Stonehenge (Strangereal)

- the Erusean Super Weapon -



Weapon Information
Purpose: Planetary Debris Defense and Air Defense Manufacturer(s): Usean Government, ISAF States, Erusea, North Point Height: 120+ Yards (when a Cannon is facing straight up) Width: 4 miles (Total Circumference) Length: N/A Weight: N/A Started: Mid-1995 Completed: Late 1998 Destroyed: April 2nd, 2005 Firing Range: 1000+ Miles Energy Source: Electro Magnetic Energy

Armaments
eight STN Cannons ten Surface-to-Air Missile Launchers ten Anti-Aircraft Gun Emplacements one Airfield with a Air Defense Unit

History
Stonehenge is a Super Weapon created by many nations on the Usean Continent. In 1994 the Erusian Air and Space Administration (EASA) sights a large Asteroid on a collsion course with the Planet. It was estimated to make planet fall sometime in the year 1999. First labeled '1994XFO4', and later renamed 'Ulysses'; the Asteroid was large enough to, 'theoretically' wipe out life on the planet. The Usean government called for the world's nations to meet on the subject. After days of discussion on how to deal with this threat a decision was finally made. Many states of the Independent State Allied Forces (ISAF), Erusea, North Point and other countires joined in an effort to build a Super Weapon capable of destroying the Ulysses.

The decision of Nuclear Weapons seemed to 'far fetched' to stop an Asteroid of the Ulysses's size, so a new technology was created. The Super Weapon was to use Electro-Magnetic Energy to launch it's payloads, instead of 'Conventional' or 'Nuclear weapons'. The Rounds it fires are believed to be 280mm Low Yield Nuclear Rounds. Work continued at an alarming pace and the project grew. Soon, 'Stonehenge', the Super Weapon, was operational.

On July 8th 1999, five years after being identified, Ulysses passed the Roche limit and split into more than a thousand pieces, which then plummeted to Earth. The World's nations did not expect this happening, but reacted quickly. Stonehenge engaged the larger fragments of the Ulysses and did it's best to protect the Planet. Over 500,000 people perished within the first two weeks, and damage was estimated to be the equivalent of 18 months of the total GDP for the entire continent of USEA. Smaller meteorites continued to fall intermittently for several more years. Although the end of civilization as portrayed in science fiction literature did not occur, financial turmoil and the mass influx of refugees caused panic throughout the Usean Continent, which had suffered the brunt of the impacts. Stonehenge had preformed very well, considering the circumstances and continued to engage the passing Ulysses fragments for a few more years after the incident. However, talks of it being used as a Tactical Weapon began to circulate among the creators of Stonehenge. Meetings were called and sanctions forbidding Stonehenge to be used by one or many countries as a Weapon was outlawed.

Suddenly, Erusean Military personnel had embarked on an Operation to take over Stonehenge. They succeeded and Stonehenge fell into Erusian hands. Despite they disposition of the ISAF, Erusea had declared Stonehenge theirs. The ISAF had decided to destroy Stonehenge, rather than let it be used to fuel war; but they failed.

Then in early 2002, Erusean Military forces crossed the border far Western border and pushed East towards Stonehenge. The ISAF Forces were caught off guard and were pushed back quickly. With no Air Support the ISAF was pushed all the way back to the Far Eastern Coastline of the USEA. Stonehenge was an instrumental device in the opening days of the war and the years after.

During the ISAF counter-offensive which began in January of 2005, Stonehenge suppressed most ISAF attacks on the mainland, but was not capable of stopping the spread of ISAF Ground Forces and all ISAF Air Forces. Istas Fortress, the center piece of the Erusean South-Eastern Defense Line known as the "Tango Line", fell and ISAF Forces retook their Headquarters in Los Canas. Once sufficient ISAF Forces were gathered, Stonehenge itself was targeted. With the defection of Stonehenge designers and their families to the ISAF, an attack was quickly organized.

After three years of war the ISAF launched another operation against Stonehenge. This was known as "The Stonehenge Offensive", but was officially called "Operation Stone Crusher". During the attack a single ISAF fighter managed to destroy every Stonehenge Cannon and effectively disabled the super weapon for good.

Stonehenge was destroyed on April 2nd, 2005 at 1000hrs.



SOURCES Ace Combat 04: Shattered Skies (the game itself) Shattered Skies.net PROJECT ACES: AC4 SITE