Jilachi Desert

Jilachi Desert
Type	Desert
Location	Central Yuktobania
Coordinates	08°17'36" N, 093°27'59" E 09°13'59" N, 094°34'08" E
Events	Operation Desert Arrow Operation Desert Blitz
Appearances
Ace Combat 5: The Unsung War

"This is it, people ... If our Army wins this showdown of military might, we'll be just a hair away from total victory."

― Colonel Orson Perrault

The Jilachi Desert is a vast desert region located in central Yuktobania, east of Sonza and south of the city of Zakat. During the Circum-Pacific War in late 2010, the desert became the site of a widespread engagement between the Osean and Yuktobanian military.

Geography

The Jilachi Desert encompasses several thousand square-kilometers and is situated near Yuktobania's geographic center, east of the Sonza region and Lake Lyibar. The Jilachi's landscape is predominantly barren and inhospitable; its topography is comprised of sprawling, sun-baked salt flats and vast "oceans" of shifting sand dunes. The arid environment supports little to no vegetation or wildlife, except for the most resilient lifeforms.

The Jilachi's northeastern reaches are sparsely populated by farmers who cultivate the punishing landscape. Although it is unknown which specific crop(s) are produced, the center-pivot irrigation techniques employed there have generated hundreds of striking green medallions across the desert's bleached, sandy terrain. A single highway running west-southeast through the Jilachi's northern region appears to be its primary transportation and shipping route.

The southwestern region is more desolate and nearly impassible due to fine sand and mountainous dunes. The Jilachi's only known body of water, the Semya River, is located in the southern region; the Semya's fertile banks are one of the few places within the Jilachi that supports vegetation. In addition, the southern desert is known to be rich in natural petroleum reserves, which gave Yuktobania an incentive to construct oil-drilling, refining, and storage facilities there at some point in time.

History

Circum-Pacific War

Main article: Jilachi Desert Invasion

On November 25, 2010, the invading Osean Army confronted the Yuktobanian Army's vast defensive line across the Jilachi Desert; the resulting engagement between the two armies was regarded on both sides as a "showdown of military might". The Oseans' offensive consisted of two simultaneous campaigns: Operations Desert Arrow and Desert Blitz.

Operation Desert Arrow

Main article: Operation Desert Arrow

Operation Desert Arrow took place in the Jilachi's northern region. At 1050hrs, an OADF bomber squadron was dispatched to bomb the Yuktobanians' field headquarters, while the Osean Army's 1st Tank Battalion was ordered to capture the nearby airfield to the southwest. During the operation, the Osean tank units were forced to endure the Jilachi's sweltering temperatures. Despite encountering fierce opposition from the Yuktobanian defenders, the operation was ultimately successful, and the Yuktobanians' defensive line in the northern Jilachi Desert collapsed.

Operation Desert Blitz

Main article: Operation Desert Blitz

Operation Desert Blitz took place in the Jilachi's southern region. At 1050hrs, the Osean Army's 2nd Tank Battalion advanced northwest of the Semya River with orders to capture an airfield north of the river, while the 3rd Tank Battalion advanced due west to seize control of a valuable oil-processing facility. In addition to the heat, the Osean tank units contended with the southern Jilachi's sandy terrain, which reduced their tanks' traction and curtailed maneuverability. However, due to close air support from Osean fighters, the tank battalions completed their objectives, and the Yuktobanians' defensive line in the southern Jilachi Desert was overrun.

Gallery

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  A Yuktobanian airbase in the Jilachi Desert