ACES at WARS: The classified document about Circum-Pacific War was revealed

ACES at WARS: The classified document about Circum-Pacific War was revealed
Publisher	GAZE
Date	July 10, 2020
Subject	Circum-Pacific War Belkan War Razgriz Squadron
Game	Ace Combat 7: Skies Unknown

Aces at Wars was a special magazine report published by GAZE on July 10, 2020. This report concerns the 25th anniversary of the Belkan War and Vincent Harling's promised release of classified documents from the Circum-Pacific War.

This report was posted on the Ace Combat 7: Skies Unknown ACES WEB site on December 2020. Below is a translation of the original Japanese text.

Declaration of Decision

"Heroes. That's what we call the ones in front of us. In the shimmering sun, one by one, the fighters gather on the runway. Their slow progress in formation can be compared to the steps of an elephant. It is a dignified sight, different from the heroic flight in the sky. Lining up their wings are the aircraft of ace pilots who once fought each other. The release of classified documents related to the Circum-Pacific War has brought them together from all over the world. Are they headed for a triumphant return or a future battlefield?"

On June 30, 2020, the government of Osea held a ceremony at the Redmill Air Force Base near the capital to commemorate the 25th anniversary of the end of the Belkan War. Unlike the previous year, official invitations were extended to air force units from all over the world, and more than 120 foreign aircraft flew into the base. Not only from allied countries, but also from countries involved in former conflicts, many of which were former adversaries, lined up in formation, making the base look like an airshow.

In addition to the host nation, the other participating nations were Erusea, Yuktobania, Emmeria, Estovakia, Leasath, Aurelia, Ustio, Sapin, the Federation of Central Usea, and Belka. Aircraft belonging to the International Union and the Independent States Allied Forces also joined in. The scale of participation was unprecedented even in past international military exercises, and it was also unusual for many foreign dignitaries to be present on Memorial Day, which is an official event of the federal government of Osea.

With the exception of a few replicas, the planes that participated were actually used by top aces, and their livery and armaments were maintained as they were at the time of the war. The aces who made great achievements in the Lighthouse War, the Continental War, the Emmeria-Estovakia War, and the Belkan War, and were sometimes said to have contributed to ending the war, were shown to the crowd. When the flamboyantly painted aircraft of an irregular army, which was said to be made up of mercenaries, appeared, the media in the hall laughed a little, but the soldiers' eyes were serious.

One of the reasons why the warplanes from five continents came to the event was that this year marks the 25th anniversary of the end of the Belkan War, as well as the release of the so-called "2020 Documents," classified information on the Circum-Pacific War, which marks the 10th anniversary of the end of the war. In some of the declassified documents, it is revealed that the background of the clash between the superpowers of Osea and Yuktobania was the existence of a terrorist group hiding and plotting at the center of both countries, and that the group was called "the Grey Men." This is the first time it has been confirmed in official documents. Moreover, it has also come to light that the terrorists were involved in a series of military actions by Erusea, starting with the bombing of the St. Hewlett military port last year. The aces in front of our eyes have confronted them.

In response to this ongoing problem, the government of Osea announced its participation in the Coalition of the Willing for the purpose of counter-terrorism. This is not a coalition of nations as defined by a specific international organization or alliance, but rather a coalition that can collaborate with any and all organizations that exist in the world. The large scale demonstration at the commemoration ceremony was a demonstration of the unity of the organization, along with the countries that responded to it, both inside and outside the country, and a statement of determination to put an end to the long history of fighting and scheming that resulted from the Belkan War.

==The Men in Gray==　 In March 2013, President Harling issued an executive order to automatically declassify documents related to the Circum-Pacific War, which took effect on April 1, 2013. The designation as classified includes "top secret" documents.

There are three levels of classified designation: "top secret," "secret," and "confidential. According to the executive order, "top secret" documents are downgraded to "secret" two years after they are created, "confidential" two years after that, and "confidential" documents are declassified after three years. In other words, in principle, "top secret" documents are declassified after a total of seven years.

Therefore, in principle, documents designated as classified will be declassified in three to seven years and can be requested for disclosure under the Freedom of Information Act. However, exemptions are allowed for security reasons, and there are many parts of the report disclosed this time that have been censored or blacked out.

Among them, the following is a summary of noteworthy facts revealed this time.

1. Two large submarine carriers owned by the Yuktobanian military were sunk by anti-shipping attacks by Osean aircraft.
2. The atmospheric orbital space plane owned by the Osean military was shot down by Osean military aircraft on its way to the mainland of Yuktobania after being hijacked by terrorists.
3. An Osean strategic orbital artillery satellite was shot down by Osean aircraft over the capital city while it was on its way to the mainland of Osea due to terrorist manipulation.
4. The detailed organizational structure of the "Gray Men" terrorist group.
5. The existence of a special unit under the direct control of the Osean President.

According to the reports that were generally known, the first three were all accidents that occurred during the operation, or the fall of a satellite due to a magnetic storm that occurred in December 2010. The release of the internal report revealed that these were cover stories to hide the facts. Of course, there is no doubt that this was the result of a judgment that revealing sensitive information to the public would be detrimental to national security. Who gave these instructions, when they were given, and why they were false will be clarified by the expert committee on historical verification to be held in the future.

The question is this. Up until now, the Circum-Pacific War and the Belkan Conflict have referred to a series of interstate conflicts caused by the manipulative activities of the remnants of the hardliners of the Principality of Belka since the Belkan War in 1995. This report, however, does not stop there. It also shows that the terrorist network known as the "Gray Men" has been smuggling weapons and providing technology through the military company North Osea Grunder Industries since the end of the Circum-Pacific War.

At the end of the Circum-Pacific War, when the involvement of the Belkans was exposed, the two countries of Osea and Yuktobania came to a truce, but a number of conspiracy plays by hardliners led to a post-war trend of loudly accusing the Belkans of being the source of the chaos. The governments of the two countries also took strict measures against discrimination against racial and ethnic groups, claiming that it was the particular Belka faction that should be blamed. However, this has not been rectified, and last year's Lighthouse War resulted in the tragic massacre of Belkan civilians by some Erusean soldiers. According to the report, the cycle of hatred giving birth to hatred itself was one of the objectives of the "Gray Men," and this has been confirmed.

The reality of the organization of the "Gray Men" is that Solare Ostberg (who died in detention in 2011), the President of Grunder Industries at the time of 2010, was said to be one of the ringleaders, but there is no framework such as a higher organization or a lower organization, but instead a group that is equivalent to a secret society with a shared ideology. The 12 lines of names were all blacked out, but I'm sure they will pay for their crimes in the near future.

The IUN sanctions against the Grunder Industries group earlier this year are a start. First, North Osea's headquarters in Sudentor and Grunder SS (Space & Security) in Selatapura were shut down. The closure of these huge, world-renowned munitions factories, even if only partially, is a big blow to the Osean military, which is the main client to the company. Since Grunder Industries emphasizes the independent profitability of each factory, it is practically like a corporate alliance. However, even during the Lighthouse War last year, the fact remained that the same company was supplying weapons to both the Osean and Erusean armies, and there were accusations from within the Osean army that this was a hotbed of injustice.

On the other hand, this action may be a blessing for the Belkan-Oseans living in North Osea. State authorities will conduct background checks on about 60,000 employees of Grunder and related companies for about two years, and priority outplacement programs will be offered to public companies. Some foreign capital has also come forward to acquire individual or divisional companies in an effort to attract talented engineers. In addition to the facts uncovered in this case, their own vindication will help to eliminate discrimination against the Belkans worldwide.

==Vincent Harling==　 The fifth one has been pointed out for some time. This refers to a special air squadron under the direct control of the President that rescued Vincent Harling, then President of the Osean Federation, who had been kidnapped and imprisoned in an old castle in the Principality of Belka during the Circum-Pacific War. Based on past testimonies from soldiers who participated in the same operation, the unit was named "Razgriz Squadron".

Strangely, however, the name of the unit could not be confirmed in the "top secret" documents that were made available to the public this time, and we were unable to find any core information about the name of the special forces unit, its size, its members, their affiliations before formation, and their subsequent treatment.

President Harling's footsteps near the end of the great war were as follows. This was followed by an order to stop and track down a plan to retrieve tactical nuclear weapons in northern Belkan territory, which was intercepted by an Osean communications ship, an order to destroy an atmospheric orbital space plane, a forced return to the capital city of Oured with marines, and a joint press conference with Prime Minister Nikanor, the former head of Yuktobania, who was also rescued. What has come to light this time is a report that these operations were only successful because of the presence of the forces directly under the President.

From this point on, we can only speculate, but if we compare this report with the two or three documents mentioned above, we can see that some of the sentences are analogous to the censored contents. A pattern analysis of the number of blacked-out words and words inferred from the preceding and following contexts suggests that a small group of people are working together for a specific purpose. If this were true, these would correspond to the operational records in which the Razgriz are said to have been involved, and would give us an idea of the unit's operational execution capabilities and mobility.

It is true that the militaries of various countries do not disclose the names of their special forces personnel for the purpose of protecting their identities in preparation for future missions. This is because, in a sense, they are a specialized group for irregular warfare. It is not clear whether this is because of the impact on future anti-terrorist operations or because of the death of Harling last year, but the Osean government says that the current situation is all that can be disclosed and that all others are classified. The "Hero of Razgriz" was the greatest contributor to the Circum-Pacific War, but his real identity remains unknown. It may be that a new review and comparison of the "secret" and "confidential" documents that have been released so far will reveal more about him, but that will take time.

A swarm of aircraft spread out in front of us. At the head of the formation is the ace squadron of the Osean Air Force that stopped the runaway of the ISEV defense system in last year's battle. The aircraft in front of us are being piloted by another pilot from the same force. We later learned that the real aces were watching over this formation just as we were. Maybe no one knows who they really are.

Twenty-five years have passed since the Belkan War. In this time, there have been too many events in our world. Many wars and territorial disputes, environmental problems, economic disparity, natural disasters, and reconstruction. The late Vincent Harling was the one who tried to find answers to all of them. The cost of the lives lost was too great. Many of us may have been horrified by the chaos that followed his death. But the aircraft of the aces who have gone before us have made it through the chaos. Harling's will still drives the world today.

At the conclusion of the ceremony, a line from Harling's presidential retirement speech was used.

When we are faced with difficulties, when we are in the midst of joy We look up to the sky. We are here today, and we will be here tomorrow, because of our will to protect this world. Our heroes may not have left their mark on history, but they have shaped our destiny. So we are grateful for that will. In our workplaces, in our schools, in our restaurants and living rooms. On farms and factories, at sea and on mountain tops.

The mourning cannon sounded, and four planes passed over our heads with a sharp sound.

In the blink of an eye, they disappeared behind the shimmering flames.

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