The Dinos have ordered 25 more Dinomark AM heavy cruisers which will be used to augment the Dino Army, replacing Dinomark XTs and giving a dramatic increase in capabilities to the 1st and 2nd Legions. The Dinos will also increase production of the Dinomark LM/2. The Dino Army aims to remove the XT from front line service by 2130.
The Dino Army has also begun the development of a new medium cruiser to replace the Dinomark PT. This is expected to enter service in the next decade.
UNDF has revealed some more details of it's upcoming Advanced Rome 46B patrol ship and light destroyer. The Advanced Rome will be 10m longer than the existing Rome and will have a larger docking bay. It will have a dorsal top mounted missile launcher in lieu of the RAM scoop on the Rome.
The RAM scoop was an attempt at increasing the range of Romes by allowing them to augment their fuel from cosmic gases, however in practice it has not proven to have much effect. The Advanced Rome will have an e-Core engine which will improve fuel efficiency. A future n-Core engine option will further increase this efficiency.
The Advanced Rome will not have the VLS array ahead of the RAM scoop on the existing Rome. This space will be used for extra crew accommodation, equipment and storage. The Advanced Rome is expected to have similar capabilities to the Corkscrew 51A while only being two thirds of the size. The Advanced Rome will have the same Z7t cannon of the Rome but with an upgraded power array for up to 35% more output. The Advanced Rome will also be able to fire MRMs.
The first Advanced Rome is expected to enter testing in early 2127 with an entry into service before the end of the year, slightly earlier than originally planned.
The Clones have recovered weapons after a failed attack by insurgents on Teriatri 7. The weapons were Clone built and records indicate that the weapons came from the military depot on Geulis which exploded a few weeks ago. The cause of the explosion is still unknown but the fact that weapons from the depot now appear to be in the hands of Teriatri insurgents indicates foul play.
Another strange incident, which is possibly linked, is the discovery of wreckage of a commercial freighter in an asteroid field by a Clone Space Navy patrol. The freighter had been in the Geulis system at the time of the depot explosion and later went to Teriatri. The crew of the freighter have not been found.
Teriatri 7 is a quiet planet in the Rim Worlds part of the Clone Star Empire... until now. Yesterday, six locations on the planet, including the main military communication hub were hit by mortar fire and in one case a car bomb. A dozen soldiers have been reported killed.
The attacks may have been made by Zones who have been settled on the planet. There have been reports that many Zones are unhappy at being dumped in ghettos across the CSE. If so, this is a very serious situation for the Clones.
The 6th Legion of the Dino Army is a special unit, only about 140 strong at the moment, it consists of many of the senior figures of the Dino Empire and acts as the Dino honour guard or even Ronald's "fascist vanguard" as some have dubbed it.
The head of the 6th Legion, Senator Zanus, has announced that there will be changes to the 6th Legion which will take in the three Dino special forces units and act as the administrative and supportive umbrella for Dino special forces.
SS-D is the largest of these three units. This is the main body of special forces in the Dino armed forces, administratively they have been listed as part of the SS but in reality are their own body. The Diplomatic Protection Regiment (DPR) and Emperor Special Body Guard (ESBG) are much smaller units, dedicated to protecting the elite of the Dino Empire.
All three units will transfer to the 6th Legion next year, after extra support and administrative staff have been set up. Zanus said there are no plans to rename the special forces units at this present time.
The Clone Defence Forces are investigating a mysterious explosion at an army depot on the Rim World planet of Geulis. Sixteen troops which were guarding and operating the depot are reported to have been killed after massive explosions tore the depot apart. The CDF are investigating if the explosions were caused by a malfunction in the munitions stored there. Foul play is not being ruled out though Geulis is not known for insurgent activity.
The depot is reported to have stored mostly small arms and mortars.
The Clone Defence Forces have begun a sustained heavy assault on ethnic Eritran areas on Miliaris in what is called Operation Chainsaw. Supported by two Cosmos CG ground attack cruisers in orbit, the Clones have hit over a dozen positions on the planet with an orbital attack, followed up by air attacks.
The success of the mission is not yet known. Independent sources are saying the Clones are indiscriminately striking civilian areas on the planet.
The capital of Austini 55 has been hit by FM type missiles, in an attack by insurgents aligned with Freedom Miliaris. The missiles struck a military depot in the south of the city, the warheads of two of the five missiles did not detonate. Damage to the depot has not been reported though there was a plume of smoke seen over the city after the attack.
An unconfirmed report says there were no fatalities though some personnel were injured, a fuel tank was set on fire but other damage was not significant.
For years the SS has craved an increase in funding so it could afford two full strength legions. The 2nd SS Legion serves as a reserve, being around half the strength of the 1st SS Legion. Under a new agreement the 2nd SS Legion will be increased in size to match the 1st, with a new SS Reserve formed for other units in the process of forming or re-organising.
An order for three hundred more T-55ZDM3 tanks has been placed for a new SS armoured regiment. More Dinomark LMs will also be built for the SS.
The Dino Army are said to be not pleased about this, though they have also received extra funding. The army will remain at seventeen legions strong though some of these legions will be strengthened with extra artillery and anti-aircraft units.
Insurgents, thought to be allied to Freedom Miliaris, have launched an attack on Woloron 12. This is several days after similar attacks on Austini 55. In the latest attacks, three FM type drones attacked a Clone Army communications base, damaging the main antenna and a support building. Two drones were also launched at a military depot though these were shot down.
A car bomb also detonated near to the entrance of an army base though no casualties were reported. The local commanders have raised the alert level on the planet and increased patrols.
The Clone Army has demonstrated a new version of it's tank the J55Z8 (sometimes also referred to as the T-55Z8). This is the first version for some time that is not based on a Dino development. The main change with the Z8 is something the Clones are referring to as Active Camouflage System (ACS).
This is a layer added on top of the tank's armour similar to e-ink technology. This is able to give a real time display matching the tank's surroundings. A 360 degree camera on top of the turret analyses the tank's surroundings every second and updates the ACS layer to hide the tank from all angles.
ACS is said to use up a good deal of power thus this has an effect on the tank's top speed, therefore it would not be used all the time.
The first Z8s are expected to reach regiments early next year.
Freedom Miliaris have said they are open to talks about a ceasefire, though the likelihood of the Clones offering one seems remote. The Clones have put ethnic Eritran areas of the planet under heavy and sustained attack which seems to have hindered FM operations largely due to the chaos and upheaval in Eritran areas.
Admiral Anderson says that FM will be crushed and order will be restored to the empire. He said the Clones are in no mood for a ceasefire.
UNDF have announced the name of their new EW ship which will replace the Marconi 81A. The Sparkle 162A will be a development of the Depender 161A intelligence gathering ship (though this role has not officially been confirmed).
The Sparkle will be based on the Friendship platform, it will have a Proton RM-01C e-Core engine as was tested on one of the Dependers. The first Sparkle is expected in service in 2127. DF have ordered seven.
Another new type, and also Friendship based, is the Dreamscape 163A which will be a tender ship to support special forces operations. DF have not yet committed to this type, though the fact it has a type number and name in the DF database indicates that it will be built as well.
The Dinos have placed an order for five new cruisers to replace their ageing Dinomark RS. The new Dinomark HX is based on the Bolitic Furl design. The Bolitic will provide new Furls to the Dinos which will then be finished with Dino weapons and systems, and a worm drive. The first HX could enter service in 2127.
For the last three months a Bolitic Furl has been loaned to the Dinos and has been used for evaluation and training. The Dinomark HX will be used as command ships for major fleet deployments and also be in charge of defending the home system of the Dino Empire.
UNDF have placed an order with Consolidated Spacecraft for three more River 75B medium transports. The ships are expected to be delivered next year and join the ten in service (one will be a battle replacement, the other two will help reduce pressure on the increasingly hard pressed transport arm of the fleet).
DF said that they are looking into buying new Providers and Extender from the Dinos who now have the production rights to SUP derived ships. However, it is more likely DF will try and make do with converting the Missileers and hold out for the next generation heavy transport in the 2130s.
Earlier today, military HQ on Austini 55 was hit by five SRBMs of the new type developed by Freedom Miliaris. One missile did not explode but the others caused damage to the large Clone Army base causing a number of deaths and damage.
At the same time two missiles were fired at a military fuel depot near the capital though these missiles missed and did not cause any damage.
Freedom Miliaris later claimed responsibility for the attacks though the Clones do not know if it was actual FM from Miliaris or local sympathisers who had been supplied with the missiles. This is a great embarrassment for the Clones though as they struggle to stop the growing insurgency on Miliaris, now the fear is this could help re-launch other uprisings across the CSE-E.
In a change of policy, UNDF have decided to built two more Kinetic 35C cruisers to replace battle losses and bring the fleet back up to fifteen. The decision was taken before the production jig was shut down to convert it for Revolution 35Z series production. This does mean that series production of the multi-mode version of the Type 35 will be delayed for around eighteen months.
UNDF have committed to the type though and have increased the order to ten.
The 2nd Guards Division of the Clone Army, one of the best equipped and trained divisions in the army, has been put on notice to relocate within the next few weeks. Whilst the location of this relocation is unknown it is strongly rumoured that the troops will be moving to Miliaris. Two COIN air regiments are also moving, one equipped with new K58 Raptors.
This would be a major escalation if true as the troops used on Miliaris have until now been Territorial or second-line units from the Clone Army. A decent quality though usually with older weapons. The Guards will have the latest kit.
The three surviving Marconi 81A EW ships are to be replaced by a new type based on the Friendship platform. Two of the original five ships have been lost in combat, DF did look into buying a new ship but could not secure a SUP backbone.
The new ships will be dedicated to EW/Elint and are likely to be based on the Depender. The special forces support role of the Marconis will be given to a different type of ship, as yet unannounced.
It is possible the three Marconis, when withdrawn, could be converted into transports or oilers.
The Clone Star Empire has accused UNDF of having assets on Miliaris, they may even have shot down several Clone aircraft though this is unconfirmed. The Clones say a DF ship is operating in the Miliaris system which is under full military lockdown. The Clones have also claimed that DF personnel are on the planet and have killed Clones, shooting down two K85 COIN aircraft.
DF have strongly denied the claims. UNDF Commander Torus said the Clones were speaking nonsense and challenged them to produce some proof.
Freedom Miliaris have launch an all-out attack by drones and rockets, including their upgraded plastic attack drones, on the headquarters of miliary forces on Miliaris. Following months of similar attacks, the HQ now has a formidable and layered defence network. However, it was overwhelmed by sheer weight of numbers.
One estimate is that over 1000 drones converged on the HQ simultaneously from all directions, nearly 100 rockets also landed on the HQ which degraded the response. The HQ is reported to have been wrecked by the assault, one report also states that the head of the Clone Defence Forces on the planet was killed.
Elite forces have battled General Hijim's troops at Clone Army GHQ, who attempted to seize the General Staff and Admiral Anderson. The troops were supported by aircraft from the Clone Naval Air Service (it is not known why Clone Air Force planes were not used, GHQ is hundreds of miles from any coast line). It has been reported that the coup forces have been crushed.
General Hijim's base was also hit by CNAS aircraft. Red Lizard special forces also stormed the base. Hijim is reported to have been killed.
Admiral Anderson is reported to be aboard the aircraft carrier CNS Clone Empire and is directing the response to the coup.
There are reports coming in of gunfire and explosions at the GHQ of the Clone Army on Cloneworld. It is thought that troops loyal to General Hijim, commander of the 34th Infantry Division, have tried to seize the General Staff and arrest Admiral Anderson who was due to visit.
It is thought Anderson was delayed due to engine issues with his personal transport. This meant he was not at GHQ during the coup attempt.
Anderson is now said to be at a secure and secret location and is directing the response to the coup.
Whilst the rest of the amphibious warfare fleet has been gutted, the two Tethys Ocean support carriers have remained with the fleet, though without an apparent role. DF is thought to have considered also converting these two ships into transports as they plan with the Missileers, however they instead will keep the two Tethys Ocean ships in a command role.
It is expected they will lead deployments such as on humanitarian assistance missions and major fleet deployments.
The UNDF has a big problem, not the Tarbotians or Clones or another enemy power, but with an ageing fleet. During the first decade of the 2100s, the DDS (as it then was) fleet expanded greatly. The problem for DF is that the major ship classes built then will reach the ends of their lives in the 2130s.
The money which funded the fleet expansion, at first a war budget from the UNP and then augmented by billions of zarks in land and weapon sales, is no longer there.
The key problem is with the Quasar, Isometric and Provider/Extender fleets. These will reach the ends of their service lives from the early 2130s onwards. DF simply cannot afford (or even has the industrial capacity anymore) to replace all three at the same time.
DF have indicated they will not replace the Quasar fleet, relying instead on the Warrior fleet and LRM force for strategic attack. The Missileers are likely to be rebuilt as transports and oilers, this will help delay the need to build brand new transports.
The big question remains with the Isometric fleet. DF are hoping the forthcoming Advanced Rome is a success, as they plan to use this design as the basis of an Isometric replacement. The alternative will be to completely rebuild the Type 41 though this will be more expensive in the long run.
DF have just begun a full review of their fleet, this will help guide them with some difficult decisions to come.
DF are developing a variant of it's successful Depender multi-role combat support ship dedicated for fleet refuelling and resupply, known as the Depender Oiler. This will be aimed at smaller fleets for whom a full scale oiler like the Extender-E is overkill (plus the Extender is no longer available).
The Depender Oiler will be powered by a Proton RM-01C e-Core engine. This engine upgrade will also be available for other Depender orders.
The Commonwealth of Interstellar Nations has demanded the Clone Star Empire cease it's attacks on civilians on Miliaris. At a meeting on Starbot, Senator GBH said that economic sanctions would be imposed on the Clones if they did not end the indiscriminate killings on the planet.
GBH did not elaborate on the sanctions but they could include the sale of military equipment and minerals to CIN member states from the CSE. This could cost the CSE economy, which is not in the best state right now, billions of zarks.
The replacement for the e-Core family of engines, the n-Core (New Core) has begun bench or static testing at a facility in the Solaris system. A modified Proton engine with the n-Core will be run in this way for the rest of the year. If tests are successful then the engine may be fitted in a Pentekonter to begin field tests.
DF are hopeful to begin rolling out n-Core family engines by 2130. n-Core engines are said to be even more efficient but also have improved throttle response and easier (and hence cheaper) maintenance.
The Clones have launched a devastating attack from orbital, aerial and ground units on the small town of Me'Juoui on Miliaris. The town is in a heavily ethnic Eritran area of the planet and said to be a centre for Freedom Miliaris logistics. For several hours the town came under heavy attack, much of the town is now said to be in flames or demolished. A Clone Army regiment is preparing to enter.
The Dinos have called on the Clones to limit civilian deaths and for both sides to negotiate a new peace deal.
As well as drones, Freedom Miliaris now have a mass produced artillery rocket in their arsenal. This is a fairly crude weapon, but like the drones can be built easily in garages and workshops. The rockets are said to have a range of up to 100km. Guidance is fairly crude but accurate enough as a terror weapon.
Six rockets were fired at a Clone Air Force base on Miliaris yesterday. Damage was caused to the runway though no personnel were hurt.
The conflict on Miliaris has seen the use of crude, mass produced wooden drones which have overwhelmed Clone defences on repeated occasions. The drones, based on a Molab design, can be built in garages, workshops or even bedrooms out of wood, and are powered by a paraffin engine. Guidance is by a simple single board unit.
However, the Clones have reported a new drone in recent days. This one is largely made out of clear plastic. This has made it lighter, more aerodynamically efficient and also improves the visual stealth. A modified control board includes an altimeter. Older drones relied on a contact fuse built into the wing to detonate the warhead, on a number of occasions the drone did not explode due to how it hit the target. The new drones will explode when they reach zero altitude.
As yet most drones used by Freedom Miliaris are the older type but the Clones are on the watch for the new plastic drones.
DF has committed to buying all twenty Mulberry 36A cruisers it has on order, plus may order an extra pair to replace the ships lost in combat a few years ago. The Mulberry is a modified version of the Raegris built Cosmos / Yel'Tema design. They are often used as flagships or command ships for fleet deployments.
It is because of this role that DF is considering withdrawing the Missileer fleet and converting them back into transports and oilers. The need for the Missileer is no longer thought to be essential to DF going forward, though with delays expected in the next generation of heavy transport ships, converting them to transports or oilers could be very helpful.
In 2114, NS (as it was at the time) bought back the four remaining Raegris Quasar cruisers (which had been sold to them by the DDS years earlier). Three of the ships have been rebuilt to bring them back to the current MSU16 standard, the fourth is being used for spares.
The three ships have been given new names, not restored names from their DDS days. They are 15-109 Heavy Strike, 15-110 Dawn Light and 15-111 First Response. The ships are likely to be kept in reserve, they are not expected to have a long career as it is thought DF might withdraw the Quasars in the early 2130s when they reach the end of their fatigue lives.
Zeppelin has announced a full review of the UNDF Space Fleet. The review will be used to plan force strength and the types of ships to be built in future. Whilst the fleet has now largely recovered from the ravages of the MBO regime, there are a number of pending issues the UNDF need to start preparing for.
One of these is what will replace the Isometric fleet of destroyers. The oldest ships will be approaching their end of service lives in the early 2130s. The Isometric derivatives will also need to be replaced later in the next decade and early 2140s.
UNDF are said to favour a clean sheet new design instead of a development of the Corkscrew platform though there have been few details about this possible future ship.
One new ship that has now been confirmed is the Type 46B, also known as the Advanced Rome. This will be an updated version of the highly flexible and popular Rome 46A. The new ships should enter service by the end of the decade, replacing the Proxima Centauri 42A light destroyers.
In his first major interview since his ousting as the Emperor of the Clone Star Empire following the military coup led by Admiral Anderson, Oojok said that he and Sleeze were now settled on Dino-Land and would never return to Cloneworld.
"If the regime of Anderson fell and there were calls for me to return i would have to politely decline." he said, "It is time for me to move on with my life, i am basically retired!"
Oojok is understood to have an advisory role with the Dino diplomatic corps, Sleeze was elected to the new Dino Assembly a few months ago. Both roles are said to anger Anderson who agreed Oojok and Sleeze could be left in exile as long as they had no political roles going forward.
Oojok said the situation on Miliaris saddened him. "Clones make up just over 90% of the empire's population but that still leaves many millions of Daggas, Eritrans, humans and other races and they need to be looked after not demonised. The war on Miliaris needs to end and the ethnic Eritrans treated as equals, for the stability of Miliaris and the empire. Anderson needs to understand that, an empire is only as strong as the stability of it's foundations."
News reports from Miliaris, confirmed by UNDF and Dino sources, indicate that Clone Army troops have entered an ethnic Eritran village on the planet and massacred the population. One source (Clone originated) said that villagers were lined up in the village square and machine gunned. No one was spared.
The UNP and CIN have both protested to the Clones, who have denied anything took place. An opposition group on Cloneworld have said Anderson's regime is out of control and must be stopped.
Dozens of CDF officers, including the heads of two Clone Army legions, have been arrested in the latest purge by Admiral Anderson against those he calls disloyal. This is following the mysterious train explosion which is now being taken seriously as a possible assassination attempt against the leader of the Clone Star Empire.
Whilst most officers have been arrested, two were executed in the street. This included the head of air defence in Micom sector on Cloneworld. It is not known why these two were treated differently.
UNDF Commander Torus has ordered the alert status to be raised to AMBER. This is due to the Miliaris situation and fears of Clone unpredictability. AMBER status means an attack is not thought likely but that there should be increased caution.
Torus has also announced that Firefly has accepted a formal role of Deputy Commander of the UNDF alongside Stella.
A train carrying ammunition has exploded on Cloneworld, luckily in a rural area meaning that no casualties have been reported. However, half an hour earlier the train was passing close to the summer dacha of Admiral Anderson, the head of the Clone Star Empire. Analysts say that if the train had exploded there it could have devastated the dacha complex.
Anderson was not at the dacha at the time, though had been scheduled to stay there this week but changed his plans due to the Miliaris situation. Clone Army experts are now examining the wreckage of the train to see if it was caused by foul play.
The Z26 Halogen is one of the iconic weapon systems of the Clone Defence Forces, well over 15,000 have been built since the early Clone Wars and over 8,000 remain in service with the Clone Air Force and Clone Naval Air Service. Production has finally ended for good after the last few examples were built fro the CNAS.
Work is now on-going on the Future Universal Helicopter programme (FUHX). This is expected to enter service around 2130 (although a prototype has yet to be revealed). The CAF aim to replace all of their Halogens by 2140 though that may be ambitious.
UNDF is reporting that three senior Clone Defence Force officers, including the head of space defence in the Cloneworld system, have been removed from their roles and may even be under arrest. All three are thought to have disagreed with Admiral Anderson's decision to redeploy an entire legion to Miliaris.
Anderson is understood to have warned that dissent will not be tolerated and is "unpatriotic".
Admiral Anderson has ordered the entire 13th Legion of the Clone Army, which is currently on Austini 55, be redeployed to Miliaris. This would be a major undertaking and require the bulk of the Clone Space Fleet's amphibious warfare assets. Moving the legion to Miliaris would greatly increase the military forces on the planet.
Some CDF critics have said sending an entire legion would be expensive, time consuming and unnecessary however, Anderson has lost patience with Miliaris. He has vowed to crush the insurgency once and for all.
Officials from the Commonwealth of Interstellar Nations (CIN) are visiting Cloneworld and are expected to travel on to Molab next week to meet with representatives of Freedom Miliaris. CIN are trying to get the ceasefire resumed on Miliaris. A key problem however is the reluctance of the Clones to stick to the existing agreement.
Admiral Anderson is reported to have said the ceasefire violated Clone sovereignty. CIN and the UNP are putting pressure on the Clones to change their minds.
Two Mariner 56A light patrol craft have joined the UNDF fleet. These are 56-107 Metronome and 56-108 Mighty. The UNDF have committed to building an eventual fleet of twenty.
Two of the stop-gap fleet of Okra 86L patrol ships (modified Coril shuttles) have been withdrawn from service. Their identities have not been disclosed. UNDF are looking into the possibility of converting them into standard shuttles.
Two Cosmos CG cruisers, fitted out for ground attack, have joined the Clone forces at Miliaris. They have begun to support Clone Defence Force operations against the Freedom Miliaris militant group. It has been reported that three suspected FM positions were attacked by the Cosmos from orbit and badly damaged.
An FM source has said that innocent civilians were killed in the attacks. They have continued to launch drone and mortar attacks on Clone Army positions though said to be of limited effectiveness.
Molab have ordered three more Pentekonter 259M patrol ships to join their existing fleet of 15. Although it is expected that Molab will buy Dino ships to replace their Kalahati Tuul fleet, Molab will continue to invest in their UNDF built fleet.
Molab have also ordered upgrades for their 3 Isometric-EMM frigates, thought to be to the tactical systems including Zip cannons.
The head of the Clone Star Empire, Admiral Anderson, has called a state of emergency on Miliaris following the deadly attacks by Freedom Miliaris. Curfews will be raised across the planet, extra troops and aircraft are arriving on the planet to augment the hard pressed defence force.
The Clones have re-established the communication connection between Miliaris and the rest of the empire. The Clone Air Force has launched dozens of attacks on positions across the planet.
It has been reported that the Tarbotians have attempted to steal a Black Triangle during a test. The Tarbotians took advantage of the lack of full info-security on the ship due to it's test status, an UNDF spokesman later said that the Tarbotians would not be able to use their hacking system on a normal ship. The Black Triangles will be retrofitted with full info-security.
The ship's crew managed to stop the hijacking due to quick thinking and alerted an escorting UNDF ship which was able to attack and damage the Tarbotian ship. The Tarbotians fled back towards their base.
Freedom Miliaris have launched the attacks they promised on the Clones following the Clone massacre of Eritran villagers. Hundreds of drones have been launched, dozens of mortar attacks have also been fired. Nearly all Clone military sites and positions on Miliaris are reported to have been attacked to some extent.
The most devastating attack was on the main communication centre near the capital. The site is reported to have been totally destroyed, cutting Miliaris off from the rest of the empire.
There are reports that Clone Army troops have conducted a massacre at an ethnic Eritran village on Miliaris. Clone troops surrounded the village and then conducted a merciless bombardment of the village, before moving in and killing everyone they found. Details of the attack have horrified the CIN and UNP.
Freedom Miliaris have vowed to launch "total war" against the Clones. They said thousands of drones are being prepared to launch attacks.
Clone Army troops have entered a number of majority ethnic Eritran areas on Miliaris on the hunt for Freedom Miliaris militants. Gunfire has been reported at a number of locations, K85 COIN aircraft have also made a number of strikes on suspected militant targets though the Clone Defence Forces are not releasing any details.
Freedom Miliaris say they are not making any attacks in respect of the Commonwealth of Interstellar Nations call for a ceasefire, however if the Clones do not withdraw from the ethnic areas then Freedom Miliaris say they will resume their campaign.
The K59 Flashlight, formerly known as the K58AD, is a new light fighter for the Clone Air Force which will be deployed to secondary planets in the Clone Star Empire. The K59 is another variant of the K03 Pterodactyl advanced trainer which has a hybrid ducted fan with an electric economy mode. The K58 Raptor is a COIN version.
The K59 replaces the K47 Freedom in production, this light fighter has lost favour with the CAF. The K59 is cheaper to operate and has better capabilities, plus the fact pilots will train on the K03 means they will be able to convert to the K59 much easier.
The Dinos, on behalf of the Commonwealth of Interstellar States (which includes the Free Eritran States), has called on both Freedom Miliaris and the Clones to stand down from the sudden heating up of the conflict on Miliaris. The Dinos said that the insurgency should end but also the Clones need to honour the ceasefire agreement which includes greater autonomy for Miliaris.
Freedom Miliaris have launched another attack at the CDF, a small airbase was hit by mortar fire. No aircraft were destroyed but base facilities were damaged. The Clone Air Force have launched air raids on a number of suspected insurgent villages.
Freedom Miliaris have restarted their conflict against the Clone Army on Miliaris. Over 150 drones were launched at the main army base, despite the improved aerial defences of the base there was substantial damage caused.
Nearly 100 drones also attacked the main air base, the K85s were caught on the apron and destroyed, other base facilities were damaged. Mortar fire has also been reported at three smaller CDF facilities.
Clone soldiers are reported to have attacked two remote ethnic Eritran villages on Miliaris. The Clones say the villages were a base for the Freedom Miliaris insurgent group and a manufacturing centre for drones. However, independent reports say the soldiers have failed to locate any drone factories.
Freedom Miliaris fighters were present however, there are reports of various gun battles between them and Clone soldiers. There have been casualties on both sides though the numbers are unknown. Two K85 COIN aircraft also attacked buildings on the outskirts of the villages.
Freedom Miliaris have said the Clones will pay for their attack, part of what they say is a betrayal of the ceasefire agreement.
The UNDF has announced a six billion zark investment in new data centres across UNP space. New data centres will be built on Proxima 7, Solaris, Mars, Liberation and Saeou over the next three years. This will replace the existing UNDF network but will be greatly upgraded with a much higher data throughout and fractal encryption built into the computers and communicatiosn equipment.
The data centres UNDF use have a number of vital functions including combat simulations, code breaking, engineering analysis and intelligence analysis. The current generation are now considered to have reached their processing limit, plus upgrading them with fractal encryption has proved to be troublesome, hence why the replacements will have the ability built in from the start.
UNDF Terrestrial Forces are to be reorganised, the various brigades will be organised along planetary lines instead of being a mixture of regiments from different planets. Two brigades will be formed from Terran/Proximan regiments and one each from regiments from Liberation, Remedia and Porquat 640.
The primary role of the Terrestrial Forces will be base defence and supporting local security services. The UNDF said that the amphibious warfare capabilities which the MBO withdrew will not be restored.
The peace deal with the ethnic Eritran insurgent groups such as Freedom Miliaris included a degree of self-goverance for majority Eritran planets in the Clone Star Empire - East such as Miliaris. However, Freedom Miliaris have accused the Clones of reneging on the deal and indeed have increased repression of Eritrans.
Freedom Miliaris say they will resume their attacks unless the Clones return to the agreement and release hundreds of Eritrans held in prisons.
The final two Dinomark AMs have been completed and have joined the Dino Army. The Dinos have said that no more will be built other than the 82 built for the Army and SS. However, an export version for other members of the CIN is being considered, Sirikwan has shown an interest.
The Dinomark XT is also nearing the end of production (though this has happened before but has been restarted a couple of times). However, as the Dinomark LM/2 is looking like it has solved the issues with the Mark 1 and full-scale production is now expected to be agreed.
Two Repulse 51B destroyers have joined the fleet as UNDF shipbuilding continues to recover after the ravages of the MBO regime. 51-205 Astcote and 51-206 Grimscote have completed their proving trials and are now ready to be deployed. Both ships were actually completed during the MBO regime but their original engines were looted by the MBO.
The UNDF have committed to building the full twenty Repulse destroyers ordered as planned.
The 2nd Legion of the Dino Army has added a new unit to it's order of battle, the 1st Unmanned Attack Regiment of the Dino Army. This unit is equipped with an unspecified number of attack drones, thought to be of a variety of types but including a new Dino type based on the successful Molab type drone which was successfully used during the Eritran uprising.
The purpose of the regiment, initially, will be to help other Dino Army units develop tactics and weapons to defend against mass attacks by cheap drones.
The former flagship SS Cicero has begun fleet trials following a refurbishment and upgrade to the latest security and tactical standards. After a successful set of trials the ship will resume it's former role as the UNDF flagship, this is expected before the end of July.
Until then Caratore's ship SS Jurassic is serving as the flagship and has been taking Torus on her tour of the UNDF. Jurassic is expected to remain the reserve flagship after the return of Cicero to service.
UNDF Commander Torus has visited Aldebra as part of her tour of all major planet bases in the UNDF. At Aldebra she announced a big expansion to the orbital facilities and an increased allocation of ships. She said that Aldebra would be the front line against any resurgent MBO or other threats in that area of space and so needed to become a key strong point in the UNDF defence.
It is also rumoured the Rapid Reaction Force could be relocated to Aldebra though this has not yet been decided.
The UNDF fleet of ten MBO built Sting 58A scouts are to be withdrawn by the end of 2126, the UNDF have confirmed. The ships perform a variety of tasks including scouting, patrol and general communication but the difficulty in obtaining spare parts (they include far less UNDF sourced equipment than the Nectar destroyers) means that it will become more difficult to keep the fleet going as time goes on.
They will be replaced by new built Mariner 56A light patrol craft, as well as the planned Rome-NG.
Two Violet 57B light patrol ships have joined the UNDF fleet, 57-216 Victoria and 57-217 Virgilia. Just three more Violets are to be built, all three are in various stages of construction and should be finished by the end of the year.
UNDF say they have now reached the sufficient numbers of ships to perform their patrol circuits across UNDF space. The three final ships will allow for operational flexibility. A follow-on Type 57C was considered at some stage but has now been shelved.
UNDF Commander Torus has said that DDS City, the large former GHQ next to Hexian City on Proxima 7 will be renamed at last. There has been a desire to rename the base, the largest in UNDF, for years and Torus said it was finally time. Torus said the base would be renamed Windy City after Windscorpion who died during the battle to destroy MBO.
Torus said that Windscorpion was the greatest warrior in the history of DDS/NS/UNDF and the galaxy would never see his likes again.
The UNDF have confirmed the death of Windscorpion, the Apogee of Man and the ultimate fighting machine. UNDF Commander Torus said that Windscorpion led the attack on the MBO moon HQ, infiltrating the base inside a specially modified TPM. Once inside the MBO base he began to ruthlessly hunt down the Mutre Bee. Torus said that a video feed from Windy's helmet shows the unprecedented destruction wrought by Windy against the core of the MBO.
Windy engaged Mutre Bee in combat which was intended to lure Mutre Bee into the centre of the base. As well as Windy's TPM, four MRMs fitted with extra-high yield cluster nuclear warheads were fired into the core of the moon, where a massive power array was located. The moon was destroyed by the massive explosion, this also killed both Mutre Bee and Windy.
The debris from the moon explosion is estimated to have wiped out 99% of the hundreds of MBO warships assembled around the moon. Torus said that the MBO have been crippled as a fighting force. They may be able to rebuild but it will take them a very long time. It is not known if the Mutre Bee can be resurrected.
The UNDF has claimed they have destroyed the moon HQ of the Mutre Bee Organisation and the debris wiped out an estimated 97% of the entire MBO fleet! Windscorpion led a joint UNDF-Dino force to attack the MBO. All four Mutre Bee cloning vats are reported to have been destroyed which means that a new Mutre Bee clone cannot be created. Mutre Bee is thought to have been killed by Windscorpion who attacked the moon HQ. The UNDF destroyed the moon using MRMs with very high yield cluster warhead which directly attacked the moon's massive power plant battery.
Whether Windscorpion survived the destruction of the moon is currently unknown. UNDF Commander Torus has applauded the attack and has reduced the alert status to CYAN.
