Gleipnir

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"All of those ships, destroyed in an instant... Such destructive power. I can't believe they've made such a terrifying weapon..."
― Eugene Solano

The Gleipnir (グレイプニル Gureipuniru) was an advanced aerial warship that was created under the direction of the Democratic Republic of Leasath's dictator, Diego Gaspar Navarro. It was deployed during the Aurelian War, during which it became highly feared among Aurelian troops due to its powerful Shock Wave Ballistic Missiles and revolutionary optical camouflage technology. It was eventually shot down over Santa Elva by Gryphus 1.[2][3]

History

Creation

The Gleipnir was conceived under the direction of Diego Gaspar Navarro. It was developed by the Leasath Air Force New Weapon Laboratory[1] in conjunction with the super-aircraft Fenrir, being designed with the secondary purpose of obtaining battle data to refine the Fenrir's advanced weaponry.[4] The Gleipnir was one of two giant aircraft created by Leasath, the other being the Gandr.[5] A week prior to the planned invasion of neighboring Aurelia, Navarro personally designated Captain Frank Burlington as the commander of the ship.[2]

Aurelian War

Leasath deployed the Gleipnir in Aurelia shortly after the start of the war,[6] whereupon it acted as the linchpin of Navarro's invasion. Its firepower proved to be so overwhelming, it was enough to conquer most of Aurelia within a mere ten days. The psychological threat of its Shock Wave Ballistic Missiles proved capable of making the Aurelian capital of Griswall surrender without a fight.[7] The frigid Terminus Island eventually became the Gleipnir's main forward operating base, largely due to the rich Aurelian oil fields present in the area.

Ten days after the invasion began, the Gleipnir launched an SWBM at Gryphus Squadron in the immediate aftermath of a failed Leasath bombing attack on Aubrey Air Force Base.[8] The attack killed most of the unit's members, wiping out almost all remaining Aurelian air power; the missile's detonation was witnessed by civilian crowds around Cape Aubrey.[9] However, despite their disadvantage, Aurelian troops managed to capture Puna Base[10] and Port Patterson,[11] beginning a new offensive against the Leasath invasion force. During this time, the Gleipnir relocated from Puna Base to Terminus Island, where it began providing support for Leasath ground units that were hunting the survivors of the Aurelian Davis Unit near Stand Canyon.[12]

Destruction

As the Aurelian counteroffensive continued, the Davis Unit was rescued from their Leasath pursuers.[12] Following this, the Gleipnir once more relocated, this time from Terminus Island to Santa Elva, a city that served as a vital transportation hub. Due to the Aurelians' lack of knowledge regarding the existence of the Shock Cannon, it was decided to assault Santa Elva with ground troops. The results were disastrous; an Aurelian reconnaissance unit was annihilated by the Gleipnir with little warning, and the airborne fortress proceeded to attack the remaining Aurelian units after receiving notice that the remaining Leasath troops had withdrawn from the city.[2][3]

However, the Aurelian ace Gryphus 1 evaded the Gleipnir's attacks and disabled its camouflage system, proceeding to destroy its SWBM launch ports. In desperation, Captain Burlington ordered the ship's crew to fire the Shock Cannon at Santa Elva, intending to deal one last blow to Aurelia. However, Gryphus One destroyed the cannon, causing the Gleipnir to plunge into the Lenal River. Despite its size, the crash miraculously avoided serious damage to the city, aside from a bridge that collapsed after being clipped by the Gleipnir's massive wing.[3] Some of its crew survived the crash and were taken prisoner by Aurelian ground forces.[2]

Legacy

In the aftermath of the Gleipnir's destruction, Diego Navarro mused to himself that Gryphus 1's triumph over Santa Elva was for the best—after all, despite the Gleipnir's strength as a strategic asset, the destruction of Santa Elva would have generated negative publicity for Navarro's "precious product."[2]

Navarro's plans also included mass production of airborne fortresses similar to the Gleipnir, but this ambition was ultimately never realized.[1]

Alternate events

The information in the following section is sourced from Mission 06A: The Midnight Sun and Mission 07A: Standoff in the Skies I.
Ace Combat Wiki considers Standoff in the Skies II: Leasath Side and Eugene Solano's Memoirs as evidence that Mission 07B: Standoff in the Skies II is canonical. As such, Ace Combat Wiki considers the following information non-canon to the Strangereal timeline. Refer to the canon policy for more information.

Rather than immediately assisting the Davis Unit at Stand Canyon, Aurelia instead opted to ambush the Gleipnir near Terminus Island to eliminate the threat of the SWBM, dispatching several naval fleets to conduct a full-scale assault. This proved disastrous; the Gleipnir quickly annihilated the Second Fleet using its Shock Cannon before turning its attention to the rest of the Aurelian naval forces.[13]

The Gleipnir was unable to complete its mission, however, as its optical camouflage system was disabled by Gryphus 1. Captain Burlington ordered a tactical retreat to Santa Elva for repairs, and the Gleipnir soon began a shallow climb to escape the airspace. Nevertheless, Gryphus 1 managed to destroy all of the ship's SWBM ports before it was able to escape, leaving it crippled. Desperate, Burlington ordered the engine output raised to maximum, and soon the Gleipnir's altitude became too great for the Aurelians to continue the pursuit.[13] The severely damaged Gleipnir limped back to Santa Elva, where it began undergoing emergency repairs.[14]

However, before the repairs were finished, Aurelian forces began an air attack on the city, aiming to destroy the airborne fortress once and for all. Against Captain Burlington's wishes, the Gleipnir once more took to the skies, lacking both its SWBMs and optical camouflage. Gryphus 1's attacks quickly disabled its conventional weaponry, however, leaving it defenseless. In an act of suicidal desperation, Burlington subsequently seized the controls from the Gleipnir's pilots and managed to flip the fortress completely inverted, before prepping the Shock Cannon for firing.[14]

Despite Burlington's efforts, however, Gryphus 1 destroyed the Shock Cannon, leading to the Gleipnir's descent into the Lenal River.[14]

Design

Like other aircraft of its size and role, the Gleipnir was intended to completely annihilate hostile targets and frighten enemy troops with its incredible firepower. Because of its gargantuan size, it was developed as an amphibious aircraft, able to take off from both land and large bodies of water, such as oceans and rivers.[15] The ship was armed with eight launch ports for Shock Wave Ballistic Missiles, a Shock Cannon in the ventral area, and an optical camouflage system that allowed it to turn invisible to the naked eye.[3][13] Furthermore, it boasted significant anti-aircraft armament, allowing it to defend itself against fighters.[14]

Despite its imposing size and role, the Gleipnir was considered an "airborne fortress" as opposed to being called a heavy command cruiser, likely due to its inability to carry aircraft or to act as a mobile command base.[1] The Gleipnir's overwhelming firepower was one of the core reasons for Leasath's successful blitzkrieg against Aurelia early in the war, and it was feared greatly among Aurelian troops.

Gallery

  • Gleipnir 2.jpg
  • Gleipnir 3.jpg
  • Gleipnir 4.jpg
  • Gleipnir 5.jpg
  • The Gleipnir deploying flares

    The Gleipnir deploying flares

  • A picture of the Gleipnir hanging in a Leasath office

    A picture of the Gleipnir hanging in a Leasath office

  • An SWBM detonating behind the Gleipnir

    An SWBM detonating behind the Gleipnir

Trivia

  • The Gleipnir is named after a legendary fetter from Norse mythology. The mythological Gleipnir was a magical chain that was used to restrain the legendary wolf Fenrir. The name matches the airborne fortress's link with the XFA-33 Fenrir, as the Fenrir was 'restrained' and unable to reach its full potential until the Gleipnir's battle data was used to further develop its technology, such as the optical camouflage and Long Range Shock Wave Missile.

References

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 Confidential document of Leasath army
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 2.4 Standoff in the Skies II: Leasath Side
  3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 Mission 07B: "Standoff in the Skies II", Ace Combat X: Skies of Deception.
  4. ↑ Hangar description for Fenrir, Ace Combat X: Skies of Deception
  5. ↑ Mission 08: "Flame of AX", Ace Combat Xi: Skies of Incursion.
  6. ↑ Scene 1, Ace Combat X: Skies of Deception.
  7. ↑ ACES WEB: Ace Combat X
  8. ↑ Mission 01: "Skies of Deception", Ace Combat X: Skies of Deception.
  9. ↑ A Review of the Aurelian War: Volume One
  10. ↑ Mission 02: "Out of the Fire", Ace Combat X: Skies of Deception.
  11. ↑ Mission 03A: "Prelude", Ace Combat X: Skies of Deception.
  12. ↑ 12.0 12.1 Mission 05A: "Rolling Thunder", Ace Combat X: Skies of Deception.
  13. ↑ 13.0 13.1 13.2 Mission 06A: "The Midnight Sun", Ace Combat X: Skies of Deception.
  14. ↑ 14.0 14.1 14.2 14.3 Mission 07A: "Standoff in the Skies I", Ace Combat X: Skies of Deception.
  15. ↑ https://www.bandainamcoent.co.jp/cs/list/acecombat-x/mode/weapon.php
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