DDS confirm plane crash was terrorist attack

The DDS have confirmed that the cargo plane that crashed on Solaris near a chemical factory was an attempted terrorist attack. "Unknown terrorists are thought to have tried to crash the plane into the factory causing massive destruction and toxic waste over a wide area." ISSF Commander Torus told reporters. The DDS have raised their alert status to AMBER though its not known if any other attacks are planned.

Firefly has ordered a doubling of air patrols over Solaris and other sensitive DDS sites. All DDS sites have also increased their security and 4 Prowler units have been put on standby.

193/3

Missing Herring
The ISSF close in on the terrorists (Family Affair P2)

Charlotte becomes full member of UNP

Rim World colony Charlotte has become a full member of the UNP following pressure from the DDS who wanted the planet to be able to access the UNP infrastructure fund to supplement planned DDS facilities including orbital and surface bases.

The DDS intend Charlotte to be their hub for monitoring, deterring and (maybe one day) combating Tarbotian activities in the Rim Worlds. Building of a new orbital dock and centre of operations will begin next year.

• Next month is likely to be the final month of service for the iconic J88 (T-88) tank in Clone Army service. The J88 Eliminator was the first Clone tank that actually worked and in its final guise the J88++ Eliminator III it turned the tide in the Clone Wars. Amazingly nearly 220,000 were built but only about 150 remain in service and they will be withdrawn at the start of September. Hundreds will remain in museums across the Clone Star Empire (and beyond) and it is estimated over 4,000 will continue to serve in other armies across the galaxy, a number the Clones are keen to increase with more sales.

Clone network "browns out"

The Clone Star Empire data network has been struggling for a few years now after a decade of under investment and despite emergency programmes to upgrade and improve the network problems are starting to mount. During a military exercise on Daggaddon last week the data links between Daggaddon and Cloneworld were maxed out causing other services to "brown out" or lose connection. This unfortunately sparked a number of alarms as automated sensors went off-line. It is even rumoured a CSM silo was put on launch standby.

The Clones were forced to place 6 ships between the two planets to relay traffic, an expensive and temporary solution. Other incidents like this have been recorded on a number of occasions over the last year. The Clone network can just cope with normal traffic but in times of peak traffic it collapses. Suffice to say Oojok has called this unacceptable, if the Clones were attacked or entered a real cvombat situation their network would melt down.

Around 7 billion zarks worth of upgrades are currently ongoing (ironically the link to Daggaddon is due to be replaced by a new link with 500% more capacity next month). Until these links are completed by 2115 the Clone network will continue to struggle, and a new wave of upgrades (around 5.5 billion zarks worth) needs to be funded and begin by the end of the year.

DDS produce first upgrade of their worm drive

The DDS have produced the first upgrade proper of the Electron W1A worm drive, up until now updates have been from the Dinos (mostly for safety reasons) but the Electron W1A2 (in service the designation is likely to remain W1A) is the first upgrade on the DDS' own development track. The upgrade itself is fairly modest with reliability and power efficiency the main improvements, ships fitted with W1A2 will have the same speed as W1A.

However as Dr Forbidden says this is a great achievement by the DDS and is proof that they are beginning to master worm drive technology. He said that the DDS are working on a faster drive which may arrive in a few years.

Suicide plane attack on Solaris?

Mystery is surrounding the crash on Solaris of a CAC 420 airliner owned by Proxima Airlines. The plane exploded near a major chemical plant owned by the DDS which makes some of the chemicals used in rocket fuel (used in weapons like the TPM). Only minor damage to some outlying buildings of the plant was recorded.

Some eye-witnesses are saying a DDS F-10S fired a missile at the airliner which appeared to be diving towards the plant, though the DDS are not confirming or denying anything at the moment. What is certain is that if the plane had hit the plant it could have devastated a wide area with toxic fall-out.

193/2

Almost Six
Solaris comes under attack (Family Affair P1)

Torus promoted to Knobhead's deputy

ISSF Commander Torus has been made the Director of Operations Knobhead's official deputy. This reflects the greater importance Firefly has put on special forces recently and Torus' well received performance over the last few months.

Torus is thus the immediate line manager of both Caratore and Zeppelin who head the Space Force and Terrestrial Force respectively and also just 2 levels below DDS Commander itself. Some have speculated that Torus may be Firefly's successor one day. Firefly is said to be keen to groom a successor instead of having to pick someone in a panic as usually happens.

Another major role in the DDS is Head of Engineering which has still to be filled. There is speculation that the post may be abandoned as Sea Urchin seems to be able to combine overseeing DDS Engineering with his other Technology Director portfolio.

• The CNAS (Clone Naval Air Service) is to carry out an upgrade and life-extension of its ageing fleet of K19B Borehole attack aircraft. The venerable planes served in the Clone Air Force for years before moving to the anti-shipping role. They do a great job for the CNAS but are starting to show their age and are running low on remaining fatigue life (they have been used pretty intensively). The K19BEC upgrade will see the 40 planes refurbished to take them through to 2130. They will also receive new attack radar, an upgraded databus, improved ECM and navigational systems. The upgrades will begin later this year.

Clones to upgrade Mustang

The K72 Mustang is one of the key types in the Clone Air Force, for several decades it has been the backbone of their tactical reconnaissance, EW and Elint capabilities. However the baseline Mustang has not been updated for over 10 years now but that has now changed.

A new "M" production model has been cleared for service and will be the basis of new build as well as the rebuilds of around 200 older aircraft, these will be reconnaissance and EW aircraft and will be known as the K72TRM and K72EM respectively, new build will also have these designations. New build Airborne Communication Relays will be known as the K72ACRM.

Changes include improved engines with around 9% more thrust and a 3% reduction in fuel burn. Aerodynamic improvements will also help increase efficiency and it is expected the new planes will be able to operate for an extra 30 minutes over the old model on the same fuel load. IR emissions are also reduced thanks to the new engine nozzles. The avionics are also receiving some updates.

Clones try and change Dinos' minds over warplanes

After the Dinos chose the DDS F-10SED as their new air defence and close support fighter (a very lucrative contract) the Clones have urgently rushed to try and change the Dinos' minds. Aware that one of the criticisms was that they did not offer their latest version of the K45 they have now rectified that and have offered a hybrid version called the K45D which is said to include much more K45C technology (though is still fundamentally the older model).

The Dinos have dismissed the proposal, and said the Clones should not have rushed to offer this version, citing confusion and mistakes in the proposal document which no doubt was produced in a hurry. Senator Zanus the Minister of Defence has advised the Clones to accept the loss. "The F-10SED is what we need and what we are going to buy. Our co-operation with the Clones in other areas of weapon design and production continues unaffected but they will just have to accept they can't win them all!"

Firefly to meet El Diablo to discuss Tarbotians

DDS Commander Firefly is to travel to Dino-Land this week where he will meet Consul El Diablo. It is thought the main topic of their discussions will be the Tarbotian threat which is slowly rising, the recent events in New Vosun just the latest incident.

Firefly believes the DDS, DTA and CSE need to present a united front against the Tarbotians. It is thought he will suggest greater co-operation between the DDS and DTA in monitoring Tarbotian activities and the sharing of intelligence.

• The DDS has raised its alert status to GREEN, thought to be due to the Tarbotian interference on New Vosun.

Tarbotians behind New Vosun attacks?

Recently New Vosun was shattered by devastating terrorist attacks which were originally blamed on separatists who did not want New Vosun to join the DTA. However a joint SS-D/ISSF operation has revealed Tarbotian involvement in the attacks.

Although details are scarce it is thought the Tarbotian secret service Vodan Reis hired mercenaries and equipped them with heavy weapons even including surplus HCS aircraft. A Tarbotian ship was also lying cloaked in orbit and attacked a DDS ship supporting the ISSF team. The mercenary base was attacked by SS-D and a Prowler unit led by SFX and the Tarbotian ship chased away. Documents found in the base reveal the Vodan Reis involvement.

The DTA is now helping the New Vosun government recover from the attacks. It is expected that the ex-Vosun-Voth Star Empire planet will apply to join the DTA later in the year.

Dinos choose F-10S

The decision was not expected so soon but the Dinos have chosen the DDS F-10S for their air defence fighter. The key consideration was the ability to fire TPM-As which the Clone design could not do (and likely could never do) and the Dinos, pragmatic as always, decided to not waste any more time. A DDS team will now meet the Dinos to finalise the deal which is likely to see 50 F-10SED fighters built by the DDS and over 300 licence built by the Dinos themselves.

With TPM-A designs and spares the total value of the order is likely to be over 7 billion zarks. Interestingly the Dinos are also interested in the DDS NDAA light attack aircraft and have requested specifications.

193/1

Plastic Is Fantastic
SFX finds a saviour from an unexpected source (Operation Death P5)

ISSF to form "Space Marines"

DDS Internal Security & Special Forces (ISSF) is to form 3 new Prowler units optimised for "space combat". These units will be the first step in the DDS one day forming a "space marines" force. The new Prowler units will be trained and equipped for combat onboard space vessels or outside in space itself.

The idea for such a force came after the ABBO-Bolitic War when the DDS found itself lacking in tactical options if weapons like the TPM were unable to secure a victory. The Prowler units will add to the DDS' tactical matrix. The new units are due to become operational next year.

Cicero returns to service as flagship

SS Cicero has returned to service following repairs and updates to resume its role as the DDS flagship and personal ship of DDS Commander Firefly. K101X Cicero has received communication updates, EA-X, improved sensors and enhanced internal security.

Cicero's first duty will be to take Firefly to a meeting with the Starbotians at the end of the month.

• The Remedians have ordered 2 Extender 73A oilers to support their forthcoming new fleet of Corkscrew 51A MCS. The ships will be delivered in 2114, like Starbotian Extenders the ships will have DDS pennant numbers (with an R suffix) but will be wholly owned and operated by the Remedians.

UV192 : Legal Difficulties

• Size Is Everything - Bife explains how he ended up on such a remote planet (The Losers P3)
• Nice Speech - Dinomark is shot down (The Losers P4)
• Struck Out - Can Bife defeat Ronald? (The Losers P5)
• Destruction - SFX is given a new mission (Operation Death P1)
• Fleet Of Lawyers - Both SFX and Windy come under attack (Operation Death P2)
• 57 Heroes + One Ugly MF - The mystery deepens for SFX (Operation Death P3)
• A Very Loud Noise - SFX discovers the insurgents' base (Operation Death P4)

Clone Air Force ditch "human style" designations

In a surprise move the Clone Air Force has abandoned its type designation system for aircraft and instead will use a series of numbers based on the Clonese words for aircraft "keinonaw" K, drones "quasta keinonaw" QK and helicopter "zoki keinonaw" ZK. Most aircraft designations will change simply by changing the type prefix (F, A et cetera) to K. So the F-45A Falcon for example is now the K45A Falcon. Specialist function prefixes are now added as suffixes, this can make some variant designations a bit unwieldily for example the latest naval version of the Halogen helicopter has changed from SH-26WNG to ZK26SWNG!

Transports with 3 figure numbers however have been truncated to two numbers so the C-440 is now the K44 for example. A full list of the new designations can be seen on the CAF fleet page. The old designations will likely be kept for export.

The reason for the change has not been given, one CDF insider said it could cloud the purpose of an aircraft type in a bit of mystery though as the new designations have been openly published this is unlikely to be a factor. Another insider said it is simply because the old system was a legacy of the human influence of the early HCS Air Force and that the more nationalist Clone Defence Forces wants to move away from "alien influences". The Clone Navy have also adopted the designations.

• In other Clone aviation news the first K45K fighter (which is better known as the F-45K) has been completed and will be delivered to the Clone Navy next month. The Clone Naval Air Service hope to begin carrier tests with their new fighter before the end of the year and achieve a limited level of operational status early next year. The first K45Cs for the Clone Air Force will be built next year.

192/7

A Very Loud Noise
SFX discovers the insurgents' base (Operation Death P4)

DDS to stop selling Isometric-E

Following the delivery of the last Isometric for the DDS ship (actually a Freedom 41B for the Starbotians) the DDS have decided to stop offering the Isometric-E for sale and instead will concentrate on the Corkscrew for export. Six Isometric-Es are still outstanding for Putri 500, Haylei and Vontapi and this will keep the Raegris production line busy for another 12-14 months. This will allow the line to stay busy until it transitions to a Corkscrew line at the end of the next year.

The DDS are now keen to get a launch order for Corkscrew for deliveries from 2115, all DDS customers will soon be receiving publicity material on the Corkscrew though an export specification will not be released until the prototype enters full DDS service. SS Corkscrew will be available for demonstrations next year.

Fleet News (14/07/13)

• M136 Flint is the only new ship this month, the Freedom 41B MCS will join the Starbotian fleet. Flint is the very last Isometric type ship to be built for the DDS/Starbot fleet.
• Solaris 37C FCS H171 Procyon has been fitted with worm drive.
• The first upgraded Terran Sea M171 Mediterranean Sea has rejoined the fleet as the lead ship of the Mediterranean Sea 43G MCS class.
• Coril 86A special forces transport A562F Sarah has been retired following technical problems thought to be fatigue related. It will be given to the Proximan Space Museum.

DDS pushes UNP to make Charlotte full member

The DDS is pushing the UNP to make its protectorate in the Rim Worlds Charlotte a full member of the interplanetary body. The reason for this is that it would make Charlotte eligible for development funding for its infrastructure, and this the DDS want as they have big plans for their presence on Charlotte.

At present they maintain a small presence in the system due to a Tarbotian incursion some years ago, usually a Rome 46A or Isometric is stationed at the small orbital station. However the DDS plan a much more substantial presence on the planet, orbital defences and surface bases. Charlotte is very strategically placed especially since the recent expansion of the Tarbot Empire and would be an ideal regional hub for patrols and monitoring. The UNP will make a decision in a few weeks.

DDS and Dinos to work on next generation worm drive?

The DDS have approached the Dinos about teaming together to develop a next generation worm drive that potentially reach equivalent speeds of 8000-9000ec. It is known the Dinos are testing a new version of their drive that can push a Dinomark PT to 5500ec but the DDS think much bigger jumps in speed can be made if the two powers pool their efforts.

Dr Forbidden is understood to have suggested the collaboration last month during a meeting he had with Dougson, the Chief Scientific Officer of the Dino Republic. The Dino Senate may discuss the possibility later in the year.

192/6

57 Heroes + One Ugly MF
The mystery deepens for SFX (Operation Death P3)

Dino View : The big change in Dino air power

Legate Dralson, ex-Dino Army and Security Council

When the Dinos said they planned to buy some jet fighters to take over some air defence and close support roles from Dinomarks the DDS and the Clones lined up to offer their F-10S Shark and F-45A Falcon respectively. It was generally assumed the Dinos would buy between 80-100 fighters, a decent and valuable defence sale but not the biggest.

However earlier this week the Dinos unveiled the full scale of their plan to buy (and build fighters) and it must have raised some eyebrows with the DDS and Clones (if the latter had eyebrows of course). The Dino Army plans no fewer than 250 fighters for Dino-Land as part of phase 2 with 150 more to follow for the other Dino Republic planets. With so many in Dino service it would then be highly likely other DTA members would also have the type.

This makes the programme highly valuable indeed and it could be the Clones will rethink their decision to offer the F-45A (a very good aircraft of course) but not their brand new F-45C. The Dinos say that they want to build most of the aircraft under licence with no more than 50 imported, but that would still make the programme worth billions.

The F-10S is still ahead i understand, the Clones may offer the F-45C but my sources tell me the deal clincher will be the TPM-A capability. Unless the Clones can get that missile to work with the Falcon (which will be difficult seeing as no TPM-As are available outside of the DDS at present) then it might be a straight forward victory for the DDS.

Corkscrew will be able to use Rome mission modules

The Corkscrew 51A Medium Combat Ship is based on the Rome 46A design though is scaled up. One aspect of Corkscrew that has not been mentioned up until now is if it also has a mission module capability. In fact it does and whats more it can use the same modules as the Rome. To use a Rome module it needs to be placed in a special "adaption interface" which is basically a framework so the module will fit inside the Corkscrew's mission area. Thanks to Open Architecture all connections and system integration occur automatically and seamlessly.

Its not known how many modules will be developed especially for the Corkscrew as it is not considered a priority for the new type, it may be the capability will just be retained so Corkscrews can deputise for a Rome if needs be and is not considered something which will happen very often. However this could change with the adding of minesweeper director to the Rome's portfolio. See below.

• The Rome 46A fleet could be given the role of minesweeper director. At present 3 Isometric 41As are outfitted with Pave Yellow mine-warfare control coordination equipment however the DDS want more ships available as the small number sometimes causes scheduling and availability problems. The DDS are now working on a new version of Pave Yellow that will be fitted into a Rome mission module. If tests are successful then is likely around 5-6 modules will be produced allowing for greater flexibility and availability (especially as Corkscrew will be able to use the module too). The 3 Isometrics will then have the equipment removed at a later stage.

July Wave 2113

The DDS' mid-year amphibious exercise has begun, like last year the Dinos are also taking part with 3 Dinomarks and SS-D special forces arriving yesterday to join the fleet. The exercises will take place in the Sanger Alpha system and include a troop landing as well as special forces operations in no-atmosphere environments. The DDS ships involved are :

S222 Atlas (flagship)
H130 Invicta
M105 Palaeocene
M163 Sea Of Serenity
L111 Pangaea
L114 Baltica
L152 Asia
L156 North America
K151 Fighting Falcon
K156 Kite
K164W Porpoise
A110 Lodestar
A156 Methane

Isometric 2113 Update A

The Type 41 fleet (Isometric and Freedom classes) are to receive an update over the next 3 months during their routine maintenance cycle. The update is the first since the Isometric ILU and includes the following:

• Main cannon updated to a Z6 turret
• New signal management suite to supplement stealth systems
• EA-X coating
• Freedom 41B rated to 980c maximum sprint speed like Isometric 41A
• Enhanced IWC system including improved offensive info-weapons
• Various other minor updates

Windscorpion hit by class-action lawsuit

Windscorpion has been served with a class-action lawsuit claiming compensation for hundreds of counts of male rape, sexual assaults and forced pornography allegedly committed by Windy over a 14 year period. It is thought there could be many hundreds more cases he could be accused of too.

Windy has said all allegations are false and that he will contest the lawsuit in court. The DDS will provide legal assistance however this case comes at an awkward time for the DDS with a new political coalition now in power on Proxima 7 which pushes a highly religious agenda and have been critics of Windy's antics for some time.

192/5

Fleet Of Lawyers 
Both SFX and Windy come under attack (Operation Death P2)

DDS/iP Services order extra helicopters

iP Services have ordered 6 Cherrybee CBH-90 helicopters which will be maintained alongside the DDS' own fleet. The helicopters will be available for ISSF use too though will have some equipment changes compared to the DDS' own to assist iP Services operations. It is reported the helicopters will have restraints fitted for prisoner transfer.

The DDS have also topped up an extra 5 new build MH-26W multi-mission helicopters to their order with the Clones. This will leave them with an eventual fleet of 170 Halogens.

Wayne King-Meiouf : Do the Utrek want to conquer the Local Group?

Professor Wayne King-Meiouf of the University of Proxima

With the seemingly endless war against the Mantae now... er... ended there has been talk of the Utrek now looking at the DDS and other Local Group powers again. There being "unfinished business". However i'm not sure the Utrek want to conquer the DDS, Clones and DTA.

The astral-political spacescape has changed since the last Utrek War, since that conflict the Tarbotians have extended their borders until they now border the Local Group. That means of course that if the Utrek did attack again and win then they would... for the first time ever... be now neighbours of the Tarbotian Empire.

Some talk of "destiny" and how sooner or later the Tarbotians and Utrek will battle it out to decide who is the master of this portion of the galaxy. However hyperpowers do not generally think that way. To them major wars have to be judged very carefully, there is a lot to gain by extending your territory but also a lot to lose as the Tarbotians showed when they lost their war against the DDS, Dinos and Starbotians in the late 2090s. Even a localised loss saw the cream of their leadership lost and a bloody civil war that put them back 10 years.

The Utrek will now be carefully calculating an attack on the Local Group. They could win if they put their massive resources behind the attack. However it would be a very costly war, it would leave them vulnerable to the Mantae and Tarbotians and even the 7 Sa Sao for years while they rebuilt. No i think the calculations will confirm what i feel now, attractive as it may be to conquer the Local Group, the price of victory can sometimes just be too high.

However it just takes a hot headed commander to look at these calculations and decide to attack anyway, we know so little about the Utrek leadership...

Utrek war with Mantae reportedly over

The massive war between the Utrek and Mantae has not affected the Local Group of space faring powers due to the distance away but it has arguably kept the Utrek busy since the end of the Second Utrek War and weakened them.

However over the last few years the Mantae have been pushed back (at one stage they were that close to the Utrek capital Urlik Utrekia the government are reported to have started packing) to the border and a stalemate ensured. Now finally the two sides have agreed a peace. This could mean the Utrek start looking in the Local Group's direction again though probably not for a few years.

DTA to send aid to New Vosun

The DTA is to send urgent aid to New Vosun which suffered a massive terrorist attack a few days ago in which it is estimated over 2000 people died. Critical infrastructure in many parts of New Vosun including the capital has been badly hit and the aid being sent will help with that.

The aid includes emergency food and medical supplies, generators and recovery equipment. Three transports will leave Dino-Town later today while another has already left Sirikwan. DTA Minister Razorback is now on the planet.

Solaris 2113 Update A

The 18 strong Solaris 37C fleet is to receive its yearly update over the next few weeks. Most of the update will involve bringing the whole fleet up to the final new build status of the final 2 ships and will involve updates to passive sensors, shields and tactical computers. The 3 oldest ships will also receive a Z6 cannon to bring them in line with the rest of the fleet.

All ships will receive an EA-X coating and optional external pylon support to carry 2 MRMs. Each update will take 3-7 days depending on the amount of work to be done and will be carried out during routine maintenance cycles.

• A second Alpha 121A Nano Fighting Ship has been ordered, delivery date has yet to be announced.

New Vosun calls in DTA help

New Vosun has been rocked by dozens of powerful explosions in its largest cities which have left hundreds dead and critical infrastructure in a state of collapse. Separatists who are opposed to New Vosun joining the DTA are thought to be behind the attacks though at the moment the New Vosun government are concentrating on holding the planet together.

They have sent an urgent request to the DTA to send humanitarian assistance such as medical supplies, rescue teams, generators and other emergency equipment. El Diablo has ordered a fleet be prepared at once though some supplies are being sent from Sirikwan later today. The minister of the DTA Razorback has already been sent off to New Vosun to assess the situation.

Dinos invited to July Wave 2113

The DDS have invited the Dinos to take part in the next DDS exercise, the 2113 of the mid-year amphibious warfare exercise July Wave. It is thought the Dinos may send one of their Provider SX landing ships and a couple of Dinomarks to take part in the exercise which is scheduled to begin next week.

The truncated June Fade 2113 minesweeping exercise ended yesterday with a mock combat and a mine sweep under combat conditions. A Raegris warship which was visiting the core DDS worlds, took part in the final scenarios as the "enemy".

• The Clones successfully conducted a 6 light year test using their CSM superluminal capable strategic missile. The increase in range will be part of an upgrade of CSM due for roll-out next year. Stealth and guidance will also be improved it is reported. Another notable feature of the test was that the CSM was sea launched. The trials submarine CNSS Warhammer launched a test SeaGale SLBM fitted out with the CSM test module. It is thought the launch took place from the surface though Warhammer has successfully launched 2 SeaGale missiles from a submerged state.

192/4

Destruction
SFX is given a new mission (Operation Death P1)

Other Fleet News (01/07/13)

• The Dinos have built a Dinomark PT for themselves and 2 Dinomark XTs for the DTA, 1 each for the New Arit and Voth fleets.
• The Bolitic are reported to have completed a new Snarl and 2 Meltinans.
• Porquat 640 have received 2 Pentekonter 632s (E1P6).
• Haylei have received an Extender-E.
• Castaris have received 2 Coril-Es.