Yesterday was a bittersweet day for the HCS Navy, they accepted into service R04 Benito Clone, the sole member of the Benito Clone class helicopter carrier (very similar to the Cloneworld class aircraft carriers) as the name implies it was originally intended for Austini 55 but will be part of the Cloneworld fleet and will be flagship of a new amphibious support operation flotilla. However a number of cuts to other new warship programmes were also announced as part of a 450 million zark series of defence cuts.
The Ailier II frigate class has been canceled, however as 2 of the intended 10 ships are already in an advanced state of construction the HCS has decided to complete them. The final 2 Olana destroyers have also been canceled though the 6 already in existence are considered adequate for the reduced scale of operations the Cloneworld navy will perform. The proposed 3rd Cloneworld class carrier has been canceled too. The 2 proposed Flexible Support Ships have survived though have been put back to 2115. Finally the HCSNAS will withdraw 20 of its fleet of F-40N fighters though most of these are reaching the end of their fatigue lives anyway.
HCS head Admiral Anderson said that the HCS Navy was still powerful and was able to meet its operational requirements. Submarine orders were unaffected, the future role of the HCSN to provide a submerged launchpad for CSM is considered untouchable by the HCS.
