ADF-01 FALKEN
Aircraft role	Multirole Fighter/Super Fighter
Manufacturer	Grunder Industries
Real-world origin	None
AC installments	Ace Combat 5: The Unsung War Ace Combat Zero: The Belkan War Ace Combat X: Skies of Deception ACE COMBAT Xi: Skies of Incursion Ace Combat X2: Joint Assault
Primary operator	Osean Air Defense Force
Secondary operators	Aurelian Air Force Ustian Air Force Valahia
Plane variant(s)	ADF-01 Falken ZOE ADA-01 ADLER (unreleased)
[Source]

The ADF-01 FALKEN (ファルケン Faruken) is a fictional aircraft featured in nearly all Ace Combat from Ace Combat 5: The Unsung War onwards. Derivated from Ace Combat 2's ADF-01 Z.O.E., it is one of the series' most famous aircraft, featuring an instantly recognizable design.

Contents 1 Design 2 Ace Combat 5: The Unsung War 2.1 Statistics 2.2 Paint schemes 2.3 Armaments 3 Ace Combat Zero: The Belkan War 3.1 Statistics 3.2 Paint schemes 3.3 Armaments 4 Ace Combat X: Skies of Deception 4.1 Statistics (Standard) 4.2 Paint schemes 4.3 Aces 4.4 Parts 4.5 Armaments 5 Ace Combat Xi: Skies of Incursion 5.1 Statistics 5.2 Armaments 6 Ace Combat: Joint Assault 6.1 Statistics (Standard) 6.2 Paint schemes 6.3 Aces 6.4 Armaments 7 Trivia 8 Gallery 9 Sources

DesignEdit

The ADF-01 (Advanced Defence Fighter - type 01) "FALKEN"; is arguably the most powerful aircraft in the Ace Combat series. In addition to its staggering missile count, high speed and incredible agility, it possesses a Tactical Laser System (TLS) which is nearly impossible to dodge as there is no delay time between firing and impact. The Falken has 14 laser pods that activate and power the TLS, which fires for about seven to eight seconds until the pod is drained. The laser serves as a one-hit-kill for any target unlucky enough to recieve a concentrated hit from its beam. The TLS is housed underneath the cockpit, which raises every time the weapon is armed.

One notable difference between the TLS in Ace Combat 5 and Ace Combat Zero is that in the former game, the ADF-01F Falken has a red laser. Meanwhile, the laser is instead blue in Ace Combat Zero where you fly the ADF-01A Falken. This is due to the materials used to emit the beam, although the duration and damage dealt by the laser remains the same in both titles. Also, in Ace Combat Zero, the Falken is capable of carrying FAEB (Fuel-Air Explosive Bombs) and XLAA (Advanced Long-Range Air-To-Air Missile) in addition to the TLS. Grunder Industries later decided that the TLS was far more capable in both AA and AG applications than the FAEB or the XLAA, and removed the wing hard points leaving only the internal weapons bays for the Sidewinder missile on the F variant. This reduced weight and drag and arguably made the ADF-01F a more capable aircraft.

Its most prominent feature, other than forward-swept wings, is what seems to be an armored, glassless cockpit. This is actually a 360° celestial-spherical screen cockpit layout, giving the pilot an immense advantage in combat. Instead of a traditional glass canopy, the plane utilizes a prototype of the revolutionary Connection for Flight Interface (COFFIN) system, which is similar in effect to a one-way mirror or an extremely tinted window - the pilot can still see out, but no one can see in. This is achieved via a series of real-time hexagonal monitors and external cameras that transmit the visual data to the pilot. This also allows for the HUD and targets to also be displayed at all angles, where as a normal aircraft can only show targets and data on its front HUD display. If a target were to leave that HUD on a normal plane, the pilot would only be able to see its green targeting square. On the Falken however, the monitors and a powerful computer, (codenamed Z.O.E) eliminate that problem.

Ace Combat 5: The Unsung WarEdit

For more information, see: Falken Hangars.

The aircraft's first incarnation, it can be unlocked by destroying a series of five hangars hidden in missions 12A, 12B, 16A, 16B and 27. Once the hangars are all destroyed, the ADF-01 will be unlocked upon completing the next mission for the price of $826,000 per unit (over 20 times more than its closest rival, X-02 Wyvern, at $39,700 a piece), making it the game's most expensive aircraft. The FALKEN harnesses maximum mobility and very high combat capabilities, but as a trade-off has relatively weak armor.

StatisticsEdit

• Speed: 83
• Mobility: 99
• Stability: 82
• Defense: 67
• Air-to-Air: 99
• Air-to-Ground: 93

Paint schemesEdit

• Original: Z.O.E. red with darker hue.
• RZ (Razgriz)
• Special: Digital Blue Camo. Unlocked by S-ranking all missions in Expert.

ArmamentsEdit

• Tactical Laser System w/ 14 shots

Ace Combat Zero: The Belkan WarEdit

The ADF-01 can be unlocked by acquiring all three Supreme Ace medals in any difficulty, after which it'll be unlocked at the price of $430,000. Alternatively, the FALKEN may be unlocked by unlocking all 3 regular Ace medals while having Ace Combat 5 data in the PS2's Memory Card (if both Ace Combat 04 and Ace Combat 5 data is stored, however, only finishing mission 1 will be needed to unlock the ADF-01, alongside the X-02 Wyvern.)

StatisticsEdit

• Speed: 83
• Air-to-Air: 99
• Air-to-Ground: 93
• Stability: 82
• Defense: 67
• Mobility: 99

Paint schemesEdit

• Original: Red.
• Mercenary: Lightning blue camouflage.
• Soldier: Graphite black.
• Knight: Olive drab camouflage.
• Special: Black, much like Razgriz.

ArmamentsEdit

• TLS
• XLAA
• FAEB

Ace Combat X: Skies of DeceptionEdit

The ADF-01 can be unlocked by completing the special mission "Operation X" for the first time.

Statistics (Standard)Edit

• Speed: 84
• Air-to-Air: 60
• Air-to-Ground: 54
• Mobility: 93
• Stability: 75
• Defense: 66

Paint schemesEdit

• Original: Standard red.
• Leasath: Lightning blue camouflage pattern.
• Special 1: Black. Eliminate ace pilot "Z.O.E." in Operation X to unlock.
• Special 2: Olive drab camouflage. Fill the ADF-01's kill bar to unlock.

AcesEdit

• Z.O.E.

PartsEdit

• Engine: Light Engine, Adv Turbo Engine, Caudal Engine, Minotaur Engine, SCRAMJet Engine, Hayabusa Engine
• Wings: Extra Airbrake, Extra V Canard, Extra Elron, Extra Canard, Adv Actuator, Adv Balance/Anti-Balance Tab
• Armor: Scale Armor, Ceramic Armor, Beetle Armor, Titanium Armor, Adv Titanium Armor, TiAl Armor, Composite Armor
• Weapons: Destructive Missile, Kinetic Engery Penetration Shell, Extra Ammo, Tracker MSSL, Laser Extender (aircraft exclusive), High-Speed Ammunition
• Cockpit: Emergency Auto-pilot System, Raven, Terra Hammer, Hawk Eye, Automatic Machine Gun Fire Device, Tracer, AAM Jammer, Sniper OS, Argus, Salamander

ArmamentsEdit

• TLS
• XLAA
• FAEB

Ace Combat Xi: Skies of IncursionEdit

The ADF-01 can be unlocked by completing the campaign in Normal difficulty.

StatisticsEdit

• Speed: Very High
• Air-to-Air: High
• Air-to-Ground: High
• Mobility: Maximum
• Stability: High
• Defense: High

ArmamentsEdit

• 84 MSSL

Ace Combat: Joint AssaultEdit

Similar to Ace Combat X, the ADF-01 can be unlocked by completing the SP mission "Ace of Aces", at which point it will become available at the price of $1,298,000. thus becoming the game's most expensive aircraft, even more so than the GAF-1 Varcolac.

Statistics (Standard)Edit

• Speed: Very High
• Air-to-Air: Medium
• Air-to-Ground: Medium
• Mobility: Very High
• Stability: Maximum
• Defense: Low

Paint schemesEdit

• Original: Red.
• 2nd paint scheme: Lightning blue camouflage.
• 3rd paint scheme: Black.
• 4th paint scheme: Olive drab/green camouflage.
• 5th paint scheme: Bright yellow.
• 6th paint scheme: Silver.

AcesEdit

• Z.O.E.

ArmamentsEdit

• '''FAEB
• Tactical Laser System
• XLAA
• ODMM

TriviaEdit

• In Ace Combat 5, if the TLS is fired right before the end of a mission followed by a landing minigame, the weapon will remain firing upon regaining control of the FALKEN, however it will be golden and larger in size. See also: Easter Eggs.
• In Ace Combat 5 and Ace Combat Zero you can also see a "ZOE" described on the left and right side of the FALKEN's cockpit which is on the laser control panels. This is a callback to how the Supreme Commander of the Z.O.E flew this plane in Ace Combat 2.
• In Ace Combat 5 and Ace Combat Zero, it has to go 260 mph to take off. This is likely due to its seemingly heavier and bulkier airframe as opposed to its slightly lighter prototype predecessor, the ADXF-01 Morgan. It is unknown whether or not the ADF-01 Z.O.E has this same handicap due to its similar airframe with the FALKEN.
• The Bandai FALKEN EX Model identifies the aircraft as "ADF-01F". This alternative name is commonly used to distinguish the modern aircraft from its Z.O.E. predecessor.
• An Attacker-variant, the ADA-01 ADLER, was proposed for Ace Combat 5, but it included a special weapon far more powerful than the ballistic missiles used by the Scinfaxi and Hrimfaxi, so the plane was scrapped as a whole.
• The word "Falken" is Swedish for Falcon

GalleryEdit

SourcesEdit

• ACES WEB: Ace Combat 5 Falken Info.