galm". Eventually, Jager was shot down and killed in combat and Altman later had bailed out after he too was hit; he was later saved by a local family. After the battle, Altman made a living as an author in Directus, never to return to Belka.

His war novel, which he had kept writing even during his stint in the military, was published to wide acclaim. He is currently writing a sequel.

SOURCE::
Ace Combat Zero: The Belkan War
Official Ace Combat Zero Website
Namco CH Ace Combat Zero Website

ACCREDITATION:
Silber 6 for the picture

*Originally posted by Ribbon-Blue*