Chandelier was a giant railgun created by Estovakia capable of firing capsules containing multiple cruise missiles. It was one of many large-scale weapons constructed to combat the 1994XF04 Ulysses asteroid. However, it was not completed in time and was not operational upon the asteroid's impact, which devastated Estovakia's infrastructure.
Chandelier was later completed and used as a retaliation weapon against Emmeria at the close of the Emmeria-Estovakia War. It was subsequently destroyed by the Republic of Emmeria Air Force.
History
Early development
Following the announcement of Ulysses's existence by the Federation of Central Usea, the Stonehenge Turret Network was created by a coalition of Usean countries to protect that continent. However, no such plan was provided by the FCU for the other countries of the world, including Estovakia whose populace felt excluded. This led to protests against the FCU throughout the country.[citation needed]
The concept behind Chandelier was created by Estovakia's armed forces. It was built on Sonne Island in the northern part of the country, partly to power the structure using water energy.[1]
While its construction was not as rapid as Stonehenge's, Estovakia managed to nearly complete Chandelier by mid-1999. However, it could not be finished by the time Ulysses struck on July 3 that year, and the project was subsequently abandoned for some time.[2]
Completion and destruction
Chandelier remained deserted for years after the Ulysses impact. By March 2016, Gustav Dvornik, leader of the armed forces fighting Emmeria in the Emmeria-Estovakia War, sought to use Chandelier as a weapon of retaliation. It was fully developed and functional by this time, and was rapidly put into operation.[3][4]
Chandelier was first used in battle on the night of March 31, 2016, hours after the liberation of Gracemeria from Estovakia. Backed by stealth fighters and escorts, several Chandelier cruise missiles were fired at the city within Stauros shells. The missiles were intercepted by the Emmerian Air Force, who were performing a defensive patrol at the time.[3] Shortly after the attack, Lt.Col. Victor Voychek was convinced that Estovakia's plans were far too evil to go on, and he revealed them to Melissa Herman, Matilda Herman, and Ludmila Tolstaya.[5]
Emmerian forces traced the missile attack back to Chandelier, which they had thought was abandoned. A strike team comprised only of aircraft and led by Garuda Team flew to Sonne Island the next morning, arriving just as Chandelier completed cooling down for a second wave of attacks. Regardless of support from the Estovakian Navy and the Strigon Team, the Emmerians managed to destroy Chandelier's main cooling systems. Talisman and Shamrock then worked together to destroy Chandelier's backup cooling unit, followed by the former flying into Chandelier's barrel to destroy its core. The destruction of the core shook the whole facility, causing Chandelier to slowly fall apart in pieces.[4]
Design
Chandelier was an anti-asteroid railgun, many times larger than any cannon used in the Stonehenge Turret Network, resembling a giant rifle. It was intentionally built on arctic terrain to utilize magnetohydrodynamics by using conduction of seawater to generate electrical power.[1]
The facility was backed by a series of cooling units sealed by protective plates. A small airstrip connected to an internal hangar was built at the front of the complex. The large glacier that Chandelier was built upon was reinforced with silicon molecules, giving it a higher strength and melting point to withstand the railgun's tremendous weight, heat, and recoil.[1]
Chandelier fires individual shells named Stauros, which are loaded with cruise missiles designed to cause direct damage to a target. Stauros shells were loaded through an internal conveyor belt beneath the railgun, which led into an elevator that raised the shells to the firing chamber. Chandelier's barrel was outfitted with a slide mechanism to handle the force of recoil, and had the capability to widen to fire a "charged" shot.[4]
Trivia
- The Chandelier is the largest railgun in the Ace Combat series.
- It is possible for the player's aircraft to be struck and killed by the Chandelier when it fires a charged shot as the player flies into the core. This can cause extreme stress on the Xbox 360's processor, often slowing the game to a crawl.
- its possible to fail Mission Chandelier By Allowing The Chandelier Fire off ten Warheads. This Will result in the supposed Destruction of Gracemeria , supported by AWACS Dialogue if this happen.
Gallery
Chandelier firing a Stauros shell
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 Ace Combat 6: Fires of Liberation Complete Guide. Page not provided.
- ↑ Briefing prior to Chandelier. Ace Combat 6: Fires of Liberation.
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 Gracemeria Patrol. Ace Combat 6: Fires of Liberation.
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 Chandelier. Ace Combat 6: Fires of Liberation.
- ↑ Cutscene following Gracemeria Patrol. Ace Combat 6: Fires of Liberation.