A6M5 ZERO

The A6M Zero Navy Type 0 Carrier Fighter was a long range fighter aircraft operated by the Imperial Japanese Navy Air Service (IJNAS) from 1940 to 1945. The A6M was usually referred to by the Allies as the "Zero", from the 'Navy Type 0 Carrier Fighter' designation, while the official Allied reporting codename was Zeke.

Overview
When it was introduced early in World War II, the Zero was the best carrier-based fighter in the world, combining excellent maneuverability and long range. In early combat operations, the Zero gained a legendary reputation as a "dogfighter", achieving the outstanding kill ratio of 12 to 1,[2] but by 1942 a combination of new tactics and the introduction of better equipment enabled the Allied pilots to engage the Zero on more equal terms. The Imperial Japanese Air Force also frequently used the type as a land-based fighter. By 1943, inherent design weaknesses and the increasing lack of more powerful aircraft engines meant that the Zero became less effective against newer enemy fighters that possessed greater firepower, armor, and speed, and approached the Zero's maneuverability. Although the Mitsubishi A6M was outdated by 1944, it was never totally supplanted by the newer Japanese aircraft types. During the final years of the War in the Pacific, the Zero was used in kamikaze operations In the course of the war, the Zero was the most produced airplane in Japan.

Standard Weapons

 * 2× 7.7 mm (0.303 in) Type 97 machine guns in the engine cowling, with 500 rounds per gun
 * 2× 20 mm Type 99 cannons in the wings, with 60 rounds per gun

Special Weapons

 * Unknown to date

Gameplay
Recent scans from an unidentified Japanese gaming magazine (presumably Famitsu) indicate that the Zeke & it's American counterpart, the F6F Hellcat, will make an appearance in Ace Combat X2: Joint Assault under the control of Martinez Security & Valahia. Their exact roles are, as of July 24th, unknown.