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The ADFX-02 Morgan (ADFX-02 モルガン) was an experimental fighter aircraft developed by the Belkan Federation.

HistoryEdit

The ADFX was first designed by the South Belkan Munitions Factory in the first half of the 1980s, possibly as part of the nation's Project Pendragon national defense initiative. Two test models were developed: the ADFX-01 and the ADFX-02. The maiden flight took place in January 4, 1985. The aircraft was never given a name by the Belkan military, and for reasons unknown it was nicknamed "Morgan".

In 1995, the Belkan War between Belka, Ustio and the Osean Federation took place. Neither aircraft saw action before Belka's formal surrender after the June 6th nuclear detonations at the Waldreich Mountains. Some time after the end of the conflict, the revolutionary group "A World With No Boundaries" rose in arms, seizing the XB-0 Hresvelgr heavy command cruiser and the ADFX-02 to use them in their cause. The exact circumstances of the aircraft's acquisition by the group are unknown, although the involvement of former Belkan scientist Anton Kupchenko as the ringleader might be involved.

In December 31, the Allied forces launched an assault AWWNB's headquarters at Avalon Dam, a missile silo located in Belkan territory with the objective of stopping them from firing a V2 MIRV. At 15:00, a massive battle between allied aircraft and rebel forces took place, as the 66th AFU Galm mercenary unit flew through a ravine to reach Avalon. Upon reaching the facility itself flight leader Cipher dove into the dam's interior, managing to destroy the V2's launch control systems before it could fire.

Prior to the battle, defector Larry Foulke, who had nearly killed Cipher the day of the Waldreich nuclear explosions, headed to Mund Valley (the location of Avalon) with the ADFX-02 unit. He arrived to the facility minutes after the launch systems of the V2, and attempted to kill Cipher with the aircraft's laser unit, failing only because of Patrick James Beckett's sacrifice. In the ensuing duel, the Morgan's laser's hydraulic system took severe damage, forcing Pixy to release the weapon to gain more mobility. Eventually, Pixy used the aircraft's backup launch system to fire the V2, launching the missile and activating an electronic defense system to protect himself with. Cipher attacked Larry head-on in direct combat, targeting the Morgan's intakes.

It self-destructed in the atmosphere, marking the end of the Belkan War. The battle data gathered from the -02's performance at Avalon would lead to the development of the ADF-01 FALKEN.

Design Edit

The ADFX-02's general design resembles that of the ADF-01. It possesses forward-swept wings, and a nose area with a notable Sukhoi tone. It is powered by two WWX-GD-400 engines, which provide the plane with a maximum speed of 1,200 kilometers. The aircraft's empty weight is 19,600 kilograms.

The Morgan is armed with a nose mounted GiL 30mm machine gun, and can use IIR (imaging infrared) missiles. It can employ a number of prototype weapons, each named after existing minerals.

The Tactical Laser System, codename "Zoisite" is the predecessor of the variant employed by the ADF-01 FALKEN. Unlike its advanced successor, the Zoisite version takes the form of a bulky weapon pod mounted in the Morgan's upper midsection. The weapon works under a limit of 7-G. The ADFX-02's TLS features hydraulics and minor targeting systems for a narrow automated target elimination, while the ADFX-01 requires the pilot's concentration to steer the plane and the TLS onto the target, akin to the ADF-01.
The Multi-Purpose Burst Missile, codename "Hyperstene" is an scaled down ballistic missile, modified specially for the ADFX models. Being larger than a normal missile, it uses polynitrogen to produce a massive explosion upon impact. However, the substance is very unstable, forcing its creators to reduce the weapon's power to a tenth of its original strength. It was the predecessor of the Yuktobanian Burst Missile used by the Scinfaxi class submarines.
The Electronic Counter Measure Pod, codename "Morganite" is an special electronic defense system which disables enemy missile tracking. As well, the weapon is capable of generating a field which renders the aircraft invincible to nearly all attacks, simply ignoring missile impacts and deflecting incoming bullets.

TriviaEdit

The name Morgan is derived from Morgan le Fay, a powerful sorceress in the legends of king Arthur. This is yet another reference to Arthurian legend in Ace Combat Zero.
The final stage of the fight almost replicates a medieval jousting match, with the player being required to attack the Morgan head-on to avoid its shields.
The Morgan also bears a resemblance to the YF-19 fighter from the anime OVA Macross Plus, especially in Pixy's Morgan's paint scheme.
Interestingly, Pixy's ADFX-02 Morgan could be considered the most powerful fighter in Ace Combat history, not counting the science-fiction themed fighters of Ace Combat 3. The playable ADFX-01 is already quite effective, but the ADFX-02 has several improvements. Primarily, it can carry all three special weapons at once (although judging by Pixy's usage, it appears that only one of these is "active" at a time). Also, the special weapons have features not available to the player: Pixy's TLS beam possesses targeting features through hydraulics, and the ADFX-02's ECMP not only interferes with enemy radar and missile lock, but actually "shields" the plane against bullets, explosives, et cetera (except for the engine intakes). While Leasath's Fenrir from Ace Combat X features equipment unavailable to the player (the digital optical stealth and high-powered microwave weapon), these features are restricted to work in tandem with ground facilities, restricting them solely to defense roles. The ADFX-02's power is somewhat ironic, as the Morgan only appears in Ace Combat Zero, which cronologically is the earliest game in the series, and still displays tremendous power even though lacking the enhancements of a COFFIN system..