Remedians delay withdrawal of Perimpaz until 2116

The Remedians have delayed the withdrawal of their final 3 Perimpaz 39As until 2116 after the problems with the replacement Corkscrew 51As. One of the withdrawn Perimpaz has also had its final power shut down delayed and the ship kept able to be reactivated within a month "just in case".

The Argon war means that many DDS ships have been redeployed to DDS South leaving little available to cover for the Remedians if problems with the new ships continue. A new rectifier is now being trailed on a DDS Corkscrew and a team is investigating the databus problems, one report says the problem could be a manufacturing defect and thus should be fixable.

Corkscrew to trial new improved rectifier

M201 Corkscrew has been fitted with an improved design of main rectifier following problems with the systems installed on the Corkscrew 51As to date. Some rectifiers have failed causing main power failure.

The improved design has extra sensors and an improved diagnostic system, it also replaces some components which are thought to have potentially caused the problems. Corkscrew will return to service next week and perform patrols near Solaris.

DDS send out patrols to look for Argon FOB

The DDS are understood to have sent out at least 3 patrols from Saeou. The groups of ships have begun patrolling unclaimed space near Aldebra. What the DDS are looking for is unknown but it is suspected the Argon have a Forward Operating Base (FOB) in the area from which they have launched their recent attacks.

Finding and neutralising that FOB will be vital though as yet the Argon have not shown their hand. The DDS suspect that will not last for much longer however.

Wayne King-Meiouf : The DDS' strangest war

Professor Wayne King-Meiouf of the University of Proxima

As yet there have been no combat operations or incidents (apart from a minor skirmish) since war was declared against the Argon. I thought it would be a good idea to think about this war and how it differs from all the others the DDS have been involved with to date.

Unlike the ABBO-Bolitic War and the Utrek Wars the DDS is not facing an existential threat, there are no large invasion fleets, alien troops on the ground on DDS territory. The DDS has gone to war because the Argon have been growing in annoyance rather than because they are overly threatened. Sure the Starbotians have lost a couple of ships but the second can be put down to their slack security protocols. A couple of high ranking DDS have been killed though the DDS itself is not under attack. Aldebra has been the focus of aggression though its not yet a UNP world and any Argon forces "invading" the planet have been small special forces units.

The DDS had to go to war but the problem now is what exactly are they are war against. Argon territory is a long way off (even with worm drive the nearest Argon worlds are weeks away from Starbot, a fully equipped - and hyperspace limited - fleet would take months to get there). It is unlikely the DDS will be able to advance into Argon territory apart from small raids by worm drive equipped ships.

Argon forces outside of their territory and nearer to DDS territory is likely to be the focus of the war but of course finding these is easier said than done. The DDS lack much in the way of intelligence on Argon capabilities, technologies and deployments. It may be the first few months of the war will be mostly fought by the reconnaissance and intelligence gathering arms of the DDS.

The ultimate objective is also in question. The DDS have already said this is a limited war so do not expect any invasion force to set off for the heart of Argon space (which would take many months to get there anyway) . I suspect the DDS will bide its time, work out where the Argon are operating and then try and give them a bloody nose and kick their deployments out of the DDS sphere. This will be a very different war and will be very interesting to see as it develops.

Saeou to be used by DDS as operational HQ

Saeou has become the operational HQ of the DDS forces engaged in the war against the Argon. Normally Starbot would be chosen but it thought that S101 requested it not be because of the problems the DDS allies are already having in the wake of their losses against the Argon. Unrest has been reported across the planet as K-2's anti-DDS faction gains momentum.

DDS Protector Windscorpion has been put in direct control of all DDS forces for the duration of the war and has established his base on the planet. Its not known when combat operations will begin or even what the objectives are.

Story #2127

Spartans
The DDS declares war on the Argon.