ASF-X Shinden II

"I can't believe how fast that pirate and the Butterfly Master move! ...I thought my craft was higher-spec."

- Nagase

The ASF-X Shinden II (震電Ⅱ, "Magnificent Lightning") is a next-generation combat aircraft. In the Assault Horizon universe, the aircraft was a prototype for the active service variants, collectively known as the F-3 Shinden II, developed to protect Japan airspace.

The ASF-X Shinden II was created by Shōji Kawamori, known as the creator of the  series, as exclusive downloadable content for Ace Combat: Assault Horizon. The aircraft was an attempt by Project Aces to bring together the futuristic style of Kawamori's work (most notably seen in his Variable Fighter designs) with modern flight technology.

Ace Combat Infinity, the next console release in the Ace Combat series following Assault Horizon, featured the ASF-X Shinden II as the aircraft of choice of the Ridgeback Squadron, an elite squadron under the United Nations Forces. The aircraft's development history in the Infinity universe is still unknown.

Assault Horizon universe

 * For a full timeline of events related to this aircraft's development and service in the Assault Horizon universe, see ASF-X Shinden II/Timeline.

Following the September 11 attacks and the 2002 Japan unauthorized incursion incident, the Japanese military was determined to create a new aircraft to defend the country. Development began in 2003. The aircraft was named the "Shinden II" due to some of the developers being interested in Imperial Japanese Army technology (specifically the ).

The Shinden II remained in development and testing until September 2018, when the Haneda Incident forced the Japanese government to equip four test units (known as ASF-X units) with live weaponry. They successfully thwarted a second NRF terrorist attack, and the Shinden II entered full service shortly afterward.

Some export models of the Shinden II that were sent to the United Kingdom were used in the West Africa civil war. One Shinden II successfully shot down a CFA-44 Nosferatu near the end of the war.

Infinity universe
In the Infinity universe, the ASF-X was developed by Japan after the Ulysses Disaster, likely to fulfill a similar role to its original incarnation. It was adopted as the main aircraft of the United Nations Forces' Ridgeback Squadron, who customized them to achieve greater performance.

During Operation Eternal Liberation, the Shinden II was mass-produced and given to mercenaries allied with the UNF.

Game Analysis
Infinity====Ace Combat Infinity=== Description "This fictional state-of-the-art support fighter has a variable airframe that provides stable flight performance at any speed, making it ideal for a variety of missions such as attacking hostile fleets in territorial waters, engaging enemies attempting to land, and providing support during mountain defense operations. Boasting a variable, forward swept wing configuration, its outstanding maneuverability provides excellent close-range combat abilities. It has a unique two-tiered engine, allowing it to be a VTOL aircraft as well. It is known widely as "Shinden II" (Magnificent Lightning II)."

- Hangar

How to Unlock
 * The ASF-X Shinden II can be purchased from the Aircraft Tree for 432,000 credits.

Weapon
 * Gun: 20 mm JM61A1 six-barrel rotary cannon
 * Missile: AAM-3
 * 6 Target Air-to-Air Missile: AAM-4
 * Long-Range Air-to-Ship Missile: XASM-3
 * Guided Penetration Bomb: 1000 lb GBU-32 JDAM

Colors
 * Default
 * Event Skin #01: JASDF-styled ocean camouflage

Gallery

Trivia

 * This aircraft, along with the AV-8B Harrier II, is capable of holding the nose level through a stall, likely as an attempt to simulate VTOL Capabilities to a limited extent
 * The ASF-X Shinden II will appear as a guest character in the upcoming PlayStation Vita game . The game also features "Comona" from the Ace Combat 04: Shattered Skies Original Soundtrack.