is an ongoing Japanese manga

Manga

Manga is the Japanese word for "comics" and consists of comics and print cartoons . In the West, the term "manga" has been appropriated to refer specifically to comics created in Japan, or by Japanese authors, in the Japanese language and conforming to the style developed in Japan in the late 19th...

 written and illustrated by Jun Shindo and published by Kodansha

Kodansha

, the largest Japanese publisher, produces the manga magazines Nakayoshi, Afternoon, Evening, and Weekly Shonen Magazine, as well as more literary magazines such as Gunzō, Shūkan Gendai, and the Japanese dictionary Nihongo Daijiten. The company has its headquarters in Bunkyō, Tokyo...

. The manga is licensed for a French-language release in France, a German-language release in Germany and an Italian-language release by Panini Comics

Panini Comics

Panini Comics is an Italian comic book publisher. A division of Panini Group, best known for their collectible stickers, it is headquartered in Modena, Italy...

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Summary

At the start of the series, the Republic of Regium is engaged in a costly war with the Federation of Dragnov. Dragnov wanted to reunify the two countries, but Regium was bitterly opposed to this and mobilized their army instead. In part due to winter conditions, the Regium forces had the upper hand at the start of the war, but gradually the Dragnov forces came close to overrunning Regium's last line of defence around the capital of Solgrenne, until Dragnov launched a new missile that caused serious damage to the capital despite being detonated indirectly 8 km outside the city, which convinced the Regium politicians to negotiate for a surrender, although the Regium Third Army refused to surrender and continued fighting.

The story follows Captain Grahad Mills, commander of the Regium special forces "Jackal" unit, that utilizes the most advanced SAA(Special Assault Armor) in existence. With the last line of defense faltering, the Jackals are deployed in a last ditch attempt to hold the line, and succeeded at destroying all opponents in their sector. Unexpectedly though, Mills's subordinates all frame him for the murder of several Regium soldiers, causing him to be sentenced for execution. Mills then escapes from Prison, and tracks down the old members of the Jackals, trying to find out why they betrayed him.

The story's conflict takes place approximately in Eastern European countries such as Ukraine, Romania, Hungary, Croatia, Bosnia, Serbia, and Bulgaria.

Jackals

Although there are eight Jackals in total, including Mills, oddly enough no mention of the missing eight member is made when Mills askes both Waldmann and Lenny for information on the other members of the Jackals.

Captain Grahad Mills

Nicknamed "Genocide" for destroying superior amounts of Dragnov troops alone, he prefers to work alone on the battlefield. He is a master of all forms of combat, managing to escape from a high security prison while killing the special forces soldiers who were guarding him.

Lieutenant Julian Krayz

Mills's second in command, he organized a mutiny because the Dragnov forces were winning and he wanted to be on the winning side. When assigned to eliminate enemy forces, he also killed friendly Regium soldiers and used their deaths to frame Mills as a traitor that attempted to defect to Dragnov. After the war, became Colonel in the Dragnov armed forces as well as remaining as a Lietenant in the Regium forces, effectively drawing pay from two armies.

Captain Waldmann

Became Captain of the GIGN's 1st armored unit after the war. Early in the war, had attempted to kill Mills by asking a homeless boy to give Mills a booby trapped package, but Mills survived and became Captain of the Jackals instead, a position that would have gone to Waldmann if Mills had died. Betrayed Mills because he felt that Regium had lost the war, and because he failed to kill Mills previously. Eventually killed by Mills after apologizing.

Lieutenant Lenny Kruger

Was once wounded by a sniper and Mills took two rounds for him, saving his life. Betrayed Mills because Krayz was using his sister, Leila, as a hostage, whom became his subourdinate after the war.

Lars Odd

A famous sniper during the war, used a sniper variant of the Swashbuckler. He sent his sick brother to a military hospital for treatment, and it is implied that Krayz used him as a hostage to get Lars to betray Mills. His brother died anyway, and Lars quit the army to live in the mountains, swearing never to kill again. He died in a sniping operation against a Dragnovian turret that was preventing Mills from crossing the mountains to join the Regium Third Army, managing to fire a round down the barrel of the turret, but took a direct hit from the tank in the process.

Klaus Gadon

Betrayed Mills because he wanted the war to end, but then later joined the Third Army and became in charge of supply and logistics. Responsible for feeding Krayz information about Mills's activities.

Rod Sterioni

Joined the Third Army after the war, but has not been seen since he tried to get Lars to join him in the Third Army.

Saya Hamilton

A homeless woman that stayed in the same derelict building that Mills used as a bait to lure Waldmann. Insisting on staying with Mills afterwards. Her hometown was being evacuated at the end of the war when trigger happy Dragnovian troops blew up a refugee truck that was carrying her family and friends.

Colonel Classad

A hero of Regium, he was the commander of the Ranger Regiment, an inter service special forces unit. He recruited Mills when he was working as a pump attendant at a gas station, when ordinarily only elite members of the military would have been selected. Near the end of the training, Colonel Classad led a rebellion involving several platoons of active duty Rangers to seize the SAA at the training camp, the rebels's intention was to start a war with Dragnov as they were dismayed by the government's lack of honor and willingness to give in to Dragnov in regards to territorial demands. Classad however deliberately forced a confrontation with Mills and forced Mills to shoot him after a lengthy battle, which transformed him into the killing machine "Genocide". Mills then wiped out the other rebels single-handedly.

Lieutenant Leila Kruger

Sister of Lenny Kruger, and direct Subordinate of Krayz, whom she has a intimate relationship with.

Colonel Leon Ridas

Strategist of the Third Army, with uncharacteristic unkempt hair. Largely responsible for the Third Army's success so far, and partly responsible for the "Miracle of Lent", wherein Ridas directed the eight members of the Jackals, commanded by Mills, and held off an entire Dragnovian armored division for 2 days.

Technology

Most aspects of technology in RedEye are fairly similar to that of the current modern world. Tanks are armed with 120 mm cannons, infantry generally uses rifles, machine guns and grenades. The major exception is the development of powered armor called SAA. The usage of ballistic missiles has fallen out of use, old military satellites launched by the previous superpower remain in orbit, and destroy anything that approaches them, such as ballistic missiles. The new missile launched by Dragnov used a new propellant that vaporized in the air instantly, leaving no heat signature, which prevents it from being detected by the satellites in orbit.

Special Assault Armor

SAA (Special Assault Armor) are powered armor suits that protects the wearer against most weapons up to 20 mm (however it still has weak spots such as actuators, joints and unarmored portions around the face), and has a power source capable of sustaining it for eight hours of continuous combat. SAA troops are generally armed with a 12.7 mm machine gun and underslung grenade launcher, although the advanced models used by the Jackals feature cannons and anti-tank missile launchers. In a pinch, SAA may be operated via remote control.

Ayriel Gainer Industries (Regium Republic)

APF-175 "Bardish" : The mass production SAA used by the Regium Armored units during the war.

ASP-177E "Swashbuckler" : The most advanced SAA at the beginning of the series, used by the Jackals.

ASP-NC1200R "Blackbird" : Used by the GIGN's 1st armored unit, developed specially for CQB. Waldmann wore a special uparmored version of this suit named "Darkhawk", that was immune to the standard 12.7 mm H/AP rounds used in SAA weaponry.

XSP-180MK-54 : A high-spec SAA, successor to the high performance Swashbuckler SAA used by the Jackals. Failed the tests as the wearer had difficulty controlling it due to the extreme high sensitivity of the controls. Equipped with a 15 mm cannon and a hyper velocity armgun capable of penetrating multiple armored targets.

Gayer Arms Fabric (Dragnov Federation)

FFR-A4 "Barme" : The SAA used by Dragnov during the war, nicknamed "Turtle" due to its bulkiness.

FR-A12 "Zebra" : The prototype model developed by the GAF, much of its technology is derived from AGI. Fitted with homing anti-armor and anti-air missiles, and fitted with advanced targeting systems that can track targets through walls.

FR-A5M2 "Cobra" : Higher spec SAA used by the Cobras, the Dragnovian forces equivalent of the Jackals.