The first of a planned eight Rainbow 166A support tenders for the Black Triangle system has entered trials and will be worked up to an operational state by the end of the Summer, then it will begin integration testing with the Black Triangle.
The Rainbow is based on the Friendship platform like a number of other types. Each Rainbow will support a squadron of four Black Triangles.
The latest edition of NS' large scale humanitarian and disaster relief response operation will be held next week. The theme this year will be natural disaster response. A "volcanic eruption" will occur on Solaris, NS and UNP agencies will deploy to evacuate 20,000 people (a mixture of volunteers and NS Terrestrial Force soldiers will be evacuated).
The ships involved are:
21-106 Yeoman (flag)
35-401 Revolution
52-104 Nimrod
52-112 Nifty
63-101 Oceania
63-109 Australasia
73-105 Argus
The Black Triangle 126A prototype has begun trails after being fitted with a late development build of the new Lepton WX-01 engine with cold fire technology, this gives the ship a minute infra red signature. The WX-01 is said to have about 98% of the total thrust of the final build of the engine though this has been tuned down pending tests of the engine under extended use conditions.
The prototype has also been fitted with a development build of the tactical system, including twin Zip-MA cannons. NS technicians are currently integrating the system into the NS data network and sensor arrays of the ship.
NS have cancelled the final two Lavender 105A unmanned space vessels. The ships are highly secretive, even their existence has not been acknowledged by NS officially. It is thought they are used for ultra-long range patrols on the edge of UNP space and beyond, performing intelligence gathering.
The ships have a powerful armament though the tactical system is not considered developed enough to use the ships in an overt combat role. The reason for the cancellation is unknown. The ships have performed well in their patrol role, though it could be NS plan a follow-on class instead.
The Okra 86L was an emergency stop gap version of the Coril shuttle to perform low-intensity patrol and policing duties due to a shortage of purpose build assets. Now the patrol fleet is continuing to grow, NS is starting to look at what they will do with the Okra next.
NS have already decided to keep the ships as is and not change them back to the shuttle role but they will not be needed for patrol duties by 2126. NS have said the ten ships will revert to a training role but also support the other patrol ships.
In a move which may anger the Clones, Censor Ronald has announced that Oojok and Sleeze will be inducted into the Dino Elders at the next meeting of this body later this month. The Clones are said to be wary of Oojok having a new political role in the Dino Empire.
The Dino Elders are a largely ceremonial body which consists of up to two hundred senior Dinos. The current count is 187 so there is plenty of space to add more members. The Dino Elders meet three times a year and can offer advice to Censor Ronald and Emperor MBH though mostly it is a social organisation. However, this may not be enough for the Clones.
NS have confirmed they are making big cuts to their Amphibious Warfare Fleet which is going to be largely disbanded. The three Triumph 66B strike carriers and seven Pangaea 62A assault ships will be withdrawn and sold to the Clones, a figure has yet to be published. The two Tethys Ocean 65A assault carriers will be withdrawn and put into storage. Their future role has yet to be determined but they may be converted into transports.
The Falcon 47A fleet will be reduced to eight, the withdrawn ships (Dinomark XTs) are likely to be cannibalised for spares. The eight underwater capable Falcon 47Ws will be transferred to the NS Marine force and will replace the Navelwort 86M special forces transports which will be converted back to Coril personnel transport ships.
The only fleet to be left untouched is the Oceania 63A assault transport fleet. They will be used to support Terrestrial Forces deployments and disaster relief.
The latest version of the Clone ICBM, the Gale-IIIB, has entered service and will be deployed from next year. It is thought most Gale-IIIBs will be used for Clone Space Missile booster duties. The new missile can be silo and mobile launcher deployed.
The new missile has improved cold flame technology further reducing the infra red signature. It also has modifications to the engine management system to reduce fuel usage rate (and hence increase range). No figure has been reported for the range increase.
The improvements will next be worked into a new version of the SeaGale SLBM.
RP fighters are understood to have killed a senior CDF officer in central Micom. General Miromax, the deputy head of the Clone Army in Micom District was shot when he was leaving his home yesterday morning. Police are looking for two Clones who were seen fleeing the scene.
Security for senior CDF officers will be reviewed though it was thought Miromax was a fairly soft target. A Junta spokesclone said that the RP would be hunted down and punished.
The second Repulse 51B destroyer 51-202 Glascote has entered service with the NS Space Fleet. A tenth Oceania 63A assault transport ship 63-110 Grenvilla has also joined the fleet. Despite the impending cuts to the amphibious fleet, NS have plenty of work for the Oceanias.
Two more Deterrence 53A patrol craft have been retired, 53-122 Birkenhead Park and 53-143 Hooton.
Details of how the Junta of Anderson, Armstrong and Marcus, now rule the Clone Star Empire after their successful coup have recently emerged. The other planets of the empire than Cloneworld are run by governors who were appointed and swore loyalty to Oojok. The Junta has made these governors pledge an oath to the Junta. However, otherwise they have been left to carry out their duties as before. The governor of Randalf 74 is understood to be taking early retirement though the others are said to be accepting the new reality.
A group of senior officers has been formed called the Committee of Twenty, it consists of the Junta, a representative of the Cloneworld civilian authorities and sixteen other of the most senior officers in the Clone Defence Force including the heads of the Clone Navy and Air Force. The Committee will help guide Junta policy and is expected to meet six times a year.
