Belkan War

"Ten years ago, there was a war that engulfed the world."

- Brett Thompson

The Belkan War (March - December 1995) was a major military conflict fought between the Principality of Belka and an alliance between the Osean Federation, the Republic of Ustio and the Union of Yuktobanian Republics. The war was the result of a major economical crisis which ravaged Belka from the beginning of the early 1980s

Territorial expansion and beginnings

 * Main article: Belkan economic crisis

In the year 1980, the Belkan Federation underwent a major territorial expansion. The Belkan government spent a major amount of its military budget on their expansionst mission. Their spendings had the unforeseen consequence of triggering turmoil in the Belkan economy, which forced the government to abandon their plans of expanding their lands and revert to a "neutral" territorial policy.

Over the next few years, the aftermath of the expansion movement evolved into a full fledged economic crisis. By the second half of the decade, the crisis had grown beyond the government's control, leading to an scenario of political unrest.

1988 Federal Law Review and the nineties
By 1988, the situation reached uncontrollable proportions. That same year, the worsening situation of the Principality led to the government passing a federal law review, which allowed territories of Belka to secede as independent territories so as to alleviate the effects of the ongoing crisis. In February 28, the eastern lands broke off from Belka as "Gebet", and were followed by the seccession of the southeastern territories in May 12th of that same year, which became the Republic of Ustio.

However, the Federal Law Review failed to mitigate the effects of the crisis, which endured to the 1990s. In August 29 of 1991, Belka sold some of its territory to the neighboring countries of Fato and the Kingdom of Sapin and ceded the northern and southern section of the "Five Great Lakes" region to Osea in exchange for mining rights. Both plans predictably failed to lessen the crisis. Furthermore, the deal with Osea was hampered by major civil unrest in Belka.

On December 8th, a far-right political party named the "Rald Party of Belka" won the maximum number of seats in the Belkan parliament, and gained control as the ruling party of the nation.

Opening and Belkan advance
In March 25th, the Principality of Belka discovered a source of mineral resources in a desertic mountain region located in the southern Belka-Ustio border region, designated as "Area B7R".

Having discovered the potential solution to the economic crisis affecting their country, the Belkan army officially declared war and launched a full-scale military invasion of their adjacent territories, marking the beginning of the "Belkan War".

The Belkans' unexpected invasion caught their targets off-guard, allowing them to seize

large amounts of land in the span of a week. By the end of the month, Belka held nearly the entirety of Ustio under their control, as well as the eastern portion of the Osean Federation and the northwestern region of Sapin.

During the Belkan assault, the surviving soldiers of the Ustio Air Force retreated to Valais Air Base, an air force base located in the snowy mountains of south Ustio, which soon became the only major Ustian base outside Belkan control. During that time period, the Ustio military began hiring mercenary pilots in order to bolster its remaining armed forces, and reformed the ravaged 6th Air Division as a mercenary fighter unit.

In April 2nd, the Belkan Air Force dispatched a large formation of Bm-335 Lindwurm and B-52 Stratofortress bombers to destroy Valais Air Base, intending to destroy the base so that the entirety of Ustio fell under their control. Under the jurisdiction of Ustio High Command, all pilots on the base scrambled to intercept the incoming enemy aircraft.

Among the mercenaries defending the base was the newly formed 66th Air Force Unit "Galm", composed of flight leader Cipher and Larry Foulke, alias "Solo Wing Pixy".

Osean Offensive Operation No. 4101
The newly formed Allied Forces were prepared for their attack, but needed a diversion to catch the Belkans off guard. The 6th Air Division's 66th AFU Galm was sent into the Round Table, the most prized area in Belka's eyes, to wreak havoc. The 66th AFU entered the Round Table and engaged the Belkan Fighters. They destroyed the Belkan craft, including a Belkan Ace Squadron and allowed the Allied Forces to advance.

After the successful diversion of the Belkan Air Force's attention to the Round Table, The Osean 3rd Fleet, with it's new capital ship, the OFS Kestrel moved through the Belkan-occupied Futuro Canal into the bay of Lumen, opening up an Air corridor into South Belka. The three part operation was successful in destroying all Belkan Port Facilities, Defensive Positions, and the nearby Belkan Fleet. This was the beginning of Offensive Campaign No. 4101. By early May, all Osea and Sapin land had been liberated. All that remained was Ustio.

On May 12th, the Osea 101st Airborne Division launched Operation Varsity, a paratroop mission to take Solis Ortus, to

gain access to the Ustian capital of Directus. Although the Belkans put up a fight, they were unable to hold Solis Ortus and were forced to fall back to Directus. The following day, with the Osean Army from the South and the Ustian

Army from the North, as well as a civilian resistance movement directly in the city, the Allies were able to take Directus. The attack was lead by the 6th Air Division's 66th TFS, once again and was successful in large part, because of their presence. After the city was liberated the "Galm" Team, as they were known, engaged the Belkan 23rd Tactical Fighter Squadron&quot;Gelb Squadron&quot; and destroyed the Ace Squadron; this was a critical blow to the



Belkan southern defense line, as they had lost the two top aces on said front.

This proved to be disastrous to the Belkans, for the HQ of the Ustio-branch Belkan army was in Directus, as well as most of the occupying army. With the loss of Ustio, the Belkan Army fell back to the Hydrian line, Belka's first line of defense. The Belkan Forces prepared themselves on the Hydrian Line in preparation for the inevitable Ustian counterattack.



South-Belkan Invasion
At this point, there was a dramatic shift in the war. Belka was no longer the aggressor, but the defender, as the Allies prepared to invade Belka. The story is told differently from each standing point. Here is what we do know:

On May 17th, the Allies launched Operation Hell Bound, an attack on the centerpiece of the Hydrian Line, Glatisant. The allies suspected that Glatisant was not just a fortress, but a nuclear weapons production facility. The mission was pegged as a nuclear inspection, which some of the Ustian Mercenary pilots found laughable. Despite the heavy AA defense network at Glatisant, The Mercenary forces were able to neutralize the defense capabilities of Glatisant.

With it's main fortress neutralized, the Belkan Military abandoned the Hydrian line, pulling back to their second line of defense in the Schayne Plains. Although this was well into South Belkan territory, the plains lacked defensive cover. The Allies thought to capitalize on this weakness, and on May 19th, they launched an air raid on the defensive positions in the plains. After the objective was completed, however, the Belkans deployed Excalibur against them. Most of the attacking force was destroyed by Laser Ordinance before they could escape, but a few pilots made it through, including the Mercenary Galm team.

Excalibur soon became the Allies Priority target, as the withering fire power of the laser tower kept their forces from advancing. Casuality figures were placed high, as this was Belka's pillar of defense. On may 23rd, Ustian Mercenaries attacked Tauburg, the place where Excalibur was built, deep in North Belkan territory. Although 4 Jammers were present, and the defenses at Excalibur itself were fierce, the Ustians were able to destroy Excalibur. With Excalibur out of the way, the Allies continued to advance northward.

Then, on May 28th, Osea Announced its permanent abrogation of the Nonaggression treaty in front of the Assembly of Nations,(they officially put an end to the treaty) and commenced Operation Battle-Axe, a large scale Air sortie into the Round Table, which was still tight in the grasp of the Belkan Air Force. Although at first the battle seemed to go in the Belkans favor, destroying 40% of the Allied forces, the balance swung into the Allies court when the Demon Lord of the 66th Air Force Unit Galm, as his new moniker was, entered the fray, and routed the Belkans, even defeating an Ace Belkan squadron.

Around the same time, South Belka was beginning to become weary of the war. Disillusioned of the patriotism and nationalism that lead them into the war, as well as having there land be torn up for defense line after defense line for the "Fatherland" in the north, South Belkan cities began to surrender and disarm peacefully. Unable to set defense positions, the Belkan Army retreated to the north to the Waldriechs and the border between the Belkas. The end of the war was drawing near.



The Dark Days
The Allied Air forces then started to make the destruction of Belkan war productions their main priority. On June 1st, the Allies launched a heavy bombing raid on the industrial center of Hoffnung. The bombing run wasn't a surgical strike, but Saturation bombing, where the bombers released ton after ton of unguided bombs on Hoffnung. In turn, the Belkans began to sabotage the facilities, to let nothing fall into the allies hands. The mission was a success, but with a terrible cost to civilian life.

With the fall of Hoffnung, Sudentor was the last major South Belkan city still under North Belkan control. Resistance there was fierce, due to weapons from the South Belkan munitions plant that was in the city. To put down the resistance, the Allies called upon the Ustian mercenaries to meet up with the Allied ground forces south of the city. On the way there, they flew over Stier Castle, when a large bomber formation appeared to the north. Supposedly, it was carrying a nuclear bomb destined for Ustio. Through valiant fighting against improbable odds. the Mercenaries were able to destroy the entire formation, which, curiously, was being attacked by South Belkan fighters as well. Although they had stopped the bombers, several smaller jet fighters made it through, and dropped their payload.

Seven nuclear bombs were dropped on the Waldriechs, killing more than 12,000 people. These bombs were detonated to fend off incoming Allies, the EMP discharge from the Nukes made communication difficult for several days, but that did not keep the world from knowing what had happened. Everyone was stunned by the Belkan's grand act of self-sacrifice. They had lost the will to fight anymore, after watching the tragedy unfold before their eyes. The allies quickly agreed with the Belkan high command for a cease-fire. For the most part, the war was over.

Some Belkan officers, however, refused the cease-fire order, and began to regroup in the Yering mine region near Mt. Schirm. Ustian Mercenaries were sent to quell the resistance, but found it to be larger than anticipated. Nevertheless, the mission was successful.

On June 20th, the official peace accords of the Belkan war were held in Lumen, South Belka. At same time, another group of Belkan insurgents appeared on the Belkan coast near Anfang, decrying the peace accords. Due to the circumstances, the Allies secretly sent in mercenary forces to take care of the insurrection. Although, as, one Allied pilot pointed out, there was too much resistance to be simply an insurrection, the mission was successful. The peace talks were held without incident.

The treaty signed at Lumen was one that heavily favored the Allied nations. Belka lost all it's southern territories, leaving only North Belka, which was renamed the Principality of Belka. It's military was heavily restricted as well, to ensure that Belka would never again be a threat. The diplomats then proceeded to squabble over the same resources that had ignited the war in the first place. Nevertheless, the world was finally at peace. Belka had all their fronts. The world would never need to worry about Belka again.

"A World With No Boundaries"
On Christmas Day, 1995, &quot;A World With No Boundaries&quot; revealed itself, by first attacking Lumen, the signing place of the peace accords, and Valais Air Base with the XB-0 Hresvelgr, Belka's experimental bomber.

Although the bomber and its escorts were destroyed, it was discovered that AWWNB had control over Avalon Dam, a secret V2 test launch facility. A strike force was quickly assembled, and made it's way to Avalon. Although the Strike team suffered severe casualties, Galm team made it through, and was able to destroy the V2 controls, disabling the V2, before disappearing into history.

But some technicians who worked on the V2 did not join AWWNB, as they fervent Belkan Nationalists. They would only reappear later in history. "A World With no Boundaries" had managed to keep any information about them extremely secretive, so information about them is somewhat scarce. The AWWNB had many people in their coup, this includes pilots from the Osean Air Defense Force, Belkan Air Force, Sapin Air Force , Yuktobanian Air Force, and even from the Ustio Air Force. Also there is a pilot defecting from the Ustio Mercenary Unit, the 66th AFU &quot;Galm Team&quot;, Larry Foulke, the wingman of the legendary mercenary pilot Cipher.

After the destruction of V2 in Avalon Dam, Larry appeared to fight his old wingman Cipher in an ADFX-02 Morgan, an experimental plane developed in the South Belkan Munitions Plant. Before Larry, call sign Pixy, fought his wingman, he deployed a laser targeted to kill Cipher, but the new Galm 2, Patrick James Beckett, callsign PJ got into the laser trajectory and got shot down. After that, Pixy fought his old wingman and he also reactivated a single V2 rocket .Although using this plane, Larry's chances of defeating Cipher was thin because of Cipher's skill in battle, and Cipher had also a feared nickname, feared by allies and enemies, including Pixy himself, "Demon Lord of the Round Table". Nevertheless, Pixy got shot down and the V2 rocket was destroyed and disappeared from history, or so it seemed.

Quotes
"And so, with the words of Solo Wing, the curtain rises." -Brett Thompson

"The Belkan War is shrouded in mystery." -Brett Thompson

"Everyone is a hero, and a villain. And no one knows who is the victim and who is the agressor. And what is peace?" -Brett Thompson

"''Yo, buddy. You still alive?" -'' Larry "Solo Wing Pixy" Foulke