Shock Wave Ballistic Missile

This article describes the superweapon used by the Gleipnir. For the player-equipped special weapon, see Long Range Shock Wave Missile.

Shock Wave Ballistic Missile
An SWBM detonating over Cape Aubrey
Manufacturer	Leasath Air Force New Weapon Laboratory
Function	Ballistic missile
Operators	Leasath Air Force Gleipnir Gandr
Deployment	Aurelian War

"Hey, that better not be what I think it is...
It's an SWBM! Get out of there now!"

― Roy and Eugene Solano

The Shock Wave Ballistic Missile, abbreviated as SWBM, was a type of long-range, highly-destructive ballistic missile designed by the Leasath Air Force New Weapon Laboratory. It was utilized during the Aurelian War as the main weapon of the airborne fortress Gleipnir, and became highly feared among Aurelian troops.

Design

The Shock Wave Ballistic Missile is an extremely strong thermobaric missile, using a similar principle to fuel-air explosive (FAE) weapons. It uses a large quantity of special, highly explosive fuel, which is dispersed by the missile upon reaching a target. The fuel then ignites, causing a massive explosion of energy. Due to the missile's design, the shock wave spreads in a mostly horizontal motion, destroying almost anything flying at an altitude equal to or higher than the blast point. However, as a result of air pressure differences, the shock wave has a much less severe effect at lower altitudes, allowing an aircraft to potentially survive the blast.

History

The Shock Wave Ballistic Missile was manufactured by the Leasath Air Force New Weapon Laboratory prior to the Aurelian War. It was designed to be deployed by Leasath's airborne fortress, the Gleipnir, and its sister ship, the Gandr.

Aurelian War

During the opening stages of the war, the Gandr used an SWBM to destroy an entire Aurelian fleet. The fortress proceeded to deploy the weapon liberally during its battle with Falco Squadron, though the Gandr was eventually overcome and shot down by Falco 1.

Following the destruction of the Gandr, the Gleipnir used the psychological threat of its own SWBMs to coerce the Aurelian capital city of Griswall into surrendering without putting up a fight.

The first known combat deployment of the Gleipnir's SWBMs during the war came in the immediate aftermath of an engagement near an Aurelian air base at Cape Aubrey, where the Gryphus Squadron had wiped out a Leasath bomber formation. Unperturbed, the Gleipnir fired a single SWBM at the Aurelian fighters, who—despite the desperate warnings of Eugene Solano—failed to evade the missile's devastating blast wave, leaving only a few lucky survivors. Footage of this attack was later used by Leasath dictator Diego Gaspar Navarro as propaganda, boasting of the Gleipnir's power and glory.

The SWBM was later utilized by the Gleipnir to support Leasath ground troops as they hunted the Davis Unit in Stand Canyon. Despite the constant attacks, Gryphus Squadron managed to rescue the trapped unit, rendering the Gleipnir's efforts futile.

The SWBM's final known use in the war came during the battle of Santa Elva, where the Gleipnir used the missiles in an attempt to ward off Gryphus Squadron. However, Gryphus 1 destroyed all of the Gleipnir's SWBM launching ports, and subsequently managed to destroy the airborne fortress. The Gleipnir crashed into the Lenal River, ending the threat of the SWBM for good.

Despite the destruction of the Gleipnir, a smaller-scale version of the SWBM was designed to be utilized by the experimental super-fighter Fenrir, but ultimately was never deployed in combat.

Gallery

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  An SWBM detonation depicted in Eugene Solano's Memoirs

• 

  The Gandr's SWBM in flight

• 

  An SWBM moments after launch

• 

  The first moments of the missile impact during Skies of Deception

• 

  The aftermath of the impact. In the foreground, three aircraft have been torn apart by the explosion.

• 

  An SWBM detonating behind the Gleipnir

Trivia

• During Ace Combat Xi: Skies of Incursion's eighth mission, "Flame of AX," an SWBM is utilized to destroy an Aurelian fleet. However, it flies level to its target, acting like a cruise missile rather than a ballistic missile.
  • This is not the first time such an error has occurred in the Ace Combat series; the missile fired by the submarine Folkvangr in both Ace Combat 2 and its remake Ace Combat: Assault Horizon Legacy is called an SLBM, when it is in fact an SLCM.
• Ace Combat: Joint Assault features a thermobaric weapon called the Hi-TASM, which is very similar to the SWBM in principle. It also sees deployment primarily on an improved version of the aerial warship Spiridus, much like the SWBM is the signature weapon of the Gleipnir.