UAV-45 Malebolge

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

―Ilya Pasternak

The UAV-45, also referred to as "Malgebolg", is an unmanned combat aircraft developed by the Federal Republic of Estovakia.

Description

The UAV-45 is an Estovakian unmanned aircraft, which was possibly developed during the course of the Anean Continental War of 2015-2016, or before it. Its only known combat deployment was during the invasion ofGracemeria by the Republic of Emmeria's military towards the end of the war, when a massive swarm of them aided Ilya Pasternak, the leader of the 9th Tactical Fighter Squadron "Strigon", in holding off the Emmerian air forces.

It is a small aircraft, smaller in size than an F-16C Fighting Falcon, equipped with variable sweep wings, dual vertical stabilizers and a top-mounted intake. Their weaponry is limited to a single machine gun, as they are unable to carry missiles, and their defense is nearly non-existant, making they highly vulnerable to enemy attacks. Their lack of protection and power is compensated by their tendency to "swarm" their intended targets, pursuing them at high speed and using their agility to evade incoming missiles.

All drones are slaved to a master control unit mounted on the CFA-44 Nosferatu, the prototype fighter Pasternak flew before his death in Gracemeria. The control unit is highly vulnerable to combat damage suffered by the "master" aircraft, affecting its functions and causing numerous drones to explode. Excessive damage will cause 

the complete failure of the control system, leading to the self-destruction of all surviving airframes.

Trivia

• The name "Malgebolg" seems to be a mistranslation of the name Malebolge, a term used in the Inferno of the Divina Comedia. There is also a song with a similar name; however, its name is correctly written, leaving the actual name of the aircraft a mystery.
• The aircraft is never referred to by its full name anywhere in the game. Ilya Pasternak calls them "Malgebolgs" if all units following him are shot down, while they are identified as "UAV-45" in online gameplay.
• If You look at the canard positions and the nose/fuselage of the craft it bears a slight resemblance to the ADF-01 Falken
• The UAV-45 capability statistics are unknown. It can use High-G turns everytime and can fly as fast as the Stauros cruise missle that was launched from the static railgun, Chandelier.

Weapons:

1 x Machine Gun

STATS:
Max Speed: [unknown]
Air-to-Air: [unknown]
Air-to-Ground: [unknown]
Mobility: [unknown]
Stability: [unknown]
Defense: [unknown]

OVERVIEW:
Not much is known about the Estovakian Unmanned Combat Air Vehicle (known only in the game as the Malebolge, not to be confused with the UAVs launched by the Aigaion). An ample group of them supported Ilya Pasternak in his epic engagement of Garuda team over Gracemeria on March 31st, 2016. UAV-45s are also encountered in the AC6 online Team Battle Map #2, in CO-OP Download Battle #1 when the engagement with Ilya Pasternak is triggered and on occassion in some of the Ace of Aces maps.

Although it cannot be verifed, it is highly probable that the UCAV was designed and produced indigenously in Estovakia, judging from the characteristic wing structure that is found on both the CFA-44 and the aerial battleships. That said, it is also probable that the Estovakian UAVs were influenced by the Yuktobanian and Belkan UCAVs of the Circum Pacific War six years earlier.

SOURCE:
Ace Combat 6: Fires of Liberation