NC chief Egeland warns Trigunia of "dangerous pattern"Secretary-General Haakon Egeland speaking to the Defence CounciSecretary-General of the Northern Council, Haakon Egeland insists that the alliance will defend the interests of its members and will continue to be committed to the unconditional defence of its member states. Secretary-General Egeland's comments come after Trigunia announced support for communist dissidence in Egelion, a Northern Council member state. Speaking before the alliance's defence council, Egeland stated that the sentiment of Trigunian support for dissidence in a Northern Council member state could be perceived as a threat against said member state and the wider Northern Council. According to Egeland, Trigunia had made its intentions clear to the international community that it will go to far reaching ends in order to prompt the growth of transnational communism. He also stated that Trigunia's open support for dissidence in Egelion as apart of a "continuous string of recklessness with respect to the authoritarian regime in Rodshyadam. He cited Trigunia's meddling in Dundorf's elections after the government in Rodshyadam expressed disappointment in the election of a democratic party in Dundorf.
Egeland said that the alliance was becoming increasingly cooperative and interconnected. A report conducted by the Northern Council found that the alliance's members had increased their respective defence budgets three-fold. Allies have also made progress on investing in new capabilities. In just last year, 4 NC members spent more in real terms on major equipment than the year before. The report, he stated, also shows that NC members are contributing more to operations and missions. At the end of 4396, there were more than 123,000 troops serving in NC deployments, up from just fewer than 28,000 in 4395, before Bianjie's resurgent aggression and the resurgence of piracy in Central Dovani. Commenting on the alliance's support training mission throughout the world, Egeland said that with the alliance’s assistance, various nations and their national armed forces had been in a better position to defend themselves than before they were introduced to the multinational training programme.
Looking to the future Egeland stated that much attention would be placed on a resurgent Trigunia however a significant degree of attention would be placed on other developing situations including the situation in Bianjie, the developing tensions with respect to Saridan and the development of international communism. Egeland warned the Trigunian government that further threats towards the government of Egelion and the nation as a whole will receive an asymmetrical response from the entire alliance citing the alliance's provisions on mutual defence and security.
Kazulia reaffirms support for Egelion through joint exerciseKazulian paratroopers and Egelian marines during Exercise Urgent Thunder.Kazulian and Hutorian troops have carried out a small-scale NC defensive drill in Egelion, rehearsing for a possible scenario in which Trigunia might try to sever the nation from the rest of the Western alliance. The exercise conducted in Egelion's Espada Roja training area takes Kazulian, Hutorian and Egelian troops through farmland, woods and low hills. Over two days, Kazulian helicopter and Hutorian combat aircraft took part in exercises that also involved troops from Lourenne, Hulstria, Luthori and New Endralon. This exercise comes amid threats from the Trigunian government about affirmitive action against Egelion's government and Trigunia's open support for communist dissidence in the nation. The exercise had been requested by the Egelian Government to reaffirm the nation's population and its armed forces that other nations stand in support of Egelion's democratic aspirations.
Trigunia's open support for communist regime across the world has changed the Northern Council's calculations, seeing Trigunia as increasingly dangerous to democracy internationally as the nation has made its intentions of prompting international communism clear. Before then, no forces from other alliance members were stationed in Keris region; now it is being reported that troops from Kazulia, Hutori, Luthori, Hulstria, Rutania, Dorvik and Lourenne are to be stationed in the Keris nations of New Endralon, Egelion and Dolgava. The Kazulian Government has been pushing for Hutori to become increasingly active as it pertains to its region, sitting that although the Kazulian Armed Forces can sustain the current deployment it is not the only major military power in the alliance. With Kazulia involved in regions such as Central Dovani and Bianjie, Kazulian commanders are calling on other nations to step up. Northern Council officials stated that the exercise was a small-scale drill compared to what would be needed in case of a real attack, with various Northern Council commanders citing the importance of cooperation among allied nations.