Lodamun

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“In the concert of nations, Baltusia has a friend in Lodamun,” remarked Secretary of State Jennifer Toule at a press conference standing alongside Baltusian President Phillip McKinney. Secretary Toule, accompanied by Merchant-General Adam Runt, are currently in Baltusia, where alongside negotiating a new lasting relationship between the two nations concerning diplomacy and trade, will undoubtedly hope to formalise a paternal bond between the two nations. In underscoring the cultural and historical similarities between the two states, Secretary Toule noted that it was only natural that the two nations come to a common understanding. On the surface, Lodamun and Baltusia, although neighbours, maintain little to no diplomatic contact beyond the Luthorian Commonwealth, which for the most part acts as an intermediary between the two nations. Although consular services are rendered to the citizens of the respective nations, both lack formal embassies and treaties codifying the current diplomatic environment. In using the historic visit as an opportunity to address numerous challenges endemic to both nations, Secretary Toule noted that although there was an argument to be made surrounding whether both nations maintained similar views related to the Lodamese State Department’s pivot to “kinship”. Pointing to Lodamun’s relationship with Kalistan, Secretary Toule stated that such a relationship should and can become the framework for a more dynamic relationship between Lodamun and Baltusia. “Both our nations maintain an inherent interest in the ideas of democratic rule, peace and order within the Seleyan continent. We share similar views related to regional integration and cooperation. It would be remiss of us to continue to put off forming a much stronger relation with a nation which we considered a “like-minded” state for something else,” Secretary Toule explained. Beyond diplomacy, Merchant-General Adam Runt met with Baltusian Secretary of Trade and Industry Jarl Hanssen and numerous representatives of the Baltusian business community. He lamented that although both nations share an easily accessible land border, trade between the two nations has collapsed within recent years as Lodamese consumers have seemingly lost interest in Baltusian exports. Prior to now, Baltusian imports accounted for around 8% of all Lodamese imports, with products ranging from manufactured parts to raw goods/materials, however amidst the emergence of Lodamun’s deeper relationship with Kalistan and Lourenne, this share has collapsed to around 3%. As both nations experience otherwise shaky starts to their respective economic recoveries, MG Runt stated that there was room to transform the two nations’ precarious trade situation into an extremely beneficial arrangement. Via a press release issued moments after, MG Runt floated the idea of a customs union between the two states, pointing to such a model’s broad success in other territories, particularly in Dovani, Artania and Majatra. He noted that in the absence of a formal regional free trade agreement for the Seleyan continent, Lodamun and Baltusia could be the potential foundation upon which a future arrangement flows. “Both our economies are demonstrating a moment which can become the foundation for prosperity throughout the continent. A customs union, an arrangement much closer than what exists between Lodamun and Kalistan is the only sensible step forward,” MG Runt proclaimed. According to Secretary Toule, although not a major focal point of the visit, the Director of National Assessments Edward Walsh reportedly met with numerous officials within the Baltusian security and intelligence community including the Federal Investigation Bureau (FIB) and the National Intelligence Bureau (NIB). It has been speculated that the nature of the meeting centred around closer cooperation between Lodamese and Baltusian law enforcement agencies, particularly the Lodamese National Investigations Bureau (NIB) and the Bureau of Firearms and Control (BFC) maintain wariness related to Baltusia’s now-illegal paramilitary organisations.

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In a departure from the state’s trend of largely negative news surrounding its ambitions towards becoming a major agriculture and food processor within Lodamun and the wider Seleyan continent, Governor of Barrington Evan Duncan announced that the state had granted approval for Golden Cow Farms to construct one of its first major dairy processing facilities in Loxhampton. The announcement came at the tail-end of her meeting with representatives of the Lodamese Association of Dairy Farmers. At the meeting, Governor Duncan reaffirmed his administration’s commitment to addressing the chronic woes of the nation’s farmers, the majority of whom reside in Barrington. Golden Cow Farms is a relatively small company, having been formally established 10 years ago and largely operating out of a series of medium-sized warehouses in Loxhampton. For much of its existence, the company has primarily focused on cheese production, with the product accounting for around 78-79% of its profits. In a press statement issued prior to the Governor’s announcement but which had been largely drowned out by the noise of the past week’s busy news cycle, the company stated that having undergone a major restructuring exercise, it had come to the conclusion that in order to maintain its competitiveness on the market, it would need to both expand the range of products offered as well as enhance its production capability. “We are a relatively small operation and thus, we have undergone a major restructuring exercise, with assistance from the Business Development Administration (BDA) which allowed us to pivot to new markets whilst enhancing/securing our presence in our existing markets,” Ryan Reid, the CEO of Golden Cow Farms said via press release. As the company is broadly connected to Barrington and by extension Lodamun’s agribusiness sector, the Federal Agricultural Finance Corporation (FAFC) has reportedly become involved in the project. According to the head of the FAFC’s Barrington Bureau, Karina Castaneda, Golden Cow Farms’ proposed dairy processing facility would become a major boon for the local economy. “It is no secret that Lodamun’s dairy industry has been under considerable strain recently. A major collapse in the national herd population coupled with a collapse in imports from extra-regional territories combined to form a major crisis within the dairy industry. However, due to the yeomen work of the Harrington Company, we have been able to secure a considerable amount of dairy cows from Bae (Dankuk) and Lourenne which would ultimately aid in boosting the herd population once more and thus reinvigorate the national breeding programme. The proposed $490 million LOD facility is expected to be constructed based on a design jointly developed by Golden Cows Farms and numerous researchers, students and design interns from the University of Barrington’s Agricultural Engineering programme. Reid hailed the joint collaboration between the company and the university as a major triumph and testament to the potential for future collaborations between the private sector and the University of Barrington. “I think that entrepreneurs shouldn’t only see the University [of Barrington] as a recruitment centre, but should also see it as a research hub. There are hundreds of enthusiastic, young persons within the halls of that institution honing their skills and craft in areas of agricultural research and development which could ultimately transform the very face of agriculture in Lodamun,” Reid said. According to Governor Duncan, the facility’s construction could see some 1-2,000 persons being employed during its construction phase with around 8-900 persons being employed full-time once it is completed.

[Robert F. Kennedy]

Luthorian Foreign Office 'looks forward' to Lodamnese state visit.

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there is an argument to be made that compared to the other nations within the organisation, Lodamun remains the most resistant to becoming deeply involved in the inner machinations of the Luthorian Commonwealth despite being a member of the vast majority of the organisation’s core structures. Much of this hesitation has been chalked up to Kensington’s long-harboured suspicions of the organisation’s usefulness especially against the backdrop of global economic uncertainty. Nonetheless, its reservations related to the commonwealth were certainly set to the side as President William Hanlon, accompanied by a delegation of high-level policy and decision-makers, led a major diplomatic visit to Fort William, Luthori to discuss forging deeper ties between Lodamun and Luthori. The visit, which had been alluded to by the Luthorian Foreign Office months prior, had been the subject of years of high-level planning between Luthorian and Lodamese diplomatic officials. As one of the world’s leading economies and contemporarily, Artania’s fastest-growing economy, the visit’s significance to Lodamun’s ever-evolving relationship with the Artanian continent certainly hinged on the relative success of the otherwise landmark visit. Amidst the collapse of the centuries-long Dorvish-led economic and geopolitical order on the continent, the Holy Luthori Empire has risen to take Dorvik’s place, albeit under varying circumstances. The nation has weathered numerous geopolitical storms including the migrant’s pass crisis, the Ikradon civil war and brief or otherwise sudden burst of energy from the Artanian Union. “Luthori’s rise to dominance on the Artanian continent is certainly set against the backdrop of the decline of Dorvik. Just as that nation had its time in the sun, so too would Luthori,” chided Dr Matthew Reynolds, a Professor of Geopolitics and Strategic Leadership at the University of Barrington. According to Dr Reynolds, Luthori’s “time at the top” felt different to its predecessor, noting the nation’s far less confrontational nature. Lodamun’s relationship with Dorvik could be considered cordial, in that although the nation was once the means by which Lodamese products gained access to the wider Artanian market, by nature of its relative slip into geopolitical insignificance, the mode of the two nations’ relationship has certainly changed. Dr Reynold noted that although the State Department would never openly state it, its actions namely President Hanlon’s visit, was a clear indication that the once firm strategic partnership between Lodamun and Dorvik had run its course and that in order to secure continued access to the Artanian consumer market, Lodamun would have to find a new partner on the continent, which it has through Luthori.

During the visit, President Hanlon met with numerous officials within the Luthorian Government including Luthorian Prime Minister Alfred Black, Foreign Secretary Orville Horgan, and Industry Secretary Edward Mitchell; alongside representatives of the Luthorian business community in a tempo echoing a previous visit by the Secretary of State to Yingdala. President Hanlon was accompanied by high-ranking members of the Lodamese cabinet including Secretary of State Jennifer Toule, Secretary of Commerce and Industry Ann Taggert and Merchant-General Adam Runt. In a broadly informal meeting between the delegations, President Hanlon reaffirmed Lodamun’s commitment to remain within the Commonwealth, however holding sort of expanding the nation’s involvement in structures related to defence. At a press conference outside Crown Street, President Hanlon stated that the Lodamese Government was not interested in a mutual security agreement with Luthori, recognising its ever-expanding role and presence throughout the globe would enhance the likelihood of mutual defence articles being triggered. Nonetheless, he noted that Lodamun was interested in a very strong security relationship, including intelligence and technology sharing, joint exercises and training, excluding obvious articles related to mutual defence. Merchant General Runt stated that his discussions with his Luthorian counterparts had resulted in a firm commitment to discuss a Comprehensive Trade Agreement between the two parties, separate from the current arrangements being facilitated through the Commonwealth. According to Secretary Toule, such an arrangement was prepared as Lodamun viewed its relationship with Luthori as one which would transcend beyond the structure of the Commonwealth itself. A subsequent visit by the Merchant General has been agreed upon wherein the broader details of the two nations’ trade relationship will be discussed. Seemingly separate from the delegation, Director of National Assessments Edward Walsh, who arrived on the final day of the week-long visit, held a series of high-level discussions with Luthorian security officials including Home Secretary Ted Doyle and the Director-General of the Imperial Security Service (ISS). As the titular head of the Lodamese security and intelligence community, Director Walsh’s visit is likely related to the establishment of a formal working relationship between the ISS and the Lodamese National Investigations Bureau (NIB), the Strategic Services Agency (SSA). the Office of Defence Intelligence (ODI).

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As part of a rolling assessment of the agency’s capacity to battle numerous situations throughout the nation, owing to its federal/national responsibilities, the Rural Fire Service concluded that should the nation see an unprecedented increase in wildfire throughout the country, the RFS would be largely hamstrung in provide state and local fire and rescue authorities with the necessary support needed to battle and contain complex fires alongside maintaining its own responsibilities to containing fires and conducting rescue operations throughout national/federal parks where the vast majority of the nation’s wildfires are known to originate. This humbling assessment comes in the RFS’ “Agency-Wide Performance Review” or AWPR, a general assessment of the agency’s performance over the previous year and the implications for said performance in the future. The review is largely conducted by the Inspector-General of the Department of the Interior, which is the entity responsible for ensuring the various bureaus, offices and agencies underneath the purview of the Department of the Interior are operating in compliance with generally established policies of the government. The inspector general's report highlighted numerous gaps in the agency’s operational techniques, structures and equipment, stressing that should the agency be placed under significant strain to perform acts typical with a nation-wide response, said “glaring gaps” could potentially lead to numerous issues and could place the public at risk as the agency would be largely incapable of fully performing its duties. Director of the Rural Fire Service, Keywon Tillman confirmed that the agency had made numerous requests for budgetary increases under the previous Andrews Administration but noted that its calls were largely ignored. He noted that although the agency had seen major action in aiding the Baltusian response to the Northchase Grove wildfires, the agency’s allocation had not increased in lieu of an assessment conducted by the agency following the intervention revealed that the RFS would run into an equipment “deficit” in the future. “We have made numerous inquests to the Department of the Interior and to Whitehall directly, both of which were largely ignored. Thus, we continued to carefully manage our resources in light of the chronic lack of support from the DoI and Whitehall. The Inspector-General’s Report simply brings to the forefront, what we’ve been attempting to manage/resolve silently and with discretion under the last administration,” Tillman noted. Tillman noted that his predecessor Brandon Schmidt, who has gone on to become Assistant Secretary of the Interior for Emergency Management, could largely attest to the condition of the RFS, having served as the agency’s director under the Andrews Administration and was reported to have numerous confrontations with then Secretary of the Interior Cordell McNeil on his department’s lacklustre approach to funding for the RFS. Ahead of the wildfire season, Secretary of the Interior Jane Fulton alongside Assistant Secretary Schmidt announced a 10 billion LOD boost to the Rural Fire Service aimed at ensuring the agency is well-equipped to tackle the upcoming seasons and adequately address the aforementioned gaps highlighted in the Inspector-General’s report. The 10 billion LOD injection would largely be spent on equipment procurement including the acquisition of water tenders, wildland engines, brush trucks, helitankers and Waterbombers. According to Assistant Secretary Schmidt, approval had been given to the RFS to begin its recruitment process as it sought to recruit around 3,000 permanent fire crews throughout the country as part of the agency’s national restructuring. Schmidt noted that the gradual “building out” of the Rural Fire Service was such that it had a presence in each state and territory with at least 500 fire crews and their associated equipment ready to respond to any call for assistance from state or local officials. In a first for the agency, Secretary Fulton stated that owing to the increased budget allocation, the Rural Fire Service would be given the responsibility of developing Lodamun’s first National Wildfire Management Plan; with a National Search and Rescue Plan set to be developed by the RFS alongside the Lodamese Coast Guard. Significant refurbishments are expected to be conducted on George Wright Air Station, where the vast majority of the RFS’ major aerial assets (i.e. waterbombers) will be based.

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In a move set to signal Kensington’s willingness to shape the geopolitical landscape surrounding Lodamun through advancing mutually beneficial cooperation agreements, Vice-President Richard Gillcrest alongside Dolgavan Prime Minister Ursula Soosaar signed the “Lodamese-Dolgavan Strategic Partnership Agreement,” the culmination of months of high-level consultation between Lodamese and Dolgavan diplomatic officials. The agreement’s penning came at the sideline of Vice-President Gillcrest’s landmark visit to Dolgava, wherein he became the first Lodamese politician/government official to visit the nation in centuries. Although Lodamun and Dolgava, have maintained cordial relations as is customary for neighbouring states, the two nation’s relationship has not moved beyond cordiality and innate pleasantries. Vice President Gillcrest’s visit sought to formally enhance the status of Lodamun’s relationship with Dolgava to that of a strategic partnership, as he stressed at a press conference speaking alongside Prime Minister Soosaar, “As neighbours and as nations with broad interests in the Mad Dog Ocean, it is, therefore, logical that we form an unbreakable bond.” Part of the strategic partnership agreement speaks to an easing of tariffs and the establishment of a cross-border free trade zone between the two states. According to data from both the Harrington Company and the Department of Commerce and Industry, Lodamese trade with Dolgava accounted for around 4% of all exports and around 2% of all imports. These low trade figures between neighbouring states, according to the Chief Factor of the Harrington Company Dr Oliver Wentz, could largely be chalked up to a lack of a rationalised strategy for trade with Dolgava on the part of the Harrington Company and the Lodamese Government as a whole. Merchant-General Adam Runt stated that in an area of constant geopolitical miscalculations, blunders and hindrances, especially against the backdrop of the aldegar canal crisis, the concept of nearshoring should certainly form the basis of Lodamun’s interaction with immediate neighbours. He stated that the strategic partnership agreement’s articles on free trade could potentially form the basis upon which the Harrington Company’s nearshoring policy is rationalised. “Although we are by no means attempting to make the case of autarky within Lodamun, we recognise the inherent strength and stability which comes with a degree of independence from the global trading system. The canal crisis has certainly made us reassess our relative exposure. It is irreprehensible and largely our [the Harrington Company and the Lodamese Government] fault, that we have not focused on forming strong bonds with our immediate neighbours,” MG Runt lamented. On defence and security cooperation, Vice-President Gilcrest stated that there was considerable room for a strong, enduring defence relationship between Lodamun and Dolgava. Reiterating both Lodamun and Dolgava’s shared interests in the Mad Dog Ocean and the Karzon Strait, he stated that the canal crisis and the shift in global trade through the strait made it incumbent on the two nations to enhance their degree of cooperation in order to ensure the seamless movement of trade through the strait. Although Lodamese Coast Guard has made a yeoman effort in enhancing its presence in both the strait and the wider Mad Dog Ocean through Operation Barracuda, he noted that as the LCG continues to enhance its capabilities by bringing online additional vessels and rationalising supporting structures the need for cooperation with Dolgava will only increase. “Dolgava has been making steady investments in enhancing its defensive posture similar to our investments into enhancing the posture of the Lodamese Armed Forces. In my discussions with Dolgavan Defence Minister Anastasija Cicenaite, we discussed avenues through which we can establish a strong bond. The St. Christopher State Guard is well positioned to become the primary Lodamese formation, alongside the major branches of the Lodamese Armed Forces, through which military training assistance between our two nations could be facilitated,” VP Gilcrest explained.

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Dolgavan Parliament Finalizes Karzon Straight Initiative by Approving It, A Landmark Point for Dolgavan and Lodamun Relations

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On the heels of the formal commissioning of the Barrington aqueduct, the multi-billion dollar infrastructure project aimed at moving water from the coast and into the state's water-deprived agricultural hinterlands, the Rural Development Administration announced that it had commenced formal construction works of the final phase of its broader plan to addressing water scarcity in the state: the construction of the state's first major seawater desalination plant. The announcement, which was made via a press release, vindicates statements made by former Governor of Barrington Nathan Burke, who noted that although the aqueduct would ultimately ease the severity of the situation, it should not be viewed as a stop-gap, but would require additional investments. "We are grateful for the work the RDA is doing in working with state and local officials in constructing the aqueduct, however, we continue to press the RDA Administrator that we [the Barrington State Government] are committed to continue pouring investment into addressing the challenges water scarcity places on everyday life in Barrington," Burke said in an archived interview. The project has garnered considerable controversy since then as numerous environmental groups have argued that the proposed plant would do more harm than good. Dr Oliver Hill, Executive Director of the Lodamese Environmental Survey, a Harrington-based NGO which focuses on environmental conservation, explained that the proposed plant could potentially lead to ecosystem collapse owing to the toxic waste often produced by said facilities. “Desalination and its negative effects on the environment have been long studied. It is an undisputed fact that the brine produced from these facilities contains toxic chemicals such as chlorine and copper, which when released into the ocean could potentially lead to ecosystem collapse. To move forward with this project without consideration for its impact on the marine ecosystem is dangerous, if not stupid,” Dr Hill explained. Morgan Christensen, a marine biologist for the Portwoods-Duncan Institute for Marine Research and Climatology went on to explain the impact of discharge from desalination plants on the marine ecosystems and the blue economy. He noted that with brine being significantly saltier than seawater, releasing said materials into the surrounding waters could potentially create localised increases in salinity, which could be devastating for organisms adapted to a specific range of salinity. He noted that the very same thinking can be applied in terms of heat, which is a major byproduct of the desalination process. Rural Development Administrator Eliot Mcpherson rebuffed claims surrounding the plant’s supposed environmental hazard. He explained that an environmental impact assessment (EIA) conducted by the RDA with the final approval of the Lodamese Environmental Commission (LEC) had ultimately cleared both the site and the facility itself to be used for water desalination. He added that one of the major caveats of the facility’s construction was that the RDA would work alongside the Newchester Institute of Technology (NIT) and the Research Projects Administration in order to develop a workable solution to the “brine problem”. “We have been granted approval to construct the facility by the LEC after passing our environmental impact assessment. We are aware of the concerns held by some surrounding brine discharge and we’d like to note that a major part of this wider project to construct similar facilities throughout Barrington’s coast, would be to finance research into finding an amicable solution to the brine problem. Beyond that, as this facility, a much more like it will be operated by the RDA, compensating to affected communities should discharge impact the local marine ecosystem will be managed through our internal compensation mechanisms,” Mcpherson explained. The project is expected to cost $1.2 billion LOD and is expected to feed desalinated water into the Barrington Aqueduct, with the hopes of ameliorating some of the challenges surrounding water resource management within the state.

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In a press statement issued earlier this morning, the Commonwealth Guard Bureau confirmed that following the successful winging programme for State Air Guard units, wherein 400 F-16 multi-role fighters were distributed among the five (5) State Air Guard formations, approval had been granted for the aforementioned fighters to commence aerospace patrol/combat air patrol missions throughout Lodamese and international airspace. F-16s attached to the St. Christopher Air Guard’s 3rd Fighter Wing took off from Jackson Air Force Base in St. Christopher as the first units deployed to the supposed “permanent” mission. Coined Operation Platinum, the patrols are intended to ensure Lodamese aerospace remains protected against potential threats, noting that the nation was particularly vulnerable in the lead-up to the purchase and subsequent activation of the F-16s as it maintained no combat aircraft capable of responding to emerging threats. The statement notes that under the new regime, a rotation would exist therein allowing for various fighter wings throughout Lodamun to gain the necessary fighting experience/flight hours required for various certifications and commendations. Part of these aforementioned combat air patrols will undoubtedly include scramble exercises. These exercises are mainly aimed at simulating a response to an emerging air threat. Upon the detection of enemy aircraft, fighters would be expected to respond rapidly or “scramble” towards the designated threat. Pointing to precedent in Trigunian air maritime patrols, the statement noted that such manoeuvres should come as no surprise to the forces which frequent the airspace of the northern hemisphere. “The Commonwealth Guard maintains an inherent responsibility to ensure the protection of the territorial integrity of Lodamun. As the air domain is integral to said integrity, Operation Platinum will no doubt underscore our resolve to protect and defend what we hold dear: our independence,” the statement read. With the situation surrounding the Aldegar Canal set to worsen as internal strife deepens, the Lodamese Government, namely the Department of Infrastructure and Transportation and the Lodamese Coast Guard are expecting additional maritime traffic through the Karzon Strait. Some have speculated that Operation Platinum’s announcement was in direct response to this development, however, Commonwealth Guard Spokesperson, Col. Edward Price stated that although the operation has been structured to include maritime patrols as a part of its multiple responsibilities, its principal intent remains to establish an enduring presence within Lodamese and Northern Seleyan airspace as a means of ensuring greater national security. In support of the patrols, Col. Price noted that the Defence Procurement Administration’s procurement of KC-46s was timely recognising that the aerial refuelling aircraft would likely extend the combat air patrols’ range and duration. Yet amidst these patrols, Price noted that the Commonwealth Guard continues to work with the Lodamese Air Force in its search for AEW&C aircraft. Although the Commonwealth Guard would be fielding such aircraft, it would nonetheless rely on close cooperation with the Lodamese Air Force which will. Concurrently, the DPA has confirmed that Air Force officials have expressed interest in the E-7 Wedgetail proposal by Burrell Systems and the GlobalEye developed by Asvald Gruppen. When questioned on whether the F-16s would likely be armed, Col. Price stated that they would likely be, recognising the fluidity of the current geopolitical environment. “By all means these jets are going to be armed to the teeth. Should they need to respond to an emerging threat, then and there, they can do so,” he explained. Pointing to previous military miscalculations throughout the world, Price noted that the pilots would likely undergo numerous exercises, workshops/seminars to better tame their conduct whilst patrolling the skies. “The same way the police must demonstrate a certain conduct whilst on patrol, the same way these formations must demonstrate a certain conduct whilst “policing” the skies of Lodamun and Northern Seleya.”

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Following a bombshell report from the Lodamese National Congress which concluded that although the Lodamese Coast Guard had made yeoman efforts towards enhancing its capabilities with respect to maritime interdiction (i.e.) protecting the nation’s maritime boundaries, it had neglected to pour meaningful investment into areas beyond its “constabulary duties.” Of the numerous recommendations laid out within the report, the construction of a state-of-the-art search and rescue (SAR) station in Lodamun to build capacity and capabilities within the at-sea search and rescue operations was highlighted as one of the most pressing changes which needed to be implemented going forward. On the heels of the recommencing of Operation Barracuda, the Lodamese Coast Guard unveiled its “Coast Guard Search and Rescue Station - Portswood”, the branch’s first search and rescue station as a testament to its commitment to adhere to the recommendations of the aforementioned report. Speaking at the ribbon-cutting ceremony, Commandant of the Lodamese Coast Guard Admiral Harper Olsen, hailed the project as a centrepiece of the Coast Guard itself. She lamented that throughout its infancy, the Lodamese Coast Guard had been largely focused on building capabilities wherein it was capable of responding to new and emerging threats on the nation’s maritime boundaries, with much of the funding the service received going into the Coast Guard’s shipbuilding programme, with little to no funding being left to focus on enhancing the branch’s capabilities in search and rescue and humanitarian relief. In lieu of the Coast Guard managing at-sea search and rescue operations, the Rural Fire Service has traditionally stepped up to “plug the gap”, however amidst a reorganisation/reassessment of the RFS’ responsibilities to domestic firefighting solely, for a brief period of time, Lodamun’s at-sea SAR capabilities was non-existent. “We have long called for funding to be oriented in order to develop and strengthen an at-sea search and rescue discipline within this branch. This facility is the actualisation/realisation of these calls. For the first time ever, the Lodamese Coast Guard has completely regained core responsibility over the maritime domain outside of what is tasked to the navy,” Adm. Olsen, proclaimed. The facility, prior to its “makeover”, stood as a decommissioned naval air station set aside for the Lodamese Navy for future purposes, however an assessment by the Naval Facilities Inspectorate cleared the facility for transfer to the Coast Guard after it was revealed that the facility was no longer considered a “priority for use”. At the heart of the operation lies an integrated command centre, wherein real-time weather data, satellite imagery, and distress signals converge are monitored by Coast Guard servicemembers. Coast Guard helicopters and their accompanying crew are expected to be based at the facility, as the branch’s growing fleet of helicopters is expected to become the workhorse of much of its SAR operations alongside the involvement of minor aircraft. The facility, although considered the headquarters for all at-sea maritime operations, is nonetheless the first of three (3) major facilities dedicated to search and rescue, with Admiral Olsen noting that the Naval Facilities Inspectorate has been in initial discussions with the Coast Guard on one facility in St. Christopher and another in Barrington. She noted that with respect to establishing the Lodamese Coast Guard as a premier SAR entity, much of the hard work was ahead as the branch continued to enhance the capabilities and training of its SAR crews and incorporate new and emerging equipment into operations which may lend themselves to improved outcomes.