Gelb Team

Gelb Team

Part Of

Belkan Air Force

Designation

5th Air Division
23rd Tactical Fighter Squadron

Leader(s)

Orbert Jager †

Members

Rainer Altman

Equipment

Su-37 Terminator

Deployment

Belkan War

Gelb Team, officially the 23rd Tactical Fighter Squadron and famously nicknamed the Coupled Cormorants, was a Belkan Air Force fighter squadron that saw deployment on the southern front of the Belkan War. The team was led by Major Orbert Jager and was comprised of two Su-37 Terminators.

History

At the onset of the Belkan War in March of 1995, Gelb Team was deployed to the war's southern front, where—unlike the eastern front—the situation was highly fluid, and was in practice a large-scale stalemate between Belka and the Allied Forces. The pair were commonly assigned to interception missions along the Hydrian Line, the Belkan Army's southern defense line. Due to their flawless and synchronized flying style, the two pilots became known as the "Coupled Cormorants."

However, when the Allied Forces finally went on the offensive and broke the deadlock on the southern front, the Hydrian Line was stretched thin. Gelb was at times forced to sortie five times a day in order to maintain the front; due to the suddenness of the Allied attack, they were left with little logistics support and rarely received even the most basic maintenance for their aircraft.

Despite being overworked, the "Coupled Cormorants" maintained the battle line until May 13, when they were deployed to the Ustio capital of Directus. They arrived too late to prevent the city from being retaken by the Allied Forces, and instead engaged Galm Team over the liberated city. During the ensuing dogfight, Jager was killed in action, but Altman ejected safely. The latter went on to settle in Directus.

Gallery

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  A Gelb SU-37 firing a rear-mounted missile
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  The Su-37 -Gelb- skin in Ace Combat 7: Skies Unknown
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  The Su-37 -Gelb- skin with full marking in Ace Combat 7: Skies Unknown

Trivia

• Gelb Team shares many characteristics with Yellow Squadron, the antagonistic rival squadron from Ace Combat 04: Shattered Skies.
  • Both squadrons fly Su-37 Terminators.
  • Both squadrons utilize a livery consisting of camouflage with yellow wingtip stripes.
  • Gelb is the German word for yellow.
• The squadron's ability to fire missiles backwards is also shared by Mobius 1 in his guest appearance in The Gauntlet.
• Gelb Team shares its designation with Estovakian Air Force squadron Rousalka Team.