1998 Akborian-Aslanian War

The 1998 Akborian-Aslanian War, known as the First Akborian War in Akboria and the Philippine Strait War, was an armed conflict in Akboria from 1998 to 1999 that began with the bombardment of Caledonia City in 1998 by the Akborian Armed Forces. Within 72 hours of the bombing, the incumbent Aslanian president, (INSERT HERE), issued a formal declaration of war on Akboria, deploying the United Aslanian Air Force for a bombing campaign against Akboria, beginning the war.

Names
The war went by many names,

Background
Ever since the collapse of relations with South Aslana in 1991,

Conflict
On July 17, 1998, at 1830 hours Aslanian Standard Time, the incumbent President of the United Aslanian Republic, (INSERT HERE), gave a formal declaration of war against the Republic of Akboria to international broadcast. The president ordered a bombing campaign of military installations on North Akboria Island 45 minutes after the completion of the declaration. 12 F-15C Eagle fighter aircraft were deployed from Caledonia Air Force Base to conduct the initial bombing campaign against on North Akboria Island. The fighter aircraft met 8 Sukhoi Su-27 Aircraft during their bombing campaign. A dogfight ensued, resulting in an Aslanian victory with 4 Sukhoi Su-27 aircraft destroyed and a single F-15 destroyed, marking the only operational loss of an F-15 due to a SAM attack. The bombing campaign resulted in a victory with the destruction of 5 Akborian Army, Air Force, and Naval installations.

News of this single loss captured international headlines as Aslana prepared a capture of North Akboria Island. The plan consisted of a second bombing campaign of the island, an amphibious landing during the bombing, and the strategic capture of the military bases bombed initially.

During this time, Akboria shut down its airspace by order of the incumbent President of Akboria, (INSERT HERE). Due to the wipe out of a large portion of the Akborian Air Force's cargo aircraft, Air Akboria, the flag carrier airline of Akboria, had aircraft repurposed into cargo aircraft for military transport between the Aklaea Islands and North Akboria Island. The Aslanian Civil Aviation Authority ordered a no-fly zone over Akborian airspace and ordered a shutdown of all international flights on the

North Akboria Island was fully captured on August 11, 1998 and Akboria sought ways of support. The Akborian Ambassador to the Philippines was tasked with delivering a request to join the war against Aslana. During this time, 6 Blackhawk attack helicopters were ordered to patrol around Philippine military installations under Philippine military radar in case an alliance was not established. August 19 saw the Philippines refuse to form an alliance with Akboria. Minutes after this declaration, the Akborian Ambassador approved for the attack helicopters to engage with the military installations. Within minutes of this declaration, the Blackhawk attack helicopters initiated a bombing of the military installations. Before the Philippine Air Force's F-5 fighters could retaliate, the helicopters already began to retreat after their mission was completed. However, the Philippine Air Force managed to catch up to the helicopters, engaging with them. Three helicopters were destroyed in the engagement area before the Akborian Air Force came to meet the Philippine Air Force's fighters. The remaining helicopters were escorted back to Akboria under fire of the Philippine Air Force.

The news of an engagement between Philippine and Akborian aircraft reached the news in mere hours. International news networks began traveling to Aslana and the Philippines to report on the war and the Philippine reaction. On August 21, 1998, the incumbent Philippine president, Joseph Estrada, ordered a retaliatory declaration of war against Akboria. However, there was no alliance with Aslana during the war because they were their own side. Three hours later, the Philippine Air Force began sending F-5 fighter jets to Akboria to bomb strategic targets. During this campaign from August 21 to September 14, eight F-5 fighters were shot down.

Bombing operations of the Akborian islands severely weakened the Akborian military's air defense network. In response to this attack, the new goal was to pierce through the secure naval perimeter around the West Coast of Aslana. If the nation could control the nautical borders, bombing operations could be defended against and a counterattack could commence. Their first target was the two helicopter carriers UAS Aslana and the UAS Elero. Both aircraft carriers were Essex-class carriers transferred from the United States in 1986 leading up to the Second Aslanian Civil War, being the first two carriers to operate in the Aslanian Navy Both sustained heavy damage during the war, but were both saved and made seaworthy again in 1995. The carriers were used in the landings on North Akboria Island. They were deployed with CH-46 Sea Knight helicopters and AV-8B Harrier II aircraft in order to defend the waters around Aslanian naval bases near Akboria. Akboria's plan was to attack the two carriers and sink them, allowing a naval superiority barrage on Aslanian bases.

On October 2, 1998, the Akborian Air Force sent out 6 Su-27 fighters to intercept one of the carriers on their way from Hemvi Naval Station in Caledonia City, Aslana to Cavite Naval Base in Cavite City, Philippines with a stop in Cagayan de Oro. The Philippine Government had allied with Aslana in the conflict and the first training exercise would begin from Cavite City. The aircraft carrier UAS Aslana was at sea while the UAS Elero was en route to Cagayan de Oro. At 1630 hours, the UAS Elero spotted the fighters on radar and began arming anti-aircraft defense systems. At 1638 hours, the Su-27 fighters began firing upon the UAS Elero. The ship sustained heavy damage but managed to shoot down 4 of the Su-27 fighters, forcing the remaining 2 to retreat. However, the ship was struck on the port side of the ship, causing it to list to port.

The UAS Elero's list to port prompted the evacuation of the ship's remaining helicopters and amphibious landing craft. Only two landing craft escaped the ship while the rest were abandoned and the ship dragged them under. Two remaining helicopters took off before the ship's list prevented a safe takeoff, while one helicopter was unable to take off before sliding off the deck into the sea. One Harrier Jump Jet was able to take off due to the others being damaged by the attack. By 1659 hours, the UAS Elero had sunk. 41 sailors and 2 officers perished in the sinking, The Aslanian Navy, right after receiving the distress signal, immediately began a search and rescue operation. The operation was completed by October 3 and all surviving crew, naval craft, and aircraft were recovered and returned to Aslana.

The Akborian military's next target was the UAS