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The Belkan War is the 1995 conflict at the center of Ace Combat Zero: The Belkan War: Belka invades Ustio, and a coalition led by Ustio and Osea fights back. The story turns that political conflict into a pilot’s campaign as the player joins Ustio’s foreign-mercenary Galm Team.
What happened in the Belkan War?
In the fictional world of Strangereal, the war begins on March 25, 1995. Belka’s far-right government invades amid economic hardship, seeking access to natural resources, according to Bandai Namco’s official chronology. Belka’s military advantage lets it advance rapidly into Ustio, a former Belkan territory.
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ACE COMBAT 8: WINGS OF THEVE DELUXE EDITION - PS5 | $89.99 | Buy on Amazon |
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Ace Combat 7: Skies Unknown - PlayStation 4 | $19.76 | Buy on Amazon |
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ACE COMBAT 8: WINGS OF THEVE | Standard Edition | Xbox Series X|S Digital Code | $69.99 | Buy on Amazon |
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Ace Combat 5: The Unsung War | $22.98 | Buy on Amazon |
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PS4 ACE COMBAT 7: SKIES UNKNOWN (US) [video game] | $21.92 | Buy on Amazon |
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Ustio responds by gathering foreign mercenaries and forming an alliance with Osea and other forces. The detailed official chronology records the Ustio–Osea alliance on April 1, the liberation of Ustio’s capital, Directus, on May 13, and restoration of the country to its prewar state the following day. On May 17, Allied Forces discover Belka’s V2 mass-retaliation plans and decide to advance into Belka.
The war ends on June 20, 1995, when a ceasefire favoring Osea is signed at Lumen. These dates belong to the game’s fictional timeline; they are not real-world historical events.
#1 Best Overall
- DELUXE EDITION INCLUDES: Base Game, 3 Day Early Access, Premium Ace Pass Plus Voucher [Unlock the Premium Ace Pass for the Currrent Season] (includes ADFX-02 Morgan -Pixy aircraft + Ace Pass Levels [Instant Unlock of 30 Premium Ace Pass Levels]), and Customizable Cosmetic Set (includes F-4E Mobius Squadro Skin, F/A-1BC Team Zvezda Skin, Scarlet Missile Smoke, and Tasha Costume Set.)
- ACE COMBAT 8 DELIVERS HIGH-OCTANE AERIAL ACTION! Step into the cockpit and take flight as an elite pilot across stunning skies. Enter intense dogfights, eliminate threats, and rise through gripping missions to earn your wings. The game is developed by PROJECT ACES, the acclaimed team behind the franchise.
- AERIAL WARFARE IN LIVING SKIES. Campaign Mode showcases stunning visuals with dynamic multi-layered cloudscapes that capture the majesty of living skies. Feel the rush of a fast-paced arcade-style gameplay and deploy powerful weapons to dominate the battlefield.
- A VISCERAL JOURNEY FROM COCKPIT TO GROUND. Beyond the chaos in the air, breathtaking first-person scenes reveal your pilot’s story through breathtaking cinematics. Experience the pressure of command, the weight of decisions, and the bonds forged in battle. Between missions, bond with your squad members, rise to meet adversity, and prove yourself as a true ace.
Why did Belka invade Ustio?
Bandai Namco’s overview gives two connected motives: Belka’s economic hardship and its drive to secure natural resources. That is the official account of the invasion’s purpose. The story’s immediate consequence is Ustio’s occupation and the formation of an allied effort to reclaim it.
How does Ace Combat Zero make the war personal?
Ace Combat Zero: The Belkan War places the player in the 66th Air Force Unit’s Galm Team, a group of foreign mercenary pilots formed after Ustio loses most of its territory. Bandai Namco’s official product page describes that setup; the official chronology identifies the team’s ace pilot as Cipher, whose efforts help liberate Ustio.
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- Innovation in the Sky: Breathtaking clouds coupled with highly detailed aircraft and photorealistic scenery makes this the most engaging Ace Combat to date.
- Return to Strangereal: The alternative Ace Combat universe composed of real-world current and near-future weapons, but with a history steeped in Ace Combat lore.
- All new arsenal of ultra-modern super weapons and formidable enemies.
This viewpoint makes the conflict more than a sequence of political events. The player fights for an invaded country through the work of a small unit, rather than taking the role of a national leader. That is how the game’s premise connects large-scale coalition warfare to an individual pilot’s missions.
What the Belkan War means for the series
For Ace Combat Zero, the Belkan War is both the central conflict and the setting that establishes Ustio’s resistance, its alliance with Osea, and Belka’s defeat on terms that favor Osea. It is a major event in the series’ fictional history, but that alone does not establish that every later conflict in Ace Combat is caused by it; those connections depend on the canon of the individual games.
Rank #3
- TAKE FLIGHT AS AN ELITE ACE — Step into the cockpit and soar through thrilling missions, intense dogfights, and high-stakes aerial combat developed by PROJECT ACES.
- AERIAL WARFARE IN LIVING SKIES — Experience stunning visuals featuring dynamic multi-layered cloudscapes, realistic weather conditions, and breathtaking skies that transform every battle.
- FAST-PACED ARCADE AIR COMBAT — Engage enemy aircraft, deploy powerful weapons, and dominate the battlefield with the signature high-speed gameplay the ACE COMBAT series is known for.
- A VISCERAL PILOT STORY — Experience dramatic first-person sequences, cinematic storytelling, squad relationships, and the pressures of command between missions.
- THE LARGEST ONLINE MODE IN SERIES HISTORY — Explore the franchise's first online lobby, customize your avatar, and sortie into online missions with pilots worldwide.
The game itself is a PlayStation 2 release listed by Bandai Namco as released on March 23, 2006. The official product page identifies that original release, but does not establish current availability.
Quick Recap
Rank #4
- Incredible action as you dogfight and divebomb your way through over 30 white-knuckle missions
- Amazing new Wingman Command feature - Control your entire squadron in flight -- issue orders and coordinate group attacks in a split second
- Stunning CG effects advance the intriguing storyline, as you rest between missions in hangars, ground bases and on aircraft carriers
- Choose from more than 50 unique, real-world fighter jets with selectable color schemes
- Multiple game modes and loads of unlockable content, including the immensely popular Campaign Mode -- for hours of flying excitement
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