Ace Combat:Joint Assault Prologue
Hello, I'm AurelianAce, and this is Joint Assault, my third fanfic. This chapter is not part of the story itself, but rather a guide for the fic itself, which will feature some differences from the game:
-First, this fic will feature only two pilots in the Antares squadron instead of four. Their names will be Marlene Davenport(in honor to Alvin "Chopper" Davenport, from AC5) and Hansel Foulke(same for Larry "Solo-Wing Pixy" Foulke, from ACZ)
-Second; as in Skies of Deception, the fighters will feature the following payload: missiles(52 for all planes, except for VTOL aircraft), guns(600 rounds for each plane), and two special weapons.
-Third, the fic will be set in the Infinity universe, prior to the events of Ace Combat Infinity(more precisely, the events of the fic will begin on 2015). I'll try to make as many references to the game as possible, but, since I didn't play the game itself very much, I might (or more likely will) make some mistakes, so don't be afraid to highlight them in your reviews or in private messages.
-Fourth, the fic will feature the following aircraft, with their roles between brackets, their special weapons(obviously not counting the standard missiles and guns as special weapons) between square brackets, and a brief description of each aircraft:
*F-4E Phantom II (Multirole) [SP:8 SAAM & 8 UGB]
-A multirole fighter with superior range and high speed. Despite its outdated design, it is still in service with various nations and PMCs.
*F-15C Eagle (Fighter) [SP:8 XMAA & 6 SAAM]
-An air superiority fighter with a superb balance in maneuverability, stability, speed, payload and survivability.
*F-15E Strike Eagle (Multirole) [SP:6 SAAM & 8 GPB]
-A twin-seat multirole variant of the F-15 Eagle, it posseses superior ground attack capabilities while retaining the Eagle's trademark air-to-air combat abilities.
*F-15SE Silent Eagle (Multirole) [SP:6 QAAM & 8 GPB]
-A next-generation variant of the F-15E Strike Eagle, it adds advanced avionics and stealth properties to the Strike Eagle's design.
*F-15S/MTD Eagle (Fighter) [SP:8 XLAA & 6 SAAM]
-A research version of the F-15 Eagle, it is fitted with thrust vectoring engines and computer controlled canards, which give this fighter a very high degree of maneuverability.
*F/A-18F Super Hornet (Multirole) [SP:8 XMAA & 6 LASM]
-A twin-seat version of the Super Hornet, it boasts high maneuverability, stability and payload for a carrier-based aircraft.
*F-14D Super Tomcat (Fighter) [SP:4 SAAM & 8 XLAA]
-Featuring better maneuverability and stability than earlier F-14 variants, it can handle multiple targets at once at very long range.
*A-10A Thunderbolt II (Attacker) [SP:8 XAGM & 4 FAEB]
-A close air support aircraft fitted with a heavy 7-barrelled rotary gun, lethal air-to-ground weapons and extremely tough armor.
*YF-23A Black Widow II (Multirole) [SP:6 SAAM & 6 SOD]
-An experimental fifth-generation aircraft, it boasts high speed and cutting-edge stealth capabilities.
*F-16A Block 10 Fighting Falcon (Fighter) [SP:8 QAAM & 4 SAAM]
-A small, light machine developed for close-quarters dogfights. It also has limited ground attack capabilities.
*F-16F Fighting Falcon (Multirole) [SP:8 QAAM & 8 GPB]
-A development of the F-16 Fighting Falcon featuring advanced avionics and conformal fuel tanks.
*F-22A Raptor (Multirole) [SP:8 XMAA & 6 GPB]
-A fifth-generation aircraft featuring thrust vectoring engines, stealth capabilities and advanced avionics.
*F-35A Lightning II (Multirole) [SP:8 QAAM & 6 GPB]
-A light stealth aircraft developed to replace the Fighting Falcon series, it features multirole combat capabilities and, unlike the other two versions of the Lightning II, an internal gun.
*Tornado F.3 (Fighter) [SP:8 XMAA & 4 QAAM]
-An interceptor version of the Tornado family, fitted with an advanced radar that allows it to engage multiple airborne targets.
*Tornado IDS (Attacker) [SP:6 SOD & 8 GPB]
-A supersonic strike fighter with variable geometry wing. As its name suggests, it is an aircraft designed for interdiction and strike.
*Eurofighter Typhoon (Multirole) [SP:8 XLAA & 6 GPB]
-A multirole aircraft featuring computer-controlled canards and exceptional agility at both supersonic and subsonic speed.
*Mirage 2000C (Fighter) [SP:6 QAAM & 6 SAAM]
-A fighter fitted with a delta-wing design. Its computer-assisted control surfaces compensate the delta-wing disadvantages, providing great acceleration and response.
*Mirage 2000D (Attacker) [SP:8 UGB & 6 LASM]
-A twin-seat strike version of the Mirage 2000, it shares the speed and maneuverability of the single-seat version. It is provided with a highly advanced terrain-following radar.
*Rafale M (Multirole) [SP:8 XLAA & 6 LASM]
-A multirole carrier-based fighter characterized by its twin-engine delta design and canards.
*JAS-39 Gripen NG (Multirole) [SP:8 XLAA & 4 SOD]
-An enhanced version of the JAS-39C Gripen, featuring a new engine, slight stealth capabilities, increased payload capacity and upgraded avionics.
*MiG-21-93 Fishbed (Multirole) [SP:6 QAAM & 6 SFFS]
-A development of the original MiG-21 Fishbed, it features an enhanced engine, upgraded avionics and higher stability while maintaining an affordable purchase price.
*MiG-29A Fulcrum-A (Fighter) [SP:6 SAAM & 6 QAAM]
-An air superiority fighter created to counter the Western fighters developed during the Cold War, it is virtually invincible in one-on-one dogfights.
*MiG-29K Fulcrum-D (Multirole) [SP:8 XMAA & 6 LASM]
-A carrier-based variant of the MiG-29M Fulcrum-E, it features advanced avionics, engines and weapons.
*MiG-31B Foxhound (Fighter) [SP:8 XLAA & 6 SAAM]
-An upgrade of the MiG-31 Foxhound, it combines the original model's low-altitude supersonic speed and interception capabilities with avionics upgrades and an air refueling system.
*MiG 1.44 Flatpack (Multirole) [SP:8 QAAM & 6 LAGM]
-An experimental multirole fighter featuring large canards and thrust vectoring engines which provide it with superior maneuverability and speed.
*Su-25SM Frogfoot (Attacker) [SP:6 UGB & 6 LAGM]
-An upgrade of the Su-25 Frogfoot, it features vast improvements in combat effectiveness and survivability over its predecessor.
*Su-33 Flanker-D (Fighter) [SP:4 QAAM & 8 XMAA]
-A carrier-based version of the Su-27 Flanker, it features high turning performance despite being slower than other aircraft of the same generation.
*Su-30MKI Flanker-H (Multirole) [SP:8 XLAA & 8 LASM]
-A twin-seat all-weather fighter developed from the original Su-30, it combines thrust vectoring engines and canards with advanced avionics.
*Su-34 Fullback (Multirole) [SP:8 XMAA & 8 LAGM]
-A strike variant of the Su-27 Flanker featuring side-by-side seats, a small kitchen and a toilet behind the cockpit, this aircraft is intended to replace the prior generation of tactical bombers.
*Su-35S Flanker-E (Multirole) [SP:8 XLAA & 4 FAEB]
-The lastest variant of the Flanker family, featuring advanced avionics and independent thrust vectoring engines, it is capable of attacking any target at long and short range.
*Su-37 Terminator (Fighter) [SP:6 QAAM & 8 XMAA]
-A multipurpose fighter developed to increase the Su-27 combat capabilities, it is equipped with 2-dimensional thrust vectoring nozzles that provide superb maneuverability.
*Su-47 Berkut (Multirole) [SP:6 QAAM & 6 UGB]
-An ultra-maneuverable fighter fitted with canards and forward-swept wings that allow any pilot skilled enough to master this aircraft's aerodynamics to obtain the edge in air-to-air combat.
*T-50 PAK FA (Multirole) [SP:8 QAAM & 8 LAGM]
-A fifth-generation fighter which combines a stealthy design, multirole capabilities and high performance.
*F-2A Viper Zero (Multirole) [SP:8 XMAA & 6 LASM]
-Despite its design is optimized for air-to-ground and anti-ship combat, it is a very effective multirole fighter.
-The F-15S/MTD and the Mirage 2000D will have a centerline gun pod, since in real life neither of them features an internal gun.
-Any fighter plane featured in the game's campaign that doesn't appear on this list will be replaced by any of these planes. Since no superfighters/original fighters are featured in the campaign besides the GAF-1 Varcolac, I won't feature them in my fic either. Sorry in advance.
-The VTOL fighters featured in this fanfic will be the Yak-141 Freestyle(armed with an internal gun, 6 QAAMs and 4 LASMs) and the F-35B Lightning II(armed with a centerline gun pod, 6 QAAMs and 8 XAGMs).
-The bombers featured in this fanfic will be B-2 Spirits, armed with 16 Modified Guided Penetration Bombs.
-The featured helicopters(attack and transport helicopters, respectively) will be the following ones:
*Valahia: Ka-52 Hokum and Mi-38
*IUPF:AH-64D Apache Longbow and UH-60 Blackhawk
*Martinez Security: Eurocopter EC 665 Tiger and Eurocopter EC 725 Super Cougar
-All the attack helicopters will have 5 RKTL and 8 XAGMs as special weapons, along with 16 missiles and 400 rounds of gun ammo.
-The GAF-1 Varcolac will obviously not be replaced, and for now, its weaponry will be a secret.
-Olivieri's plane will be a Boeing 747-400 instead of a 747-200, since a 747-400 requires a cockpit crew of a pilot and a co-pilot, while the 747-200 requires a pilot, a co-pilot and a flight engineer.
-All UAVs will be X-45 UCAVs, which will be unarmed.
-The main characters will be the following:
*Marlene Davenport(24)(Nationality: USA): A new member of Martinez Security, M42 squadron. Her callsign is Antares 2. Having enlisted the USN as a fighter pilot, she was forced to resign after a terrible event, without finding any clues about her father's misterious death in a mission over the Middle East.
*Hansel Foulke(27)(Nationality: Germany): Also known as Antares 1. He is known for being, along with Sulejmani, one of the best pilots of Martinez Security; however, he is also known for the fact that his wingmen never survive for long, his last wingman having died during their first combat sortie together. His overwhelmingly tragic past makes him harsh, rude and unforgiving.
*Milosz Sulejmani(37)(Nationality: Serbia): Also known as Rigel 1. He is a taciturn and grim, yet exceptionally skilled pilot who cares only for money, which he earns in exchange of enemy lives, something he learned during his years as a mercenary.
*Daniel Oruma(33)(Nationality: Japan): Also known as Rigel 2. He is an ace in air-to-ground combat, being second only to Sulejmani and Foulke in skill. He is a good friend of Gaviria, since they always choose to engage their enemies together.
*Faryd Gaviria(32)(Nationality: Colombia): Also known as Rigel 3. A Colombian pilot of Syrian descent, he specializes in interception missions, especially in intercepting enemy bombers from long range. Nicknamed "El Macho"(The Male), he is very friendly to Oruma.
*Tolya Kiriakov(27)(Nationality: Russia): Also known as Rigel 4. The youngest pilot of the Rigel squadron, he excels in close range dogfighting. He has a very tense rivalry with Foulke.
*Frederick Burford(51)(Nationality: USA): Commander of Martinez Security, M42 squadron, and the AWACS operator(callsign Canopus). He hired Davenport without any misgivings, since he was aware of her situation.
*Nicolae Dumitrescu(47)(Nationality: Romania): The leader of Valahia, a terrorist organization comprised of members from Eastern European nations, he intends to conquer the world using highly advanced weaponry.
*Andre Olivieri(63)(Nationality: Italy): CEO of Olivieri Life Insurance, he is one of the International Union Peacekeeping Force's major backers.
-Last but not least, I will include a "small" weapon guide in this prologue, which will include whether the weapons are air-to-air or air-to-ground weapons, whether they are guided or not, and, if they are, their range, the amount of munition launched per salvo(in other words, the max amount of times a weapon can be fired before having to "reload"), the damage, and some special properties. The damage section uses the standard missile as a reference:
-Standard Missile:
*A standard missile with balanced performance.
*Air-to-ground: Yes
*Air-to-air: Yes
*Homing Weapon: Yes
*Two missiles per salvo
*Damage: 1
*Range: 1600 meters(1 mile)
*Special properties: Locks on both airborne and ground-based targets
-Unguided Bomb(UGB):
*A standard free-fall bomb. It causes damage to ground targets close to the impact area.
*Air-to-ground: Yes
*Air-to-air: No
*Homing Weapon: No
*Two bombs per salvo
*Damage: 2
*Special properties: Moderate damage area, unguided
-Fuel-Air Explosive Bomb(FAEB):
*An unguided bomb that ignites a cloud of highly explosive fuel over the impact point, causing heavy damage to an extremely wide area.
*Air-to-ground: Yes
*Air-to-air: No
*Homing Weapon: No
*Two bombs per salvo
*Damage: 4
*Special properties: Wide damage area, unguided
-Rocket Launcher(RKTL)(Exclusive to helicopters in my fics):
*A twin pod that fires a barrage of unguided rockets over the target area, causing moderate damage.
*Air-to-ground: Yes
*Air-to-air: No
*Homing Weapon: No
*Five rockets per pod, two pods per helicopter
*Damage: 3(all rockets combined)
*Special properties: Effective against lightly armored targets
-Long range Air to Ground Missile(LAGM):
*An air-to-ground missile with a long range and wide damage radius. Especially effective in SEAD and anti-tank attacks.
*Air-to-ground: Yes
*Air-to-air: No
*Homing Weapon: Yes
*Two missiles per salvo
*Damage: 3
*Range: 4500 meters(roughly over 2.5 miles)
*Special properties: Wide damage area, long range
-Long range Air to Surface Missile(LASM):
*An air-to-ship missile with a very long range and high power. Especially effective against ships.
*Air-to-ground: Yes
*Air-to-air: No
*Homing Weapon: Yes
*Two missiles per salvo
*Damage: 4
*Range: 5000 meters(roughly 3 miles)
*Special properties: High power, very long range, low-level flight
-Stand-Off Dispenser(SOD):
*This gliding missile disperses numerous bomblets while flying over a locked-on target. Effective against tightly grouped targets, but not recommended in areas where civilian casualties or friendly fire might be an issue.
*Air-to-ground: Yes
*Air-to-air: No
*Homing Weapon: Yes
*Two dispensers per salvo
*Damage: 4(all bomblets combined)
*Range: 4000 meters(roughly below 2.5 miles)
*Special properties: High power, cluster submunitions, low-level flight
-Guided Penetration Bomb(GPB):
*This bomb glides towards a locked-on target once dropped from the aircraft. Despite its small damage radius, it inflicts heavy damage to the target.
*Air-to-ground: Yes
*Air-to-air: No
*Homing Weapon: Yes
*Two bombs per salvo
*Damage: 3
*Range: 2000 meters(roughly 1.5 miles)
*Special properties: High power, armor piercing
-Advanced Air-to-Ground Missile(XAGM):
*Multiple air-to-ground missiles. A max of four XAGMs can be fired on to different ground-based targets at once.
*Air-to-ground: Yes
*Air-to-air: No
*Homing Weapon: Yes
*Four missiles per salvo
*Damage: 2
*Range: 2000 meters(roughly 1.5 miles)
*Special properties: Multi-lock, armor piercing
-Self-Forging Fragment Submunitions(SFFS):
*A cluster bomb that spreads shrapnel over the target area. Capable of causing damage over a wide area. Like the SOD, it is not recommended to be used over areas occupied by civilians and/or allies.
*Air-to-ground: Yes
*Air-to-air: No
*Homing Weapon: No
*Two bombs per salvo
*Damage: 3
*Special properties: High power, cluster submunitions, unguided
-Modified Guided Penetration Bomb(MGPB):
*A modified version of the Guided Penetration Bomb, it is suited for tactical bombing due to its power and capacity.
*Air-to-ground: Yes
*Air-to-air: No
*Homing Weapon: Yes
*Four bombs per salvo
*Damage: 4
*Range: 3000 meters(roughly 1.8 miles)
*Special properties: High power, armor piercing
-Quick maneuver Air-to-Air Missile(QAAM):
*An enhanced air-to-air missile with a high-tech heat-seeking warhead that allows it to track its target for longer. Very effective in close range dogfights.
*Air-to-ground: No
*Air-to-air: Yes
*Homing Weapon: Yes
*Two missiles per salvo
*Damage: 2
*Range: 1500 meters(0.9 miles)
*Special properties: Advanced guidance
-Advanced Medium range Air-to-Air Missile(XMAA):
*Multiple air-to-air missiles which can lock on to a max of four targets at medium range. Very effective against fighters, but its lack of firepower makes this missile just moderately effective against bombers.
*Air-to-ground: No
*Air-to-air: Yes
*Homing Weapon: Yes
*Four missiles per salvo
*Damage: 2
*Range: 4000 meters(roughly below 2.5 miles)
*Special properties: Multi-lock, long range
-Semi Active Air-to-air Missile(SAAM):
*A radar guided air-to-air missile. Although it is very maneuverable and has long range, the target must be kept inside the targeting reticle until the missile reaches its target, which can put the firing aircraft in danger.
*Air-to-ground: No
*Air-to-air: Yes
*Homing Weapon: Yes
*Two missiles per salvo
*Damage: 2
*Range: 4500 meters(roughly over 2.5 miles)
*Special properties: Long range, advanced guidance, radar homing
-Advanced Long range Air-to-Air Missile(XLAA):
*Multiple air-to-air missiles that can lock on to a max of four targets at long range. Very effective intercepting bombers, but its lack of maneuverability hinders its effectiveness againts top-tier fighters.
*Air-to-ground: Yes
*Air-to-air: No
*Homing Weapon: Yes
*Four missiles per salvo
*Damage: 3
*Range: 5000 meters(roughly 3 miles)
*Special properties: Multi-lock, very long range, high power
Well, this is the prologue of Joint Assault. Please, review this fanfic and the other ones I already have, and fave them if you like them. Remember, all constructive criticism is welcome, but please do not flame. Also, I'd like to thank Andrei Rian, Neos The Final Builder, Wing Zero 032, The Imaginer Idoit, Epic Zealot Productions 2.0, FatMIRVman, LooneyAces, coolmccool5, lixiaofossil and androtrota for their support (whether it was via comments, faves or follows) during my previous fanfics. Thanks to you, I feel that writing my fics is worth the effort. As a final note, I want you readers to keep in mind that there will be more surprises in the fanfic, but for now, I won't spoil them. Good luck and take care. See you next time