Sondrian News Network (Closed, ATTN Sondria)

[The Technocratic Syndicalists]

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SDI Delivers First Block 40 F/A-36A fighter to the Arcaenian Air Force

New Upgrades said to improve the aircraft's electronic warfare capability

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An F/A-36A of the Arcaenian Air Force in Flight over northern Hyperia

Hyperia, February 5th, 2016 - Syndicate Defense Industries announces it has delivered the first of its block 40 F/A-36A Seraph fighters to the Arcaenian Air Force's 1st Tactical Fighter Wing, the first of several AAF squadrons who will receive the latest version of the F/A-36 Fighter.

"We are incredibly proud of our government and industry team whose steadfast dedication to this project led to the successful delivery of the first block 40 F/A-36A today," said John Sweetman, SDI's executive vice president and F/A-36 program general manager. "The exceptional capabilities of this 6th generation fighter are now in the very capable hands of the Arcaenian Air Combat Command's 1st Tactical Fighter Wing who are ushering in a new era of aerial dominance. We look forward to delivering our full complement of block 40 F/A-36 aircraft to the Arcaenian Air Force in the coming months and years".

Based at Thule Air Force Base in Northern Hyperia, also the home of Arcaenian Air Force's Flight Testing Center, the 1st Fighter Wing of Arcaenian Air Combat Command is expected to receive its full complement of 24 Block 40 F/A-36 Aircraft within the next several months. The Block 40 F/A-36A is the latest variant of the SDI F/A-36A, the primary fighter aircraft operated by the Arcaenian Air Force. One of the first 6th generation fighter aircraft, the F/A-36 combines all aspect broadband stealth, mach 2 supercruise, directed energy weaponry, fluidic controls, adaptive-cycle engines, and advanced network-centric and sensor fusion capability, although it has been criticized for it's extremely high price tag and the relative immaturity of some of its cutting edge technology. The Block 40 F/A-36A adds additional electronic warfare capability to the F/A-36 platform including the ability to use it's X band active electronically scanned radar as a high power microwave weapon. "The Block 40 adds a linear transform driver to the APG-96 radar system which gives us the ability to emit bursts of high power microwave energy" explains Sweetman. "The APG-96 uses our proprietary GaN-on-diamond T/R module architecture which can support over 5 times the power density of legacy Gallium Arsenide Systems. With this we can support extremely high peak power levels, over 50 kilowatts, which is useful for burning through jamming, amongst other things. When connected to the LTD, which delivers a series of extremely rapid high power pulses, the radar can emit short bursts of microwave energy which can knock out unshielded electrical systems like computers at tactically useful ranges". The Block 40 also adds a new SATCOM terminal which will provide continuous network connectivity and two-way, secure voice and data communications during deep-strike missions and a new Tactical Targeting Network Datalink (TTND) low-latency IP networking communication system with extremely high bandwidth and throughput capability designed to allow the F/A-36A to transmit and receive large amounts of sensor-data in real time to friendly aircraft, ships, or ground stations.

The Block 40 F/A-36A also features integration of the latest version of SDI's SKYNET electronic warfare computer program. SKYNET, also known as the Integrated Network Attack System, is a computer program developed by SDI in collaboration with the Arcaenian Cyber Force which is designed to infiltrate the computers of enemy early warning and air defense systems. "SKYNET uses electromagnetic waves emitted by the aircraft's electronic warfare systems to infiltrate sealed cable networks" explains Sweetman. "SKYNET infects the target computer with self-replicating malware that quickly infects the entire system, giving us access to the enemy's entire computer network. With SKYNET we monitor enemy communications through the infection of secure datalinks, we can see what enemy sensors are displaying, and can even take control of the entire network to direct sensors away from attacking units or to spoof them into engaging nonexistent targets." Although quite potent, according to Sweetman due to signal strength and bandwidth issues the system apparently has a rather short range which requires the aircraft to be in close proximity to the target to be successful. "The technology is fairly immature, it's something we're going to spend a lot of resources on going forward" he added.

[Gristol-Serkonos]

GAR WEHRMACHT MOBILIZES TO COUNTER I.G.S.N. ADVANCE
German Wehrmacht deploys everything it has against IGSN forces


A Brandenburg-class Frigate, one of the main workhorses of the German Kriegsmarine
PHOTO: GERMAN PRESS

PROFILE: THE PENDRAGON PACT

A political, economic and military alliance,
the Pendragon Pact was founded in 2015
following the break up of the Sondrian Triad,
which consisted primarily of the Imperial
Federation of Crontor, the Shogunate of
Marquesas, and the Elder Republic of
Erjunhuf.

The Pendragon Pact today consists of the
Sovereign Empire of Gristol-Serkonos, the
Elder Republic of Erjunhuf, the Meritocratic
Union of Marquesas, and the Stratocratic
Republic of Iohann. The Pact is maintains an
unofficial partnership with the Skybound
Republic of Havensky from the Gholgoth Region.

The alliance's recent formation and the
intervention of the Pendragon Pact in the
Marquesan Civil War has antagonized several
Sondrian states. The Pact, led by the Imperial
Gristol-Serkonos Navy's 125th Task Force, opened
fire on the German expeditionary force after
repeated calls from the Rieshistagi and Marquesan
parties to withdraw.

The surprise attack forced a surrender from the
German fleet, who complied with the terms of the
Pendragon Pact.

Following the ultimatum stated by the Rieshistagi and the IGSN sailing towards the German EEZ to form a blockade to restrict access to the southern oceans, the Greater Aryan Race responds with military force.

The German High Command has deployed nearly several hundred ships to meet the IGSN Fleets. While military analysts indicate that the German forces will have a strategic advantage, battle projections from Gristol-Serkonosean and international defence think-tanks concludes that it will be a draw for the two countries.

The start of the rapidly escalating violence between the German Kreigsmarine and the Imperial Gristol-Serkonsean Navy began with the naval exchange on the Marquesan coast. The 145th Naval Expeditionary Task Force, led by Vice Admiral Kaj Kjellsson, authorized the assault into the German fleets. The Vice Admiral ordered the fleet to eliminate the Germans following a breakdown of communications between the Gristol-Serkonosean and German counterparts.

The sudden attack, combined with political and military pressure from the Elder Republic and the S.E. Rieshistagi forced the German High Command to call for an immediate cessation of hostilities. Speaking in the chamber of the Consei-Estadi, Lord High Chancellor Cynthia Valtorum called upon further military retaliation for German interference.

"The Greater Aryan Race involved itself into a matter that can be solved by the Pendragon Pact. As its long-term allies, the Elder Republic and the Sovereign Empire are more than capable of handling peacekeeping operations. While the Sovereign Empire has by its foreign policy supported monarchical governments and I know members in my party are rather hesistant to support, I urge my honourable friends in this government and this Diet to support a democratically elected successor state." Valtorum addressed the Chamber.

After a 507-119 vote, the IGSN broke the ceasefire and opened fire again on the retreating Germans. Led by the 145th, the fleet was further reinforced by the Ridnitsohkka Battlegroup and the 23rd and 24th Imperial Fleets to pursue the German fleets.

Now the IGSN has experience in fighting the German Kreigsmarine, it remains to be seen how effective the Imperial Navy against their German counterparts. Analysis of the projections indicate that Gristol-Serkonosean casualties would reach up to 97% of the entire force, and a greatly weakened German Kreigsmarine and Luftwaffe.

While this may seem like a pyrrhic victory for the IGSN, political pundits think it will be a long-term strategic victory for the Valtorum government and for the Pact. "A weakened German military would make it easier for the Rustonians to exert its sphere of influence in the east." noted Ulysees Kari, a foreign policy expert in IUGS Rien-Stadt.

ACC News will continue its coverage of the ongoing crisis as it develops.

Related News:
IGSDF diverts forces to meet Crontorian Armies
State of War exists between GAR and GS: Foreign Office
IGSDF intensifies military operations in Southern Ellada
Office of Strategic Arms raises alert to the highest level

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RAVENSCA INTERNATIONAL FACES LARGE
PENALTIES FOLLOWING ANTI-CORRUPTION PROBE
Private Security Contractor faces 22.8 billion GSK in fines

Ravensca International CEO Martin Ardelean spoke with the press earlier today
Photo: ACC News

Private security contractor Ravensca International and several other companies are facing 22 billion GSK each in fines and penalties after the Richter Commission found Ravensca and other suspected companies of being involved in a "conspiracy to commit government fraud."

Ravensca International and 23 other companies named by the Richter Commission will be each paying 22 billion in fines following a corruption probe. Julian Albrecht, the Supreme Judicial Magistrate in charge of the Commission also named several high level politicians in the Kymenlaasko Legislature and the Serkonosean Diet. Ravensca International CEO Martin Ardelean plans to appeal to avoid paying the fine, stating the evidence the prosecution presented are "falsified" by the company's rivals. The company is also accused of exerting "unneccessary lethal" force as they maintain security forces that compliment the IGSDF forces in the critical areas in Valcea against anti-government forces.

READ MORE ON THIS STORY

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[The Greater Aryan Race]

The German News for German People

"Typhoons and Tornadoes to Stay", Says Reich Government

Page 1

Luftwaffe High Command maintains that current aircraft service models are more than adequate for the GAR's defence needs

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Luftwaffe Eurofighter Typhoons from Jadgeschwader 12

Germania, Brandenburg - The Reich Government, in response to news reports that the Imperial Federation of Crontor and the Republic of Arcaenia have developed new aircraft models for their respective militaries, has quashed any talk of panic-buys and arms races by the Wehrmacht, reiterating that existing German aircraft models in service are more than capable of meeting present defence needs.

In a press conference yesterday at the Bendlerblock complex along Bendlerstraße in Germania, Wehrmacht spokesman Major-General Hasso von Wedel stated flatly that the Luftwaffe was in no hurry to review its existing aircraft capabilities nor did it have any intention of acquiring either the Crontorian F-99 Skymaster or the Arcaenian Block 40 F/A-36A fighter.

"I would like to repeat, for the benefit of those assembled here, that after considerable discussions with the Armed Forces Economic Office and the Air Force High Command (Oberkommando der Luftwaffe / OKL), the Luftwaffe has no intention of purchasing any of the new aircraft models that the other Sondrian states have developed. We have reviewed the service records and capabilities of existing fighter aircraft in active service and have reached the conclusion that our Eurofighter Typhoons, F/A-18 Hornets and Panavia Tornadoes already meet the requirements for the defence of the Reich."

"To rush headlong into panic-buying whatever rolls off the assembly-lines is a poor economic and defence policy that the Wehrmacht as a whole has been careful to avoid. Acquisitions of new equipment are only undertaken to replace old and obsolete models after comprehensive reviews by our defence scientists and officials and whenever the defence policy of the Reich necessitates such a course of action."

The Eurofighter Typhoon and the Panavia Tornado are the main staple of the Luftwaffe's active inventory of fighter aircraft and while the Panavia Tornado has been in active service for over twenty years since its debut into the Luftwaffe, the Eurofighter Typhoon is a much newer model of air-superiority fighter which only entered service in early 2013. The Luftwaffe also fields the Boeing F/A-18E Hornet, albeit in much smaller numbers. All three aircraft models have seen extensive combat during the Jagis War and more recently, the Marquesan Crisis against the air forces of Marquesan and Gristol-Serkonos.

Major-General von Wedel further praised the combat performance of the Eurofighter Typhoon, adding that the aircraft has proven itself capable of going toe-to-toe with supposedly more advanced Pendragon military aircraft such as the Marquesan MTD Divine Wind and F-97D, although he admitted that losses amongst the Luftwaffe's fighter air arm have not been light. The Major-General also took the opportunity to issue a statement on behalf of the OKW leadership congratulating the Imperial Federation for its successful development of the F-99 Skymaster.


Reich Government issues swift riposte to ACC News article - PRIME P2
Wehrmacht naval and air forces engaged in push to drive off Gristol-Serkonosian military units off Utara - PRIME P3
German intelligentsia rally behind the Reich Government - HOME P1

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Reich Foreign Ministry Disputes 'Inaccurate' Gristol-Serkonosian News Article

Page 2

Reich Government disputes ACC news agency article; claims that the article contains "deliberate and misleading falsehoods"

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Germania, Brandenburg - The Reich Government of the Greater Aryan Race has issued a brief statement in response to a recent article by the ACC News Agency, stating that the article contains information that is factually inaccurate, and which has presented a distorted coverage of the Marquesan Crisis and the Greater Aryan Race's position in the Crisis.

The statement, which was issued by the Reich Ministry of Foreign Affairs, pointed out that the inclusion of the phrase "breakdown of communications" was blatantly false given that transcripts of radio communications between the German High Seas Fleet and the Gristol-Serkonosean Navy's 145th Expeditionary Task Force showed that the German Fleet Commander had been in constant contact with his IGSN counterpart right up until the first shots were exchanged between the two fleets.

"The evidence at hand shows without reasonable doubt that Gristol-Serkonos, with the rest of the Pendragon Pact, conspired to attack without warning German military forces which had been deployed to Marquesan for the purposes of peacekeeping and the evacuation of civilians from the conflict zone," the statement continued.

The ministerial statement further added that when the Greater Aryan Race announced its intention to deploy German military forces to Marquesan when the Marquesan civil war was in full-swing, none of the member-states of the Pendragon Pact had raised any objections to this proposal until much later when the first German troops landed on Marquesan soil. Nor did the representatives of the Pendragon member-states make any comment on the issue in the Sondrian Regional Council. The late timing of the objections of the Pendragon Pact, the statement concludes, indicates that "considerable thought and effort was put into executing and devising such a blatant act of armed aggression by the Pendragon Pact against the Reich, in contravention of all aspects of international and Sondrian law."

The Reich Foreign Ministry finally concluded its statement by reiterating that, notwithstanding the Gristol-Serkonosean Foreign Office's declaration that a state of war exists between the two states, the Foreign Ministry has received no such declaration of war nor has it issued any such declaration against the Government of Gristol-Serkonos. The Reich Foreign Ministry did however announce that the German ambassadors to Marquesan and Gristol-Serkonos have been recalled to the Greater Aryan Race pending further consultations with the Reich Foreign Ministry.


Wehrmacht naval and air forces engaged in push to drive off Gristol-Serkonosian military units off Utara - PRIME P3

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[The Technocratic Syndicalists]

Nexus News Network

Arcaenia ∙ World ∙ Politics ∙ Money ∙ Opinion ∙ Health ∙ Entertainment ∙ Opinion ∙ Tech

Space Based Chemical Laser Destroys Missile in Test

3 billion dollar, 20 Megawatt space based chemical laser destroys an anti-satellite missile fired from a Navy cruiser

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A Space Based Chemical Laser in orbit. Photo Credit: Arcaenian Strategic Defense Office

Pandora, May 24th, 2016 - The Strategic Defense Office successfully used a space based chemical laser (SBCL) to intercepted a Navy RIM-226 Exoatmospheric Interceptor in the latest test of the SBCL system, reported a statement released by the SDO earlier this evening. The SBCL, developed by defense contractor SDI in collaboration with the SDO, is a 20 megawatt class hydrogen fluoride laser intended to destroy ballistic missiles during their boost phase of flight. The laser, which weighs approximately 45 tons and is comparable in size to a large patrol boat, uses photons released by the reaction of hydrogen and fluorine in a combustion chamber to create a laser beam which is focused using a large 10 meter diameter onto the target. Since 2007 a total of 20 SBCLs have been launched into low-earth orbit using the Hades I super-heavy launch vehicle, a partially reusable two-stage-to-orbit launch vehicle developed by SDI.

The RIM-226 missile was fired by a Navy Tempest Class cruiser off the coast of the Marquesan island of Pandora and was intercepted in the upper atmosphere approximately a minute after launch in a test of the SBCLs capability against anti-satellite weaponry, reported the SDO statement. The RIM-226 is an exoatmospheric interceptor developed by SDI capable of destroying medium range, intermediate range, and intercontinental ballistic missiles during their boost, ascent, and midcourse phases of flight. The RIM-226 on one occasion has been used to destroy the hydrazine tank on a malfunctioning weather satellite in a showcase of the weapon's ability as an anti-satellite (ASAT) weapon. Concern that hostile actors using surface or air launched ASAT weaponry on SDO, Air Force, and other Arcaenian space assets had led the SDO to test the SBCL as an "Anti-ASAT" weapon, shooting down hostile interceptors before they can reach their targets in orbit. The RIM-226 missile was programmed to follow "a trajectory that we would associate with potential threats", reported the SDO statement. According to the statement the missile, which was fitted with a dummy warhead, was also modified with a laser-reflective surface coating and a guidance algorithm that caused it to spin during flight, modifications intended to test the capability of the SBCL against "targets with potential laser weapon countermeasures". The report states the intercept occurred in the atmosphere approximately a minute after launch, adding that "preliminary data shows the test met all of its primary objectives". The report also indicated that debris from the test missile was observed splashing down into the ocean approximately several hundred kilometers downrange of the launch.

The test marks the conclusion of a series of tests dating back several years with the launch of the first "Block III" SBCL in 2012. In a series of tests last October an SBCL shot down an Air Force AGM-188 Waverider hypersonic cruise missile and a Navy RIM-192 ERADM surface-to-air missile in a test of the SBCL against hypersonic threats within the atmosphere. The 2.7 um wavelength limits the SBCL to targets above roughly 10 km in altitude due to atmospheric absorption effects according to previous statements released by the SDO. The HF fuel in the SBCL can be substituted for DF to enable the laser to attack surface targets due to the lower atmospheric abortion of the 3.8 um wavelength produced by the DF reaction but the SDO had declined to comment on whether this capability has been tested or is operational The SBCL was also used to destroy an obsolete communications satellite in medium-earth orbit during a test in early 2013, a test designed to evaluate the SBCLs capability as an anti-satellite weapon. According to the SDO the advantage of using the SBCL for destroying satellites is that by melting and frying the target instead of blowing it apart with kinetic energy it does not create a debris field which can stay in orbit for many years and which can significantly interfere with future space activity.

[Gristol-Serkonos]

SE FOREIGN OFFICE: NO MISINFORMATION WAS GIVEN
Following the German Foreign Office released its statement, SE Foreign Office responds that no misinformation was given


A spokesperson from the Imperial Office of State Affairs spoke with the
press about the alleged inaccuracies about ACC article released.
Source: ACC News

A spokesperson from the Imperial Office of State Affairs has released a statement regarding the Reich Government's response to the news story ACC News has released. The news story, which according to the Reich Government's statement, was deemed "factually inaccurate, and which has presented a distorted" coverage of the Marquesan Crisis.

The spokesperson has also provided some clarification to the German government, stating that neither the Marquesan nor the Pendragon Pact gave an indication that the German forces were invited to enter Marquesan waters. "Following the German entry into Marquesan waters, Erjunhite forces stationed in the Marquesas provided an ultimatum to the German forces to vacate. At the same time, the Imperial Government has instructed all Expeditionary Forces in the area to provide support and give the German Forces an option for a diplomatic and peaceful withdrawal."

State Office also added that communication intercepts from the Intelligence Directorate between Vice Admiral Kjellsson and the German counterpart suggested that the Germans were stalling for time.

"As far as the military is concerned, we have completed our objectives on evicting the German High Seas Fleet." said Major Anna Reid, IGSDF's spokeswoman. "The fact that an Expeditionary Fleet had to forcibly evict them by force despite warnings from the Pendragon forces say that they are not interested in just humanitarian relief, as they have claimed."

ACC News controller Marcus Petersen and Chief Editor Sonja Grímsdóttir has stated that information was provided by both the State and the Defence Ministries and corroborated with reporters assigned with the 145th Task Force. "According to the media briefing at the Rieshistagi, we were informed that the 145th Task Force was authorized for independent action to remove German Forces from Marquesan waters." Petersen said in a statement. "In light of new reports from the Imperial Government, we will be revising our news articles accordingly."

Following GAR's withdrawal from Marquesan waters, the Imperial Government issued Article 214, formally withdrawing all recognition of statehood and territorial claims of the Greater Aryan Race in the Utaran Landmass.

As of today, the IGSN and the German Kreigsmarine exchanging fire in Utara with apparent no end in sight.

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NEWS IN BRIEF

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VALTORUM TO FORM "WARTIME NATIONAL GOVERNMENT"
"A single, broad coalition of all parties is needed to show that we are united in this fight." Valtorum said in her speech to the Consei-Estadi

The Progressive Conservatives are inviting parties in the Consei-Estadi to form a Wartime Coalition Government. In her address to the Consei-Estadi, the Lord High Chancellor, Baroness Valtorum, called for a "broad coalition of all parties" to form a united front in the ongoing Sondrian crisis. Days before, Valtorum met with Social Democratic leader Ruben Stenburg with the leaders of the far-right Patriotic People's Front and the Alliance of Royalists. The National Coalition, previously part of a bloc of government supporting parties, has already declined the invitation. The government has agreed to give the Social Democrats first pick in the various positions in the War Cabinet.

This would be the first time a Wartime National Government was formed since the 1920 Red Revolution under the chancellorship of Alistair Dion.

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FINANCE MINISTER TYRELL TO PRESENT GOVERNMENT'S NEW WARTIME SUPPLY BILL
Finance Minister Terrance Lanci-Tyrell will present the new wartime budget this afternoon. Initial government expenditures expected to leave another 4 trillion deficit.

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DEFENCE OFFICE, INTELLIGENCE DIRECTORATE EXPRESS CONCERN OVER ARCAENIAN WEAPON SATELLITE
Gristol-Serkonosean GPS detected an energy blast from a weaponized satellite from low orbit prompting concerns from defence and intelligence communities of its potential use as an surgical offensive weapon.

[The Greater Aryan Race]

The German News for German People

Reich Government Responds to Latest Gristol-Serkonosian Statement: "More Cover-Ups and Contradictions"

Page 1

Reich Government rejects explanation given by SE Foreign Office as "manifestly inadequate"; claims statement point towards "wide-ranging cover-up" of collusion in illegal acts of war against German military forces

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The State Secretary of the Reich Foreign Ministry addressing reporters at a press conference

Germania, Brandenburg - In the latest salvo in the ongoing diplomatic spat between the Greater Aryan Race and Gristol-Serkonos, the Reich Government issued a swift response to the latest communique given by the Gristol-Serkonosian Foreign Office as a "manifestly inadequate" statement that does little to explain nor properly account for the actions of the Sovereign Empire as well as the Union of Marquesan States in attacking German military forces stationed in Marquesan waters.

"If the member-states of the Pendragon Pact had not given any indication of acquiescence to the Reich Government's decision to deploy peacekeeping forces to Marquesan, why was this not conveyed to the Government when it's intentions were officially broadcast?" State Secretary Rudolf Dommeratzky asked rhetorically when addressing reporters and journalists at a press conference held by the Reich Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

"The Pendragon Pact had ample opportunity to convey their displeasure and non-acceptance of the Reich's plans to deploy peacekeepers to Marquesan yet chose to remain conspicuously silent right until our forces were in a conveniently vulnerable position to deliver its so-called 'ultimatum' to the German military contingent in Marquesan."

"As the transcripts from the exchange between the commanders from both sides show, the commander of the German naval contingent, Vice-Admiral Franz von Schoffen, had declared in his last communique to the Gristol-Serkonosian commander that Wehrmacht forces in the area were prepared to 'begin undertaking whatever measures necessary for the withdrawal of all German forces from Marquesan.' subject to several perfectly valid and reasonable preconditions to be met by the IGSN."

The State Secretary continued his address, adding that "For the Foreign Office of Gristol-Serkonos to accuse the Wehrmacht of stalling for time is a deeply disingenuous and facetious statement. Valid requests for clarification and further negotiations were either deliberately ignored or pushed aside by the member-states of the Pendragon Pact. Indeed, when one considers the speed and organisation with which the subsequent attacks were carried out by both IGSN and Marqeusan military assets, it is the opinion of the Reich Chancellor and this Government that the present crisis was deliberately manufactured by hostile-negative forces from the Pendragon Pact for the purpose of furthering their imperialist, war-mongering actions."

The State Secretary concluded by reiterating that it was the Greater Aryan Race, and not the member-states of the Pendragon Pact, that was the victim of wanton aggression by other Sondrian powers and called on the rest of the Sondrian region to unite in halting the war-mongering tendencies of the Pendragon Pact which have the potential to "seriously destabilise the present geo-political situation in Sondria".


Wehrmacht naval and air forces continue to score tactical victories, casualties continue to rise - PRIME P2
Large drug-smuggling ring busted in Hanover - HOME P1

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[The Technocratic Syndicalists]

Nexus News Network

Arcaenia ∙ World ∙ Politics ∙ Money ∙ Opinion ∙ Health ∙ Entertainment ∙ Tech

President Samuel Hayden Announces Creation of Global Missile Defense Agency

Joint Pendragon Agency aims to create and maintain a "global missile shield" that will end the threat of global thermonuclear war

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Hyperia, June 28th, 2017 - In a televised address to the Arcaenain people today President Samuel Hayden announced the creation of the the Global Missile Defense Agency (GMDA), a joint effort between Arcaenia and other Pendragon Pact nations which will create, maintain, and oversea a global ballistic missile defense system or "global missile shield" or GMS intended to detect, engage, and defeat the simultaneous launch of several thousand intercontinental ballistic missiles aimed at one or more Pendragon Pact nations. According to the President the GMS will be built on Arcaenia's current constellation of space based chemical lasers and infrared early warning satellites. Initially conceived and designed in secret in the 1980's and eventually launched in the early 2000s after numerous delays and cost overruns the current Arcaanian constellation of 20 SBCLs, dubbed Arcturus, was designed to provide global air defense and theater ballistic missile capability defense and has capability against ICBM attacks of only a few hundred missiles. Declassified only recently the Arcturus constellation, along with all other Arcaenain BMD systems, were previously the purview of the Arceanian Strategic Defense Office which is now being merged with the newly formed GMDA along with the various missile defense agencies of the other Pendragon Pact nations. Control and maintenance of the current Arcturus constellation will be transferred to the GMSA where all current and future Pendragon Pact ballistic missile defense projects will be funded, developed, and operated by the agency. The GMS system, which experts expect to cost well over a trillion NSD to develop and field, will consist of space, air, land, and sea based directed energy weapons and space based early warning systems which according to the President will intercept "at least 99.9% of the boosters and warheads from a launch of several thousand intercontinental ballistic missiles". The President further added that "The global missile shield will make the doctrine of mutually assured destruction, essentially a suicide pact between all nuclear armed nations, completely obsolete".

According to the President the last series of Hades I launches from the Atlas AFB, An Arcaenian aircraft base and space launch complex located in the Marquesan prefecture of Pandora, were in support of the global missile shield effort. According to the initial SDO press release the launches carried "classified department of defense payloads" and would not comment on any specific details of the payloads. A total of four Hades I launches have been carried out at Atlas AFB in the preceding three weeks, setting a new record for the quickest turnaround time between Hades I launches. Amateur satellite observers in northern Arcaenia were able to briefly spot at least one of the satellites, claiming that after separating from the upper stage of the Hades I it released a cloud of decoys before maneuvering out of view. The satellite was again visible when it passed around the earth where it was observed glowing extremely brightly, enough to completely light up the entire night sky, before it went dark and then quickly vanished just as before. The four satellites were also unusual in that they were launched in the largest ever payload shroud carried by a Hades I rocket, measuring some 12 meters in diameter and at least 75 meters in height. According to industry experts in contact with Nexus News the payloads are likely some kind of space based electromagnetic weapon, either a railgun or a particle beam cannon, which the SDO has been researching since at least the late 1970s with numerous systems being developed and tested on the ground and the component level since then. According to these experts the extremely bright glow observed was likely the test firing of some kind of open cycle power generation system needed to generate the hundreds of megawatts or more of electrical power needed by these kinds of weapons.

This story will be updated as new information and details emerge

[The Greater Aryan Race]

The German News for German People

Reich Government Denounces Pendragon Ballistic Missile Defence Plan; Amends Nuclear Weapons Policy

Page 1

'Ballistic missile defence scheme will spark new arms race', says Reich Chancellor

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Germania, Brandenburg - In a formal televised address to the Reich yesterday, the Reich Chancellor and Führer condemned the recent announcement by the Arcaenain President regarding the establishment of a ballistic missile defence system as a "dangerous and reckless" initiative that threatens to seriously destabilise the present balance of power in Sondria while increasing the risk of a regional global thermonuclear war occurring.

Speaking from the Reich Chancellery, the Führer declared that the so-called "global missile shield" would only serve to encourage an intensification of the present arms race in Sondria as more and more countries would be forced to develop similar systems to protect themselves from a thermonuclear attack, or alternatively, to spend more on their nuclear arsenals and anti-satellite weaponry to defeat such systems in order to maintain strategic parity.

"The Republic of Arcaenia boasts that it's so-called Star Wars project will render the doctrine of mutually assured destruction "obsolete". What the Arcaenian government is unaware of is that it is precisely the presence of mutually assured destruction which has kept the Sondrian region safe from the spectre of nuclear war and has helped preserve the general peace.", the Führer asserted.

"Since the first atomic bomb was created, the threat of nuclear destruction and retaliation has exerted a deterrent effect on all nuclear-armed nations by discouraging them from resorting to the use of nuclear weapons, lest they invite destruction and annihilation onto themselves. This reality, as grim as it is, has kept the Sondrian region safe from any nuclear holocausts and has ensured that conflicts and wars in Sondria have largely remained conventional."

"Now, however, the member-states of the Pendragon cabal, a collection of imperialist, interventionist and war-mongering bourgeoise nations, have opted to upend this balance by attempting to create a ballistic missile defence system that will effectively neutralise any incoming nuclear weapon, thereby destroying the deterrent effect that nuclear weapons possess. Arcaenia pleads that this will somehow contribute to the preservation of regional peace and stability. The reality is that a ballistic missile defence system would only embolden the forces of bourgeois imperialism into committing themselves into waging even more destructive conflicts in Sondria, safe in the knowledge that their ballistic missile shields will protect them from any richly-deserved retaliatory response. Why, what's to stop the Pendragon powers from initiating a nuclear first-strike on their own accord now? Furthermore, this ballistic missile defence scheme has clearly been designed to protect only the Pendragon member-states. Nations who are not members of this cabal would be forced to develop similar systems or countermeasures to defend themselves."

"This ballistic missile defence scheme is a dangerous and reckless initiative by the Pendragon Pact which only illustrates the moral bankruptcy of its members, for they have no scruples about converting every corner of the Earth to suit their militaristic needs, even the reaches of outer space. The Reich Government hereby formally condemns the GMS system in its entirety."

The Reich Chancellor and Führer next announced that in response to these developments, the Wehrmacht would be changing its official nuclear weapons doctrine to one of "launch on warning", whereby a retaliatory strike is launched upon warning of an enemy nuclear attack while its missiles are still in the air and before detonation occurs.

"Because of the uncertain strategic implications that the ballistic missile defence shield poses, and conscious of the need of this Government to preserve the security of the Reich and to retain strategic parity, I have ordered the Supreme Armed Forces High Command to change the Reich's nuclear weapons strategy to one of launching our weapons and missiles upon knowledge that nuclear weapons are being employed against the Greater Aryan Race. We will not hesitate to retaliate immediately should our security and our way of life be gravely imperilled."

The Führer also reiterated that the Reich would continue to retain its right to initiate a pre-emptive nuclear strike under certain circumstances and conditions and added that the Wehrmacht would begin efforts into researching and developing 'effective countermeasures' against the ballistic missile defence system. A formal protest was also delivered to the Arcaenian Ambassador regarding the installation of the GMS system, as later confirmed by the Reich Ministry of Foreign Affairs. The Reich Chancellor and Führer concluded his address by calling on all Germans in the Reich to rally behind the Reich Government and the Party in the ongoing conflict against Gristol-Serkonosian military forces in Southern Utara.


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[The Technocratic Syndicalists]

Nexus News Network

Arcaenia ∙ World ∙ Politics ∙ Money ∙ Opinion ∙ Health ∙ Entertainment ∙ Tech

GMSA Spokesperson Responds to Reich Criticism of Pendragon Missile Shield Project

"Effective Ballistic Missile Defense is a necessary step towards unilateral disarmament talks" claims GMSA spokesperson

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Pandora, July 7th, 2017 - In a televised press conference held at the GMSA Headquarters in Pandora, Meritocratic Union of Marquesan, Chief GMSA spokesperson and senior engineer Dr. Jack Holland responded to claims by the German Reich Chancellor and Reich Führer that the Pendragon Global Missile Shield (GMS) project will "spark a new arms race" and " destabilize the present balance of power in Sondria".

"The Reich Chancellors claims are completely baseless, in no way shape or form does the GMS in and of itself threaten the national security of any non-Pendragon aligned nation", claimed Dr. Holland when pressed to respond to the Reich Chancellor and Reich Führer. "The goal of the GMS is to strongly discourage any hostile nation from launching a suicidal nuclear first strike on Arcaenia or any other Pendragon nation and/or their deployed military forces stationed anywhere around the globe. Knowing that their current force of intercontinental ranged nuclear missiles would become ineffective we anticipate that the GMS system will make an effective bargaining chip and convince the Cronpact aligned nations and other nuclear armed Sondrian nations to agree to unilateral disarmament talks with Pendragon member states, permanently ending the threat of global thermonuclear war"

In response to a question from a reporter on how the GMS would effect the doctrine of MAD Dr. Holland stated that "MAD is a flawed doctrine that only applies between an intentional, full scale nuclear exchange between two rational, non-suicidal states with similar views on the use of nuclear weapons" adding that "MAD does not apply to limited launches, rogue launches, non rational or suicidal opponents, or launches by non-state actors or entities. Thus as nuclear weapons and intercontinental ranged nuclear missiles continue to exist and proliferate within Sondria the Global Missile Shield is an essential component to our national security"

When pressed to answer whether or not components of the GMS system could also act as an offensive space weapon and thereby potentially start an arms race in space, Dr. Holland dodged the question, stating that "in addition to ballistic missile defense the GMS system will also protect Pendragon satellite assets against the threat of hostile attack". Dr Holland also refused do disclose any specifics on future GMS assets, only stating that "the GMSA is currently testing a variety of both space and surface based directed energy weapons" and that "Future GMS assets will include updated versions of the current SBCL orbital weapon's platform".

[The Greater Aryan Race]

The German News for German People

Reich Government: Disarmament Talks a "Ludicrous" Proposition; No Question of Scrapping Nuclear Arsenal

Page 1

Government officials assert that the Reich will not be arm-twisted and 'blackmailed' into compromising on defence matters, but leave open prospect of arms control initiatives

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Germania, Brandenburg - The Reich Government has formally responded to the recent statements made by a senior GMSA spokesperson by rejecting any notion of unilateral disarmament as an outrageous piece of "political blackmail" and insists that the Greater Aryan Race will continue to retain its nuclear arsenal for as long as it deems necessary.

In a press conference held at the Reich Chancellery, Reich Minister for Special Affairs and Head of the Reich Chancellery Heinrich Heinke read out the official response drafted by the Reich Chancellor and Führer to assembled journalists and reporters. The Reich Minister, quoting from the prepared statement, rubbished any talk of nuclear disarmament and further castigated the Arcaenian Government's refusal to disclose further information about the Pendragon-based Global Missile Shield ('GMS') ballistic missile defence system as evidence of "hostile-negative intentions on the part of the Pendragon Pact".

"The recent statement made by Dr. Jack Holland in his capacity as representative of the GMSA gives clear evidence that the deployment of this GMS system is meant to force the Greater Aryan Race and all other non-Pendragon nation-states into giving up their nuclear weapons and submit themselves to the mercy of the enemy-negative Pendragon cabal. Despite Dr. Holland's initial claims that the GMS would not somehow threaten our national security, he contradicts himself by making clear that the purpose of the GMS is to protect the Pendragon member-states from any nuclear strike by so-called hostile nations, and further that, and I'm quoting directly here, the GMS system "will make an effective bargaining chip" in strong-arming the Greater Aryan Race into weakening our own national defence by scrapping our nuclear arsenal. Forcing the Greater Aryan Race into a position of military weakness clearly jeopardises the security of the Reich by denying us our right to defend ourselves with any means necessary." The Reich Minister reiterated, as he addressed the audience in the press room of the Reich Chancellery.

"The Reich Government thereby rejects outright any talk of 'unilateral disarmament' as a ludicrous suggestion that is not grounded in reality. We will not allow ourselves to be subjected to this form of political blackmail by the Pendragon group. Under no circumstances will we surrender our nuclear weapons and especially not in exchange for the non-deployment of the GMS system. It is the inherent right of all nations to defend themselves from the threat of aggression and war, and the Greater Aryan Race intends to fully exercise this right."

When pressed by reporters over the practical benefits that the GMS system could potentially confer, Reich Minister Heinke acknowledged the problems posed by uncontrolled nuclear proliferation and nuclear terrorism and expressed the Government's willingness to seek out a diplomatic solution to the aforementioned issues but rejected the GMS system as a solution to these problems.

"The Führer recognises that there does exist the potential for a nuclear launch by non-state actors and other such terrorist groups, but the solution is not to be found in a space weapon that has as much offensive capabilities as defensive capabilities. What the Sondrian region requires is a proper nuclear non-proliferation regulatory and control mechanism that will ensure that nuclear weapons and nuclear energy remain in the right hands. A ballistic missile defence system carries more risks and deleterious consequences than purported benefits. Even so, I believe Dr. Holland from the GMSA over-exaggerates the threat of a rogue nuclear launch. Not even the most fanatical state actors or governments would dare risk their own destruction and annihilation should they ever resort to using nuclear weapons. This is the essence of the doctrine of Mutually Assured Destruction."

Reich Minister Heinke further referred to the apparent lack of response from the GMSA over any possible offensive capabilities that the GMS system could potentially possess as "troubling", pointing out that the GMSA has conveniently remained silent over the specifications of the GMS system. The tight-lipped stance of the Arcaenian Government and the GMSA appears to lend greater credence to suspicions that the GMS system is capable of more than ballistic missile defence. It remains to be seen whether the Pendragon member-states will continue deploying additional GMS-based assets and components into space and what measures the rest of the Sondrian nation-states will implement in response to what appears to be a rapidly-burgeoning arms race.


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[Crontor]

President Carter Condemns 'arrogant and reckless' Arcaenian Actions

Anchli Space Support Base (ANSSUB) preparing for a Space Command satellite launch.

Vienna, Administrative District of Crontor-Weighing in on the growing diplomatic spat between the Republic of Arcaenia and the Greater Aryan Reich, President Carter lambasted the Republic of Arcaenia and the so-called Pendragon Pact for their intensification of a space arms race. Recent satellite launches conducted by the Republic of Arcaenia to construct a 'Global Missile Shield' led to apprehension and condemnation in capitals across Sondria. Crontorian officials allege that the decision by the Arcaenians to expand upon existing space base weaponry will have the opposite of their self-declared intent to force nuclear disarmament talks and will start a new space arms race. President Carter, speaking in a press conference today, shared his view on the developing situation and reiterated the traditional policy of the Imperial Federation against space based weaponry.

"The Arcaenians are misguided at best and exceedingly arrogant at worst if they truly believe that they can threaten and cow the proud and independent nations of Sondria into nuclear disarmament talks by pressing a gun to their heads. If the Arcaenians and the Pendragon Pact were true to their word about working towards nuclear disarmament, they would make use of the existing multilateral institutions such as the Sondrian Regional Council to reach a regional consensus on nuclear arms. Their actions speak far louder than their words. This bullying will not encourage peace, but drive this great region closer and closer to war. Clearly the Pendragon Pact and Arcaenia are not ready to exercise regional leadership and the responsibility once again falls to the Imperial Federation to foster regional cooperation."

Sources with knowledge of the Crontorian military said that the Central Intelligence Service was monitoring the developments closely. The Imperial Federation has watched foreign space programs closely since the beginning of government and military space exploration. Crontorian space programs, managed jointly by Crontorian Armed Forces Space Command and the Crontorian Aeronautical and Space Administration (CASA) maintain a long standing policy against deploying space based weapons systems, focusing on satellites, orbiters, and the Crontorian Space Station. The use of a nuclear weapon in space as an electromagnetic weapon during the Newcastle War by the former Marquesan Shogunate confirmed Crontorian fears of space based weaponry and led to increased funding for Crontorian space initiatives.

Speaking on the issue to the CBC, Dr. Harold Collingsoor of the International Security Program at the University of Vienna, explained how the Arcaenian actions could inadvertently harm their national security. According to Dr. Collingsoor, "The decision by the Arcaenians to pursue this missile shield is a classic example of a security dilemma. When one country perceives a threat to its national security, it embarks on an arms race for self defense. A competing nation, operating with imperfect knowledge of the intentions of the original nation, militarizes in response to the buildup. This leads the original nation to confirm its own suspicion about the threat from the competing power and before long, the two nations are locked in an escalating buildup. By pursuing this initiative, the Arcaenians are disrupting the concept of mutually assured destruction that exists between Sondrian nations, which will likely lead to an offensive arms buildup by competing nations. Thereby, the Arcaenians have created a threat where none existed previously."

Sources within the Crontorian Federal Government representing members of the National Security Council informed the CBC that the Imperial Federation was contemplating changing its no-first use policy towards weapons of mass destruction, including nuclear, biological, and chemical agents. These same officials cautioned that such a review was in an early stage, but that public dismissal of the no-first use policy could follow continued Arcaenian missile shield developement.

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[The Technocratic Syndicalists]

Nexus News Network

Arcaenia ∙ World ∙ Politics ∙ Money ∙ Opinion ∙ Health ∙ Entertainment ∙ Tech

Air Force Tests Hypersonic Glide Weapon

Weapon test comes amid recent criticism of Arcaenia's recently announced Global Missile Shield system

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A declassified test photo of the weapon performing a pull-up maneuver after hypersonic reentry. The spent upper stage of the sub-orbital test rocket is also visible. Photo Credit: Arcaenian Air Force

Hyperia, July 8th, 2017 - In a rather provocative move considering recent international developments the Arcaenian Air Force decided to conduct another test of its CLAW, or Common Lightweight Aeroshell Weapon, a hypersonic glide weapon capable of being deployed from a variety of suborbital and orbital platforms. The CLAW, which was launched due south atop a suborbital rocket from the Taranis AFB Space Launch Complex in Southern Arcaenia, re-entered the atmosphere at orbital speeds and then glided some 8,000 nautical miles over the Periclean Ocean before impacting several hundred nautical miles southwest of Ascension Island, itself located due west of the Sovereign Empire of Gristol-Serkonos. According to the AAF the test was successful and met all test objectives, a surprise considering the last CLAW test ended prematurely when the vehicle burned up during hypersonic flight when its protective thermal aeroshell was ripped off by hypersonic shocks, causing the inside of the vehicle to be exposed to superheated hypersonic flow which quickly caused it to burn up and disintegrate over the ocean. This marks the eight consecutive test of the CLAW, of which only four (including this most recent test) have been successful. According to the AAF this latest success was due to a new ceramic matrix composite aeroshell which in addition to being non-ablative is significantly stronger than the older ceramic design, allowing it to survive the hypersonic shocks and turbulence that caused the aeroshell on earlier CLAWs to tear off and disintegrate during flight.

Although no photographs or diagrams of the CLAW exist in open, unclassified literature the AAF describes the vehicle as being a hypersonic lifting-body design approximately 12 feet in length (3.6 m) with a reentry mass of approximately 2,000 pounds (900 kg), making the L part of CLAW sound a bit disingenuous as the vehicle is thus significantly larger and heavier then the RVs fitted to standard intercontinental ranged ballistic missiles. According to previously published AAF documents the CLAW is based partially on the Arcaenain Navy's Mk 13 BGMARV, a boost glide maneuvering reentry vehicle of which between four and eight are carried by each "Lightbringer II" SLBM on the Arcaenian Navy's fleet of Erebus class ballistic missile submarines. The CLAW however is significantly larger and heavier than the Mk13 and according to the AAF carries only conventional payloads as opposed to the Mk. 13 which carries as standard a 150 kiloton thermonuclear warhead. According the AAF statement released after the conclusion of the test after being launched the CLAW separated from the upper stage of the rocket at an altitude of "several hundred thousand feet" where its RCS thrusters then fired to give it the proper angle-of-attack for hypersonic reentry. The CLAW then re-entered the atmosphere at a speed of mach 25 where it then performed a "100 g hypersonic pull-up maneuver" which slowed the vehicle to around mach 20 and put it on a stable glide path where it then glided at high-hypersonic speeds over the ocean for several thousand nautical miles. As the CLAW approached its designated spashdown point it performed a series of "hypersonic roll-reversals" where the vehicle used its RCS thrusters to perform S shaped turns at a moderate bank angle to bleed off excess energy and decelerate to low hypersonic speeds. The AAF also stated that the test aimed to "discern the capability of the CLAW to acquire GPS signals during hypersonic flight conditions", although the statement did not confirm whether or not this part of the test was successful or not. When almost directly over the designated splashdown point the vehicle "performed a rapid hypersonic pull-up and then pull-down maneuver" which decelerated it to high supersonic speeds and put in a near vertical dive down towards the ocean. In this phase the vehicle also "performed a series of 100 g pseudo-random terminal evasive maneuvers using its hydraulically actuated body flaps", likely a test of the vehicle's ability to maneuver to avoid oncoming anti-ballistic missile interceptors during its terminal phase. The vehicle hit the ocean approximately 60 minutes after launch, covering some 9,000 nautical miles from the launch point including the 8,000+ nautical mile hypersonic glide. The vehicle was fitted with an inert warhead and "disintegrated instantly" when it hit the water, the AAF having no plans to recover the remains of the vehicle which have likely settled onto the bottom of the seafloor.

This recent test of the CLAW comes amid a recent spat between Arcaenia and the German Reich over Arcaenia's recently deployed Global Missile Shield (GMS) system, a joint Pendragon effort designed to create a space-based defense against the threat of intercontinental ballistic missiles. the AAF made no references to the GMS in its press release other than stating that the "launch of the vehicle was tracked by AAF space-based based early warning assets" which coincidentally form a key component of the new GMS as they are needed to detect and track the launch of threat ballistic missiles. When pressed for comment about the latest CLAW test the GMSA did not give any specific response other than stating that "The latest CLAW launch was simply a routine test of that particular weapon system" and that "the GMSA was not involved in the test in any capacity" , further adding that "The CLAW test was not intended to demonstrate the GMS's capability or lack of capability against hypersonic glide threats". The GMSA was also pressed for comment on the German Reich's change of its nuclear policy to "launch on warning" and the Crontorian Federation, who have also publicly condemned the GMS, to consider amending its "no first use" policy in response to the GMS by stating that "the GMS deployment will continue as planned" and that "foreign complaints about the nature and purpose of the GMS will not affect its deployment or operation in any capacity".

[The Greater Aryan Race]

The German News for German People

Reich Government Condemns Latest Arcaenian Weapons Tests; Ends Moratorium on Nuclear Testing

Page 1

Reich Government announces it will begin resuming nuclear weapons tests and expand anti-satellite weapon development amidst a slew of measures in response

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An undated photograph of Luftwaffe Pershing II tactical ballistic missiles at a stationary position

Germania, Brandenburg - The latest weapons test by the Republic of Arcaenia military has been met with strong disapproval by the Reich Government, with the Reich Ministry of Foreign Affairs announcing that it was recalling its Ambassador from Arcaenia pending 'further consultations' while representatives from the Reich Chancellery and the Supreme Armed Forces High Command (OKW) began detailing additional response measures that the Reich Government would be carrying out in consequence.

In a joint press conference held at the Reich Chancellery, State Secretary Rudolf Dommeratzky, on behalf of the Reich Foreign Ministry, stated that the Greater Aryan Race was recalling its ambassador from Arcaenia, citing "increased hostile-negative and belligerent conduct by the Republic of Arcaenia in spite of repeated demands by the Reich to cease its ongoing space-based weapons development programme" and that diplomatic relations between the two countries had accordingly been downgraded to a chargé d'affaires level.

Reich Minister for Special Affairs and Head of the Reich Chancellery Heinrich Heinke next announced that the Reich Chancellor and Führer had decreed that the Greater Aryan Race was ending its self-imposed moratorium on nuclear weapons testing and would begin preparations for a nuclear test in the coming weeks or months.

"Because of the belligerent conduct of the Pendragon Pact through the actions of Arcaenia, the present geopolitical situation in Sondria is increasingly unstable as the Pendragon group seeks to start an arms race throughout Sondria, and especially in the outer space region. Accordingly, the Führer believes that the Reich cannot afford to remain idly by as the enemies of all peace-loving peoples in Sondria continue their insidious machinations of attempting to bully the Sondrian region into accepting Pendragon hegemony. For the sake of our national defence and security, the Führer has ordered the Wehrmacht to begin resuming tests of our present nuclear weapons. These tests will simulate the usage of nuclear weapons under certain scenarios and circumstances while providing our defence scientists with much needed data on the destructive capabilities of our present nuclear weapons."

The Reich Minister acknowledged that this marked a significant step-up in the GAR's overall defence policy but laid the blame for such a course of action solely on the door of the Pendragon Pact.

"There are those who fear the implications of nuclear weapons being detonated once again over Sondrian land and water bodies and in the atmosphere. We do not take this step lightly but have done so reluctantly having recognised that we must do our utmost to retain strategic parity with the Pendragon cabal. Our hand has been forced by the militaristic actions of the imperialist bourgeoise and neo-liberal democrats in Rien-Stadt, Nuku Hiva and Hyperia who seem hell-bent on dragging the entire Sondrian region into a conflagration of catastrophic proportions."

The last German nuclear weapon was tested in late 2012 before the Reich Government imposed a ban on all nuclear weapons tests and experiments by the Wehrmacht. Analysts argue that the termination of this ban would do little to affect the overall strategic situation in Sondria but would send a very clear signal that the Reich would not be willing to tolerate and countenance the development of space-based weapons and anti-ballistic missile systems by the Pendragon Pact.

Reich Minister Heinke also took the opportunity to rubbish purported attempts by Arcaenian authorities to distinguish the recent test of the CLAW weapon system from the GMS as 'mere obfuscation', noting that the characteristics of the CLAW system make it suited for use in space from which it could potentially be deployed to strike ground targets similar to the multiple independently targetable reentry vehicles (MIRV) in modern-day intercontinental ballistic missiles. Reich Minister Heinke pointedly suggested that the CLAW weapons test in fact doubled-up as a second weapons test involving the GMS system.

Major-General Hasso von Wedel, representing the Wehrmacht in the joint press conference, confirmed that the OKW was already undertaking preparatory steps for the first nuclear test.

"The selection of a test site is naturally one of the most pressing aspects of the nuclear test. Unfortunately, the military situation in southern Utara means that the Greater Aryan Race will have to conduct a weapons test somewhere further north or even in the remotest parts of the seas if needs be. Of course, we will not confine ourselves to underwater or sea-based weapons testing. The Wehrmacht is capable of carrying out atmospheric and high-altitude tests as well."

Major-General von Wedel refused to comment on alleged rumours that German army and air units were being outfitted with tactical nuclear weapons, citing "state security concerns". Nor did the General comment further on whether the Wehrmacht would develop any similar ballistic missile defence system of its own to match the Pendragon GMS system.


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