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Knowing this, David narrowed the ''Alicorn''{{'}}s possible routes by comparing routes through Osea and its allies' underwater sound surveillance networks and routes feasible to get to firing range by the 19th. David once again correctly surmised that the ''Alicorn''{{'}}s only possible route was to move along the Azalea Seamount chain, an underwater mountain range. By the 14th, it would arrive in an area of the [[Spring Sea]] known as PX80443. However, if it got much further, it would arrive at the Peony Trench, a deep abyss where the sub could feasibly reach its max operating depth of 600 meters, far too deep for any attack to reach it. |
Knowing this, David narrowed the ''Alicorn''{{'}}s possible routes by comparing routes through Osea and its allies' underwater sound surveillance networks and routes feasible to get to firing range by the 19th. David once again correctly surmised that the ''Alicorn''{{'}}s only possible route was to move along the Azalea Seamount chain, an underwater mountain range. By the 14th, it would arrive in an area of the [[Spring Sea]] known as PX80443. However, if it got much further, it would arrive at the Peony Trench, a deep abyss where the sub could feasibly reach its max operating depth of 600 meters, far too deep for any attack to reach it. |
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| − | [[Wiseman]] and David subsequently organized an operation to sink the submarine once and for all. The plan was for multiple patrol aircraft to drop sonobuoys across the entire operation airspace, forming a sonobuoy net. The patrol aircraft would analyze the data from the sonobuoys, pinpointing the ''Alicorn''{{'}}s likely location. [[Trigger]] would search for the ''Alicorn'' underwater using an onboard Magnetic Anomaly Detector (MAD) to pinpoint its exact location. Using coordinates from the MAD and sonobuoys, four ships from the [[Osean Maritime Defense Force|Osean Navy]] would commence a unified attack with {{Wp| |
+ | [[Wiseman]] and David subsequently organized an operation to sink the submarine once and for all. The plan was for multiple patrol aircraft to drop sonobuoys across the entire operation airspace, forming a sonobuoy net. The patrol aircraft would analyze the data from the sonobuoys, pinpointing the ''Alicorn''{{'}}s likely location. [[Trigger]] would search for the ''Alicorn'' underwater using an onboard Magnetic Anomaly Detector (MAD) to pinpoint its exact location. Using coordinates from the MAD and sonobuoys, four ships from the [[Osean Maritime Defense Force|Osean Navy]] would commence a unified attack with {{Wp|RUM-139 ASROC|VL-ASROC}} anti-submarine missiles to sink the ''Alicorn''. One final mystery that nagged David was that even while GPS was non-functional, the ''Alicorn'' would still need terminal guidance to achieve its intended casualties.<ref name="AC7-SP03"/> |
==Battle== |
==Battle== |
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Revision as of 00:21, 13 July 2020
Operation Fisherman was an Osean operation during the Lighthouse War which aimed to sink the rogue Erusean submarine Alicorn[2]. Those aligned with Captain Matias Torres referred to their plan to launch a nuclear shell at Oured as the Plan to Save Ten Million Lives.[1]
Prelude
On September 4, 2019, the Alicorn betrayed the Erusean military and went rogue, under Captain Torres's desire to nuke Oured.[3] On the 10th, the Alicorn successfully obtained two tactical nuclear shells for their large rail cannon from the port of Anchorhead, after trapping the Oseans in a gambit to rid them of the Erusean forces stationed at the port.[1]
Desperate to stop the submarine, the Erusean military transmitted the specs of the super-sub to the Oseans, revealing that the sub had a powerful 600 millimeter/128 caliber rail cannon on board. David North relayed this information to the Long Range Strategic Strike Group. David also correctly deduced that the submarine would launch its nukes on September 19th. The plan of its captain, after all, was to kill one million people, and the best way to do that was to fire on a day like the 19th, where anti-war demonstrations and victory parades of those celebrating the end of the Usean Continental War were in full swing in the Osean capital Oured, which would maximize casualties inflicted by the Alicorn's attack.
Knowing this, David narrowed the Alicorn's possible routes by comparing routes through Osea and its allies' underwater sound surveillance networks and routes feasible to get to firing range by the 19th. David once again correctly surmised that the Alicorn's only possible route was to move along the Azalea Seamount chain, an underwater mountain range. By the 14th, it would arrive in an area of the Spring Sea known as PX80443. However, if it got much further, it would arrive at the Peony Trench, a deep abyss where the sub could feasibly reach its max operating depth of 600 meters, far too deep for any attack to reach it.
Wiseman and David subsequently organized an operation to sink the submarine once and for all. The plan was for multiple patrol aircraft to drop sonobuoys across the entire operation airspace, forming a sonobuoy net. The patrol aircraft would analyze the data from the sonobuoys, pinpointing the Alicorn's likely location. Trigger would search for the Alicorn underwater using an onboard Magnetic Anomaly Detector (MAD) to pinpoint its exact location. Using coordinates from the MAD and sonobuoys, four ships from the Osean Navy would commence a unified attack with VL-ASROC anti-submarine missiles to sink the Alicorn. One final mystery that nagged David was that even while GPS was non-functional, the Alicorn would still need terminal guidance to achieve its intended casualties.[2]
Battle
At 1743 hours, the LRSSG, minus Wiseman and Fencer, deployed alongside the Specter Squadron and the naval fleet in PX80443 airspace. The patrol craft began to drop the sonobuoys across the area of operations, however multiple SLUAVs and aircraft operated by the Alicorn's air wing were deployed to prevent the LRSSG and the ASW craft from finding the Alicorn. However, they were all shot down by the LRSSG, preventing further casualties. As they engaged the Alicorn's aircraft, David contacted them, informing them of a scuffle between two groups of demonstrators, noting that there were advertising drones flying above the crowd, but abruptly hung up on them after telling them that he hadn't solved the mystery of the Alicorn's terminal guidance. Once the ASW craft deployed all their sonobuoys, Trigger activated the MAD within the search area. As they centered in on its actual location, the Alicorn deployed special jammers mounted on buoys that interfered with the MAD's signal transmission, forcing the LRSSG to destroy the buoys one by one. However, the jamming buoys generated huge underwater explosions once destroyed, providing ample underwater noise for the Alicorn to use as cover while making a break for the Peony Trench. Once the jammers were destroyed and the MAD was able to track again, Trigger located the Alicorn, and the naval fleet launched their ASROCS, damaging the Alicorn's ballast tanks and forcing it to surface.
As it surfaced, the Alicorn activated all its anti-aircraft weapons and railguns, and fired directly at the naval fleet, heavily damaging or sinking the majority of the deployed ships and engaging the LRSSG. As the battle ensued, the Alicorn momentarily submerged, deploying Rafales and SLUAVs until the ASW craft would locate it, and it surfaced once again. To prevent any further damage, the Alicorn deployed special barrier drones, which utilized a small electromagnetic barrier similar to the Arsenal Bird's APS, preventing a majority of attacks from the LRSSG from connecting with the sub. As the LRSSG continued to attack, David contacted them once more, informing them that he had realized that the advertising drones were secretly providing terminal guidance for the Alicorn. He proceeded to make a call to the nearest Osean Air Force base, requesting they jam the entire airspace with their electronic warfare aircraft. Trigger attacked the Alicorn's ballast tanks, preventing it from being able to submerge. With the Alicorn no longer able to submerge and heavily damaged, Captain Torres attempted one final gambit.
Torres broadcasted on an open channel to the Osean forces announcing that he and his crew would surrender, and had initiated preparations to be disarmed. This would prevent the LRSSG from attacking and sinking the Alicorn, as doing so would be a violation of international law. David opened communications with Torres, informing him that they had jammed his terminal guidance system, and that his shot would miss. Torres, in turn, told David of his days with the Erusean navy, telling him the story of when he hit an enemy ship 30 kilometers away in the middle of a storm during the Usean coup d'état as a gunnery officer aboard the destroyer Herne. Torres then launched barrier drones between him and the Oseans, and proceeded to deploy the Alicorn's rail cannon, revealing his true colors - he never intended to surrender, merely to create a situation where he couldn't legally be attacked while he prepared to fire. Disobeying orders from AWACS Long Caster, Trigger wove through the barrier drone swarm and managed to strike the barrel of the rail cannon, adjusting its firing angle by just a few degrees, causing it to miss the target.
Furious, Torres ordered the crew to reload the rail cannon and fire again. In a final assault under direct orders from Wiseman, the LRSSG attacked the Alicorn, whose crew was making a defiant last stand with all remaining weaponry. With the Alicorn's fire control systems damaged and unable to manually raise the elevation of the rail cannon barrel, Torres ordered the flooding of the aft trim tanks, causing the boat to sink aft first, however this would also give the cannon the elevation it needed to hit home. Before the cannon could be fired, however, Trigger destroyed the base of the rail cannon, causing a chain reaction that ultimately destroyed the Alicorn from the inside, causing multiple explosions across the magazines of the weapon emplacements. This ultimately culminated in a massive explosion amidships caused by an explosion of the rail canno, breaking the sub's hull in two. The Alicorn sank with all hands lost before detonating in a massive explosion, sending a massive geyser of water high into the sky, sending droplets back to earth in a miniature rainstorm. Wiseman declared the mission a success. David gave an inspiring speech about the difference between Captain Torres and Trigger before the LRSSG returned home to New Arrows Air Base.[2]
Aftermath
With the battle a success and the Alicorn no more, the LRSSG returned to base, getting some well-deserved rest... for now. 32 hours later[2], the two squadrons set off for Cape Rainy as part of a mission to capture an Erusean air base.[4] Meanwhile, David North uploaded the data he had gathered on Trigger's flight style to Alex, and the AI realized a curious element of the operations Trigger took part in; the percentage of surviving allies remained high whenever Trigger was present, while decreasing severely when he was not. This information convinced North to write a report in favor of Trigger to the Osean president regarding the Alicorn operations.[2]
Gallery
Specter 3 patrolling the Spring Sea
VL-ASROCs parachuting towards the Alicorn
The Alicorn attacking the OMDF fleet, destroying Seagull and Canary
Trigger flies past a Barrier Drone
An activated Barrier Drone, demonstrating the device's APS system
The Alicorn is split in half by a huge explosion
The bisected wreckage of the Alicorn sinking
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 SP Mission 02: "Anchorhead Raid", Ace Combat 7: Skies Unknown.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 2.4 2.5 SP Mission 03: "Ten Million Relief Plan", Ace Combat 7: Skies Unknown.
- ↑ SP Mission 01: "Unexpected Visitor", Ace Combat 7: Skies Unknown.
- ↑ Mission 14: "Cape Rainy Assault", Ace Combat 7: Skies Unknown.