New 'Clarent' nuclear deterrent for £16bn
Xiao Mei at King's.
The parliamentary defence review, led by Lord Overton, released its findings yesterday. Noting the increased tensions in the region, as well as the determination of Her Majesty's Government to protect Imperial interests by military means, the review recommended the replacement of the Empire's aging Ivanov-series ballistic missiles with a new permanent nuclear deterrent, which Her Majesty's Government christened 'Clarent' in its statement to the House of Commons yesterday.
However, the Overton review also noted the important conventional responsibilities held by the Empire in the region. In addition to instability on the Empire's southern border with Kamalbia, Imperial commitments in Insula Fera, in particular the military administration in Pangus, show every sign of escalating in the coming months. Though the War Secretary, the Rt. Hon. Olga Mitchell MP, claimed that 'there will be no arms race with the United Kingdom' in the government statement to the House, the Overton review comes in the light of Aquitaynian plans to add 150,000 troops to its standing army.
In that light, the findings of the Overton review, accepted by Her Majesty's Government, recommended an additional £33bn of conventional weaponry spending to supplement the Clarent programme. Most of this spending is expected to be allocated to the Air Ministry and the Army, given traditional Imperial weakness in these areas. However, two new battleships have also been commissioned, to be built in the ailing docklands of Rectaura. Sources within the Armed Forces are reported to be happy with the monetary allocations offered by the War Office.
Opposition to the Overton review has, however, been offered by the Conservatives and the Dangish Unionists in the Imperial Parliament. A Conservative spokesperson claimed that 'once again, the Liberals have failed to adequately minimise costs and ensure value for money, and are at risk of letting our brave servicemen and women down' with the party reported to launch a major new initiative in favour of diverting some of the Overton funds the Imperial intelligence agencies. The Dangish Unionists offered their support to the core findings of the Overton review, but argued for less funding on Clarent in favour of more spending on the Imperial fleet.