[Earth II] Newswire

by **URBOV** » Tue Dec 25, 2012 9:49 am

Courting the Great Russians?
Reported Stanislav Gregorovitch
Les Barricades! Dec. 25

Today the recently elected Prime Minister Aleksander Pyotrvitch of Moscow assumes his post as second man within the Russian Union State. Unlike President Ivan Tiblaovitch Moskal, Aleksander is a characteristically Russian politician, espousing a form of Communistic ideology that is far closer to the peasant’s Pravda of old than it is the Marxism-Leninism so popular among the Nostalgic Soviets and the Anarcho-Syndicalism that is all the rage in the Ukraine. Bakunin, Kropotkin, Lenin, and Stalin are joined by some of the greater figures from Russian history as opposed to international Communism, Czars Ivan III and Peter I have ascended the great steps of National History in the eyes of the government to reign alongside our fathers of Revolutionary Thought which had dominated our homeland until Dissolution.

The Duma which is drawn from all territories of the Russian Union State has publicly voiced concern over the overt Russianness of the Prime Minister, citing the fact that at it’s core the Russian Union State is a multi-ethnic, multi-confessional, state that stands as a representative of Eurasia as opposed to just her heartlands. However the Orthodox Church and many rural Communes rally behind the new Prime Minister hoping that his close ties to the people and his unique ideological mantra (referred to perhaps incorrectly as Russian Agrarian Communism) will offer them a powerful ally in Kiev. Military and State Security heads are quick to affirm their loyalty not to the individual leaders but their offices meaning that unlike past leaders the new Prime Minister will not be the representative of any clique save that of the Peasantry.

It is however the teachers of Geopolitics that have the most to say. The Prime Minister and a growing number of Russian Military and Political Leaders hail from Russia north of the official border zones. While it is known that the majority of Cotland’s Slavic citizens are more than happy with swearing fealty to the Realm, the election of the Prime Minister who is himself a former Citizen of Cotland is thought to be both a sign of the RUS’ growing weariness of her traditionally cold neighbor and an appeal to the ethic Russians living within the borders of Cotland. It is also believed that through his ties to traditional Russian Society, his birthplace north of the official boundaries, and his Russian Agrarian Communist Ideology, Prime Minister Aleksander Pyotrvitch is also a quiet cry to the Russian people that for all of the Avant-garde Ideology Russia is still Russia.

Regardless of the politics it must be remember that the Union of Russia-Belorussia-Ukraine and her fraternal Republics of the Central Asian Socialist Federation and the Transcaucasian Socialist Republic is a Union which is both unshakeable and eternal. As one people and one nation we march forward towards a more glorious future!

by **Terra Reborn** » Wed Jan 09, 2013 1:48 pm

Imperial Broadcasting Corporation

Online News Service

James Alexander appointed Prime Minister after surprise Centrist Victory
Wednesday 9th January 2013

HIS MAJESTY THE KING formally appointed James Alexander, the head of the Centrist Party, as Prime Minister of the Empire of Apilonia following the shock-victory by the Centrist Party in the New Year Election in which the coalition under David Warren was unexpectedly beaten as the voters for the liberals and the progressives collectively jumped ship to join the up-and-coming Centrist Party which had been gaining popularity since the re-establishment of the Empire, and in particular gained the votes of a majority of voters in the Indian territories, but across the rest of the Empire voters have swung drastically to the centrists. This was following the unexpected vote of no confidence in Warren’s Government which started as an early day motion during the first session back after the new year. The electoral victory of the Centrists is seen as a positive move for the Monarch, given that the King and Mr Warren clashed numerous times over foreign policy in which the Monarch favoured a more proactive policy, with Mr Alexander’s Centrists favouring a foreign policy more in line with the Centrists.

James Alexander and the Centrist Party won a major victory during December with the passing of the Defence of the Realm Act, something which had been heavily opposed by the Prime Minister, with the support of the King. The swing in public opinion towards a Prime Minister who is more in favour of a strong protection for the Empire is believed to be a side-effect for the Portugal Incident, including both the initial terrorist attacks and the military actions that followed, culminating in the Imperial Invasion of the Portuguese Mainland.

The Centrist Party, heavily supported by the Crown Loyalists who had opposed Mr Warren, favours a number of policies different from those of the previous government, especially in foreign, economic and defence policy. The Centrists advocate a strong foreign policy, supported by a strong military, in order to dissuade potential enemies from attacking the Empire, whilst maintaining a strict policy of fiscal conservatism in order to finance both the strong military and their domestic policies which favour government intervention only when it is required.

James Alexander, who is Member of Parliament for Sydney, is a veteran of the Australian Navy having thought a number of engagements during the conflicts that previous Australian governments faced prior to integration with the Empire. Mr Alexander is married to his wife of twenty years, Sophie, and the couple have three children; sixteen year old Jennifer, fourteen year old Thomas and eleven year old Rebecca.

William Thompson, Senior Political Correspondent, IBC News

by **Layarteb** » Fri Jan 11, 2013 6:07 pm

OFFICIAL DIPLOMATIC COMMUNIQUE

P 0130900R
FM [Minister of Foreign Affairs, Empire of Layarteb]
TO [The Global Community]
INFO [Office of the Emperor]

CONFIDENTIAL LAYARTEB CITY 2012013068

TAGS: [DEF, FR]
SUBJECT: [Notification of Atmospheric Nuclear Test]

On this, the thirteenth day of January, in the year 2012, the Empire hereby makes a formal announcement to the Global Community that on the fifteenth day of January, in the year 2013, the Empire will conduct an atmospheric nuclear test in the Pacific Ocean.

The device to be tested has been specially designed for low-yield and reduced radiation. It will be the cleanest nuclear device detonated to date and the hazardous effects to our planet will be collectively lesser than a year's output from an unclean, coal power plant being operated in a developing nation.

The location of the test remains classified for security reasons but it shall be made public just prior to the testing date. The location will not affect international shipping lanes and it will not intrude upon the boundaries, either maritime or territorial, of any nation or micronation.

The purpose of this test is not to ignite an arms race and it will not signal the resumption of nuclear testing by the Empire. In order to fully understand the effects of this revolutionary device, the Empire must test it atmospherically. This will be a single test conducted for research purposes.

Any hostile action against this test will not be tolerated.

The Minister of Foreign Affairs

MESSAGE STOP

by **Helissa** » Wed Jan 16, 2013 7:32 am

The Beginning of a Future Helissa

RMS-King Daniel the III Sets out from port for the first time into the Med.

Jubilation today as two new flagships for the Royal Marine were commissioned into the Armed Forces of the Crown of the Kingdom of Helissa. The RMS-King Daniel the III, and RMS-King Rigby are two Wasp-Class Assault Ships that were salvaged from the old Klievanian navy that was left abandoned in the Tripoli shipyard. After this acquisition by Naval Special Forces and RSOG he ships were brought to Annaba for refit where they were prepared to enter the service of the Royal Marine. The two ships will carry a compliment of helicopters both attack, ASW, and utility which will carry out forward operations in the shipping lanes in the Mediterranean and around the coast of Africa.

Both of these ships come at a time where the Ministry of War has been modernizing its forces with new advanced technology both imported form other nations such as the Russian Union State and produced within the Kingdom itself such as the products under development by Donovan Holdings. Donovan Holdings has been at the forefront of modernization of both the military and the civil sector. It has premiered its hydrogen technology with King Nikifor's mandate to create a hydrogen economy which would eliminate the Kingdom's need for fossil fuels, ushering in a golden age. Those working to create this hydrogen economy are hoping that it will create a new utopia on the north African coast where huge cities can be built for millions of people to live and work while at the same time using cheap renewable energy.

One of first products in this hydrogen economy is Nubulas' motors newAdamant series of 4x4 pick up trucks. These trucks operate on the new 6.4 L Nubalus Successor Hydrogen Fuel Cell Engine which uses the advanced fuel cells to power and operate its use. While the infrastructure for the hydrogen economy is still being built, such as the hydrogen producing plants, the advancements that are being made are priceless to Helissa's growth.

by **Layarteb** » Wed Jan 16, 2013 9:10 pm

Ministry of the Interior Announces Major Reorganization of Administrative Divisions
By Maggie Simpson
Published: January 16, 2013 | 12:00 EST

On Wednesday, the Layartebian Ministry of the Interior unveiled a new reorganization plan concerning the administrative divisions of the Empire. Set to go into legal effect on March 1, 2013, the plan divides the Empire into nineteen separate units: six provinces, nine republics, one territory, one federal city, and two city-states. In total, the Empire now has one hundred and fifty-seven states and territories as part of this organization.

The new plan is the first change to the Empire's administrative division structure since it was established in 1989. Since the cessation of the Conquests in 2006, forty-eight new states and territories have joined the Empire, bloating both the Atlantic and the Western republics. The new plan emphasizes the necessity to provide better democratic representation in the republics. As such, the Atlantic Republic has been dissolved into smaller republics or absorbed into provinces, and the Western Republic has been significantly reduced in its size and scope.

The new plan makes changes to the provinces of Layarteb, Worros, and Ynoga while adding the newest republic, the Leurc Republic. With the dissolution of the Atlantic Republic comes the establishment of the African Republic and the Mediterranean Republic. From the Western Republic, the plan creates the Coral Republic, the Indian Republic, and the Nan Hai Republic. Lastly, the Colony of Denmad has been granted republic status. The new plan is as follows:

Provinces
- Dnalkrad
  - Population (Rank): 75,056,833 (5)
  - Land Area (Rank): 2,180,405 mi² (2)
  - Administrative Center: Montréal
  - States: Canadian Arctic Archipelago, Greenland, Labrador, New Brunswick, Newfoundland, Nova Scotia, Prince Edward Island, Quebec, Saint-Pierre and Miquelon
- Layarteb
  - Population (Rank): 374,431,979 (2)
  - Land Area (Rank): 925,586 mi² (3)
  - Administrative Center: Raccoon City
  - States: Alabama, Azores, Bermuda, Connecticut, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Mississippi, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Carolina, Tennessee, Vermont, Virginia, West Virginia, Wisconsin
- Leurc
  - Population (Rank): 1,700,145 (13)
  - Land Area (Rank): 10,984 mi² (12)
  - Administrative Center: Honolulu
  - States: Hawaii, Johnston Atoll, Midway Islands
- Raef
  - Population (Rank): 95,056,082 (4)
  - Land Area (Rank): 90,628 mi² (5)
  - Administrative Center: Havana
  - States: Anguilla, Antigua, Aruba, Bahamas, Barbados, Barbuda, Bonaire, British Virgin Islands, Cayman Islands, Cuba, Curaçao, Dominica, Dominican Republic, Grenada, Guadeloupe, Haiti, Jamaica, Martinique, Montserrat, Navassa Island, Nevis, Puerto Rico, Redonda, Saba, Saint Kitts, Saint Lucia, Saint Martin, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Saint-Barthélemy, Sint Eustatius, Trinidad and Tobago, Turks and Caicos, U.S. Virgin Islands
- Worros
  - Population (Rank): 488,161,618 (1)
  - Land Area (Rank): 2,415,154 mi² (1)
  - Administrative Center: Caracas
  - States: Brazil (Acre, Amazonas, Rondônia, Roraima), Colombia, Ecuador, French Guiana, Galápagos Islands, Guyana, Peru, Suriname, Venezuela
- Ynoga
  - Population (Rank): 195,270,700 (3)
  - Land Area (Rank): 301,801 mi² (4)
  - Administrative Center: Panama City
  - States: Belize, Clipperton Island, Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Isla Nublar, Las Cinco Muertes, Mexico (Campeche, Chiapas, Quintana Roo, Tabasco, Yucatán), Nicaragua, Panama, Revillagigedo Islands
Republics
- African
  - Population (Rank): 855,000 (15)
  - Land Area (Rank): 2,729 mi² (16)
  - Administrative Center: Praia
  - States: Cape Verde, Equitorial Guinea (Annobón, Bioko), São Tomé and Príncipe
- Coral
  - Population (Rank): 1,290,444 (14)
  - Land Area (Rank): 26,441 mi² (11)
  - Administrative Center: Honiara
  - States: New Caledonia, Papua New Guinea (Bougainville), Solomon Islands, Vanuatu
- Denmad
  - Population (Rank): 14,006,200 (9)
  - Land Area (Rank): 63,409 mi² (6)
  - Administrative Center: Recife
  - States: Ascension Island, Brazil (Paraíba, Pernambuco), Falkland Islands, Saint Helena, South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands, Trindade and Martim Vaz, Tristan da Cunha
- Icelandic
  - Population (Rank): 362,540 (17)
  - Land Area (Rank): 39,769 mi² (7)
  - Administrative Center: Reykjavík
  - States: Iceland
- Indian
  - Population (Rank): 29,320,000 (7)
  - Land Area (Rank): 34,474 mi² (9)
  - Administrative Center: Colombo
  - States: Chagos Archipelago, India (Andaman and Nicobar Islands), Sri Lanka
- Irish
  - Population (Rank): 7,897,150 (10)
  - Land Area (Rank): 36,004 mi² (8)
  - Administrative Center: Dublin
  - States: Channel Islands, Inner Hebrides, Ireland (Northern, Repubic), Isle of Man, Isles of Scilly, Orkney Islands, Outer Hebrides
- Mediterranean
  - Population (Rank): 5,309,000 (12)
  - Land Area (Rank): 8,470 mi² (13)
  - Administrative Center: Valletta
  - States: Canary Islands, Desertas Islands, Greece (Crete), Madeira Islands, Malta, Savage Islands, Spain (Balearic Islands)
- Nan Hai
  - Population (Rank): 37,271,025 (6)
  - Land Area (Rank): 28,562 mi² (10)
  - Administrative Center: Haikou
  - States: China (Guangdong [Maoming, Zhanjiang]), Hainan, Hong Kong, Paracel Islands, Pratas Islands
- Western
  - Population (Rank): 104,259 (18)
  - Land Area (Rank): 333 mi² (17)
  - Administrative Center: Majuro
  - States: Easter Island, Howland Island, Marcus Island, Marshall Islands, Nauru, Palau, Palmyra Atoll, Pitcairn Islands, Wake Island
Territories
- Persian
  - Population (Rank): 35,436 (19)
  - Land Area (Rank): 56 mi² (19)
  - Administrative Center: Kish
  - States: Iran (Kharg Island, Kish Island, Sirri Island)
Federal Cities
- Layarteb City
  - Population (Rank): 24,685,000 (8)
  - Land Area (Rank): 3,353 mi² (15)
  - Administrative Center: N/A
  - States: New York City
City-States
- Falcon City
  - Population (Rank): 5,360,000 (11)
  - Land Area (Rank): 4,511 mi² (14)
  - Administrative Center: N/A
  - States: Boston
- Washington City
  - Population (Rank): 826,589 (16)
  - Land Area (Rank): 68 mi² (18)
  - Administrative Center: N/A
  - States: Washington D.C.

Empire
Daily News © All Rights Reserved 2013

by **Terra Reborn** » Mon Jan 21, 2013 6:58 pm

Imperial Broadcasting Corporation

Online News Service

Santino Court-Martial Concludes
Monday 21st January 2013

Disgraced Rear Admiral Elvis Santino, the former commanding officer of the HMS Enterprise carrier battle group during its ill-fated deployment to Portugal last summer, was found guilty by a military Court-Martial this afternoon. Santino who had faced three charges: gross incompetence, negligence whilst in command of an Imperial Warship and, the most serious charge, failure to do his utmost to ensure the success of his mission. During the attack on Portugal, Santino ordered an ill-advised alpha strike assault on enemy air assets without adequate intelligence on the disposition of enemy forces and, according to testimony of his flag captain, an eagerness to complete the operation as quickly as possible to ensure that he received most of the credit for the successful air operation. Far from being successful however the assault cost the lives of a dozen Imperial aviators and resulted in a dozen more, including the Crown Prince, being stuck behind enemy lines until an ambitious rescue mission authorised by Viscountess Standford and executed by a detachment under the command of then-Flight Lieutenant Stuart White. Santino, having been found guilty, was dishonourably discharged from the Imperial Navy as unfit to wear the King’s uniform, this being done in the traditional public defrocking.

Immediately after the incident last year Santino was relieved of command of the Enterprise carrier battle group by the order of the First Sea Lord, and was placed on half pay, elevating the skipper of the Enterprise to command the battle group for the duration of the rest of the engagement (a service that earned him the Distinguished Service Order and a promotion). The decision to court-martial Santino was heavily opposed in Parliament but was finally made by direct order of His Majesty with the First Sea Lord herself being the convening authority.

Mirroring the conflict in Parliament the result of the court-martial was tightly fought coming back three votes to two, however once found guilty the sentence was not in question, as traditionally and according to King’s Regulations the only two potential punishments for ‘failure to do the utmost’ are dishonourable discharge or execution, although it has been over two hundred and thirty years since the last time an Imperial navy officer was executed for such a crime.

Never the less it is fairly obvious that the King wanted to make an example of Santino, regardless of the potential political implications this may have, given the family relations of disgraced Santino.

Alexander Buchanan, Senior Military Correspondent, IBC News

by **URBOV** » Tue Jan 22, 2013 5:45 pm

Are Anarcho-Syndicalism and Leninism, compatible?
Citizen Boris Markov, Krasnoyarsk Agricultural Collective 03
1-17-13

Russia now stands at an impasse that is nearly unprecedented during our long and often illustrious history. Since the Chaotic 90s we have not faced a choice between nearly absolute freedom and absolute tyranny. I speak of course of the ruling regime, the Leninist-Anarchist Coalition Government that has joined together out of Proletarian Internationalism but already begins to feel the pull of their conflicting ideologies.

On one hand we have archaic State Economic institutions, and on the other we have Democratic Economic Organization. On one hand we have a totalitarian State Apparatus; on the other we have well organized mechanisms that guarantee freedom. On the one we have the Cheka, on the other we have Workers’ Militias.

Comrades the choice is simple, viva l’Anarchia!

by **Layarteb** » Tue Jan 29, 2013 11:24 am

F-58 Viper Now The Most Produced Supersonic Fighter in History
By Victor Kamp
Published: January 29, 2013 | 13:23 EST

Image by Mistalinam

LAYARTEB CITY, NEW YORK — The F-58 Viper, the Layartebian Defense Corporation's (LDC) latest 4.5 generation fighter has recently surpassed the production numbers of the MiG-21 Fishbed. The MiG-21 Fishbed, with 13,996 aircraft produced was, until now, the number one most produced, supersonic fighter in history. The F-58 Viper, which remains in production, is now at 14,938 with a new export order rumored to be worth almost one trillion dollars.

The F-58 Viper is used by the Imperial Layartebian Air Force and the Imperial Layartebian Defense Forces with over 3,600 in service. Available for export in a single-seat and twin-seat land-based model and a twin-seat carrier-based model, the F-58 Viper is currently operated by nine nations outside of the Empire. Though sale details remain confidential, the F-58 sells for a unit cost of $115 million per land-based model and $125 million for the carrier-based model.

Military
Layartebian News Network © All Rights Reserved 2013

by **Itailian Maifias** » Sat Feb 02, 2013 11:59 am

Holland Announces Nuclear Atmospheric Testing!

The SS Propst leaving port in Vlissigen

[January 3rd, 2013 ]

HAGUE-

In a closed doors news conference, the Prime Minister announced that the Royal Navy would be testing out it's recently launched strategic ballistic missile submarine and it's new nuclear devices, the SS Prospt, in a nuclear atmospheric test which is to be conducted in the south Atlantic near the Bouvet Islands, the first testing of any nuclear devices in the history of the Kingdom of Holland. No mention has been made on the type of device or it's payload. The Dutch government is warning all aircraft and naval vessels to stay well clear of the islands and nearby vicinity and will be establishing a no fly zone at the minimum safe distance. The test is scheduled to take place on February 14 this year, at around six in the morning at local time.

by **Layarteb** » Sat Feb 02, 2013 6:17 pm

Imperial Layartebian Navy Takes Delivery Of Two More Washington CVNs

Ynoga class CVLN underway.

By Lucielle Wagner
Published: February 1, 2013 | 12:00 EST

LAYARTEB CITY - The Imperial Layartebian Navy took delivery of two more Washington class aircraft carriers on Saturday, effectively increasing the number of Washington class carriers from five to seven. During the same ceremony, the navy retired two of its last four remaining Ynoga class light carriers.

It was determined in 2008 that due to high usage of the carriers during the Conquests had taken approximately six years off their service lives. The navy took delivery of its first three vessels in 2010 and its next two in 2011. Since then, construction on the last four has been underway at two shipyards. The next two vessels are due to be completed and commissioned in 2014.

The two new Washingtons will join the 1st Carrier Strike Group, based out of Norway and the 5th Carrier Strike Group, based out of Hainan. The 5th Carrier Strike Group was recently involved with the Sinaean-Layartebian War this past summer and autumn and will likely be the last combat action seen by the Ynoga class under a Layartebian flag. While several examples still serve with the Royal Cottish Navy, the only remaining Ynogas are based out of the Caribbean and are largely relegated to humanitarian missions.

Sea trials for both vessels are expected to be completed by April, after which the vessels will be declared fully operational. Flight crews are currently being trained for operations aboard the carrier.

Defense
Layarteb City Times © All Rights Reserved 2013

by **Cotland** » Sun Feb 03, 2013 8:36 am

Cotland Condemns Nuclear Testing Near Cottish-Claimed Island

17 APRIL 1986: The Doctrine of Sovereignty hits Spizania with full force

OSLO (CFP): THE FOREIGN MINISTRY DENOUNCES DUTCH NUCLEAR TESTING, THREATENS RETALIATION
4 JANUARY, 2013 - Eilert Garne (e.garne@cfp.cot)

Yesterday's announcement by the Dutch Prime Minister that Holland would commence atmospheric nuclear testing near Bouvet Island, a remote unpopulated southern seas island claimed by the Realm of Cotland has got the Foreign Ministry riled up.

In a press release made this morning, the Foreign Ministry denounced the Dutch plans, stating that "if the quite voulnerable environment and wildlife on the Bouvet Island Nature Preserve is affected by radiation or otherwise damaged, the Realm will have no choice other than to follow the Doctrine of Sovereignty."

When asked if this meant that the Realm would use its significant nuclear stockpile against Holland, the Foreign Ministry declined to reply, responding only that the Armed Forces of the Realm of Cotland were prepared for any eventuality.

The Cottish Doctrine of Sovereignty, in place since 1970, clearly states that if the Realm of Cotland, or any parts of it is attacked by any foreign power, the Realm will respond in kind. In translated terms, if any part of Cotland is attacked by nuclear weapons, the Realm of Cotland will reply in kind with nuclear weaponry.

It is worth noting that the Realm of Cotland remains the only surviving nation-state in the world today to have used nuclear weaponry in anger, having retaliated with intercontinental ballistic missiles against the Principality of Spizania during the long Cottish-Spizanian War of 1986 after Spizania nuked a Cottish naval force in the Gulf of Aden. Oman remains a nuclear wasteland to this date as a result of the 7-hour long nuclear exchange which ended with the surviving Government of the Principality of Spizania surrendering unconditionally before succumbing to radiation sickness.

It is worth noting that apart from a research expedition visiting Bouvet Island in 1975 that claimed the island for the Realm of Cotland, there has not been a Cottish presence on the islands since. The Government of Cotland has not made an active effort to settle the island, chosing instead to verbally claim the island and unilaterarily declare the island a nature preserve.

Today's announcement ties into the increasingly frosty relations between the Realm of Cotland and the Kingdom of Holland following the Polaris Incident last March, and is seen by most analysts to be a mere verbal sparring, tying into the pattern of frosty relations between Cotland and Holland since the Polaris Incident.

WORLDWIDE COPYRIGHT (C) COTTISH FREE PRESS, 04 JANUARY 2013

by **Layarteb** » Mon Feb 04, 2013 1:41 pm

OFFICIAL DIPLOMATIC COMMUNIQUE

P 0151230R
FM [Empire of Layarteb, Office of the Emperor]
TO [Global Community]
INFO [MOD]

UNCLASSIFIED LAYARTEB CITY 2013015129

TAGS: [DEF, FR]
SUBJECT: [Atmospheric Nuclear Test]

At 17:00 hours zulu, January 15, the Empire of Layarteb conducted its aforementioned atmospheric nuclear test on Ducie Island in the Layartebian-owned Pitcairn Islands. The test was conducted with the utmost care for the environment and conservation officials worked tirelessly to ensure that species of flora and fauna were preserved through a variety of methods and efforts.

The detonation of the device was unfortunately a "fizzle," the cause of which will be determined through post-event analysis and research. Despite the less-than-desired outcome, the Empire will not be scheduling a follow-on test for a second device in the near future nor do we anticipate needing a second, atmospheric test of this device.

At present, the Empire wants to thank the international community for their cooperation in not interfering with the test as well as remaining out of the warning zones, as previously defined.

The Emperor

MESSAGE STOP

by **Layarteb** » Tue Feb 12, 2013 8:15 am

Thai Canal Set For Traffic

By Jospeh Warren
Published: February 12, 2013 | 10:00 HKT

Panama Canal.

HONG KONG - Despite numerous delays, the Thai Canal will be ready for its first maritime traffic as of March 1.

Originally set to begin shipping traffic last summer, the Thai Canal has experienced numerous construction delays due to materials, weather, and the every changing geopolitical climate in the Far East. Last year's Sinaean-Layartebian War has been cited as one of the major causes in the delay as well as the single most prevalent cause in the Thai Canal's new estimated completion cost of $55 billion, up from the original estimate of $50 billion.

Construction on the Thai Canal began in 2009 after the Treaty of Quang-sow was signed with the Kingdom of East Fancainia. Since then, the Kingdom of East Fancainia has dissolved to form the Kingdom of Thailand, a Hi No Moton puppet state. Ever a source of tension between the Empire of Hi No Moto and the Empire of Layarteb, the Thai Canal will be capable of supporting larger and heavier vessels than the Suez Canal. This has lead to a new category called Thaimax.

The Thaimax category was officially published last summer and it allows for vessels as heavy as 215,000 long tons (218,450 metric tonnes). Vessels must have a length of 1,600 feet (488 meters), a beam of 312 feet (95 meters), and a draft of 66 feet (20 meters) or less to transit the Thai Canal. Additionally, because of raised bridges, a vessel cannot exceed 330 feet (100 meters). These dimensions are rumored to have been based on the Cottish Odin class aircraft carrier, which will be able to fit, along with all vessels of the Imperial Layartebian Navy except for the Overburdened class battleship.

Tolls have not been posted yet but the Empire of Layarteb has stated that all initial transits will be free of charge in order to commemorate the opening of the Thai Canal. No word has come yet as to which type of ship, or whose ship will be the first to transit the canal. Construction of support facilities is expected to complete in December 2014.

Asia | Commerce
Hong Kong Press © All Rights Reserved 2013

by **Earth_ Two** » Sat Feb 16, 2013 10:54 am

.:. Updated to this point .:.

by **URBOV** » Mon Feb 18, 2013 12:03 pm

The Land As She Is.
2-18-13
Professor Giuseppe Aleksandervitch
Kiev State University

In the absence of stable civic institutions that enjoy broad public appreciation and support, the Russian Union State depends upon a number of personal factions that surrounded powerful figures in both private and public life. A vague notion of “Patriotism” though not in the Western sense binds together what otherwise would be a highly fractious system, though it must be noted that Patriotism in the Russian sense also includes a sizeable amount of coercive power on the part of the Leader’s own Faction (typically the largest and most respectable). The Supreme Soviet of Federal District Leaders is considered by many experts to be a modern revival of the Boyar Duma (completely independent of the Parliamentary system of the same name).

Democracy is fragile within the Russian Union State above the Federal District Level in keeping with all incarnations of the Russian State, though there has been genuine progress in terms of formalizing local democratic tradition. The Communal Property of a Village or Territory combined with the “Joint Responsibility” all members of society have towards said area meeting it’s tax obligations ensure that only the best and most capable (or shrewdest and most manipulative) are elected to head the individual Mir, Volost, Uyezd, Uyezd City, Oblast (or Krai/Republic) and finally the Federal District.

Military Control depends upon both the Political Officer Instructor and the Officer Class. Commonly hailing from more developed families, Russian Officers attend a number of institutions within the Union State that see them prepared to be both representatives of the Regime as well as competent Leaders of Men. Political Officers meanwhile are schooled in Kiev where they are instructed in the finer principles of Democratic Sovereignty, Eurasianism, Pochva, and even Marxism-Leninism, all of which represent significant factions of the Regime since 1991. All of these different and irreconcilable ideals are modified to express the distinctly Russian nature of thought that has given them power within the Union State, serving to bind the new recruits to the National Entity despite their various ethnic, ideological, and economic status.

Sometimes referred to as a system of Collectivist Oligarchy, the Business heads of the Russian Union State represent a combination of all other powerful castes (the Politician, Officer, Worker’s/Peasant’s Representative) with a healthy amount of Organized Crime. It is no secret that several of the Oligarchs depend upon shadowy Criminals who neutralize opposition, or that quite a few businessmen served their time in the Organs of State Security. Controlling large sectors of the Russian economy, it would be wrong to say that they are Tycoons in the Western Sense as there is a significant amount of overhead on the part of the State which maintains a monopoly over select fields of heavy industry (primarily defense based).

Clergymen hold very little power within the Russian Union State though their various faiths enjoy full freedom of worship. Theological Communities are exempt from most taxes and are free to run their own forms of education (assuming they conform to the Standard Curriculum). Orthodoxy has enjoyed a favored position in post Soviet Russia though Islam is far more common in the Central Asian Republics. The State promotes an active Russification of a kind which sees every foreign faith within Russia in some way bend to acknowledge the supremacy of the National State. Orthodoxy however is clearly still the favored faith being the religion of the majority of the ruling elites as well as the ethnically Slavic peoples of the Union State.

Foreign Policy of the Russian Union State can best be viewed through the lens of Eurasianist Geopolitics as laid down by a prominent professor within the RUS. Russia’s immediate objective is to form a Kiev-Constantinople-Kyoto Axis to counteract the machinations of both the Empire of Layarteb and the Realm of Cotland. It is recognized that Russia is herself a European Power as much as she is an Asian Power, yet she offers a Europeanism that is markedly different from that of Western Europe. The supremacy of a Russified Europe can be questioned, but above all else she retains more in common with Europe than either the Realm of Cotland or the Empire of Layarteb. Russia must use this commonality to impose upon Western Europe the objectives of her foreign policy while allowing them to retain their own modes of national organization and culture.

Finally we must consider the objective of first Ukraine but now all of the Russian Union State to reunite the former Soviet Union. While much of Central Asia is presently held by the Ilkhanate, as Eurasia nears the final stages of unification it must be wondered exactly how much longer will the Ilkhanate be allowed to exist independently of Kiev. Cottish held Russian territories are many and important though specific interest must be paid to Belorussia and Moscow. Finally the few Moton held territories also raise concerns that the Kiev-Constantinople-Kyoto Axis may be torn asunder should a diplomatic solution fail to be reached. We must now see the Russian State as acting in both a Geopolitical and Irredentist manner.

by **Layarteb** » Tue Mar 12, 2013 5:44 am

Falkland Islanders vote overwhelmingly to remain in the Empire

By Louis Sinclair
Published: February 4, 2013 | 08:35 EST

PORT STANLEY, FALKLANDS - Voters in the Falkland Islands have voted overwhelmingly in favor of remaining part of the Empire. With a turnout of approximately 92%, the official count on Monday showed that 99.5% of the island's voters have voted in favor of remaining part of the Empire of Layarteb. During the same vote, 96.8% of the voters voted in favor of remaining with the Republic of Denmad versus their own republic.

The vote, which was non-binding, was called by state officials after a recent bombardment of claims by the United Provinces of Bavin that the Empire is illegally holding the island against the will of the people.

The United Provinces of Bavin, since their inception, have adamantly claimed that the Falklands, which they call the Malvinas, belong to Argentina, despite a complete lack of any historical claim. The Empire assumed control over the Falkland Islands in winter 2006 after the Stanley-based corporation, Totalis was found complicit in the atomic bombing of Grenada. The island's government was also found to be in cahoots with Totalis.

Claims by the UPB that this vote was inconsequential came on the eve of the vote when analysts predicted that the vote would likely exceed 90% in favor of remaining with the Empire. In response, the Minister of Foreign Affairs said, "I am sure if the predictions were the other way, the Bavinese would have called this vote legitimate and used it as a rally cry for an invasion. Simply put, the island wants to remain part of the Empire and it shall remain."

No comment has yet been announced from the Bavinese government but based on recent tensions between the UPB and the RSA, in addition to the Empire, it is likely that the UPB will refrain from aggravating the situation.

Layarteb | South America
Reuters © All Rights Reserved 2013

by **URBOV** » Tue Mar 19, 2013 5:57 pm

3-19-13

The Single Eurasian Economic Space

The Russian Union State and the Central Asian Federation hereafter referred to as the signatory parties, agree that standards of taxation, regulation, health, safety, modernity, measurement, and infrastructural limitation shall be aligned and oriented in the name of creating a preserving a single Economic Space throughout the territory of both signatory parties.
In the name of re-drafting the various standards and items affiliated with the creation of the Single Economic Space, a Joint-Government Economic Oversight Authority Committee shall be called and based in the Ilkhanate City of Oral. It shall have all powers necessary and proper to carry out it's duties, namely allowing the smooth formation and preservation of a single Economic Space.
For the purposes of guaranteeing a stable economic structure and in the name of universal human dignity, freedom of movement and labor shall be guaranteed for any citizens of the contracting parties. All citizens shall be allowed to reside within the boundaries of either of the signatory parties lawfully and will face no discrimination from the State, Courts, Military, Businesses, etc. of a Signatory Party.
Adhering to both the shared history of dedication to Proletarian Internationalism as well as in recognition of the fraternity of the Signatory Parties; Mutual-Defense, Supportive Military Action, and the transfer of all Military Technology shall be guaranteed.

Foreign Policy of both Signatory Parties shall be amended to reflect the shared conditions and mentalities of the Parties though provisions for traditional nationally unique alliances or affiliations shall be made.

by **Terra Reborn** » Thu Mar 28, 2013 5:08 pm

Imperial Broadcasting Corporation

Online News Service

HMS Audacious arrives at new Imperial Naval Base at Scapa Flow
Monday 1st April 2013

HMS Audacious arrived at Scapa Flow in the Orkney Islands for the first time this morning as the Imperial Navy formally began its inhabitation of the naval facilities at the anchorage. The Audacious Carrier Battle Group, formally based out of HMNB Corpus Christi, intends to call HMNB Scapa Flow its new home for at least the next year, at which point a different carrier group will take up the position with that Atlantic Fleet. Along with the Carrier Group the command and support staff of the entire Atlantic Fleet have also relocated to the shore facilities as the Imperial Navy’s newest anchorage in a move designed to bring both the striking power of an aircraft carrier and the command staff much closer to Imperial territorial concerns in the North Atlantic and the Mediterranean, specifically Portugal and Gibraltar & Rhodes respectively. The Surface Action Group of the Atlantic Fleet has remained at Corpus Christi and is expected to do so for the foreseeable future.

The deployment of Imperial Navy forces to Scapa flow is primarily a result of the territorial gains the Apilonian Empire made during 2012 and the need to ensure that they could be adequately protected and the Admiralty has strenuously denied that the forward deployment of a Battlegroup to Scapa Flow is a threat to any nations in the area, instead insisting that the ability to station warships close Imperial territory in Portugal and Imperial Enclaves in the Mediterranean is essential in ensuring their security. Give that, with the exception of Portugal, the small size of the enclaves necessitates relatively small defensive naval forces, the ability to station an entire Battle Group, and potentially more, within easy sailing distance of the Mediterranean rather than having to sail across the entire breadth of the Atlantic, is seen as highly advantageous at the Admiralty.

Vice Admiral Sir Christopher Walcott, the Commander-in-Chief Imperial Atlantic Fleet, has stated that he is enthusiastic about the new stationing of Atlantic Fleet headquarters and makes special praise for the facilities at Scapa Flow for him and his staff who are responsible for all Imperial naval operations in the Atlantic and surrounding seas, as well as providing reinforcement to the Mediterranean Fleet when required. Sir Christopher did note however that the weather in Scapa Flow was not on a par with Corpus Christi.

Thomas Carter, Senior Defence Correspondent, IBC News

by **Terra Reborn** » Sun Apr 14, 2013 3:11 am

Navy News

Reporting from the Fleet

The Imperial Navy's Destroyer Problem

In the modern naval arena the Destroyer is an important part of any Naval Service. In some smaller Navies they are the largest main surface combatants, not counting whatever capital ships that Navy might have, whilst in others they are the primary escort combatant, and indeed in others they work alongside even larger vessels such as cruisers. As a general rule they formidable combatants within their role, typically armed to dish out substantial punishment whilst providing adequate protection for larger vessels these ships are vital components of any naval Battlegroup

At last count the Imperial Navy had a destroyer fleet of one hundred and seventy-four vessels in commission; however these are largely spread across three main classes. Twenty-eight of these are Cottish built Mankell-Class Destroyers, which were part of the initial expansion of the Imperial Navy in the early days of the Second Empire. A further sixty-six of these are Ardent-Class, either purchased from the American shipyards or inherited from the Australian Navy. The final eighty destroyers are Arleigh Burke-Class destroyers that had been inherited when South India became part of the Empire.

This disparate line up is a major problem for the Empire as it does not allow for single class of ship with well-known capabilities to operate together as effectively as would be possible if the ships were all of the same class, and indeed the different systems of the ships are a major logistical problem when it comes to providing repairs and spare parts. This does not count that whilst modern and formidable vessels, the Arleigh Burke is an aging design and whilst newer vessels have incorporated advances into the design, the older vessels of the Imperial Indian Fleet do not, reducing their effectiveness. The Mankell-Class by contrast is the largest destroyer in service, at eleven thousand tonnes, and is arguably the most powerful. All of this means that when it comes to destroyers, some of the most important surface combatants in the modern naval arena, the Imperial Navy has a substantial problem to wrap its head around. Whilst it is not a fatal problem, and it is not to say that the Imperial Navy’s destroyers are not up to the job and effective fighting units, but there is never the less additional complications than would otherwise be the case.

The wildcard in the pack is the new enhanced variant of the Type-45 Destroyer that has been developed by Imperial shipyards and field-tested by the Imperial Navy, building on the initial design and enhancing its weapons systems it combines a missile capability comparable to the Arleigh Burke and Ardent classes with the advanced radar systems boasted by the design, not to mention being superior in other regards in ways that the initial, under armed design, simply lacked. This new design is seen by some in the Imperial Navy as being the ideal centre ground design, and perhaps most importantly is an Imperial built design which would not only allow for non-reliance on foreign goodwill but also provide shipbuilding experience and work for the future generations.

The Imperial Navy is unlikely to suddenly mothball its disparate fleet, however it is likely to start looking to standardise its forces as much as possible, and the enhanced Type-45, dubbed the Type-45E by the Imperial Navy, is looking very likely to be at the centre of that endeavour. More than likely the Imperial Navy will place orders for Type-45s to begin construction and allow them to enter the fleet as requirement demands, either as an operational requirement, or to replace another vessel (of any class) that has been lost in combat. Any vessels that are completed when the Navy does not require a new destroyer are likely to be put on the market and potentially sound to friendly countries, an arrangement that has been successful in the American shipyards for some years. Indeed there are already some T45E hulls nearing completion in Imperial shipyards and their final destination is not yet known.

Navy News asked the Third Sea Lord, Admiral Sir Mark Hobart, about this Destroyer Problem:

‘Destroyers play a vital part in modern naval warfare, and the Imperial Navy maintains a formidable fleet of such vessels, even if they are of various classes. Never the less it is correct that the presence of no less than four difference classes of ship, all relatively modern and of the same design generation, does pose substantial problems for the Imperial Navy from a logistical point of view, and the fact that they are all roughly comparable precludes a unilateral retirement of some classes in favour of a new design. This unfortunately means that the Navy is likely to retain a disparate destroyer force at least until the next generation of destroyers is designed and begins to enter service.”

by **Terra Reborn** » Mon Apr 15, 2013 8:56 am

Navy News

Reporting from the Fleet

Fleet Focus: Spotlight on the enhanced Type-45 Destroyer

The Type-45 Destroyer has its origins as the brainchild of the then-small scale shipbuilding and aerospace corporation that would become the defence powerhouse that is Imperial Aerospace Systems. It was conceived as an austere surface escort that was intended to hold state of the art systems and be capable of beating some of the best opposing systems in the world… for the first forty-eight threat or similar. It was intended to provide smaller navies and particularly any resurgence of the Imperial Navy (at the time any resurgence of the Apilonian Empire was anticipated to be contained to Alaska and nearby areas, no one at the time had suspected the rapid and successful expansion that the Empire has undergone since) with a vessel that was highly advanced and capable at a relatively affordable cost, even if this was at the risk of being somewhat underarmed. The initial design, having a main missile system of only forty-eight missiles, and having other systems be classed as ‘for but not with’, was a good design for medium intensity conflicts, but lacked the endurance to engage in the higher intensity conflicts common to global warfare. Never the less it was expected that this would remain.

This changed with the resurgence of the Empire and the requirement of the Imperial Navy for a well-rounded air defence destroyer to supplement the larger Mankell-Class destroyers purchased from the Realm of Cotland. The rapidly growing IEA Systems, Naval Division, took up this requirement and took another look at the Type-45 and, with their cost-ceiling raised, began to go about the task of up arming the vessel to make full use of its highly advanced radar and electronincs. It was quickly established that the vast majority of the ships armamants were adequate for the size, especially the pair of 30mm autocannons and the force protection assets in place. IEA quickly added all the equipment dubbed for but not with onto the design as standards, providing the design with sufficient anti-ship capability to engage enemy warships if it so needed to. The designers then set about substantially increasing the ship’s air defence ability, a vital part of the design, given its likely tasking. The VLS system was replaced with the tired and tested Mk.41 VLS to a total of seventy-two cells and aside from 48 RIM-164 ERAM missiles the vessel also carries ninety-six quad-packed RIM-16s ESSMs quad packed in the remaining twenty-four cells, giving the ship potent defences at both long and medium range. In addition, supporting the CIWS systems a pair of Mk-144 Guided Missile Launchers, with a total of 42 RIM-116 RAMs, were added to allow the other missiles to focus on other targets whilst allowing the ship to adequately protect itself.

All of this provided the enhanced Type-45, or the Type-45E as it was now being dubbed by both IAE Systems and the Imperial Navy, with enough missiles to service in a high-threat/high-intensity environment whilst also ensuring it had the ability to hit other warships and provide self Force Protection capabilities.

Had the development of the Empire followed the conventional pattern it was highly likely that the T45E would gradually cement its place as the Imperial Navy’s destroyer. However as stated in a previous article, the expansion of the Empire and the absorption of other Navies has brought other destroyers into Imperial service. Like my colleague I believe that the T45E is likely to become the main-production vessel of the Imperial Navy, but I disagree that the T45 marks the end to other designs, as they each have their own purpose and that the T45 fits well within them. In terms of a pure AA destroyer the T45E is pretty much unmatched in the Navy’s line-up, it is able to cram more missiles and more advanced systems into a hull smaller than the venerable Arleigh Burke-Class that has entered the INs inventory following the acquisition of India. The Ardent-Class destroyer, roughly comparable in terms of tonnage, is much better suited as a multirole destroyer, and its armament fits this, being a lot more varied than the T45E. The Mankell-Class destroyer, being a full three thousand tonnes larger than the T45 fits the role of Heavy Destroyer well, indeed bordering on cruiser territory, however it is likely to be supplanted in favour of the Tiger-Class Light Cruiser which is only a handful of tonnes heavier but much more substantially armed.

This means that in terms of actual tasking the T45E has a bright future, likely freeing up Ardent-Class destroyers that had been called into roles protecting larger vessels and allowing them to engage in varied missions, providing the Imperial Navy with additional multirole surface combatants for when pure air-defence isn’t needed, such as in Surface Action Groups. With this in mind the Imperial Navy is likely to advocate continued production of the T45E in the air defence role, supplanting Arleigh Burke’s were appropriate and freeing up Ardent’s in other places. The Mankell-Class is likely to find itself being phased out in favour of the Tiger-Class. The Type-45 is therefore likely to enjoy a substantial production run and valuable service providing escort for Imperial Navy capital vessels and protecting other high value targets on sea and land.

Captain John Flynn DSO, an experienced Imperial Naval Officer from Australia who has served under the command of Viscountess Standford, has recently been assigned to command the Type-45E destroyer HMS Dauntless, having relinquished command of the Ardent-Class Destroyer HMS Zealous, thus has experience in both designs, and had this to say:

‘The two ships have radically different design intentions, the Ardent is a multirole missile destroyer, the 45 is an air defence destroyer and a damned good one, it is best shown by the weapons loadout; the 45s cells are exclusively armed with air defence weaponry, whilst the Ardent also carries anything from the Tomahawk to anti-satellite weapons. This reduces the number of defensive weapons they have, but radically expands their versatility, and as such makes both platforms valuable in their own way.'

by **Terra Reborn** » Mon Jul 01, 2013 2:12 pm

Imperial Broadcasting Corporation News Service

Prince Arthur Invested as Prince of Australia
Monday 1st July 2013

[size=85]Prince Arthur, the heir to the throne, ceased to be the Crown Prince of Apilonia this morning following his investiture as Prince of Australia by his father, the King. In a press release by the Office of the King it was stated that His Majesty and his son had made the decision following substantial discussion between the two, and with the Archduke Council, and was made for several reasons. One was to replace the generic title of ‘crown prince’ which is shared by several other monarchies with something that is distinctive to the Empire. Perhaps the main reason however was in recognition of both the substantial influence that the Australian Territories, especially now that they have been unified, have on the Empire, but also the high level of respect and adoration with which the population of Australia view the young prince. This combined with the Prince’s military duties being based out of Australia is seen as being the best way to combine as long and fruitful military career as Prince Arthur can have with his need to gain experience in royal duties, of which he can take care of the majority of in Australia.

Australia’s love affair with Prince Arthur began last year with the Imperial Military Campaign to support the Eastern Australian people against a radical regime that had sprung up in the West, during which Prince Arthur flew numerous combat sorties, he would later return to Australia following a tour of duty during the disastrous air campaign in Portugal masterminded by the disgraced Elvis Santino, where he served as the Commanding Officer of HMS Cairns, and was present for the first battle of the Second Australian War of Unification. In the time in between, and since, Prince Arthur has been very active in Australia, especially in helping out, often physically, with the rebuilding efforts in Western Australia and his ship, HMS Cairns, has become famous along the coast of Western Australia for bringing supplies and manpower to coastal towns and villages which had been missed out by the main rebuilding efforts. It was therefore hardly surprising that in June of this year His Grace The Archduke of Australia, with the full support of his Council of Commons, made a formal request to His Majesty to create the title of Prince of Australia and have it be automatically conferred on the eldest child of the Monarch into the future.

After some discussion this was agreed by His Majesty, Prince Arthur and various other officials, and on today, July 1st, the investiture ceremony was held at Government House in Canberra. Prince Arthur would hence force be titled:

His Royal Highness The Prince Arthur, Prince of Australia

William Thompson, Senior Political Correspondent, IBC News

by **Layarteb** » Sat Jul 27, 2013 10:56 am

LAST POWS FROM SINAEAN-LAYARTEBIAN WAR FREED

By Tammy Butterfield
Published: May 30, 2013 | 10:00 [UTC+8]

HONG KONG - On Thursday morning, the last POWs held by both the Empire and the Respublica Sinae were released in a simple but honorable ceremony at the G75/G325 Crossing in Liwucun. The move marks a dramatic improvement in Layarteb-Sinaean relations, which have all but been non-existent since the Sinaean-Layartebian War came to a ceasefire on September 13, 2012.

In a war that claimed 26,600,000 casualties on all sides, 383 Layartebian and 1,118 Sinaean prisoners of war have been had been by both sides. On May 1, as a symbolic gesture of peace, each side released 100 POWs, followed by a further 200 on May 7, which also included the locations of bodies buried in the field. Today, the last of the living POWs have been released.

Estimates put 93 Layartebians and 132 Sinaeans still as MIA but each side denies holding more troops. Officials speaking on the condition of anonymity from the Ministry of Defense said that it was likely these MIAs were buried in the field and their locations were not recorded or that little remained of their bodies to identify.

Officials on both sides are hopeful about future negotiations that would put this conflict to rest. Raging from August 28 to September 13, the Sinaean-Layartebian War is among the bloodiest conflicts in world history and certainly the bloodiest in Layartebian history. The Empire suffered 135,983 casualties, of which 16,600 were killed in action. The war utterly annihilated the CDP and solidified the Progressive party as the dominant and sole ruler of Beijing.

World Affairs | Far East
Hong Kong Press © All Rights Reserved 2013

by **Terra Reborn** » Sat Aug 03, 2013 8:23 am

Proceedings of the Imperial Navy Institute

Issue Number 1567, July 2013

The Role of the Battleship in the Modern Age
Rear Admiral Ashley Kincaid DSO

To many, both in the Navy and out, the concept of the Battleship is outmoded. This is especially true for those Navies that still operate all big-gun battleships with anti-ship missiles tacked on as an afterthought, and of course not even going into the massive multi-hundred thousand tonne monsters that several navies have commissioned over the years in a case of what I like to call steel-genital syndrome. However for the purposes of this article I will be discuss the concept of the modern Battleship that the Imperial Navy is most familiar with, as exemplified by the Von Grippen-Class Guided Missile Battleship. Armed with a single 355mm main gun it still possesses substantial big gun firepower, ideal for shore bombardment, but doubtless its main strength, and what the Imperial Navy considers the primary striking power, is the array of VLS cells that the ship is equipped with. Originally designed for monster missiles, which were deemed as unnecessary, the Imperial Navy instead elected to cram in as many of the versatile Perseus Cruiser Missiles as physically possible, resulting in an impressive loadout of over two hundred such missiles, supported by a relatively light anti-air defense, primarily for point defence duties. In addition, the Imperial Navy elected to sacrifice several knots of speed to put in heavier armour, after all what is the point of a Battleship if it can’t take a pounding.

Thus the Imperial Navy’s modern vision of a Battleship was born.

Of course, it is not without its problems.

Even with the longest range missiles available the range at which a Battleship can hit its target is generally less than that of an Aircraft Carrier deploying strike aircraft armed with the same, or potentially shorter-legged missiles. This is because a fighter aircraft can add hundreds of sea miles of range onto a missile by simply flying it away from the Carrier, this also allows the Carrier itself to remain well away from potential danger to the extent that the victim of a carrier-launched strike may not even know where the attack came from. The Battleship must therefore accept this limitation, both in getting closer to the enemy and the reality that the enemy could very well track the missile back to its firing platform. It is largely for this reason that the Imperial Navy was so eager to put armour back into a design that had lacked it, if a Battleship was going to be potentially facing enemy fire it only made sense to ensure that it could survive that kind of firepower.

Never the less, despite the shorter ranges a Battleship can still hit a target from a fair distance away, and has perhaps one distinct advantage over a Carrier. Where a Carrier-borne fighter aircraft can bring an equivalent missile into range of the target it cannot stay there indefinitely, it thus has a very limited firing window. By contrast a Battleship, especially a nuclear-powered Von Grippen-Class properly supplied by the Royal Fleet Auxiliary, can remain on station for months on end. As a result whilst a Carrier can project substantial, versatile power into a given area, a Battleship can do that and remain on-station as a potent reminder of exactly what she is capable of. This has been demonstrated several times by the Imperial Navy in the past.

The first is the performance of Battle Division 1-4, under then Rear Admiral Sir Nicholas Harrington, which essentially bombarded the Portuguese shore and air defence networks into submission after the carrier operations had been neutered by a mixture of a stunning strategy by the Portuguese Air Force, and an equally stunning strategic blunder by then-Rear Admiral Elvis Santino, that has of course resulted in the disgraced flag officers dishonourable dismissal from the service as unfit to wear the King’s Uniform. This disaster never the less showed the vulnerability of a Carrier, and more specifically its air wing, which had to violate enemy airspace and was able to be drawn into a trap, based on the mistakes of its flag officer. By contrast the two Battleships of Battle Division 1-4 were able to remain well off-shore, safely surrounded by escorts and hit enemy targets with relative impunity, whilst HMS Enterprise sat only a few miles away, effectively lamed by her lack of aircraft. Whilst Santino’s blunders are by no means an accurate example of Imperial Carrier Operations, the fact never the less remains that in this example the Battleships played an important role in recovering what would otherwise have been the Imperial Navy’s biggest catastrophe of the modern age.

The second is the performance of my own 1st Battle Squadron at the Battle of Cocos Island. The 1BS was forward deployed with a small escort to draw in the enemy fighters in order to hit them well clear of our carriers, followed later by a full squadron of enemy Battlecruisers, which we were able to sink relatively isolated from the main enemy force. During a period of about two hours the Battleships of my Squadron were under fire for pretty much the entire time, however all six of my ships emerged from the other side still combat capable, albeit at the loss of several escorts and heavy damage to others Out of that we had managed to cut a massive swath into the enemies fighter capability and take out their eight main surface combatants, both without endangering our own carriers and using up less than half of my ships missile stores. As a result of this we were able to then use them to help take out the enemy main force when we encountered them some hours later, running for home. I hold no illusions that without the Tomcats and F-21s from the carriers my Battleships would have had a much harder time, however no other ship in the Navy’s order of battle would have been able to carry out the same role.

What should be clear from my examples is that whilst the days have passed where the Battleship is the flagships of the Navy they never the less have an important role to play in military strategy, and are undoubtedly capital ships. Their firepower and resilience are sufficient to allow them to take part in modern fleet combat, enough protection to close with the enemy and enough firepower to destroy them. Their relative speed, despite the sacrifices made to increase armour they can still make a good twenty-eight knots, is sufficient to not slow down a fleet too much, and is also sufficient to be a threat to lighter vessels such as cruisers, destroyers and frigates, all of which the Battleship is an effective tool at taking out, and of course their potential role in supporting a major amphibious assault are as obvious as they are historically vindicated. By now it should be clear that the purpose of this article is not to slam the Aircraft Carrier, rather it is to simply state the case for the Battleship.

At present the Imperial Navy operates eight Von Grippen-Class Battleships. Six of these can be found in the Home Fleet, specifically the 1st Battle Squadron, whilst the other two are attached to Portugal Station of the Atlantic Fleet, providing a potent striking force in that relatively unstable part of the world. Over the years that these have been in commission they have consistently been some of the hardest worked ships in the Navy. It is largely for this reason, and the fact that they have excelled in all the tasks given to them, that the Navy authorized the construction of an entire new batch of eight ships to bring the full strength up to sixteen vessels, a decision that I heartily agree with, although I may be a little biased. This is never the less likely to be the full production run of the class, at least unless the realities of naval combat change, but never the less give the Imperial Navy a substantial increase in its ability to hit enemy targets, on sea or on land, hard.

Whilst not exactly in the scope of this article the debate as to where these Battleships, doubtless to be formally designated as the 2nd Battle Squadron, has already reached the intensity within naval circles as can often be found around the commissioning of a new aircraft carrier. Suggestions on the matter range from deploying the entire squadron to Europe, thus allowing Battle Division 1-4 to rejoin 1BS at long last, although the common counter to that is that the division already out there has been doing a sufficient job so far, especially given that a threat capable of taking on a full battle squadron coming out of Europe, certainly one hostile to the Empire, in the near future seems unlikely. Other options typically suggest either India or Australia, either of which would be advantageous given their positions relative to the Hi No Moton Empire, whilst yet others advocate keeping them in Home Fleet like 1BS, serving in much the same role as a strategic reserve, capable of deploying worldwide if the need arose.

As of writing the Batch II vessels are spread across the construction scheme, the first division are on sea trials and expected to be commissioned this autumn, divisions two and three are still being fitted out and are expected to enter sea trials by the beginning of next year, whilst division four vessels are still under primary construction and completion is not expected until the early months of 2015, unless additional resources are pushed their way.

Overall it is my sincere hope that I have explained much of the reasoning behind those of us in the Imperial Navy who have been, sometimes derisively dubbed, Battleship Admirals, and hope that the rest of the Navy understands us at least a little bitter. And, of course, I encourage anyone in the Navy, anyone, to provide a rebuttal to my points, as I do love a good debate.

(Ed: Rear Admiral Kincaid is currently serving as Commanding Officer, 1st Battle Squadron, attached to Imperial Home Fleet)

by **URBOV** » Tue Aug 06, 2013 10:07 am

Press Releases from the All-Russias Soviet of Agitprop, 8/6/2013.

Gazprom acquires Uzbek and Turkmen Mineral Rights for 53 Billion Roubles!

Building upon the recent descision of the XIV Congress of the Russkaya Pravda Party, official successor to the CPSU, Gazprom has spent a quarter of a year's profits securing all mineral-rights within the former Soviet Republics. While friendly ties exist between Samarkand and Kiev, business ties are not as close with the Republics that gained independence in the mid 1990s opening several contracts with Persian and Amigardian Interests before those countries collapsed. Gazprom has then transferred ownership of these assets to the newly formed Uzbekgaz which is expected to handle all operations in Central Asia.

Chairman of the All-Russias Economic Committee, Ivan Azimovitch Karkhovsky has approved the move at economic expansion in what is surely a symbol of a new era in Russian history.

Gazprom secures indefinite contract for the mangement of all Utilities in Gerogia, Armenia, and Azerbaijan for 50 Million African Marks!

Building upon it's recent acquisition of former Soviet mineral-rights, Gazprom has been awarded an indefinite contract for all utilities in the Trans-caucasian region. The recent conflict between Armenia and Azerbaijan which was halted only with the introduction of Russian peacekeepers has left all of the Republics in the Region several lacking in capital. Emergency loans from Russia are no longer an option as the Russkaya Pravda Party has refused to act as an agent of financial imperialism.

Hypocritically the State Natural Gas Enterprise has moved to secure strategic control of the Repubics in exchange for a payment that is identicle to the amount of money requested. While there is opposition within the Republics at the recent move the existing political situation makes the sale of Caucasian Utilities necessary and the contract was signed at 2:00 PM this evening.

Russian Investors buy all Bulgarian, Serbian, Kosovar, and Macedonian Power Plants, Water-Lines, and Telecommunication Stations. Recieves contracts to handle all Utilities in region pending sale of Montenegrin Utilities.

In a dramatic move a group of Industrial Unions in European Russia have moved to buy enterprises in the Balkan Republics of Serbia, Bulgaria, Kosovo, Macedonia, and Montenegro. This move by the Russian Workers who benefit from Socialization of their own Means of Production is interpretted by the intellectual elite as being indicative of a shift in Russian Socialism towards an aggressive economic expansionary mode of organization. While the status quo is enforced in these Balkan Enterprises there have been meetings with the newly formed "Pan-Slavic Industrial Union of Workers".

While reports are still unconfirmed it has been suggested by Economic Experts that Worker-Self Management of the Balkan Acquisitions can be expected within a year.

Russian State Bank purchases slew of Moldovan, Uzbek, Turken, and Caucasian Banks.

Just hours after the Russkaya Pravda Party's approval of "economic adventurism" the State Bank of All-Russias has moved to purchase all banks operating within the former Soviet Union. Citing various holes in the dissolutionary agreements that saw an end to the Union of Freeborn Republics, RusBank has secured it's principle competators for a fraction of market value.

Western Officials declare that this is a perfect example of the arbitrary nature of Private Property Rights in the supposedly independent former Soviet Republics. Chief of the Supreme All-Russias Economic Council, Anatoli Sergevitch has come forward to say,

"The illegal operation of Financial Enterprises within the boundaries of the former Soviet Union has been rectified by a combination of legal and economic action. All ofenders are lucky to recieve some form of payment as opposed to imprionment for what is a crime under existing Russian and Eurasian Economic Community law."

Russian Industrial Conglomerate begins construction on Ulan Baator Automotive and Tractor Plant.

"In the spirit of fraternity and in recognition of the shared history of our two peoples, we the Supreme Industrial Committee of the Russkaya Pravda Party have approved the construction of two Plants on Mongolian territory. These enterprises will employ thousands of Mongolian Workers and serve as the foundation of future economic interdependence between the Eurasian Economic Community and the newly born Mongolian State. We hope that all Mongolian Comrades recognize that with the Eurasian Economic Community they will find not only a stalwart ally but also a source of continuing support in their struggle for National Liberation from all Eastern Imperialist Ventures."

-Address from the XIV Congress of the Russkaya Pravda Party.

by **Terra Reborn** » Fri Aug 09, 2013 5:51 am

Imperial Broadcasting Corporation

Online News Service

Imperial Navy commissions new Heavy Cruisers
Monday 5th August 2015

The Imperial Navy commissioned its two newest warships this morning in a joint ceremony at HM Naval Base Anchorage, in the presence of His Majesty The King. The two vessels, HMS Ajax and HMS Agamemnon, are the first two vessels of the Ajax-Class Heavy Cruiser to enter service with the Imperial Navy. Designed by IAE Systems the Ajax-Class is a twenty-thousand tonne design designed to bridge the gap between the Tiger-Class Light Cruiser and the Saga-Class Battlecruiser, both designed in the Realm of Cotland. The Ajax-Class is intended to be a general purpose warship capable of long-range independent patrols, which its nuclear nature gives it an advantage of over the Tiger-Class which only has an endurance of sixteen days sailing on fuel compared to the hundred and twenty days that the Ajax-Class can maintain on supplies. The design faced some criticism with some in the Imperial Navy arguing that the Saga-Class Battlecruiser does the job better and is already a tried and tested design, however its supporters responded that the Ajax-Class would not only be cheaper (2.5 Billion compared to 3.3 Billion for the Saga) but also less tied up serving either as station flagships or as part of mainline squadrons.

Ultimately the supporters won out and the Imperial Navy has ordered a modest production to be maintained for the foreseeable future and is expected to be favoured over additional Saga-Class Battlecruisers in terms of future procurement. In addition the Imperial Navy has indicated that it may be willing to authorise foreign sales of the design, with off the shelf systems in place of those used by its specifications, in order to recoup some of the costs. Never the less the Ajax-Class is expected to play a prominent role in providing an Imperial Navy presence across the globe.

Ajax and Agamemnon have already been tasked with sailing to HMNS Freetown, Sierra Leone, where they are to join HMS Repulse, a Saga-Class Battlecruiser, and a screening element to provide a standing Imperial Navy presence in the South Atlantic, something which the Admiralty has been advocating for years, especially in light of the turmoil on the south American continent in recent months. Commodore Henry Taylor, who is currently serving as Commodore, South Atlantic (the Imperial Navy’s senior officer in the South Atlantic), stated that he was thrilled to be gaining such capable ships to not only support his own flagship but also to go where the larger vessel cannot go, and that he strongly suspects that the Ajax-Class Heavy Cruiser will become a common sight anywhere the Apilonian Empire has its interests.

Thomas Carter, Senior Defence Correspondent, IBC News

[Earth II] Newswire

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