Belkan War

THE BELKAN WAR
-The Great War Which Engulfed the World-

- The map of the Belkan War; original image by F-02, modifications by X-49. -

Blitzkrieg - Lightning War:
After the Belkan Law Review in 1988 and years of a build up of military power, hatred and hostilities; 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.

Belkan forces had gained the upper hand over every country within the conflict and continued to mercilessly attack its enemies. 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. This base was targeted by the Belkan Air Force, looking to fully destroy any Ustian military forces.

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.

Osean Offensive Operation No.4101:
The newly-formed Allied forces were prepared for their attack, but needed a diversion to catch the Belkans off guard. The 6th Air Division's 66th TFS Galm was sent into the Round Table, the most prized area in Belka's eyes, to wreak havoc. The 66th TFS entered the Round Table and engaged the Belkan fighters. They destroyed the Belkan craft, including a Belkan ace squadron and allowed the Allied forces to advance.

After the successful diversion of the Belkan Air Force's attention to the Round Table, The Osea 3rd fleet, with its new capital ship, the O.F.S. Kestrel, moved through the Belkan-occupied Futuro Canal into the bay of Lumen, opening up an air corridor into South Belka. The three part operation was successful in destroying all Belkan port facilities, defensive positions, and the nearby Belkan fleet. This was the beginning of Osea Offensive 4101. By early May, all Osea and Sapin land had been liberated. All that remained was Ustio.

On May 12th, the Osea 122nd Airborne Division launched Operation Varsity, a para-troop 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. The attack was lead by the 6th Air Division's 66th TFS once again, and was successful in large part, because of their presence. After the city was liberated the "Galm" Team, as they were known, engaged the Belkan 23rd TFS Gelb and destroyed the ace squadron.

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. The Belkan forces amassed themselves on the Hydrian Line in preparation for the inevitable counterattack.

South-Belkan Invasion:
At this point, there was a dramatic shift in the war. Belka was 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 Operation Hell-Bound, 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 were 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 laser ordnance 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. Though nuclear facilities were expected to be present at the Excalibur facility, none were confirmed. 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 Operation 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 the Demon Lord of the 66th TFS Galm, as his new moniker was, 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 their 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 Waldreichs and the border between the Belkas. The end of the war was drawing near.

The Dark Days
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 was not 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 Allied hands. The mission was a success, but with high attrition rates among civilians.

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 the Waldreich mountains 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 anymore, after watching the tragedy unfold before their eyes. The Allies quickly agreed with the Belkan high command for a cease-fire. For the most part, the war was over.

Some Belkan officers, however, refused the cease-fire 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, 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.

"A World With No Boundaries":
On Christmas Day, 1995, "A World With no Boundaries" revealed itself, by first attacking Lumen, the signing place of the peace accords, and Valais AFB with the XB-0, Belka's experimental bomber.

Although the bomber and its escorts were destroyed, it was discovered that AWWNB had control over Avalon Dam, a secret V2 test-launch facility. 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.

But some technicians who worked on the V2 did not join AWWNB, as they were fervent Belkan nationalists. They would only reappear later in history. "A World With No Boundaries" had managed to keep any information about them extremely secretive, so information about them is somewhat scarce.

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

ACCREDITATION:
Originally posted by 'Ribbon-Blue'