Arkbird: Wikis

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The Arkbird is a giant superweapon from the Playstation 2 video game Ace Combat 5.

Design and Purpose

Designed and built by the country of Osea from cuts in the country's defense budget by anti-war President Vincent Harling, the Arkbird was intended as a first step in construction of a joint project to produce an International Space Station with fellow superpower Yuktobania.

It is unknown how the Arkbird was built or how they managed to move such a sizable mass into the upper atmosphere without compromising structural integrity, however the Arkbird makes use of advanced engine technology such as stable fueled rocket booster and combined cycle engines which can presumably safely carry the necessary fuels in space for a prolonged period of time <ref>After the Arkird was launched it only uses its main engines once in the mission White Bird Part II</ref>.

The primary function of the Arkbird was to hold Osean and Yuktobanian astronauts who would work on the Space station project as well as recive supplies and construction parts from its sister project the SSTO (Single Stage To Orbit) vehicle and its Mass driver based at Basset Space Center on the south west coast of Osea.

Reassignment

After the Belkan provoked outbreak of war between Osea and Yuktobania, President Harling approved the plans to utilise the Arkbird as a superweapon by adding a pinpoint laser (which also may have been based on technology utlizied by Belka <ref>See Excalibur similarities from Ace Combat Zero</ref> to its underside where it can target (with the aid of a recon plane and AWACS) and shoot down conventional cruise and advanced burst missiles from enemy Yuktobanian Scinfaxi-class submersible aircraft carriers fired both at itself and the ground below it, thus putting heavy restrictions on the Scinfaxi-class deployment as well as preform pin point strikes on ground targets.

After the lasers successful launch and fitting onto the Arkbird, the weapon is not seen in use until a naval attack by the Yuktobanians on Osea's first line of defence: Sand Island Airbase. During this battle, it becomes known that the fleet is escorted by no less than the Scinfaxi itself, which fires its Long Range Burst Missiles against the Osean fighters. The Arkbird uses its laser to fire a pinpoint shot that destroys the Burst Missile. A second attempt by the Scinfaxi also ends with the vaporisation of the missile. The Yuktobanians are terrified by the beam of light ripping down from orbit, but the Scinfaxi counters by launching multiple warheads. The Arkbird with its single laser, cannot hit all the missiles at once, and many Osean planes are lost. However, after continued fighting, Arkbird locates the Scinfaxi and forces it to surface by firing upon it. With the help of Wardog squadron, the Scinfaxi is obliterated.

Enemies in the shadow

Later, the Arkbird's power generators are destroyed by a sabotaged shipment sent up by the Basset Mass driver. This, secretly, is how the Belkans take control of it. The Arkbird is not heard of again for some time, until much later in the game when it is realised (through an intercepted transmission) that the Arkbird is indeed fully operational and about to commit a nuclear drop upon the Yuktobanian city Ochtabursk. By this time, Wardog squadron and many of their allies have realised that the Belkans started this war to pit the two countries of Osea and Yuktobania against each other as revenge for their defeat in the Belkan War.

In an effort to prevent a further escalation of the war the player controlled sqaudron intercepts the Arkbird after the Osean astronaut aboard the huge spacecraft triggers its flaps to deploy slowing it down and causing it to drop into the lower atmosphere leaving it vulnerable to attack. The astronaut ejects before he can be captured however.

It becomes clear that the Belkan saboteurs have further modified the Arkbird, installing another laser atop the vechile for spot AA defense as well as several launchers for Belka UAV Vogels and conventional AA defense. Despite attacks from both laser cannons and the UAVs, the Arkbird cannot destroy the fighters, and uses its low altitude to make a course correction with the intent of detonating its nuclear weapon above Osea followed by the self-destruction of the Arkbird itself causing massive civilian losses.

After its Rocket booster and combined cycle engines are destroyed, the Arkbird once more attempts to enter orbit with its remaining engine. When that engine is also destroyed, The Arkbird plunges into the Ocean taking its final weapon with it.

Trivia

The Arkbird's shape and colour are a possible refrence to the story of Noah, more accuratly, the Arkbird symbolises the White Dove of peace. Of course the irony is, it was used for war not peace as intended.

Both the Arkbird and its laser cannon are probably re-purposed Belkan technology from Ace Combat Zero

The UAVs the Arkbird deploys are called 'Vogels' which is German for 'Birds'

The Arkbird was originally designed to work on the Space Station project, which would probably convert the now obsolete SOLG (Satellite Orbital Liner Gun) as an already existing sizeable mass in space for the start into the station itself <ref>See AC5 cutscene 'Sea of Chaos' "The Arkbird was born partly to resurrect that dreadful star"</ref>