XB-0 Hresvelgr

The XB-0 Hresvelgr is a Belkan-built prototype heavy command cruiser built in Project Pendragon and stolen by AWWNB.

Birth of the project
The history of the XB-0 dates back to the late 1970s, when Belkan scientist Anton Kupchenko gave birth to Project Pendragon, an initiative formed with the objective of national defense. The first prototype was developed in the 1980s by the South Belka Munitions Factory, known in the 21st century as Gründer Industries. The development of the Hresvelgr was carried out at an airbase located in Mount Schirm, which housed an special, spherically shaped hangar designed specifically for the heavy command cruiser.

In the later half of the 1980s, Belka's economy suffered a severe recession, which led to the halt of the development of all Project Pendragon weapons. Its development stopped indefinitely, the sole existing prototype was left at its hangar in Schirm.

Belkan War
In early 1995, the discovery of resources at Area B7R caused Belka to engage in an armed expansion of its territory, thus triggering the Belkan War against the countries of Ustio and the Osean Federation. The XB-0 Hresvelgr, unlike its Excalibur missile defense system counterpart, never saw action throughout the conflict. Some time after the Northern Belka nuclear detonations of June, the revolutionary organization "A World With No Boundaries" located and seized the XB-0, turning it into their main forward base, an event which was mostlikely aided by former Pendragon director and rebel ringleader Anton Kupchenko. The existence of the aircraft was first hinted at during a counter-insurgency operation carried out against rebel Belkan troops holed up at the Yering Mine sector in Mount Schirm. As the 66th Air Force Unit Galm reached the Yering airbase, a lone soldier exclaimed "That has already been moved", implying that A World With No Boundaries' acquisition of the aircraft had taken place just a few days before the assault.

In December 25, A World With No Boundaries revealed itself to the world when Belkan government officers carried out a coup d'etat. The event was immediately followed by an attack on the city of Lumen, where the peace treaty formally ending the war between the powers involved was held in June, which was carried out with the seized Hresvelgr. Hours after the attack, the XB-0 arrived to Valais Air Base in the Republic of Ustio, and dealt heavy damage to the site with the aid of the 11th Tactical Fighter Squadron Espada of the Sapin Air Force before fleeing towards Belkan soil.

Some time after the bombing, the mercenary 66th Air Force Unit Galm launched from the damage runway in pursuit on the XB-0, which they followed into the Waldreich Mountains, the same site where seven nuclear weapons had been detonated in early June. The team's members, Cipher and Patrick James Beckett eventually intercepted the Hresvelgr. A fierce fight between the Ustio fighters and the Sapinish pilots ensued, though the encounter soon ended in the defeat of Alberto Lopez and Marcela Vasquez, his wingman. For several minutes, Cipher and PJ attacked the Hresvelgr. Initially, their attacks centered on the aircraft's weapon systems, though they later shifted onto the Hresvelgr's engines.

Despite the extensive damage suffered in battle, the Hresvelgr still went onward. Cipher dealt the killing blow by striking the aircraft's cockpit, effectively crippling it. Having lost all control and covered in flames, the Hresvelgr descended and crashed into the Waldreich mountain range. As it fell from the skies, the aircraft's captain said, "Our death is not the end of everything. The rest is up to you."

Legacy
Some time after the Belkan War, several Belkan engineers defected to the Federal Republic of Estovakia. In the 21st century, the technology of the Hresvelgr would be reused by the Eastern Faction in their "Aerial Fleet Initiative" project, which would lead to the development of the P-1112 Aigaion Heavy Command Cruiser and its escort ships, the P-1113 Kottos Electronic Warfare Platform electronic warfare ship and the P-1114 Gyges Fire Support Platform fire platform. The Aigaion generally shares the same role with the XB-0, although it is far more advanced than its precursor.

Design
One of the products of Project Pendragon, the XB-0 Hresvelgr is a "heavy command cruiser", a large airship designed to act simultaneously as an aircraft carrier as well as a mobile base. The airframe has a total width of 503m, however its length remains unknown. The XB-0 is capable of carrying up to 50 fighter aircraft in an internal hangar bay.

The XB-0 is propelled by six high output engines, which allow the cruiser to achieve maximum speeds of 1350.2 kN, or 1553 miles per hour. Three of these engines are placed in each wing, arranged in a horizontal position.

The Hresvelgr is armed with a large number of anti-aircraft missile (AAM) mounts and AA guns located throughout its upper, frontal and inferior sections. The aircraft is also known as being capable of emitting electronic countermeasures (ECM).

Trivia

 * The XB-0 takes its name from Hræsvelgr (lit. "Corpse Swallower"), a giant from Norse mythology. The naming of the XB-0 is fitting, as Hræsvelgr takes the form of a gigantic eagle.