The Independent State Allied Forces (ISAF) was a military coalition composed of nations from Usea against the Federal Republic of Erusea during the Second Usean Continental War.[1]
History
Formation
The ISAF was created from the Central Usea Treaty Organization (UTO), a multinational government organization consisting of Usean nations, which included the Federation of Central Usea (FCU) as well as Erusea. After Erusea's takeover of San Salvacion and the Stonehenge Turret Network in the summer of 2003, tensions escalated between Erusea and the UTO, and threats of an armed response forced FCU President Robert Sinclair to announce the dissolution of the economic alliance and the creation of a military coalition, the ISAF, in September of that year.[2]
Continental war
Following Erusea's use of Stonehenge as an anti-aircraft weapon, the resulting loss of aerial power forced ISAF to retreat to its GHQ at Istas Fortress in south-central Usea. Outmatched by the STN's overwhelming firepower, the ISAF retreated from the mainland to North Point, which became the site of its new GHQ soon after.[1]
Despite Erusea's attempts to wipe out ISAF, North Point would become the base of operations for ISAF's efforts to rally its troops trapped on the mainland and weaken the Erusian army. By September 2004, ISAF relied heavily on its air forces to perform airstrike operations and impede the Erusians' military efforts. ISAF began scoring crucial victories in the east, such as the destruction of a major oil refinery (Operation Early Bird)[3] and the sinking of the Aegir Fleet (Operation Rough Seas).[4]
Following the successful launch of a reconnaissance satellite from the Riass Space Center in the Comona Islands,[5] the ISAF launched a massive counteroffensive on the mainland, beginning with the amphibious landings of Operation Bunker Shot in January 2005. The offensive culminated in the destruction of Stonehenge due to the heroic actions of ISAF ace Mobius 1.[6]
The fall of the STN facility led to a second ISAF campaign towards Erusea territory: ISAF forces liberated San Salvacion in July 2005 (Operation Firefly)[7] and by September had captured the Erusian capital, Farbanti (Operation Autumn Thunder).[8] Despite the Erusians' unconditional surrender, ISAF would deploy a special forces unit and the newly formed Mobius Squadron one week after the war's official end to stop the use of the Erusian anti-Ulysses facility, Megalith, as a retaliatory weapon. ISAF was victorious once again, and widespread disaster was averted as a result of Mobius 1's actions.[9]
Post-war period
The ISAF continued to exist after the conclusion of the Second Continental War and oversaw the formation of a post-war Erusian government. In September 2006, a resistance movement known as Free Erusea mounted an armed insurrection against ISAF and the interim government. In response, ISAF launched Operation Katina to suppress the uprising. As a result of Katina's success, the ISAF obtained experimental autonomous flight systems from Erusian X-02 Wyverns that had been seized by Free Erusea forces.[10]
Organization
Independent State Allied Forces military insignias.
As a military coalition, the Independent State Allied Forces was initially comprised of eleven core Usean nations, which later expanded to a total of sixteen members. The ISAF member states were unofficially led by the FCU. The main symbol of the ISAF was an arrangement of triangles known as the "Three Arrowheads".[11]
The purpose of the organization was to restore and maintain stability within the Usean continent. Each member state was guaranteed the right to collective self-defense: any military action against an ISAF state would be treated as an attack on the organization as a whole.[2]
The military arm of the ISAF was composed of the individual armed forces of its member nations, including ground, air and naval forces.
Gallery
The Three Arrowheads flag flies alongside the flags of other ISAF states.
- ISAF Logo.png
The Three Arrowheads on a mission briefing display.
ISAF embroidering featuring the Three Arrowheads.
Trivia
- The Independent State Allied Forces shares its acronym with the International Security Assistance Force, a NATO-led security mission in Afghanistan.
- In one of the opening cutscenes of Ace Combat 04: Shattered Skies, the subtitles incorrectly display "States", rather than "State", in ISAF's name.
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 Ace Combat 04: Shattered Skies.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 GAZE: War?
- ↑ Lifeline, Ace Combat 04: Shattered Skies.
- ↑ Invincible Fleet, Ace Combat 04: Shattered Skies.
- ↑ Shattered Skies, Ace Combat 04: Shattered Skies.
- ↑ Stonehenge Offensive, Ace Combat 04: Shattered Skies.
- ↑ Emancipation, Ace Combat 04: Shattered Skies.
- ↑ Siege of Farbanti, Ace Combat 04: Shattered Skies.
- ↑ Megalith, Ace Combat 04: Shattered Skies.
- ↑ Arcade Mode, Ace Combat 5: The Unsung War.
- ↑ Directory, Front Line: Air Power.