Torus wants NSIS espionage capabilities greatly increased

VP (Ops) Torus has said that NSIS needs to up it's game in espionage and intelligence gathering. She said that while NSIS has proven adept at counter-espionage, NS needed to go on the offensive and discover enemy intentions and capabilities as soon as possible.

She said that President Windscorpion had agreed an increased budget for NSIS and parts of the agency would be reorganised.

Clones to deploy more CSM

The Clones are to increase their number of active Clone Space Missiles. The number active is secret but is thought to be around two hundred (including ten deployed on the Clone Navy's three active ballistic missile submarines). An NS analyst says it is likely the number will be increased to 250.

Currently land based missiles are deployed on Cloneworld, Sandworld and Austini 55 (although silos have been built on two other planets though it is thought they have standard ICBMs only). NS have reported possibly silos being built on Taragargi. CSM deployed here would be able to reach much of the Rim Worlds.

First F-10SNG delivered

The first of forty F-10SNG Shark 2100 multi-role fighters has been delivered to the NS Terrestrial Forces Air Corps. This is the third and final batch of the F-10S and has a number of updates over the F-10SEP. It has an improved tactical system and ECM suite. The engines have been upgraded and have 3D vector thrust.  The SNG will bring the F-10S fleet up to 130 strong. At the end of the 2120s the F-20 will begin replacing the oldest F-10S.

The SNG itself will replace the final F-10A Sharks. These Clone War veterans are due to be withdrawn by 2122.

In other NS news the alert status has been reduced to CYAN.

New Bombardier version to be built

The Clone Air Force has ordered two hundred new Bombardier attack aircraft. The type is one of the iconic weapons of the Clone Wars with nearly one and a half thousand still in service. The new aircraft will be known as the K84G and will have improved engines, new IR sensors, improved avionics and a new radio.

The CAF wants to maintain a force level of 1,500 so most of the K84Gs will replace older aircraft. The existing order for K84FMs have been cancelled and replaced by this new order.

CAF induct Q01 into service

The Q01 Kestrel UCAV-RX has entered service. This is a stealthy supersonic reconnaissance drone which has been in development for some time. The Kestrel project has been very secretive but the Clone Air Force have given some details. It can reach Mach 2 and is long-ranged, intended for strategic reconnaissance.

The Kestrel is controlled by a command K72 Mustang though ground control is also possible. The Kestrel also has a number of autonomous control features for self-defence and for mission adaptation.

Terin attacks UNP

In a sign that Deputy Emperor Terin, Oojok's son and heir, is being prepared for eventual succession as leader of the Clone Star Empire he gave a speech at the annual commemoration of the Liberation of Cloneworld (the date the DDS was defeated in the First Clone War). Until now only Oojok and Captain Clone have ever given speeches at the commemoration so this is a notable honour for Terin.

Terin spent most of his speech attacking the UNP and NS. He said that NS attempts to hold the Clones down would fail. Never again would Cloneworld be under the human yoke he vowed. He trumpeted the Clone Space Missile as being the means to turn human worlds into radioactive wastelands.

Relations between the UNP and CSE are currently quite good so this using this kind of inflammatory rhetoric at the moment is strange however some analysts say it is purely for a Clone audience. "Terin wants the Clones to see him as a demi-god alongside his father, the easiest way is to rattle a few sabres."