Part 11: Mission 10 - Operation Battle-Axe, May 28th, 1995 - Part 2
Aircraft featured in Mission 10: Operation Battle-Axe.
MiG-31 Foxhound
Manufacturer: Mikoyan
Role: Interceptor
Manufactured: 1975-1994
Status: In Service
Primary Operators: Russia, Kazakhstan
Quick Facts:
- A mid-game plane in the games it shows up in.
- Usually seen as a “heavy” sub-boss enemy plane.
- Shares many design features with the MiG-25 Foxbat, which it replaced.
- Stated to be among the fastest fighters in the world.
- Expected to remain in service in the Russian Air Force until 2030.
- Can go crazy fast but only in a straight line and very high off the ground.
- IE: It can’t maneuver at intercept speeds and is nigh uncontrollable at low altitudes.
- Known by the NATO reporting designation “Foxhound”.
- Was the first aircraft in the world to implement a phased array radar.
- One of only two fighter aircraft capable of fielding long-range air-to-air missiles.
- Had a starring role, of sorts, in the Clint Eastwood movie Firefox.
- Eastwood plays a USAF pilot tasked with infiltrating the USSR and stealing a (then speculative version of a) MiG-31 fighter, codenamed “Firefox” in the film.
- The film was based off a novel of the same name written by Craig Thomas. At the time of the novel’s composition in 1977, the MiG-31 was still a top secret skunkworks fighter in the USSR. By the time of the movie’s production in 1982, the USAF had become well aware of the actual MiG-31’s existence.
This aircraft was developed to intercept enemy aircraft at high speeds. Codenamed "Foxhound," its wing structure has been reinforced in order to withstand supersonic speeds at low altitudes. It is best suited for high-speed one pass attacks.
AMMO
Missiles: 70
XLAA: 12
QAAM: 10
UGBL: 12
F-4E Phantom II
Manufacturer: McDonnell Douglas
Role: Interceptor / Fighter bomber
Manufactured: 1958-1981
Status: Semi-Retired
Primary Operators: United States, Israel, Germany, Iran
Quick Facts:
- An early- to mid-game plane depending on the game.
- Is the player’s first plane in Air Combat, Ace Combat 2 (and its remake), Ace Combat 04, and Ace Combat X.
- A two-seater all-weather supersonic craft.
- Its original model lacked an onboard gun cannon, but was later added to subsequent models.
- Is still in service with the Iranian Air Force, but has been retired by the USAF, Israeli Air Force, and German Air Force.
- Was gradually replaced by the F-15, F-16, and F-14 in each of its respective roles.
- Has been used by both the USAF and US Navy aerial demonstration teams, the Thunderbirds and the Blue Angels, respectively.
- Has been nicknamed “The Flying Brick” for its boxy appearance and somewhat sluggish response while preforming combat maneuvers, and the “World's Leading Distributor of MiG Parts” for its high number of hostile MiG combat kills.
- The Phantom receives a brief but important mention in the novel World War Z. The chapter’s narrator, a former Iranian Air Force Major named Ahmed Farahnakian, inadvertently triggers a nuclear war between Iran and Pakistan during the Great Panic by bombing the last remaining viable passageway out of Pakistan and into Iran, effectively sealing the Pakistanis in with the advancing zombie horde spilling in from China.
- Seriously, go buy the Unabbridged version of the World War Z audiobook. It’s a trillion times better than that piece of shit movie was.
A large fighter aircraft known as the "Phantom II." Although its design is outdated, its massive payload and superior range make it effective in both air-to-air and air-to-ground combat.
AMMO
Missiles: 62
SAAM: 6
UGBL: 8
NPB: 10
F-14D Super Tomcat
Manufacturer: Grumman Aerospace Corporation
Role: Interceptor / Air-Superiority / Multi-role
Manufactured: 1968-1991
Status: In Service
Primary Operators: United States, Iran
Quick Facts:
- An early or mid-game unlock, depending on the game.
- More prevalent in the earlier Ace Combats than the later ones.
- A twin-engine, two-seater, variable-sweep wing aircraft.
- The F-14’s wings are capable of sweeping backwards and forwards along its horizontal axis between 20° and 68° while in flight.
- Its wings sweep back automatically while at higher speed for increased maneuverability, and sweep outward at lower speed to give the Tomcat more surface area to keep itself aloft at such speeds.
- Was designed to replace the F-4E Phantom II, as seen above.
- Was retired by the US Navy in 2006.
- The F-14 was ultimately replaced with the F/A-18C Hornet.
- Primarily a carrier based aircraft, its sweeping wings allowed for it to be stored in the compact hanger section of most US aircraft carriers.
- Ground based versions were also manufactured and are primarily used by the Iranian Air Force.
- The F-14 was the centerpiece of the movie Top Gun starring Tom Cruise. The movie’s producers paid the US Navy $886,000 for 117 hours’ worth of flying time inside various F-14s in order to record all the plane-based footage they needed for the film.
- The protagonists of Ace Combat 5, canonically, fly a four plane flight of F-14Ds, but we’ll get to that in due time…
This carrier-based F-14 features upgrades in radar and weapon control systems. Aptly called the "Super Tomcat," the F-14D can handle multiple enemies at once.
AMMO
Missiles: 72
XLAA: 14
GPB: 10
NPB: 14
069
Dominic Zubov
"Schwarze 1"
38, Male, Yuktobania
05.28.95 Operation Battle-Axe - Shot Down
MiG-31 Foxhound
Difficulty: Any
Ace Style: Mercenary
Assigned to the 13th Night Fighter Division 6th Tactical Fighter Squadron, and feared even by allied forces throughout the war as "The Escapee Killer". After the war, he fled in order to escape prosecution as a war criminal. There are reports that he is now living in Osea but the truth remains uncertain.
070
Sergei Karkov
"Schwarze 2"
37, Male, Yuktobania
05.28.95 Operation Battle-Axe - Killed In Action
MiG-31 Foxhound
Difficulty: Any
Ace Style: Mercenary
Assigned to the 13th Night Fighter Air Division 6th Tactical Fighter Squadron. The Night Fighter Air Division was in fact a squad designed to assassinate deserters. Little to no information is known about this squadron, however, inquiry into its nature continues.
071
Harald Brehme
"Schwarze 3"
37, Male, Belka
05.28.95 Operation Battle-Axe - Killed In Action
MiG-31 Foxhound
Difficulty: Any
Ace Style: Mercenary
A member of the 13th Night Fighter Air Division 6th Tactical Fighter Squadron. He was shot in battle, but his death has yet to be verified. Rumor exists that he fled the country after the war, but due to the extensive damage to official records, confirmation of his whereabouts remain unlikely.
072
Sepp Bonhof
"Schwarze 4"
35, Male, Belka
05.28.95 Operation Battle-Axe - Killed In Action
MiG-31 Foxhound
Difficulty: Any
Ace Style: Mercenary
Assigned to the 13th Night Fighter Air Division 6th Tactical Fighter Squadron, all personal information regarding this pilot has been erased. The Night Fighter Air Division appears to have had other duties besides eliminating deserters, however, details remain scarce.
073
Helger Collins
"Schwarze 5"
34, Male, Belka
05.28.95 Operation Battle-Axe - Shot Down
MiG-31 Foxhound
Difficulty: Any
Ace Style: Mercenary
A member of the 13th Night Fighter Air Division 6th Tactical Fighter Squadron. He is currently a member of top level management at Omnikron Electro. Some say that Collins secretly changed his identity after the war and that he is actually Friedrich Gehlen. Due to lack of evidence, confirmation of this is unattainable.
074
Rafael Battenberg
"Schwarze 6"
32, Male, Belka
05.28.95 Operation Battle-Axe - Killed In Action
MiG-31 Foxhound
Difficulty: Any
Ace Style: Mercenary
He was a member of the 13th Night Fighter Air Division 6th Tactical Fighter Squadron. Inquiry into the squadron continues. All Night Fighter Air Division records were destroyed when Belka's defeat became apparent.
075
Alexander Roshardt
"Schwarze 7"
29, Male, Belka
05.28.95 Operation Battle-Axe - Killed In Action
MiG-31 Foxhound
Difficulty: Any
Ace Style: Mercenary
All information regarding this pilot, except for the fact that he was assigned to the 13th Night Fighter Air Division 6th Tactical Fighter Squadron, has been erased. His name, age and personal registry, records upon enrollment into the squadron remains in question. Investigation into this matter, as well as that of the squadron, continues.
076
Maximillian Werner
"Schwarze 8"
26, Male, Belka
05.28.95 Operation Battle-Axe - Killed In Action
MiG-31 Foxhound
Difficulty: Any
Ace Style: Mercenary
Assigned to the 13th Night Fighter Air Division 6th Tactical Fighter Squadron, his death has yet to be verified. Due to the destruction of all Belkan public records, confirmation of his true existence remains unattainable. If still alive, he poses a very dangerous risk.
077
Wolfgang Buchner
"Huckebein"
41, Male, Belka
05.28.95 Operation Battle-Axe - Missing In Action
MiG-21bis Fishbed* Special Colour Unlocked
Difficulty: Any
Ace Style: Mercenary
The oldest son of a Belkan aristocratic family, he took the name of Buchner. Due to some type of violation of orders, he was attacked by Schwarze Squadron. While he was escaping, he encountered Galm Flight and was shot down. Only the scarred remains of his fighter were found. His whereabouts remain unknown.
078
Anne Zweig
"Nachtigall"
28, Female, Belka
05.28.95 Operation Battle-Axe - Missing In Action
Su-47 Berkut
Difficulty: Any
Ace Style: Mercenary
No information on Zweig can be found in Belkan military records. Since there is no indication that documents were purged, it is suspected that is due to special circumstances. Further investigation has yielded no results.
079
Bastian Schneider
"GrauWespe 1"
39, Male, Belka
05.28.95 Operation Battle-Axe - Shot Down
MiG-29A Fulcrum
Difficulty: Any
Ace Style: Mercenary
Commander of the 13th Tactical Fighter Squadron which was considered the most active in the 3rd Air Division. It is also said that this squadron was heavily influenced by the Rald Party. In the past, he was reputed to be a Top Ace decorated with 7 Lion's Medals of Honor.
080
Eduard Seitz
"GrauWespe 2"
33, Male, Belka
05.28.95 Operation Battle-Axe - Shot Down
MiG-29A Fulcrum
Difficulty: Any
Ace Style: Mercenary
Flew in 2nd position of the GrauWespe Squadron. Joined the squadron at inception in 1992. On the western front lines, the GrauWespe Squadron shot down many Osean defensive aircraft. Eduard Seltz himself shot down a record 21 planes.
081
Leopold Klein
"GrauWespe 3"
32, Male, Belka
05.28.95 Operation Battle-Axe - Killed In Action
MiG-29A Fulcrum
Difficulty: Any
Ace Style: Mercenary
Flew in 3rd position of the GrauWespe Squadron. Neither his plane nor body were ever recovered. In the B7R battle alone, there were over 100 planes shot down. Due to the geography of the terrain, most of these craft have not been recovered.
082
Steffen Ziege
"GrauWespe 4"
29, Male, Belka
05.28.95 Operation Battle-Axe - Killed In Action
MiG-29A Fulcrum
Difficulty: Any
Ace Style: Mercenary
Flew in 4th position of the GrauWespe Squadron. The GrauWespe Tactics still implemented by the Belkan Air Force today, and involves the lead plane diverting the enemy, while the aft Twige plane is used to assault.
083
Ashley Bernitz
"Grabacr"
30, Male, Belka
05.28.95 Operation Battle-Axe - Shot Down
Su-47 Berkut
Difficulty: Ace
Ace Style: Mercenary
Commander of the 6th Air Division 4th Tactical Fighter Squadron. He separated from his formation in the B7R battle with personal intentions, but was shot down when he encountered the Galm Flight. Subsequently, he joined the Osean Air Force.
084
Erich Hillenberand
"Schnee 1"
40, Male, Belka
05.28.95 Operation Battle-Axe - Shot Down
F-14D Super Tomcat
Difficulty: Any
Ace Style: Soldier
He lived his life as a regular pilot. He never had any great ambitions, nor was he interested in promotions or awards, earning him his title of 'Eternal 2nd Lieutenant', despite his skill and experience. After the war, he retired from the Belkan Air Force and now works as a pilot instructor in Jackson Hill Airport, North Osea.
085
Rudi Koch
"Schnee 2"
38, Male, Belka
05.28.95 Operation Battle-Axe - Killed In Action
F-14D Super Tomcat
Difficulty: Any
Ace Style: Soldier
Assigned to the 22nd Air Division 4th Tactical Fighter Squadron, he was shot down and killed in action. The fighter and pilot remains have been retrieved from Area B7R. Due to the ignition of fuel and subsequent explosion upon impact, only a percentage of the fighter could be recovered.
086
Roald Fliescher
"Schnee 3"
33, Male, Belka
05.28.95 Operation Battle-Axe - Shot Down
F-14D Super Tomcat
Difficulty: Any
Ace Style: Soldier
While in pursuit of an Allied Bomber above Lake Borden, he was suddenly attacked by a fighter of unknown origin. Despite having successfully avoided the attack, he was forced to make an emergency landing where his damaged fighter was engulfed in flames. The war ended before he had a chance for another sortie.
087
Karlheinz Fassbinder
"Schnee 4"
31, Male, Belka
05.28.95 Operation Battle-Axe - Killed In Action
F-14D Super Tomcat
Difficulty: Any
Ace Style: Soldier
After the disbanding of the Schnee Squadron, he gathered up the remnants of various squadrons to form his own. Known as the 901st Tactical Fighter Squadron, they remained active up until the very end of the war. Just before the war’s conclusion, however he was shot down and killed in action.
088
Hartwig Bremer
"Schnee 5"
30, Male, Belka
05.28.95 Operation Battle-Axe - Shot Down
EA-6B Prowler
Difficulty: Any
Ace Style: Soldier
Excelling at developing systems to disrupt the enemy’s radar system via Soft Kill tactics, he was offered a position at the Osean Ministry of Technology following the war’s conclusion. He continues to work at the ministry around the clock to develop even more sophisticated counter radar measures.
089
Selig Stahl
"Bergvogel"
30, Male, Belka
05.28.95 Operation Battle-Axe - Killed In Action
F/A-22A Raptor
Difficulty: Any
Ace Style: Soldier
During the war, he was responsible for recommending and testing a specialized network communication system. Because of the early cease-fire, it was never actually implemented, but was distributed by the victor. Today, each country is developing this technology.
090
Hanno Enke
"GrauKater"
32, Male, Belka
05.28.95 Operation Battle-Axe - Killed In Action
Su-27 Flanker
Difficulty: Any
Ace Style: Soldier
Commander of the GrauKater Squadron. He served in the southern defensive frontlines and holds an assault record that is second to the Gelb Team. This record, although not on the same level as the elite 3rd Air Division, is still quite impressive.
091
Vivian Lars
"GrauKatze"
28, Female, Belka
05.28.95 Operation Battle-Axe - Killed In Action
Su-27 Flanker
Difficulty: Any
Ace Style: Soldier
She was a member of the GrauKater Squadron but was transferred to Hanno Enke's squadron after being recommended. On the southern front lines of the Hareburg occupancy, her military records surpass that of her commander. She died over B7R when her plane was shot down.
092
Michael Heimeroth
"Ofnir"
28, Male, Belka
05.28.95 Operation Battle-Axe - Shot Down
F-15S/MTD
Difficulty: Ace
Ace Style: Soldier
Served in the 6th Air Division 5th Tactical Fighter Squadron of the Belkan Air Force during the Belkan War. A graduate of the Kellerman Institution, even as a rookie he managed to shoot down 25 Allied planes. After the war he joined the Yuktobanian Air Force.
093
Dietrich Kellerman
"Silber 1"
45, Male, Belka
05.28.95 Operation Battle-Axe - Shot Down
F-4E Phantom II
Difficulty: Any
Ace Style: Knight
Joining the Belkan Air Force in the 70's, he made a name for himself as the Silver Eagle. He retired from service in the 90's, but at the outbreak of the Belkan War once again returned to service. On May 28th, 1995 he was shot down and again retired from service, he is now quietly living out his days in the remote countryside.
094
Rupert Appling
"Silber 2"
28, Male, Belka
05.28.95 Operation Battle-Axe - Shot Down
F-16C Fighting Falcon
Difficulty: Any
Ace Style: Knight
Shot down in B7R. He miraculously survived, but because he was forced to land within Ustio territory, he was captured and made a prisoner of war. He sat out the rest of the rest of the war in the Dessel Island Detention Center. After the war, he was freed and returned to Belka, where he now lives his life of an ordinary citizen.
095
Stefan Enders
"Silber 3"
27, Male, Belka
05.28.95 Operation Battle-Axe - Killed In Action
F-16C Fighting Falcon
Difficulty: Any
Ace Style: Knight
Shot down in B7R. His aircraft slammed into the surrounding mountains exploding in flames, and received extensive damage. It was only after much effort that the aircraft's serial number could be retrieved and the pilot identified. The pilot's remain were sent to surviving family in his home country.
096
Sven Brutlag
"Silber 4"
27, Male, Belka
05.28.95 Operation Battle-Axe - Missing In Action
F-16C Fighting Falcon
Difficulty: Any
Ace Style: Knight
He is listed as missing in action during an operation in B7R. He reported attack conditions in his last transmission, but further detailed analysis was not possible due to heavy noise. No searches were conducted.
097
Sebastian Hackenberg
"Silber 5"
25, Male, Belka
05.28.95 Operation Battle-Axe - Killed In Action
F-16C Fighting Falcon
Difficulty: Any
Ace Style: Knight
He was a natural pilot who graduated the military Academy with top honors and sortied over one hundred times during the Belkan War. In accordance with his last will and testament, his inheritance was left to the War Orphans Fund.
098
Florian Herzog
"GrauOrca 1"
32, Male, Belka
05.28.95 Operation Battle-Axe - Shot Down
Rafale M
Difficulty: Any
Ace Style: Knight
Transferred from the Navy to the 3th Air Division 19th Tactical Fighter Squadron in 1992. After being shot down by the Galm Flight, he became a political activist for the Rald Party, but in 1996, he disappeared when Waldemarr Rald was brought down.
099
Heinrad Grimm
"GrauOrca 2"
29, Male, Belka
05.28.95 Operation Battle-Axe - Killed In Action
Rafale M
Difficulty: Any
Ace Style: Knight
A member of the Belkan Navy, he flew in the second position of the GrauOrca Squadron. While serving in the Navy, he maintained naval air supremacy alongside Commander Herzog. He died in the B7R battle when his plane was shot down by Galm Flight.
100
Jan Voller
"Bergtaube"
29, Male, Belka
05.28.95 Operation Battle-Axe - Shot Down
Mirage 2000D
Difficulty: Any
Ace Style: Knight
Before the war, he was in the Belkan Navy, but as the war progressed, he transferred to the Air Force. He was shot down in B7R and became a POW of the Allied Forces. In 1996, he escaped from Arcam Prison for the first time, and is recorded to have escaped four additional times.
101
Erich Klinsmann
"Reiher"
25, Male, Belka
05.28.95 Operation Battle-Axe - Shot Down
Su-37 Terminator
Difficulty: Ace
Ace Style: Knight
Detailed information about this pilot is unavailable.
Tracks featured in Mission 10: Operation Battle-Axe.
DISC 1
DISC 2