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Acepedia
For the drones that support the QFA-44 Carmilla, see MQ-90L.

"Damn, I'm out of Malgebolgs. This is where I get serious."
Ilya Pasternak

The UAV-45,[1] more commonly referred to as Malgebolg[2] or Malebolge,[3] was an unmanned combat aircraft developed by Albastru-Electrice, a leading Estovakian weapons manufacturing firm.[4] They were designed to support the CFA-44 Nosferatu in large numbers.[2]

Etymology[]

Malebolge (roughly meaning "evil ditches") is the term Dante Aligheri used in his Inferno to refer to the eighth circle of hell, represented by a series of trenches. Dante and his guide, Virgil, attempt to cross the area by using bridges, but many of them are collapsed. This is mirrored in-game with the collapse of the King's Bridge.

In relation to the aircraft being a remote-controlled drone, Malbolge is also the name of a very complicated programming language.

Design[]

UAV-45 Malebolge Flyby
UAV-45 Malgebolg

UAV-45s have an incredibly small airframe 3.1 m (10 ft)[1] long, which is equipped with variable sweep wings, twin vertical stabilizers, and a top-mounted air intake. They bear a slight resemblance to the ADF-01 FALKEN. Their weaponry is limited to a single triple-barreled rotary machine gun, since they are too small to carry missiles; likewise, they have very little armor. Individually, one UAV-45 is highly vulnerable to enemy attack.[2]

However, the lack of offensive and defensive power is compensated by the fact that UAV-45s are deployed by the dozens, easily swarming enemy fighters. They also have high maneuverability, able to perform post-stall maneuvers that defy the laws of aerodynamics and physics.[2] Their primary purpose is to act as 'pickets' for the CFA-44; due to their networking capabilities, the CFA-44 can obtain targeting information and threat data from a UAV-45 and respond with the appropriate weaponry. They can also mimic the CFA-44's radar reflection, effectively acting as decoys.[5]

The CFA-44 Nosferatu has a "master unit" that controls the UAV-45s. This control unit is highly vulnerable to combat damage suffered directly by the CFA-44; consistent damage could cause a temporary loss of functionality or a self-destruct command to activate on some of the drones. If the master unit completely fails or is entirely destroyed, all remaining UAV-45s self-destruct.[2] They are also capable of being folded up and stored in a CFA-44's internal weapons bays for long-range deployments[5], while three can be carried on each of the CFA-44's four external pylons.[1]

History[]

In June 2005, Albastru-Electrice began developing the CFA-44 Nosferatu as an airborne arsenal ship intended to work in tandem with numerous Malebolge UAV-45s.[4] It is presumed development of the drones started alongside the CFA-44. While attempts to equip the Malebolge with an electron beam system to reduce weight and increase efficiency failed, the UAV-45 successfully completed development.[5]

Their only known combat deployment was during Operation Free Gracemeria, when a massive swarm of UAV-45s was utilized by Ilya Pasternak as he used a CFA-44 to attempt to hold off the Republic of Emmeria Air Force. All of the Malebolges present were destroyed by Garuda Team and other Emmerian squadrons.[2]

References[]

https://youtu.be/VfHVUKwuAFI

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