Lodamun

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Although the programme had existed under the previous conservative administration and some vessels had been launched, owing to a lack of maintenance since their commissioning, Lodamun’s fleet of destroyers, could be considered all but decommissioned. With the General Rearmamant Programme (recently renamed the Naval Modernisation Programme - NMP), well in operation as work on the navy’s future series of guided-missile frigates has already begun, the Defence Procurement Administration has announced that it had awarded Harrington Dynamics Maritime Systems the landmark contract to construct the nation’s future fleet of guided-missile destroyers. The announcement came earlier last week, as DPA Director Dr Owen Reynolds, stated that following an initial assessment by procurement officers attached to the DoD and the Lodamese Navy, both entities had come to an agreement on Harrington Dynamics’ design. HD’s design is largely based on an existing design which until recently had been in operation in the Zardic Armed Forces, but which had been sold off to international parties. The company’s proposed Andrew Neilson-class guided missile destroyer is set to become one of the most advanced and capable warships ever fielded by the Lodamese Navy. According to Harrington Dynamics, although the class of vessels are based on an existing design, the variant to be operated by the Lodamese Navy will undoubtedly possess numerous technological advances which would set it aside from its other variants in Kalistan and formerly Zardugal.

Among the pieces of equipment which is set to be integrated into the proposed vessel, HD’s AEGIS defence system is likely to be featured. Harrington Dynamics’ AEGIS defence system is an advanced weapons platform which allows vessels to track and destroy multiple emerging targets. The company noted that the improvements to the system (which had already existed in a large capacity in other nations), were made in response to numerous situations in the past involving multiple, small moving targets. “Although the system has operated well in the past, there have been instances where it has been overwhelmed by the sheer among of targets. Our improvements to the system would by no means negate this, but will provide the system with additional capacity in taking on a slightly larger target landscape,” a sales representative for HD’s AEGIS system remarked. The proposed vessel design will mirror much of the pre-existing design, as the company noted that as it stood, it’s current design layout was “optimal”. The destroyers, doctrine wise will undoubtedly be positioned as a floating fortress, denoting the numerous weapons systems and munitions likely to be integrated into the design. “We expect that these vessels will be able to respond to a series of challenges in the emerging maritime environment. They will be capable of hunting and destroying enemy submarines, acting as partial air defence systems, and destroying enemy surface combatants via a broad spectrum of weapons including cruise missiles and anti-ship missiles. We want to ensure that these vessels will enable the Lodamese Navy to both project power into new areas of the world as well as defend the nation’s ever-important trade routes.” Enoch Price, Project Manager for the Andrew Neilson-class destroyers at Harrington Dynamics.

As per the contract, Harrington Dynamics will be expected to construct 15 of these guided missile destroyers as part of a long-term programme. As the NMP is a long-term project expected to transit through various administrations going into the future, it is expected that the aforementioned 15 is simply an initial order, and the navy’s fleet of destroyers will likely swell beyond that figure decades into the future. The per-unit cost of the vessels has been estimated at $2 billion LOD, with the order of 15 placing the contract’s entire value at $30 billion. The Office of Fiscal Management notes that although the NMP is largely being financed through loan financing agreements with private sector banks within Lodamun, exorbitant spending could upend the long-term feasibility of the entire rearmament/modernisation programme. It urged that the construction of larger quantities of vessels remain in Lodamun, as it noted that constructing vessels externally, could potentially place significant strain on the nation’s foreign reserves, which could eventually lead to BOP issues in the future, thereby upending the programme.

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Agriculture in Barrington is said to be reserved for the old men, for the fathers and grandfathers to whom the farms were passed down from generation to generation. Whereas other sectors have experienced extraordinary growth amidst the improving economic environment, agriculture lags in terms of its attractiveness to the younger generation of job seekers. According to the Barrington Agricultural Research and Development Institute, the average age of a farmer in the state is 56. As new and emerging sectors pop up throughout the country and greater opportunities in manufacturing, research and tech pop up throughout the state, more and more generations of individuals who ought to be young farmers are becoming increasingly removed from the family farm, thereby leading to a conundrum within the state’s agricultural sector: how could it become risk averse and prepare for a future where there might not be that many farmers? It should be noted that although there does not exist a manpower crisis within the state’s agricultural sector, predictions from BARDI point to the state’s growing uncertainty surrounding “continuity” within such an economically crucial sector. Amias Suitor, a potato farmer from Emberton lamented the lack of interest in the sector among the younger generation, pointing to the “new economy” as the source of the sector’s supposed woes. “I’ve always wanted to hand down the farm to my kids when they became of age, as my father did with me, and as did his father. But my children simply aren’t interested in the idea of running all of this,” he remarks, pointing to the vast fields of tilled soil. “They got their university education and bolted at the first opportunity to leave the state to Newchester and Millford. It’s that damn “New Economy” those politicians keep talking about that’s making life harder for everyone.”

Although he notes that he did not share the sentiments of Mr Suitor, Barrington’s Secretary for Agriculture Ryan Booth stated that the broad disinterest in the state’s agricultural sector among the younger generations could ultimately be chalked up to the sector’s inability to adapt/modernise and major barriers to entry. Speaking at a farming equipment expo in Roxborough, Secretary Booth stated that whilst other sectors throughout the state, namely light manufacturing, research & development and energy continue to modernise and integrate themselves with emerging technologies, the state’s agriculture sector has been largely resistant to the sweeping technological advancements which have and could improve the very nature of agriculture/agribusiness in the state for centuries to come. “In all these sectors, young people are racing at the opportunity to develop the next app or to engineer the next machine which could an existing process all the easier. Yet for all its worth, the agricultural sector within this state has been largely resistant to these moves. Why? Because of an innate suspicion of technology. It is no secret that people are naturally afraid of technology and its advancement, as it usually signals the beginning of waves of redundancies, as otherwise analogue processes involving a sizeable amount of manpower are ultimately digitised and/or automated.” He noted that to maintain its relevance and improve efficiency, the state’s agricultural sector must embrace digitization and emerging technological solutions. “It is for this reason, that we created BARDI and the BADB; to ensure that agriculture remains at the forefront of most, if not all technological advancements in the state.” On barriers to entry he noted that, according to surveys and focus groups, one of the major hindrances to young persons entering agriculture is a lack of agricultural land. In many instances, young persons possess little to no physical assets, let alone access to agricultural land to become farmers; thus those who were birthed into “farming families” are considered among the lucky few.

In forming a larger policy to address the aforementioned challenges, Secretary Booth stated that the state’s Department of Agriculture held initial discussions with the University of Barrington in developing training courses which could aid new farmers in building their knowledge of sustainable farm practices with the hopes that it could eventually lend itself to the sector becoming more attractive. Beyond this, he noted that although it was on the table for discussion, both his department and the State’s Attorney-General would likely have a series of discussions with farming associations throughout the state in gauging the sector’s opinion of redistributing inactive agricultural land to young persons eager to enter the sector. He noted that there were multiple instances within the state where farmers maintained vast acres of land which were largely unused because they could never fully cultivate the land owing to in itself, a lack of manpower and financing. He noted that whilst the policy proposal is likely to be extremely controversial, it could lead to a revolution of young farmers in the state establishing homesteads on redistributed agricultural land. The Commissioner of State Lands via a press release noted that it has already begun discussions with key stakeholders regarding the process which could potentially see land held by the state be redistributed via a homestead programme to encourage young farmers into the sector.

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Lodamun’s economic recovery, largely as a result of the Toule Administration’s ambitious infrastructure development programme is seemingly under threat as the reverberations of the global conflict between the world’s major powers (Beiteynu and Lourenne) and the opening of hostilities between Luthori and Kundrati have finally reached Lodamese shores. Markets throughout the world remained extremely volatile as the world entered into a new phase of global uncertainty prompted by the aforementioned conflicts. As a result of the broader conflict, it was previously reported that the Fort William Stock Exchange reported a major downward correction, losing around 45% of its initial value according to the FWSE’s Chairman, even as the Luthorian Government attempted to contain the market’s downward spiral. The domestic markets were sent into significant turmoil last week following the release of updated information from the Vandam Economic Report which registered that although the Lourennais economy remained surprisingly stable, the Beiteynuese economy nonetheless saw a dramatic decrease in GDP.. This trifecta has ultimately caused many within the banking and finance sector to point to a potential recession in the global economy in the peri and post-war periods, with a similar prediction of a major recession within the Lodamese economy. As Lourenne is a major trade partner of Lodamun, many note that the nation’s involvement in the conflict, which has impacted global supply chains, particularly those flowing through Majatra and the Artanian Sea, could harm Lodamun.

Amidst this mounting uncertainty within the global markets, and the resultant reverberations in the domestic market, numerous financial analysts and commentators have noted that the federal government should, at the very least, act to prevent a recession within the wider economy. Secretary of the Treasury Dr Capria Bowman noted that although the threat of a recession in the domestic economy did not loom over Lodamun and that the nation was expected to continue to see growth notwithstanding the “geo-economic” circumstance, the Federal Government would likely respond by provided much-needed support to the financial services sector. Uncertainty in international market performance has ultimately caused investment firms to become more reserved and commercial banks to reduce the amount of lending they do within the private sector. According to Dr Bowman, such behaviour was expected owing to the fact that Lodamese banks have traditionally sought to avoid risk as much as possible to weather potential crises. She noted that the Treasury Department had recently reconstituted the Credit Reconstruction Corporation, which was created under the previous Hanlon Administration to aid the nation’s then financial constrained financial institutions towards recapturing their market share within Lodamun and pointing them to stability and regional expansion. Bowman, as the former President of the CRC, stated that the agency had been reconstituted with the sole intention of working with the Federal Reserve Bank towards re-establishing certainty/stability within the domestic market amidst the ensuing conflicts.

At the head of the reconstituted CRC, Dr Cameron Young stated that although he was uncertain whether the CRC would be “stood down” once more following the return to stability within Lodamun’s financial services sector, he was nonetheless focused on ensuring that the nation’s financial institutions were ring-fenced against the risk of the external market. He explained that part of the CRC’s work would be taking on some of the financial institutions’ investments which had become “junk” owing to the Beiteynu-Lourenne war. Credit rating agencies have downgraded numerous investments owing to the rising uncertainty of the conflict, thus sending numerous lucrative investments ventured by financial institutions such as Hewlett & Lynch as “junk”. According to Dr Young, in meeting with the Chairman of the Federal Reserve Bank, Dr Howard Coleman it was placed to him that the Lodamese banking sector did not have a liquidity issue as Dr Coleman noted much of the financial service sector’s uncertainty could be drilled down to “a lack of gumption”.

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As additional vessels of the Domestic Security Cutter and the Cobia-class offshore patrol cutter come online, the Lodamese Coast Guard has silently expressed its wishes to expand its “Operation Barracuda” patrols into new territories, therein adding an additional patrol zone to the LCG’s long-standing maritime patrol mission. In a press statement earlier this morning, the Commandant of the Lodamese Coast Guard Admiral Declan Barrett, revealed that it had been granted approval from the Department of Defence to expand its Barracuda patrols into the Artanian Sea. For the first time in decades, the ships of the Lodamese Coast Guard will be permitted to conduct maritime patrols in waters beyond the original limits of initial designation set at the inception of Operation Barracuda. According to the press statement, the recent commissioning of the LCGS-Ethan Wright Domestic Security Cutter (DSC) and the LCGS-Blake Ward and the LCGS-Max Vincent Cobia-class Offshore Patrol Cutters had expanded the Coast Guard’s DSC and OPC fleet to 8 and 14 respectively. It explained that as the Lodamese Coast Guard continues to enhance its capabilities, noting its recent moves towards building out a capable drone fleet for patrolling the nation’s Mad Dog Ocean, part of the Anantonese Ocean and the White Ocean, there had been concerns related to an “overcrowding” of the Mad Dog Ocean, particularly within the demarcation of the original Operation Barracuda patrol zone. Operation Barracuda had been established by the Lodamese Coast Guard in 5377, with the expressed intention of establishing a broad presence in the Mad Dog Ocean for the Lodamese Coast Guard. Primarily operating through FON (Freedom of Navigation), these patrols primarily see LCG ships traverse the international waters within the Mad Dog Ocean where they conduct numerous exercises as well as respond to emerging instances. Some of these instances include search and rescue operations, counter-piracy and other constabulary duties. The Operation is underpinned by the Guardian-class Domestic Security Cutter, which provides the Coast Guard with extraordinary amounts of range to conduct operations well beyond Lodamun’s borders and yet remain out of see for sustained periods without having to be constantly resupplied.

The new patrol zone, which covers the northern approaches of the Artanian Sea, is just north of Keymon and west of the Telamonese island of Migadon and has been coined Operation Barracuda - Phase 2. Owing to its relative distance from Lodamun (and safe ports), it is likely that the Domestic Security Cutters will likely form the backbone of this new area of operation. It is likely that owing to the joint defence agreement between Lodamun and Luthori the DSCs will refuel and refit in Luthorian ports as a means of extending their during in the AO. Questions surrounding the potential of mission creep surrounding Operation Barracuda have arisen amidst the new patrol zone. Some defence analysts argue that the new patrol zone should remain focused on expanding the LCG’s constabulary services into the area, recognising how little attention is paid to the AO by the navies of the various nations on the Artanian continent, particularly Luthori. For the most part, the new patrol zone has been greeted with enthusiasm from the Harrington Company, which has traditionally maintained that the Lodamese Coast Guard’s patrol patterns throughout the Northern Hemisphere should be squarely focused on securing the patrol routes most frequented by HC ships. “The Harrington Company welcomes the expansion of Barracuda patrols into the Artanian Sea. It is our view that we [Lodamun] must make all attempts to secure our maritime routes. In our recommendations to the National Congress, we have called for a scaling up of the Lodamese Navy’s abilities in the hopes that it would lend itself to greater security, especially along the routes used by our ships.” Dr. Tristan Schneider, Chief Factor of the Harrington Company said via social media.

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As the attention of the Lodamese defence community gradually shifted towards the Lodamese Air Force, onlookers were greeted with news which could potentially be the major boon needed for the LAF to finally regain a competent grip of the aerospace domain from the Lodamese Commonwealth Guard. It was announced via the DoD, that the Defence Procurement Administration (DPA), had sent out RFPs (requests for proposals) on behalf of the LAF for what could potentially become the nation’s future fourth-generation air superiority/multi-role strike fighter and the backbone of the Lodamese Air Force going well into the future. The proposal, according to the DoD, forms part of the Lodamese Air Force’s recently declassified Future Combat Programme (FCP), which envisions the Lodamese Air Force re-establishing its dominance in the aerospace domain over the Commonwealth Guard, whom until recently have been the sole body responsible for aerospace defence and “aerotactical responses”. The refocusing of the Lodamese Commonwealth Guard towards the defence of Lodamese sovereign territory by the DoD had been a major catalyst for the FCP’s creation and the subsequent RFP. “The Secretary recognises that there is a need to establish the Lodamese Air Force as a competent force in the defence of Lodamese interests both at home and abroad. The FCP therefore initiates a bottom-up rearmament and retooling of the Lodamese Air Force,” DoD Spokesperson Owen Porter explained. According to Porter, the DoD had been cognizant of the fact that compared to “near-peers”, the Lodamese Air Force had a considerable amount of catching up to do. However, according to Porter, this supposed disadvantage ultimately enables to Lodamese Air Force and its private-sector defence partners to “innovate out of complacency.”

The LAF’s specifications for its future air superiority/multi-role strike fighter was that it would require a flight ceiling beyond 40,000 ft. This specification comes amidst lessons learned from the F-16 currently in service with the Commonwealth Air Guard, and that aircraft’s complications in high-altitude combat. It also notes that the aircaft’s speed would have to be in excess of 1,500 mph as it will likely become the backbone of the Air Force’s interception/interdiction operations, noting that although the F-16 has demonstrated itself to be a capable interceptor when compared to other aircraft coming online, particularly interceptors the F-16 could be “left in the dust” by its contemporaries. A major specification points to the aircraft being capable of conducting a broad range of strikes, be it in the form of close air support or deep strikes. This specification, similarly to the specification on the aircraft’s flight ceiling, comes from lessons learned from the F-16. In a close air support configuration, the F-16 is considered to be the most versatile aircraft ever manufactured, denoting the scope/scale of its payload and thus the diversity of options which could be employed in a given situation. As the aircraft which has been lined up as the backbone of much of the Lodamese Air Force’s future operations, this future fighter must, according to the DoD be a cut above the F-16 in its capabilities. “What we are looking for is a platform which could deliver us to results of the F-16 but on a much wider scale. When we say we want this aircraft to be able to do it all and more, it must be at the forefront of air superiority and strike capabilities,” FCP Programme Coordinator, Brig. Gen. Christopher Reid explained.

The project has already garnered attention from numerous domestic aircraft manufacturers including Burrell Systems, Harrington Dynamics and Hemlock-Rogway, all of whom have expressed interest in developing the future fighter.

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In a first for the state, particularly recognising its centuries-long dependence on natural gas imports from Berkwaki, the Millford State Government has announced its intention to construct a hydroelectric dam, the first of its kind within the state. The announcement comes amidst growing interest within the state to reduce its dependence on energy imports from domestic fuel traders, which according to the MSG, continues to place significant pressure on the state’s fiscal management portfolio. Preliminary estimates from the Federal Reserve Bank of Abernathy, around 8% of the state’s budget for the previous fiscal year had been spent on importing energy from Berkwaki and Barrington. At a press conference held at the Governor’s Mansion, Governor Jade Holmes stated that as the state’s economy continues to see extraordinary growth, the demand for energy will continue to increase thereby increasing the need to import natural gas from Berkwaki and Barrington to fuel the nation’s multiple gas-fired power plants. Referencing the 8% of the state’s budget being consumed by imports, she noted that such a future would be likely unsustainable recognising that in times of economic hardship, the state would undoubtedly be forced to continue importing costly fuel even though it harms the state’s fiscal standing. She noted that subsequent discussions with the Federal Green Finance Corporation (FGFC) and the Civil Projects Administration (CPA), had resulted in the state’s interest in adopting green energy solutions as a means of reducing its dependence on natural gas. “I have had numerous discussions with the President of the FGFC, Dr Paige Read and the Administrator of the CPA, Dr Edgar Hammond, and the core recommendations were that we [Millford] seriously consider the idea of adopting green energy solutions into our energy mix,” Governor Holmes explained.

The project is expected to cost some 100 million LOD, with the vast majority of the funding coming from a joint consortium of the state government and the FGFC. The CPA’s involvement in the project is likely to ensure it is connected to the federal government’s broader infrastructure plans. It is set to be a modest hydroelectric plant, as initial plans place its generating capacity at around 15 megawatts. Secretary for Public Utilities, Owen May, stated that the plant would be wholly operated by the state’s Department of Public Utilities and would not, as predicted by some commentators within the state, be managed by a joint public-private venture. He noted that the state government had every intention of ensuring the project remained a wholly public venture, pointing to the failure of previous public-private ventures in the state’s past. “There has to be a new approach to how we deal with these things. As we’ve seen in the past, there is certainly a need to amend the nature of the public-private partnerships which exist within this state. Although we [the State Government] are not resistant to the idea of working with the private sector, we believe that projects of this nature, of this importance should ultimately be done with the public/common good in mind only. Profitability should by no means dictate the scope and scale of such a project,” Secretary May lamented.

Governor Holmes noted that the state government has already begun discussions with stakeholders on implementing a broader programme of infrastructure projects through the CPA and the Toule Administration’s infrastructure agenda to transform the state’s energy mix significantly. She noted that she was enthused by the hydroelectric damn proposal and has seemingly become a major convert in favour of adopting green energy solutions. Natural gas accounts for 89% of the state’s energy needs, with the hydroelectric dam set to increase renewable’s share of the pie from 2% to around 8%. She noted that although the administration was in the early stages of articulating a coherent policy to transition the energy-intensive state towards renewables, it would undoubtedly rely on existing lessons coming out from St. Christopher. According to Holmes, St. Christopher will establish a working group which, alongside the FGFC will aid the state in formalising a coherent green energy strategy going forward as she noted, “Although we are extremely enthusiastic about the future prospects of our energy situation, we are nonetheless cognizant of the realities of renewable solutions, especially regarding their generation capacity when compared to fossil fuels. We must strike a clear balance to ensure we are not compromising our manufacturing base, recognising that the vast majority of manufacturing in this state is energy-intensive.