The Orchid launches DDS West and AVS Support Flotilla

The Orchid has announced the DDS will create a new command called DDS West based around the DDS' key allies in the region of space near the Aritans. DDS West will include New Arit, Sirikwan and the Voth Free Republic. The Orchid wants the Aritans to take the lead in running this new command which will have it's HQ on New Arit. The Orchid said she had held talks with the Aritan military about taking on these new responsibilities.

DDS West will include the Aritan and Voth fleets (the first 2 Voth Kalahati Tuuls are now fully operational) with DDS warships and support from the Sirikwanese. The DDS contingent will be drawn from the existing Force Voth deployment.

The Orchid also announced the formation of the Arit-Voth-Sirikwan (AVS) Support Flotilla. Two Extender-Es will be bought for the Aritans though they will be crewed by personnel from the DDS and other DDS West members. These 2 oilers will join the 2 Extenders already in operation with the Aritan fleet in providing support for DDS West operations. Sirikwan's Extenders will also be drawn into the flotilla.

DDS West, including the ships in Force Voth has the following forces available:

1 cruiser (Pulsar)
20 destroyers (Intrepid, Kalahati Tuul)
11 frigates (Solaris II, Reliwan, Terran Sea)
12 patrol boats (Pentekonter, Helwin)
7 oilers + transports (Extender, Relan)
120+ Ferret UCVs

Aritan ship joins Force Voth

An Aritan Solaris II class frigate, AS14 Helunam,has joined the Force Voth deployment. The DDS is trying to get more allied involvement so it can reduce it's own force there. The DDS are hoping that the Aritan and Sirikwanese ships now present can take over from one of the Terran Sea or Isometric frigates so it can be released back to GHQ.

The DDS is known to be preparing Force Charlotte which will be a semi-permanent detachment to protect and patrol the Rim Worlds which recently were visited by the Tarbotians. Force Charlotte is likely to be based on the Southern Spirit exercise due to begin in the area in a week.

Force Voth to be reduced

During the upcoming rotation of most of the ships in the Force Voth deployment F101 Cambrian will not be replaced by another frigate. This will leave Force Voth at a Missileer, a cruiser and 3 frigates. Back-up is supplied by a Sirikwanese ship and it will be joined by an Aritan ship in a couple of weeks.

Upgraded Ferret-E UCVs with a new build of the tactical system and a new engine will make their debut in the deployment, replacing the squadron currently serving there.

First 2 Voth Space Navy ships begin operations

Last year the DDS donated 12 ex-Utrek Kalahati Tuuls to the Voth to form their own navy, the Voth Space Navy. The ships were given refurbishment and minor updates so they could operate in DDS deployments though the problem was the Voth had little space infrastructure and few trained personnel. A year later that has changed to an extent. The Voth now have their own space dock in orbit over Voth, around 300 Vothites are currently at the DDS Space Academy and now the first 2 KTs have been declared operational.

Both ships are operating in "training mode" at the moment and are crewed mainly by Vothites though some DDS personnel are present to assist. The two ships have been fitted with Canister TPM and will receive full TPM upgrades next year. By the end of the year the 2 ships will join Force Voth patrols alongside DDS ships. By the end of 2110 the Voth hope to have 3 more KTs operational.

Sirikwan stays in Force Voth

Sirikwan has decided to stay in Force Voth after the DDS promised their ship would not be exposed on it's own in the face of Bolitic aggression. The Sirikwanese had thought about pulling out of the deployment after SKS Undian was left alone and was attacked by a Bolitic warship.

Opposition politician Tandorak, who led calls for the withdrawal, is thought to have changed his mind when Windy said he would send his personal ship SS Stoke City to pick him up for a "chat".

Sirikwan to pull out of Force Voth?

Following the attack on SKS Undian by a suspected Bolitic warship the other day there have been calls on Sirikwan for Undian to be withdrawn from Force Voth. Some elements in the Sirikwan government known to be against integration with the DDS are using the attack as evidence that getting involved with DDS affairs will put Sirikwanese in the firing line.

Opposition politician Tandorak said "The Bolitic have never attacked us before but now we align ourselves to the hew-mons we are on their target list! Sirikwan should pull out of the DDS and stay safe in our traditional neutrality!" Windy has offered Tandorak and his other supporters talks on these issues. SS Stoke City has been despatched to bring them to the DDS.

Sirikwanese ship attacked by Bolitic

SKS Undian, a Sirikwanese Reliwan class frigate (a modified Tarbotian Vormix class ship) and part of Force Voth, has been attacked near Apassara near the Voth/Bolitic border. The identity of the ship that attacked Undian is unknown but it is likely to be the Bolitic. Undian lost main power but luckily was able to maintain shields as the auxiliary power held. Two Sirikwanese sailors received serious injuries.

Two DDS ships from Apassara were quickly on the scene and chased off the attacking ship. Undian usually does not operate on it's own but it had in this case as SS South China Sea, which was accompanying it on a patrol, had to return to Apassara because of an ill crewman who needed medical attention on the planet. It is thought the Bolitic had been waiting for their chance to target the "weak link" in Force Voth. Undian has now been repaired.

Force Voth to be reduced?

Force Voth was increased earlier in the Summer because of Bolitic incursions into Vothite territory, a secondary detachment was established near Apasarra and a minesweeping flotilla added to the force to clear Bolitic mines away. However the size of the force is putting a strain on the DDS fleet resources and the DDS are looking into if they can reduce the force.

The minesweepers will soon return to GHQ anyway and the DDS are looking into withdrawing one of the frigates if they can persuade their allies to replace it. A Sirikwanese warship is already attached to the force and the Aritans have been asked to send one of their Intrepid destroyers.

DMS trials successful

Trials of the DDS minesweeping system (which actually stands for DMS) aboard an unnamed Pentekonter-M minesweeper (understood to be one of the ships in Force Voth) have been largely successful with just a few glitches mainly in the interface with Pave Yellow and other ships with the existing Clone built technology SPECNES. Several software updates by a DDS Research team on-site have rectified some of these problems.

A new hardware build of DMS is in it's final stages which will hopefully solve the remaining glitches and, it is claimed, "enhance capabilities beyond SPECNES". This will be shipped out to Force Voth in a few weeks time. The DDS do not plan to replace SPECNES immediately once DMS is ready for service but will gradually replace SPECNES during Pentekonter-M major refits.

Force Voth to be beefed up

When presenting the latest fleet deployment (which can be seen on this site) the DDS said that the pressure on the DDS fleet had eased considerably over recent weeks and would further improve when Ensuring Passage ended in a couple of weeks. A new exercise is planned to begin next month but will be mainly amphibious exercises so will not require that many fleet escorts.

Force Voth is to be strengthened with a dedicated detachment on Apassara. A cruiser and two more escorts are likely to be sent to join the force in a week or so. The DDS have denied this is a reaction to recent Bolitic manoeuvres though everyone knows it is!

Sirikwanese ship joins Force Voth

SKS Undian, a Helwin class patrol ship of the Sirikwanese Space Navy, has joined Force Voth. This is the first time Sirikwan has taken part in a DDS deployment. The Helwin class ship is rather old and limited and so will not be of that much use to the deployment however will be used (as it is a Bolitic built ship) to help in training in some war games.

The Aritans are also aiming to send a ship to the deployment within the next couple of months, maybe one of their Pentekonters.

Bolitic fleet returns to own space

F161 Sea Of Tranquility has reported that the Bolitic fleet that approached Voth space near Apassara has now turned back and has re-entered the Bolitic Confederacy. The Vosunite army troops who were thought to have been maybe preparing for an invasion have been spotted training on a Vosun planet near the Utrek border.

The rotated ships of Force Voth that were held back as a precaution have now been cleared to return to the DDS and will leave at the weekend.

DDS think no Bolitic threat to Voth

The DDS do not think the Bolitic are planning to attack the Voth. Spies in the Bolitic Confederacy are understood to have confirmed there are no plans to attack but the Emperor Aliowaki wanted the DDS and Vothites "given a reminder" and so instructed Baron Savroki to make sure his fleet was seen by a Raegris merchant ship.

The DDS will continue to keep the rotated ships in Force Voth in the area for another week. F161 Sea Of Tranquility will stay at Apassara for the time being. The two Fighting Falcon ships attached to Force Voth will soon join it.

Bolitic fleet seen near Voth border

A Raegris merchant ship has reporting seeing a fleet of Bolitic warships near Apassara on the northern border of the Voth Free Republic. The Bolitic ships were in unclaimed space but only a couple of days from Apassara. Raegris spies in the Vosun Star Empire have also reported a division of the Vosun Army recently left Vosun for unspecified "maneuvers".

Force Voth has been put on full alert. The detachment was in the middle of a ship rotation but the rotated ships in the deployment have had their return to the DDS put on hold (incidentally if this is a Bolitic attack its very bad timing as Force Voth is currently at double strength!)

F161 Sea Of Tranquility has been sent to Apassara and is expected there later today.

Minesweepers to go to Force Voth; Falcons

The Remedian Minesweeping Squadron (1st Minesweeping Flotilla) is currently in it's final stages of it's current mission to search and destroy mines along major shipping lanes in Remedian space. 14 Utrekian mines have currently been detected and dealt with. Many more mines are in Remedian space but these can be isolated for now. Vothian space also has a mine problem after the Bolitic invasion, the DDS will send their 2nd Minesweeping Flotilla there in a few weeks once the 1st has returned to Proximan space.

2 Fighting Falcon littoral ships are also to join Force Voth and have already departed for the far-off deployment. It is the first off-base deployment for the Dinomark XT based ship and they will be conducting training with Voth ground forces as well as taking part in patrols.

Sirikwanese to join Force Voth

The Sirikwanese are to contribute a ship to Force Voth, the DDS force that is stationed at Voth to protect the new member of the DDS. A Helwin class patrol ship will join the current detachment replacing the Aritan ship which has just returned to New Arit. The Helwin is a Bolitic built ship of course. The Bolitic were responsible for destroying the old Vosun-Voth Star Empire which allowed the freedom of Voth. It is not known if Vothites appreciate irony or not.

Sirikwan is keen to play it's role in the DDS, no doubt hoping it will help their efforts in gaining a major DDS port based at Sirikwan.

Final phase of Western Pheonix begins

The final phase of the DDS's first exercise deployment of 2109 Western Pheonix has begun with mock combat operations against Force Voth ships taking place near Voth. Dino ships have also taken part in the exercise on both sides.

Two more mock combats will take place over the next week before the ships spend around a week at Voth for end of deployment events before most ships return to the DDS. One or two ships may remain attached to Force Voth for a short period.

Force Voth sets off

Force Voth, a DDS flotilla of ships to give protection of the new DDS allies has set off from Solaris. It is expected the force will remain in Voth space for 6 months before being replaced by a new force which may include Aritan or Raegran components. Force Voth will patrol the space around Voth, protect DDS and allied shipping, and help begin the training of the new Voth Space Command. A Dino squadron is already on the way to perform a similar function though this will operate under DDS command.

Force Voth consists of :

D107 Lynx (flagship)
F101 Cambrian
F125 Pliocene
F134 Mediterranean Sea
A144 Jetstar