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"It was so enormous that its wings tore the clouds apart."
― "Mr. Allen", The Aerial Fleet

The P-1112 Aigaion, also known as the "Great Shadow",[2] was an Aigaion-class heavy command cruiser created by the Eastern Faction during the Estovakian Civil War. The Aigaion later played a key role in Estovakia's initial success during the Emmeria-Estovakia War. Prior to its destruction, the P-1112 Aigaion served as the flagship of the Aerial Fleet, as well as the base of operations for Strigon Team.[3]

History[]

Creation[]

The P-1112 was conceived sometime in the early 21st century by Estovakian supreme commander Gustav Dvornik in his time as leader of the Eastern Faction in the Estovakian Civil War. Dvornik envisioned an "Aerial Fleet Initiative", a combat strategy designed to control large portions of Anea with the use of aerial launched aircraft and cruise missiles.[4]

Sometime during the Estovakian Civil War, General Dvornik was provided with heavy command cruiser technology brought by defecting engineers and war exiles of the Principality of Belka after the Belkan War. Among them was Lorenz Riedel, a former member of the elite Gault Team.[5]

By April 2012, the development of the "Aerial Fleet Initiative" was at a standstill. As a result, FRONT LINE military analysts suggested that Estovakia may be interested in purchasing the submarine Alicorn from Yuktobania instead. However, by December 2012, Estovakia continued its development of the P-1112 Aigaion and the submarine was instead purchased by the Kingdom of Erusea.[6]

As the flagship of the new Aerial Fleet, the Aigaion was used to great effect by its creators. It was first deployed against the Lyes United Front on January 15, 2013, and later played a key role in winning the final battle of the war near the Emmerian border on October 29.[7] During the battle, General Lyes was killed, resulting in the Eastern Faction ultimately winning the Estovakian Civil War.[7]

The cruiser was sighted over Estovakia by a Yuktobanian reconnaissance satellite in April 2015, and was tracked for three days before it vanished in the northeast of the country near an oil drilling facility controlled by the Eastern Faction, which became its main refueling site.[4]

Emmeria-Estovakia War[]

In the latter half of 2015, the Aigaion became the central asset of the Estovakian Forces in the Emmeria-Estovakia War. The cruiser was involved in the initial Invasion of Gracemeria, where it bombarded the Emmerian armed forces with Nimbus cruise missiles, forcing most of them to retreat after sustaining heavy casualties. From that point, it became the main base of operations of the Strigon Team. The Emmerian forces attempted to retake Gracemeria a total of four times, although these would all be repelled due to a combined defensive umbrella which included the Aigaion, Strigon Team and South Sea Fleet. The Aigaion later helped capture San Loma in September and forced Emmerian forces to retreat throughout November.[7]

After these events, the plane was not involved in further attacks against Emmerian forces until February 2016, when it carried out Nimbus missile attacks on a large force of Emmerian troops and fighters moving through the Selumna Peaks. The Emmerian forces endured severe losses and destroyed the Marker Drones used for the missile attacks.[8] Later on, it carried out Nimbus attacks on Emmerian forces during the San Loma Assault, but unsuccessful.[9]

Intelligence gathered by the Emmerian Department of National Safety allowed Emmeria to discovery the Aigaion's weakness and how it operates. This ultimately lead the Republic of Emmeria Air Force to ambush the Aerial Fleet over the Glava Islands on February 20. Taking advantage of the fact that its radar system was temporarily disabled during the mid-flight refueling operations, Garuda Team and allied air units attacked the Aigaion, severely damaging it and wiping out its escorts. The weakened Aigaion attempted to flee the combat zone, only to be struck in the cockpit by Talisman of Garuda Team. Having lost all control, the cruiser fell into the ocean, breaking apart midship.[10]

Design[]

P-1112 Aigaion Top View

Top view

As a heavy command cruiser, the P-1112 was designed to act as a mobile base and long-range attack asset, a major improvement from the XB-0 Hresvelgr built by the former Belka. Physically resembling a giant manta ray, the girth of the Aigaion forces it to operate as a seaplane, as conventional take-off would be impossible. The aircraft houses an internal hangar bay with CATOBAR systems accommodated for carrier aircraft operations, such as Su-33 Flanker-Ds and CFA-44 Nosferatus.[11] A small helipad rests on top of the rear hangar entrance.

The main weapons of the Aigaion, the Nimbus cruise missiles, allow it to engage aerial and ground targets at near-continental ranges, and is armed with an array of anti-air cannons, AAM launchers and flak guns dotted across the lower, upper and rear fuselage. It is powered by a fossil fuel core built beneath the main canopy, above its "mouth", which propel twenty-four engines arranged in rows of six on its trailing edges, allowing it to operate for three day periods before refueling. A squadron of six KC-10 Extender tankers are required to simultaneously refuel it in mid-air, a process that disables its forward radar.

Due to its massive size the Aigaion cannot land on conventional runways, but it is possible for it to land on water for maintenance under the jurisdiction of the Estovakian Navy.[1]

The command cruiser's specifications are as follows:[1][12]

  • Beam: 963.77 m (3,161.98 ft)
  • Length: 433.3 m (1,421.59 ft)
  • Height: 102.39 m (335.93 ft)

Gallery[]

Trivia[]

  • The Aigaion and her escorts are named after the Hekatonkheires, the hundred-handed giants who were the offspring of Gaia in Greek mythology and fought with the Titans. Aigaion, also known as Briareos, ruled over sea storms and was the offspring of Gaia, the Earth, and Uranus, the Sky. Today the reference exists in the Greek name for the Aegean Sea (Greek: Αιγαίον Πέλαγος).

Footnotes[]

  1. Unneeded Submarine To Be Scrapped states that the Aerial Fleet's development was at a standstill by April 2012, causing Estovakia to potentially consider purchasing the Alicorn. However, by December, Estovakia did not purchase the submarine and in the meantime developed the Aigaion, which was later against the Lyes United Front in October 2013.
  2. The English edition of Aces At War: A History 2019 states that the Aigaion falls under the jurisdiction of the Navy. However, its description from ACES WEB states that it only falls under naval jurisdiction if it lands for maintenance. Due to the possibility of mistranslation, Acepedia displays the information from ACES WEB.

References[]

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