The Fenrir (フェンリア Fenria) is a fictional fighter aircraft featured in Ace Combat X: Skies of Deception and Ace Combat: Joint Assault. Built by the Democratic Republic of Leasath, the Fenrir is a prototype fighter jet that employs cutting-edge flight technology, such as heat-tracking plasma weaponry and digital camouflage technology. A particularly futuristic design, the Fenrir is the reason behind Leasath's invasion of Aurelia, and the driving force behind the events of Skies of Deception.
Under the player's control, the Fenrir boasts a combination of varied special weapons and high performance, allowing it to confront any threat without breaking a sweat. The Fenrir's arsenal includes the Long-range Shock Wave Missile (LSWM), a miniaturized Shock Wave Ballistic Missile designed for aircraft use which allows the Fenrir to devastate enemy forces within seconds.
Operational History
Inception
In 2018, a massive civil war broke out within Leasath, which only came to an end the year after with the intervention of the commander Diego Gaspar Navarro, who succeeded in reuniting the splintered Leasath and became dictator of the country in the post-war era. During the couse of the war, Diego used the financial aid provided by the southern Federal Republic of Aurelia to fund the development of the Fenrir and the Gleipnir heavy command cruiser, the former of which he planned to mass-produce.
A year after the war ended, Navarro began convincing the people of his country that Aurelia was responsible for the civil war, and with their backing, invaded Aurelia in 2020, with his true motive being to sell weapons and generate funds for the Fenrir project.
Events in Aurelia
The weapons created by Leasath saw combat from the beginning of the war, with the Gleipnir spearheading the assault on Aurelia and causing severe damage to the Aurelian military with its advanced technologies, nearly causing their annihilation after the fall of Aubrey Air Force Base. However, the survivors retreated and organized a resistance movement, slowly gaining ground and overcoming the Leasathian armed forces. Their counter-offensive came to a head during the invasion of Santa Elva where the ace Gryphus One fought and destroyed the Gleipnir in combat, which became a symbolic moment of the war. A considerable amount of battle data was acquired during the battle, which was secured by the Leasath military.
In December of that same year, when the Leasath army had been defeated and expelled from the Aurelian homeland, two large combat formations were discovered by the Aurelian army, one of which was a massive naval armada and the other being an equally large aircraft formation, escorting the elite Alect Squadron.
The final battle between the Gryphus 1 and the Leasath military took place in the last Leasathian stronghold, Archelon Fortress. The Fenrir, piloted by Leasath's elite Alect Squadron, were scrambled to intercept the approaching Gryphus and Aquila squadrons. The threat was too high to assault head on, and to at least have a chance of destroying the Fenrirs, the Aurelian military sent a fleet to destroy the electrical facility needed by the Fenrir to power its optical camouflage. The navy's attempt to destroy the facility was a success and Gryphus 1 destroyed every Fenrir which took off from the fortress.
I
Leasathian citizens destroying the Fenrir model within Alendai
n an alternate scenario, if the player chose to engage the Alect Squadron in Operation Alect Squadron, the HPM weapon will be shipped to Archelon Fortress, forcing the player to fight the full-powered version of Fenrir in Operation End of Deception I, with intact DOS, yet piloted by inferior pilots. After all Fenrirs were destroyed, Archelon's base commander decided to activate the base's Shock Cannon as a last resort, with a complete disregard for the lives of any airborne Leasath pilots. However, the Shock Cannon was destroyed, and the battle ended. In the ocean below, groups of Leasath reporters watched the action on small boats, broadcasting Leasath's last stand in live television. Meanwhile, back at Leasath's capital of Alendai, Navarro himself was leading a convention within the city's megastadium, showing the Fenrir's combat capabilities. As the images of Archelon Fortress engulfed in flames appeared in the screen, the Leasathian citizens, now filled with rage, started a riot within Alendai. In the end, everything inside the stadium was destroyed, wiith Diego being nowhere to be seen.
The fate of Fenrir after the war is uncertain, although it can be presumed that Aurelian forces secured confidential documents concerning the aircraft's development during the Archelon Fortress assault.
Design
The Fenrir was built sometime during the Leasathian Civil War and is the very reason for Leasath's invasion of Aurelia because of the massive funds needed to continue the creation of the Fenrir. Due to the massive funds needed only 5 were ever recorded to be built to the original planning. The technology used was heavily based on the battle data from Leasath's flying fortress, the Gleipnir. The Fenrir is equipped with Digital Optical Stealth (DOS), allowing it to cloak itself when prompted, and a High-Power Microwave weapon (HPM) that fires a slow-moving ball of plasma which tracks its target, however, its accuracy is greatly reduced if it lacks satellite support. Like all super-fighters, the Fenrir is a multi-role aircraft.
In the Ace Combat X version, it is speculated that under optimal conditions the Fenrir can reach speeds approaching Mach 2.4 (2,535 km/h) at sea level and Mach 4.0+ (4100 km/h) at operational ceiling. It uses a smaller, more portable version of the Gleipnir's Shock Wave Ballistic Missile (SWBM), called the Long-range Shock Wave Missile (LSWM) and it is equipped with unique twin 30mm Gatling Cannons which are the most powerful and accurate in Ace Combat X. Fenrir is also the only super-fighter in the recorded history of the Ace Combat series to use DOS, which renders the aircraft almost invisible to pilots and conventional radar systems. The only way to spot a "cloaked" aircraft is to know its general location in the sky and keep a sharp eye open for the transparent orange color of the DOS and the characteristic waves that ripple across its surface. The optical camouflage on Fenrir was developed from the Gleipnir's version, therefore will cease functioning when sustain heavy damage (e.g. gets hit by at least two standard missiles). Fenrir also uses the HPM, a weapon which further enhance its already superior capabilities. HPM works like this: Fenrir and Archelon Fortress emit invisible microwave beams (also referred to as the plasma). The two beams interfere with each other, thus causing any fuel caught in between to heat up and detonate. The three engine nozzles have limited thrust vectoring, but the center nozzle is able to rotate 90 degrees downward, suggesting the Fenrir has V/STOL capabilities.
The Fenrir can link with and use battle data from the Gleipnir, which gives the aircraft and its pilot an edge when fighting adversaries. The Connection for Flight Interface (COFFIN) system used in the YR-99 Forneus, YR-302 Fregata and ADF-01A/F FALKEN is also installed giving the pilot a distinctive edge in control and reaction times during combat, albeit it has a slightly different outward appearance from that on the previously mentioned aircraft. Fenrir is the only fighter in the game that has its own electronic countermeasure system (Fenrir ECMS) that interferes with lock-on capabilities of other aircraft, making it the most powerful and safest aircraft to be used not only in Ace Combat X, but probably in the entire Ace Combat series.
Ace Combat X: Skies of Deception
- "An advanced fighter developed using tactical battle data gathered on the Gleipnir."
- ― Menu description.
The Fenrir is an original fighter aircraft introduced in Ace Combat X: Skies of Deception. Manufactured by the Republic of Leasath, it is a major plot point in the second half of the game's campaign. It is the main enemy faced in the missions "End of Deception I" and "End of Deception II".
The playable version of the Fenrir is unlocked upon finishing a playthrough of the campaign, then finishing a second run in Ace difficulty. It is an unusually large aircraft with all-round near-perfect statistics, possessing extremely high capabilities. It has maximum speed, Air-to-Ground and Air-to-Air parameters, and has marginally lower mobility and stability. In addition, it has very durable armor.
The aircraft is compatible with a small variety of multi-purpose weapons; it can equip the XMAA for dogfighting purposes, or the Long-Range Air-to-Ship Missile for ground assault duties. Its main special weapon, however, is the Long-range Shock Wave Missile (LSWM), a down-sized version of the Shock Wave Ballistic Missile used by the Gleipnir, which has extremely high power and an immense blast radius, whose power is offset by its two-shot payload. It carries 50 standard missiles, two less than the F-4E Phantom II.
Aces
- Alect Squadron
- Gryphus 1
Colors
- Aurelia: Plain gray.
- Leasath: Solid black paintjob, used by Alect Squadron. Available upon unlocking all available paint schemes.
- Special 1: Dark blue. Unlocked by S-ranking Operation X in Ace difficulty.
- Special 2: Desert brown with gray nose and body trim. Fill the aircraft's Kill Bar to unlock.
Model gallery
- Fenrir 5 views by fighterman35-d2y1hgd.jpg
Game file model.
- Fenrir 3.png
Upper view.
- Fenrir 8.png
Undercarriage view.
- Fenrir 5.png
Frontal view.
- Fenrir 1.png
Rear view.
- ACX Fenrir Hangar.png
The Fenrir in the hangar menu.
The aircraft's cockpit.
Paint scheme gallery
- ACE-X Fenrir Color 1.png
Aurelia.
- ACE-X Fenrir Color 2.png
Leasath.
- ACE-X Fenrir Color 3.png
Special 1.
- ACE-X Fenrir Color 4.png
Special 2.
Ace Combat: Joint Assault
- "A special attacker with mysterious capabilities and amazing maneuverability."
- ― Menu description.
The Fenrir makes a return in Ace Combat: Joint Assault, along with the other original aircraft introduced in Ace Combat X. It is relegated to a minor role in the game, and is only encountered as an enemy in the special mission "Operation X", in which an ace-type enemy called "Dandelion" can be fought.
It is unlocked for player use once the player completes mission 21A, "Reprisal" in Ace difficulty, and costs 824,000$ credits to purchase. As with other available original planes. the Fenrir's statistics are largely reduced, downgrading it from a near-perfect combatant to a rather average fighter.
All parameters are reduced to levels around 60% or 70%, the highest of which is Speed. Nevertheless, the inclusion of the Tuning system allows the player to customize the aircraft's parameters, and potentially return its performance to Skies of Deception levels.
The Fenrir retains its original weapons arsenal, which is enhanced with the addition of several new weapons. A newly available weapon in this game is the SFFS (Self-Forging Fragment Submunitions) air-to-ground missile, which allows one to strike numerous targets over a wide area. As well, it can be outfitted with a variety of standard missile sub-types.
Paint schemes
- C01: Plain white.
- C02: Alect Squadron black paint scheme.
- C03: Steel blue.
- C04: Desert brown with gray nose and trim.
- C05: "GOD EATER" paint scheme. Crimson body, dark red trim and Fenrir organization emblem in upper midsection.
- C06: Oceanic blue with gray nose, wingtips, canopy and engines.
Aces
- Dandelion
- Burst Fenrir.jpg
A Fenrir in "God Eater" colors.
- ACJA Fenrir Tokyo.jpg
The Fenrir over Tokyo.
Hangar view.
Trivia
- The aircraft is named after Fenris, a mythical wolf from Norse mythology and the son of Loki. Odin's son, Vioarr, slays Fenris in battle. This fact is referenced in the Ace Combat X medal "The Mark of Vioarr", earned by finishing either final mission.
- The Fenrir bears an uncanny resemblance to the Super Sylph B-503 from Sentō Yōsei Yukikaze. This similarity is specially notable in the design of the wings and the mouth-like protrusion beneath the Fenrir's nose.
- The hologram of the Fenrir in the cockpit always faces north no matter which direction the aircraft faces, suggesting it is meant to act as a compass. However, in Ace Combat: Joint Assault, the hologram no longer rotates. It is unknown if this is a glitch or if it was done on purpose by Project Aces.
- In the mission End of Deception one of the pilots from the Aquila squadron said the Fenrir suddenly stopped in mid air, suggesting it has VTOL capabilities. This was supported because the Fenrir has three engines and when it slows down, the middle engine points its exhaust downward, similar to an AV-8B Harrier II's thrust vectoring nozzles.
- A franchise made by Namco Bandai, "God Eater", features an organization called "Fenrir", sharing its name with the Ace Combat aircraft. Fittingly enough, the Fenrir has an unlockable God Eater-themed collaboration livery in Joint Assault.