February 6, 2021
Military News
Article by
Pepi Panforte
Massive Military Parade
Marched Through Ancona,
Unveiling of New Weaponry
New Focus on Firepower
Today's military parade in Ancona included at least eight never before seen large missiles, three of which are pictured here.
King Carlo was in attendance today, watching the parade from eastern steps of the Castello d'Cormor. High ranking officials from the Parthonopian Armed Forces were also in attendance, accompanying the King. Much of the senior command staff of the Legion, specifically the high command of the EdP, watched over the procession from the steps alongside King Carlo while the newly commissioned commander of the EdP, Field Marshal Gianmarco Francostara, was at the helm of the march, leading it in a military jeep. News was leaked late last week that there was a lengthy conference underway between King Carlo and Armed Forces command, it's conclusion yesterday, culminating with the parade today following it.
It was broadcasted publicly, La Nazione having exclusive access to state recordings and a series of addresses afterwards. There were several speakers from the Armed Forces and government, including speeches from King Carlo and Grand Marshal Vico Bartolomeo Ongaro.
The EdP, often considered the pinnacle of the Legion's forces, were in full parade dress and sporting some of the best weaponry that the Kingdom currently has to offer, including both domestically produced and imported equipment. Military parades have not been uncommon in Ancona since the formation of the Legion and even more so since the declaration of the Kingdom. There was another parade less than three months ago for King Carlo, although of a significantly smaller size. The real star of the show today was what appeared to be the unveiling of previously unseen weaponry possessed by the Kingdom's Armed Forces.
At the center of the procession was eight specially designed vehicles, each transporting a large missile. Non government affiliated military specialists and analysists have informed La Nazione that the hardware exhibited at today's parade hold a striking resemblance to intercontinental ballistic missiles (ICBMs). The capability of Parthonopia to either produce or utilize weapons of this scale and nature was previously unknown. Prior consensus on this subject was that the Kingdom was not in possession of any such weapons, nor capable of creating them or detonating them.
Some of the public statements today alluded to as much, with not a single speaker commenting on the presentation of these eight missiles or what exactly they were. The closest statement commenting on them was a remark by King Carlo in his address. "Our great nation is strong and protected. Our Armed Forces are some of the greatest in the world, possessing some of the most powerful weaponry on Olympia."
While this statement did not directly refer to the shocking display of the apparent capabilities of the Parthonopian military, its inferred that the missiles were the subject. Statements released from the Castello d'Cormor this afternoon have denied that these missiles were anything more than mock ups of future missile plans. The main focus of much of the speeches today was the complete modernization of the Legion and the rest of the Parthonopian military. Upgrading equipment and platforms is a primary goal of the nation's leadership for the years to come, including the goal of possessing advanced weapon systems.
Grand Marshal Ongaro, chief commander of the Parthonopian Legion, referenced the nuclear capability of some of the Kingdom's neighbors and how that is something he and King Carlo also strive to accomplish. "When threatening aggressors possess weapons with the means to completely obliterate life as we know it here, there must be no questions as to whether or not we too should be working have these same weapons of own. The matter is not of the destruction we want to incur on those we call our enemy, but the destruction upon ourselves we wish to deter, simply by owning them."
If these were in fact ICBMs, they may or may not be nuclear missiles. There are currently no official sources of uranium, necessary for the production of such weapons, that currently trade the material with the Kingdom. Nor are there any nations on the record that would be willingly to trade such weaponry. The capabilities of Parthonopia to produce them has been brought into question as a result. Available resources would lend towards the belief that the infrastructure to do so just is not there. Official spokespersons from the Legion and the rest of the Armed Forces have stated as much. But with the presence of these missiles today, there is wonder as to whether or not these statements are purposefully misleading in order to protect Parthonopia's interests.
This leaves the question as to what is to come next? If the missiles in question do prove to be ICBMs, what are their intended purpose? There is no proof as to whether or not the Kingdom has the ability to launch such weapons, although the immersion of the former Aridite Armed Forces into the Parthonopian military has widely expanded the equipment and means on hand. There is also potential for testing these weapons if they are functional missiles and not just mockups of planned ones.
There was a clear message sent with the display of these missiles, the meaning of which is left up to interpretation.