(I removed some things which seemed to be more fanfiction than direct canon. I also wanted to improve some of the article's explanations on stuff like why Ustio was granted independence, the Belkan war itself, and what AWWNB's ideology actually is.) Tags: Visual edit apiedit |
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| + | {{Featured|July 2018}} |
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{{Country |
{{Country |
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| − | | |
+ | | flag = [[File:UstioFlag 1024x768.jpg]] |
| + | | fullname = Republic of Ustio |
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| − | | flag = [[File:UstioFlag 1024x768.jpg|300px]] |
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| − | | |
+ | | type = Republic |
| + | | location = Northeastern [[Osea (continent)|Osea]] |
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| − | | type = Republic |
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| − | | |
+ | | capital = [[Directus]] |
| − | | |
+ | | military = *[[Ustio Air Force]] |
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| − | | location = Southeast of [[Belka]] |
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| + | |map = Ustio Map 2 1.jpg}} |
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| − | | capital = [[Directus]] |
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| + | '''Ustio''', officially known as the '''Republic of Ustio''', is a small landlocked nation located on the [[Osea (continent)|Osean]] continent. It is bordered by [[Belka]] to the north; [[Recta]] and [[Ratio]] to the east; [[Sapin]] to the south; and [[Osea]] to the west. Ustio's capital, [[Directus]], is situated near the center of the nation. |
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| − | | government = Democratic Republic |
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| − | }} |
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| − | '''Ustio''' is a country was ceded by [[Belka]] and became independent. It is the main setting in the game [[Ace Combat Zero]], Ustio plays a large role in the Belkan War of 1995. It appears to be the [[Strangereal]] equivalent of Switzerland, with elements from Poland and France in World War II. |
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| − | It is unclear as to how long the country of Ustio was a territory of the Belkans, but it is certain that it was a relationship in which the ethnic Ustios were considered vassals and subjects by their lofty and domineering Belkan masters. |
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| + | Formerly [[Belka]]n territory, Ustio seceded in May 1988 as a result of the former's [[Belkan economic crisis|ongoing economic crisis]]. The country appears to be largely agrarian, featuring rolling patchworks of farmland and remote towns, such as [[Solis Ortus]], situated in the rugged mountain ranges. Ustio's northern regions are known to be rich in natural resources. As a fledgling nation, Ustio supports a modest military force, which has been known to employ [[Mercenary|mercenaries]] to bolster its numbers. |
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| − | === Forging Ahead (1988 - 1994) === |
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| − | During the [[Belkan economic crisis]] in the aftermath of the [[Belka|Belkan Federation's]] period of heightened military expansion, it was found in the 1988 Federal Law Review that it was in Belka's best interests to stabilize its troubled economy by allowing its eastern territories to secede. Though reluctant, the Belkan government could not afford to ignore its current priority of economic restoration at the time for the maintenance of imperial pride. Along with lands which became part of Recta and Ratio, the Belkans let the country of Ustio go and the Republic Of Ustio was subsequently born. |
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| + | Ustio is the player character's employer in ''[[Ace Combat Zero: The Belkan War]]''. |
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| − | But despite following the recommendations of its federal economists, Belka's misfortunes were not turning around. Matters were made worse when territory along the western edges of South Belka was ceded to and annexed by the growing Osean Federation, creating a vacuum of hatred towards the outside international community by the prideful Belkan people which the fascistic Rald Party exploited in order to rise to power and mobilize the country's industrial strength for a coming battle against the encroaching world. |
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| ⚫ | |||
| − | === [[The Belkan War]] (1995) === |
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| + | ===Pre-20th century=== |
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| − | After it was discovered that there were underground natural resources in Ustio, the Belkan war machine crossed the borders their southeastern neighbor and invaded in 1995. Ustio had managed to piece together a military force from the beginning of the country’s formation, so they were not completely unprepared for this eventuality. The [[Ustian Army|Ustio Military]] was immediately engaged on all fronts by the Belkan military but were overwhelmed. Ustio was existed since it was being engaged on three fronts: north, northwest, and west. Ustio leaders decided to have all of their forces fall back to a central location past their Capital City of [[Directus]] in order to limit the engagements to one front. Their capital was taken by the Belkans and much of their land was taken with it. The [[Ustio Air Force]] had lost almost 90% of their forces and it was decided that Foreign Mercenaries were to be hired in order to make up for their losses. One of these new teams was the [[66th Air Force Unit|66th AFU ‘Galm’ Team]]. |
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| + | [[File:Directus Aerial Shot.jpg|thumb|250px|An aerial view of Ustio's capital, [[Directus]]]] |
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| + | It is unclear how long the Ustian territory was claimed by Belka. However, there is evidence that the ethnic Ustios regarded the Belkans quite unfavorably: by the time Ustio gained its independence, the Ustian citizens were vehemently opposed to any form of Belkan presence in their country.{{Ref|ACZ-M06|[[Diapason]], ''[[Ace Combat Zero: The Belkan War]]''.}} |
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| + | ===Secession and independence (1988)=== |
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| − | As Ustio continued to defend itself, Yuktobania, Osea, Sapin and other countries invited Ustio to join in an anti-Belkan coalition known as the [[Allied Forces]]. Ustio joined and participated in [[Offensive Campaign No. 4101]], after Ustio helped [[Osea]] liberate [[Sapin]]. Soon, Ustio cities like [[Solis Ortus]] were being liberated with the help of Osean paratroopers and Ustio Mercenary Teams. Ustio’s Capital "[[Directus]]", was also eventually liberated. The lands which were taken by Belka were reclaimed and then a final plan to invade Belka and remove its extreme, right-wing regime was put into play. One area which was still under heavy dispute for the resources it had under its soil was air corridor B7R, also known as “The Round Table”. Belka lost air superiority over [[B7R]] and began to prepare for their enemies' advance into their territory. |
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| + | {{Main|Belkan economic crisis}} |
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| + | In the wake of its heightened military expansion during the [[Cold War]], Belka descended into an economic recession.{{Ref|FOLLOW-1991|WORLD / WORLD NEWS / ПОСЛЕДУЙТЕ, [http://acecombat.jp/ace5/top.htm Ace Combat 5 Website]. Retrieved January 9, 2017.}} In December 1987, the Belkan government underwent an internal Federal Law Review with the goal of stabilizing the national economy. This review ultimately resulted in the secession of Belka's eastern territories. On May 12, 1988, the Republic of Ustio officially declared independence and established its new capital in the city of [[Directus]].{{Ref|ACZ-Cut02|Cutscene 02, ''[[Ace Combat Zero: The Belkan War]]''.}} |
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| + | Over the next seven years, Ustio underwent little industrial growth; its economy was largely based on skilled craftsmanship and agriculture.{{Ref|BandaiNamco|2=[http://bandainamcoent.co.jp/cs/list/acecombat-zero/background/ustio.php BACKGROUND, Ace Combat Zero: The Belkan War], [http://bandainamcoent.co.jp Bandai Namco Entertainment (JP)]. Retrieved January 9, 2017.}} Although Directus experienced some development, the country as a whole remained stagnant. This was echoed in the nation's modest military force, which remained relatively insignificant by the mid-1990s. However, sometime in early 1995, vast deposits of valuable natural resources were discovered along Ustio's northwest border with Belka.{{Refcall|ACZ-Cut02}} It is unknown what steps, if any, were undertaken by Ustio to mine and profit from these resources. |
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| − | On one offensive primarily lead by Ustio Forces, the Belkans had opened fire with their Super Weapon known as the “[[Excalibur (Strangereal)|Excalibur]]”. It was destroyed by the 66th AFU Galm team, who up to that time had become known by Forces on each side for their combat effectiveness and actions on battlefield. The Team consisted of “[[Cipher]]”, the flight leader, known as “The Demon Lord” and Galm Two, [[Larry Foulke]] known as "Solo Wing Pixy". The Ustio Forces had showed their value in all of the Operations they had participated in and they had become a lethal military force. They had overcome some of the most intense Belkan fortifications seen throughout the [[Belkan War]] and managed to penetrate the borders of Belka. |
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| − | By this point, the Allied Forces had merged into a single front and were chasing the retreating Belkan Army northward. The Belkans began to grow desperate and their military force was starting to boil down to the most fanatical, die-hard soldiers willing to fight until the end and never surrender. At the battle of [[Hoffnung]], Belka’s second largest industrial city, the Belkan military began a scorched earth campaign where they attempted to destroy every facility that the Allied Forces could possibly use. At the same time, Allied bombers indiscriminately bombed the city, not caring where their bombs landed. The Belkan military and the Belkan people, fearing that their defeat at the hands of the Allied Forces would inevitably lead to the annihilation of their nation as a whole, vowed to fight to bitter end. |
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| + | ====Invasion==== |
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| + | [[File:The Belkan Assault Intensifies.png|thumb|250px|Belkan bombers flying over [[Dinsmark]], the country's capital, during the Belkan War's initial stages]] |
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| + | {{Main|Belkan War|Allied Forces}} |
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| + | On March 25, 1995, Belka invaded Ustio in an effort to acquire the newly found resource deposits for its own benefit. Ustio's nascent military was caught off-guard and quickly overwhelmed by the strength and technological superiority of the [[Belkan Army]] and [[Belkan Air Force|Air Force]]. Within a matter of days, the Belkan Army swept through Ustio, occupied Directus, and controlled a majority of Ustio's territories, except the mountain ranges.{{Refcall|ACZ-Cut02}} |
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| + | Outmatched and unable to counterattack, Ustio's government in exile allied itself with the [[Osea|Osean Federation]] and [[Sapin|Kingdom of Sapin]] to form the Allied Forces and resist the Belkan onslaught. As a result of the modest [[Ustian Army|army]]'s and [[Ustio Air Force|air force]]'s considerable losses during Belka's opening offensive, Ustio resorted to employing mercenary pilots, such as [[Galm Team]], to bolster its numbers and contribute to the coalition.{{Ref|ACZ-M01|[[Glacial Skies]], ''[[Ace Combat Zero: The Belkan War]]''.}} |
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| − | On June 6, 1995 a final offensive operation to invade North Belka was put into motion. Ustio and the other Allied Nations were advancing towards the city of Sudentor, an industrial area at the base of the [[Waldreich Mountains]] which separated North and South Belka. Belkan forces were amassing in Sudentor in preparation for the Allied onslaught. [[Sudentor]] was supposed to be the site of the largest battle of the Belkan War. Alas though, as the Allied Forces were crossing through the Waldreich Mountains surrounding [[Belka]], reports of Belkan Air Force [[BM-335 Lindwurm|bombers]] carrying tactical nuclear weapons and heading for Ustio came in. The combined forces of the [[66th Air Force Unit]], the [[4th Air Force Unit]], and a squadron of [[Belkan separatists|South Belkan separatists]] intercepted the bombers and managed to destroy the group. |
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| + | ====Allied counterattack==== |
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| − | Despite intercepting the bomber wing, the Allied and Separatist planes were unable to prevent the detonation of seven nuclear weapons across the Waldreich Mountains by the main Belkan military, which ended up destroying seven cities before the Northern Gate. Initial reports estimated the death toll of this event to be approximately over 12000, including both Belkan civilians and Allied troops. The Allied Forces ceased all further action against the Belkans and were thus brought to the negotiation table. Soon, a peace treaty in [[Lumen]] was signed; though the articles of the treaty heavily favored Osea, Belka was make do with a provision which stated that no Allied soldier was to enter the holy land of Nord Belka. |
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| + | {{Quote|This [[Route 171|route]] is Ustio's lifeline. I'll get it back.|[[Larry Foulke]]{{Ref|ACZ-M02|[[Annex]], ''[[Ace Combat Zero: The Belkan War]]''.}}}} |
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| + | {{Main|Offensive Campaign No. 4101|Operation Varsity}} |
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| + | After Galm Team prevented a Belkan bomber strike on [[Valais Air Base]] (April 2){{Ref|ACZ-M01|[[Glacial Skies]], ''[[Ace Combat Zero: The Belkan War]]''.}} and secured [[Route 171]] as a transport line (April 15),{{Refcall|ACZ-M02}} the Allied Forces began mounting a counterattack. Ustio's liberation became one of the primary objectives of Offensive Campaign No. 4101, which was the Allies' largest offensive operation to date. The retaking of the [[Futuro Canal]] on April 24 allowed the Allies' naval forces access to the inland [[Great Lakes]],{{Ref|ACZ-M04|[[Juggernaut (ACZ)|Juggernaut]], ''[[Ace Combat Zero: The Belkan War]]''.}} and by mid-May, the Allied armies had advanced into the mountains outside Directus. On May 12—the seventh anniversary of Ustio's independence—the Allied Forces launched an airborne invasion of [[Solis Ortus]] in preparation for an assault on the Ustian capital.{{Ref|ACZ-M05|[[Flicker of Hope]], ''[[Ace Combat Zero: The Belkan War]]''.}} |
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| + | ====Liberation==== |
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| − | Though the war was officially over, many soldiers did not surrender. The 66th AFU was dispatched to destroy these fragmented forces. But unbeknownst to everyone, a force unlike any before or after it, was to rise from the shadows of this supposed official conclusion to the fighting. |
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| + | {{Quote|[[Cipher]], can you hear those people screaming for freedom? That's where we come in!|Larry Foulke{{Refcall|ACZ-M06}}}} |
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| + | {{Main|Operation Constantine}} |
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| + | The following day, May 13, at 1630hrs, Allied and mercenary fighters, including Galm Team, attacked the Belkan occupation forces headquartered in Directus. The city's five administrative wards were eventually freed from Belkan control, and citizens flooded into the streets, ringing the city's bell towers and celebrating their reclaimed freedom.{{Ref|ACZ-M06|[[Diapason]], ''[[Ace Combat Zero: The Belkan War]]''.}} Following the liberation of Directus, the Belkans' hold on Ustio crumbled, and the Allied Forces advanced on all fronts toward the Belkan border.{{Ref|ACZ-Cut03|Cutscene 03, ''[[Ace Combat Zero: The Belkan War]]''.}} |
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| + | ====Nuclear threats==== |
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| − | === A World With No Boundaries (December Of 1995) === |
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| + | {{Main|Operation Ravage}} |
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| − | A radical paramilitary group of wartime revolutionaries from Osea, Yuktobania, Belka and even Ustio known as “[[A World With No Boundaries]] ” (AWWNB) entered the stage. Their ideology is comparable to a form of internationalist anarchism, in which they believed that greed, government, and the very concept of nations were the root of all warfare and perhaps all evil in the world; their solution was to 'reset the clock to zero' by destroying the world order and civilization as it was, then entrusting the future to a new generation to create the borderless, one-world community of peace their organization envisioned. |
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| + | Ustio would be threatened with annihilation when Belka sent a fleet of nuclear-armed bombers towards the country. The Allied Headquarters redirected mercenary squadrons like Galm Team from [[Operation Ravage|another mission]], who then proceeded to shoot down the the bombers and save Ustio in the process. However, this did not prevent Belka from detonating nuclear bombs on their own soil elsewhere.{{Ref|ACZ-M12|[[The Stage of Apocalypse]], ''[[Ace Combat Zero: The Belkan War]]''.}} |
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| + | ===Postwar (1995–present)=== |
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| − | AWWNB had taken over the [[XB-0 Hresvelgr]], a Belkan super-bomber and the world's first technical heavy command cruier and struck [[Lumen]], the city where the peace treaty was signed, then attacked multiple facilities in Ustio on their journey to North Belka. Valais Air Base was one of the Ustio Air Force installations attacked by the XB-0, much of its base defenses and infrastructure suffering critical damage. The Galm Team took off from Valais despite the damaged runway and engaged the XB-0 and its AWWNB escort fighters, quickly destroying it just miles away from the North Belkan border. Days later, after uncovering top secret information, the Allied Forces uncovered the existence of a surprisingly large amount of Belkan nuclear weapons. The Allied Forces moved to destroy AWWNB’s main weapon, the stolen [[V-2 Mass Retaliation Weapon|V-2]] missile at [[Avalon Dam, Belka|Avalon Dam]]. The attack was spearheaded by the UAF Mercenary Team and resulted in the ultimate destruction of the V-2 and “A World With No Boundaries". Almost all Allied Forces pilots were lost in this operation, Galm 1 and AWACS Eagle Eye being the two survivors. The V-2 launch almost succeeded even after Avalon Dam was destroyed when [[Larry Foulke|Galm 2]], who went missing in action during the Nuclear Detonations and joined AWWNB, was controlling the launch of the V-2. [[Cipher|Galm 1]] was forced to fight his old friend and wingman, and after an extended engagement, shot his plane down. |
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| + | Although Ustio had been ravaged by the conflict, it continued to support the Allies with its mercenary forces until the end of 1995.{{Ref|ACZ-M17|[[The Valley of Kings]], ''[[Ace Combat Zero: The Belkan War]]''.}} In the years after the Belkan War, Ustio presumably maintained friendly relations with Osea and Sapin. The Ustian people remain outspokenly proud of their independence, and Directus's bell towers chime every day at sunset to commemorate the city's liberation during the war.{{Ref|ACZ-Cut13|Cutscene 13, ''[[Ace Combat Zero: The Belkan War]]''.}} |
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| + | ==Geography== |
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| − | ===After The Belkan War (1996-Current)=== |
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| + | Ustio is a landlocked nation with varying topography. Mountainous regions along its eastern and southern borders are difficult to traverse, while the nation's central regions feature rolling pastures and farmland, dotted with hills and undeveloped woodlands. Ustio's climate appears to be temperate, apart from the arid desert regions to the north towards the [[Waldreich Mountains]]. The nation's capital, [[Directus]], is situated along the Crescere River{{Ref|ACZ-M06-Brief|Briefing, [[Diapason]], ''[[Ace Combat Zero: The Belkan War]]''.}} in southeastern Ustio. |
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| + | ==Politics== |
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| − | There really is not much information regarding Ustio in the postwar period. It can be said, however, that its people still remain very proud of their independence from foreign rule and occupation. This is evidenced by how the bells of the capital Directus are rung every sunset to commemorate the liberation of the city |
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| + | ===Government=== |
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| + | Apart from being a republic, little is known about the government Ustio established after gaining independence in 1988. However, it is likely that (as a republic) the Ustian citizenry elect their representatives in the federal government. When the Belkan invasion force captured Directus in late March 1995, the Ustian government was forced into exile until the capital's liberation on May 13. It is presumed that Ustio has maintained good relations with its former allies, Osea and Sapin, in the years after the Belkan War. |
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| + | ===Military=== |
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| + | As a young nation, Ustio's military is relatively weak in terms of numbers and outfitting. The nation's military consists of the [[Ustian Army]] and [[Ustio Air Force]], the latter having been known to recruit [[Mercenary|mercenaries]] as a means to bolster its numbers.{{Refcall|ACZ-Cut02}} As a landlocked nation, it is unlikely that Ustio maintains any naval forces. |
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| − | == |
+ | ==Economy== |
| + | Ustio's national economy is largely based on agricultural production and skilled craftsmanship.{{Refcall|BandaiNamco}} There is little evidence of any manufacturing or industrial production within the country. Even after vast deposits of natural resources were discovered in Ustio in the mid-1990s,{{Refcall|ACZ-Cut02}} it is possible that Ustio lacked the means to extract and process them. |
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| − | *'''[[Airspace B7R|Area B7R]]''' - Known to the Belkan military as 'Priority One Strategic Airspace', but known to the pilots who fought in it simply as the '''''Round Table''''', this circle of seemingly unremarkable canyons and crags became the fiercest battle site on the eastern front. Located at the border of the two countries, it is a vital air corridor for both [[Belka]] and Ustio and also an area of valuable natural resources, allowing them access to each other's heart land. Massive dogfights erupted here, and those who came out on top were known as '''The Knights Of The Round Table''': feared and respected by both their enemies and their allies. |
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| − | *'''[[Directus]]''' - The capital of the Republic of Ustio. During the [[Belkan War]], the capital is taken in the first week of hostilities, due to Belka's combined land-air assault. Later on, the capital is liberated with the help of [[Galm Team]]. The city is similar to the city of Bern in Switzerland. |
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| − | *'''[[Solis Ortus]]''' - A town to the southwest of Directus, Solis Ortus was liberated by the Allied forces to create a stepping stone to the Ustio capital, Directus. |
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| − | *'''[[Valais Air Base]]''' - The last stronghold of the Ustio armed forces after the quick fall of their capital to the Belkans. High in the mountains, it seems untouchable by ground forces, but is vulnerable to air raids. It is here the Ustios deploy their new makeshift airforce which includes a large contingent of mercenaries, to make up for the vast losses taken by regular airforce during [[Belka|Belka's]] initial attack. After a failed air raid, the Mercenary Pilots slowly gained momentum on their counter-offensive. The base suffered significant damage during a [[XB-0 Hresvelgr]] air raid, but remains operational. |
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| − | |||
| − | ==Climate== |
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| − | Ustio has an amazingly diverse climate for its small size. Ustio has a mountain belt that runs through the country. This has created alpine and tundra conditions in the south, where the mountain range is. In the north, around B7R, the climate seems more arid, forming the craggy canyons that we see. The capital, [[Directus]], is fairly temperate. |
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| − | ==Armed Forces== |
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| − | *[[Ustio Air Force]] |
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==Gallery== |
==Gallery== |
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<gallery> |
<gallery> |
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| − | Ustio north 690272.jpg| |
+ | Ustio north 690272.jpg|Cloth national flag render |
</gallery> |
</gallery> |
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| − | ==Sources== |
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| − | |||
| − | [[Ace Combat Zero: The Belkan War]] (The Game) |
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| − | |||
| − | [http://z14.invisionfree.com/The_Electrosphere/index.php?showforum=106 PROJECT ACES: ACZ WEBSITE] |
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| + | {{Reflist}} |
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| − | [http://z14.invisionfree.com/The_Electrosphere/index.php?showforum=102 Namco.CH ACZ Website] |
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| + | [[ru:Устио]] |
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[[Category:Ace Combat Zero: The Belkan War]] |
[[Category:Ace Combat Zero: The Belkan War]] |
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[[Category:Belkan War]] |
[[Category:Belkan War]] |
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Revision as of 10:36, 10 July 2020
Ustio, officially known as the Republic of Ustio, is a small landlocked nation located on the Osean continent. It is bordered by Belka to the north; Recta and Ratio to the east; Sapin to the south; and Osea to the west. Ustio's capital, Directus, is situated near the center of the nation.
Formerly Belkan territory, Ustio seceded in May 1988 as a result of the former's ongoing economic crisis. The country appears to be largely agrarian, featuring rolling patchworks of farmland and remote towns, such as Solis Ortus, situated in the rugged mountain ranges. Ustio's northern regions are known to be rich in natural resources. As a fledgling nation, Ustio supports a modest military force, which has been known to employ mercenaries to bolster its numbers.
Ustio is the player character's employer in Ace Combat Zero: The Belkan War.
History
Pre-20th century
An aerial view of Ustio's capital, Directus
It is unclear how long the Ustian territory was claimed by Belka. However, there is evidence that the ethnic Ustios regarded the Belkans quite unfavorably: by the time Ustio gained its independence, the Ustian citizens were vehemently opposed to any form of Belkan presence in their country.[1]
Secession and independence (1988)
In the wake of its heightened military expansion during the Cold War, Belka descended into an economic recession.[2] In December 1987, the Belkan government underwent an internal Federal Law Review with the goal of stabilizing the national economy. This review ultimately resulted in the secession of Belka's eastern territories. On May 12, 1988, the Republic of Ustio officially declared independence and established its new capital in the city of Directus.[3]
Over the next seven years, Ustio underwent little industrial growth; its economy was largely based on skilled craftsmanship and agriculture.[4] Although Directus experienced some development, the country as a whole remained stagnant. This was echoed in the nation's modest military force, which remained relatively insignificant by the mid-1990s. However, sometime in early 1995, vast deposits of valuable natural resources were discovered along Ustio's northwest border with Belka.[3] It is unknown what steps, if any, were undertaken by Ustio to mine and profit from these resources.
Belkan War (1995)
Invasion
Belkan bombers flying over Dinsmark, the country's capital, during the Belkan War's initial stages
On March 25, 1995, Belka invaded Ustio in an effort to acquire the newly found resource deposits for its own benefit. Ustio's nascent military was caught off-guard and quickly overwhelmed by the strength and technological superiority of the Belkan Army and Air Force. Within a matter of days, the Belkan Army swept through Ustio, occupied Directus, and controlled a majority of Ustio's territories, except the mountain ranges.[3]
Outmatched and unable to counterattack, Ustio's government in exile allied itself with the Osean Federation and Kingdom of Sapin to form the Allied Forces and resist the Belkan onslaught. As a result of the modest army's and air force's considerable losses during Belka's opening offensive, Ustio resorted to employing mercenary pilots, such as Galm Team, to bolster its numbers and contribute to the coalition.[5]
Allied counterattack
- "This route is Ustio's lifeline. I'll get it back."
- ― Larry Foulke[6]
After Galm Team prevented a Belkan bomber strike on Valais Air Base (April 2)[5] and secured Route 171 as a transport line (April 15),[6] the Allied Forces began mounting a counterattack. Ustio's liberation became one of the primary objectives of Offensive Campaign No. 4101, which was the Allies' largest offensive operation to date. The retaking of the Futuro Canal on April 24 allowed the Allies' naval forces access to the inland Great Lakes,[7] and by mid-May, the Allied armies had advanced into the mountains outside Directus. On May 12—the seventh anniversary of Ustio's independence—the Allied Forces launched an airborne invasion of Solis Ortus in preparation for an assault on the Ustian capital.[8]
Liberation
The following day, May 13, at 1630hrs, Allied and mercenary fighters, including Galm Team, attacked the Belkan occupation forces headquartered in Directus. The city's five administrative wards were eventually freed from Belkan control, and citizens flooded into the streets, ringing the city's bell towers and celebrating their reclaimed freedom.[1] Following the liberation of Directus, the Belkans' hold on Ustio crumbled, and the Allied Forces advanced on all fronts toward the Belkan border.[9]
Nuclear threats
Ustio would be threatened with annihilation when Belka sent a fleet of nuclear-armed bombers towards the country. The Allied Headquarters redirected mercenary squadrons like Galm Team from another mission, who then proceeded to shoot down the the bombers and save Ustio in the process. However, this did not prevent Belka from detonating nuclear bombs on their own soil elsewhere.[10]
Postwar (1995–present)
Although Ustio had been ravaged by the conflict, it continued to support the Allies with its mercenary forces until the end of 1995.[11] In the years after the Belkan War, Ustio presumably maintained friendly relations with Osea and Sapin. The Ustian people remain outspokenly proud of their independence, and Directus's bell towers chime every day at sunset to commemorate the city's liberation during the war.[12]
Geography
Ustio is a landlocked nation with varying topography. Mountainous regions along its eastern and southern borders are difficult to traverse, while the nation's central regions feature rolling pastures and farmland, dotted with hills and undeveloped woodlands. Ustio's climate appears to be temperate, apart from the arid desert regions to the north towards the Waldreich Mountains. The nation's capital, Directus, is situated along the Crescere River[13] in southeastern Ustio.
Politics
Government
Apart from being a republic, little is known about the government Ustio established after gaining independence in 1988. However, it is likely that (as a republic) the Ustian citizenry elect their representatives in the federal government. When the Belkan invasion force captured Directus in late March 1995, the Ustian government was forced into exile until the capital's liberation on May 13. It is presumed that Ustio has maintained good relations with its former allies, Osea and Sapin, in the years after the Belkan War.
Military
As a young nation, Ustio's military is relatively weak in terms of numbers and outfitting. The nation's military consists of the Ustian Army and Ustio Air Force, the latter having been known to recruit mercenaries as a means to bolster its numbers.[3] As a landlocked nation, it is unlikely that Ustio maintains any naval forces.
Economy
Ustio's national economy is largely based on agricultural production and skilled craftsmanship.[4] There is little evidence of any manufacturing or industrial production within the country. Even after vast deposits of natural resources were discovered in Ustio in the mid-1990s,[3] it is possible that Ustio lacked the means to extract and process them.
Gallery
Cloth national flag render
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 Diapason, Ace Combat Zero: The Belkan War.
- ↑ WORLD / WORLD NEWS / ПОСЛЕДУЙТЕ, Ace Combat 5 Website. Retrieved January 9, 2017.
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 3.4 Cutscene 02, Ace Combat Zero: The Belkan War.
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 BACKGROUND, Ace Combat Zero: The Belkan War, Bandai Namco Entertainment (JP). Retrieved January 9, 2017.
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 Glacial Skies, Ace Combat Zero: The Belkan War.
- ↑ 6.0 6.1 Annex, Ace Combat Zero: The Belkan War.
- ↑ Juggernaut, Ace Combat Zero: The Belkan War.
- ↑ Flicker of Hope, Ace Combat Zero: The Belkan War.
- ↑ Cutscene 03, Ace Combat Zero: The Belkan War.
- ↑ The Stage of Apocalypse, Ace Combat Zero: The Belkan War.
- ↑ The Valley of Kings, Ace Combat Zero: The Belkan War.
- ↑ Cutscene 13, Ace Combat Zero: The Belkan War.
- ↑ Briefing, Diapason, Ace Combat Zero: The Belkan War.