TheShammySocialist Posted July 31, 2012 Report Share Posted July 31, 2012 A resurgence of patriotic fervor continued to flow in the twin states of Gran Colombia; Colombia and Venezuela, as the citizens of cities and the countryside continue to celebrate a new dawn and outlet for nationalistic sentiment. Many citizens have flocked to both the national capital, Bogota, as well as the equally important Caracas to partake in celebrations, while the new "departments" of each state dispatched delegations of leading citizenry, from various economic backgrounds and employments, to meet with state and national leaders to discuss official business amidst the carnival-like atmosphere. There was still the matter of national elections that were conditional of the nation's independence, and the Congress of Caracas, which had reformed as the National Transitional Council, had begun working with the various departments of the states to work out an election scheme. The governmental scheme had been one that had been established during the many sessions of the Congress of Caracas, in which leading figures in politics, municipal management, the economy, political science, and security had formed a body of officials to determine the best course of action when establishing the government of Gran Colombia. The result of nearly a dozen meetings and seminars, both closed door as well as formal public conferences and panels, had been a result establishing a unicameral legislative body, with a Chamber of Representatives as the voice of the people, whose power would be checked and balanced by two other bodies; justice and executive. The judicial body would be the Gran Colombian High Court of Justice, with a panel of twelve judges who would rule on constitutionality of laws and decisions by other governmental bodies, with lifetime-appointed judges. The executive body of government would see a lifetime-appointed President, who would have vast powers that were still checked by the other bodies, with the ability to choose a successor, who was approved by the other bodies of governance, the President would be assisted by a Prime Minister, who would oversee the Chamber of Representatives and was a member of the ruling party in the Chamber. Despite the strong centralist powers of the government itself, the President's power was checked by the Chamber of Representatives, which could not be dissolved constitutionally by the President, and the Chamber of Representatives could call for a vote of no confidence in the President. If the vote of no confidence succeeded, the President was to be removed from power, but the vote of no confidence required a seventy-five percent majority inside of the Chamber of Representatives in order to pass. The President also signed or vetoed congressional legislation, and if vetoed, the Chamber could override the veto with a two-thirds majority. While the President served as the nominal head of the armed services, the armed services were bound to protect the constitution which had been agreed upon by the Congress of Caracas, and approved in a nationwide referendum days afterwards, and swore their oaths to uphold it. The process of forming such a government would require a complex series of national and local elections and legislative work, including a nationwide referendum to determine the President, candidates of whom were appointed to the ballot by the National Transitional Council. Within a fortnight of independence, the nationwide referendum to appoint a President was to be put forth, and elections for the Chamber of Representatives would follow two weeks later, while states, departments, and cities would run local and statewide elections would have their own elections a week after the Presidential referendum, which would include elections of leaders, as well as ballot questions pertaining to local ordinances. It was a relatively overwhelming process, but one that appeared to be picking up steam, while individuals celebrated, candidates would campaign amongst the revelers in their local department seats. The National Transitional Council had also formed working groups of intellectuals and experts in various fields that were forming the basis of government ministries to ensure some working facets of governance were functioning at basic levels when the government began to take power. The ministries would be filled with appointees who were nominated by the President or Prime Minister, and given general approval by both the legislative and executive bodies of government. The basis of six ministries were already formed by the time independence had been declared; economics and labor, health, home affairs, interior, international affairs and trade, and defense, and the possibility of further ministries were envisioned by many campaigning politicians. Some of the ministries already had some of their work cut out for them; the working group for the Ministry of the Interior was cooperating and working closely with leftover elements of the security apparatus in place from the times of Umbrellan occupation. Police officers and security officials local to the area that had been integrated into the Umbrellan security apparatus had continued their duties after the withdrawal of Umbrellan regional security forces, and would form the basis of internal security forces. Defense had its' work cut out for itself, albeit more chaotically; with patriotic sentiment strong, the military could only enlist a certain number of people at the same time given the chaotic nature of the training apparatus at this point, and even the ability to transport new recruits to such facilities remained haphazard. Instead, recruiters, many of whom were local security forces from the days of Colombia being a protectorate, would have to turn most individuals away "for a temporary period". Most of these individuals would be referred to their various department security staff, and would be organized into a national militia until the [i]Fuerzas Militares de Gran Colombia[/i] could be effectively organized. National sentiment was high, and optimism was running high, as election day continues to draw close... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheShammySocialist Posted August 1, 2012 Author Report Share Posted August 1, 2012 Although the series of elections was a seemingly exhausting one, it was one that the country had taken in stride, with hundreds of candidates raising their platforms in a relatively short time, stumping campaign trails, engaging in debates with other candidates. Some might describe it as organized chaos, some the complete opposite, but the entire schedule was kept, and the referendum for election of the nation's President went forward as scheduled, with four appointees being given the nod by the National Transition Council, including two that had been "volunteered" by the National Transition Council; Ignacio de Ardanza himself, the leader of the National Transition Council, as well as another one of the members, Augusto Benefacio, a Venezuelan who had been a former member of the Umbrellan security apparatus during its show of sovereignty over the State of Venezuela. Benefacio was a popular police commander, and was seen with Ignacio as the main frontrunners, Ignacio had been relatively reserved during the Presidential campaign, his "volunteering" as a member of the National Transition Council to the position as a political candidate was not unforeseen. While Benefacio had taken the role in stride, and had stumped the campaign trail vigorously, more vigorously than any other Presidential candidate, Ignacio kept relatively quiet. He engaged in debates with satisfactory results, providing solid rebuttals to the other candidates' questioning of his own policy of what he liked to call a "strong but benevolent" presidency. Benefacio, in his typical style, favored a strong, energetic presidency that would actively balance the other bodies of governance, while Ignacio favored a reactionary approach, with the President reacting to balance the other forms of governance but not actively searching for problems that may or may not exist. While other candidates had gathered at "campaign headquarters", Ignacio favored to stay with the rest of the National Transition Council when election night rolled around, the members of the NTC had gathered in Bogota at the Narino Palace, where the presidents of former Colombia had resided during their terms in office. Outside the police cordon that had been established around the building, a throng of peaceful local supporters of Ignacio had gathered, and as the election evening wore on, their numbers continued to increase exponentially. The council had taken over one of the ornate conference rooms on the second floor of the large residence, and were watching the national election on the television, as results continued to be reported by the Gran Colombia National News Service. Polling stations were due to close at nine in the evening, which was around thirty minutes away, and ballots were already being counted from votes that had been issued. "Looks like you're pretty popular, Ignacio," grinned his cohort, Dr. Manuel Peron, a member of the NTC's Political Development Working Team, and a close friend of Ignacio's, who stood at the window and looked out the drawn curtains. "I still don't know why you insist on being here, Benefacio is also a candidate, you should be at your own campaign headquarters, you don't need to be here," added Elena Vasquez, a member of the NTC's National Economic Team, leaned against the large oak table that dominated the middle of the room, staring at Ignacio nearby who sat in a rocking chair in the corner. "As a member of the National Transition Council, we resolved that if there was an crises that developed during the election, that we might need to suspend and re-issue the election, that decision is one that, if made, would require fast action. The Council, if making such a decision, would need all of its heads, which is why I am here," responded Ignacio, simply, looking back at Elena with a small smile. "I'm fairly certain that the best heads in the nation can, together, make such a decision," replied Juan Ontiveros, but still looking Ignacio in a with a simple gaze of respect. "I didn't say that they couldn't make such a decision on their own, but as the Leading Representative of the Council, and as one of its members, I feel as though my place is here, with them. There will be plenty of time for celebrations later if this election hands me the position as Head of State," responded Ignacio, turning his gaze on Ontiveros. Ontiveros just nodded, while Elena just grinned lightly, and shook her head, "I daresay, I hope if you actually win this election, you take about a week, and just sleep for most of it." "You do look a little under the weather, my friend," added Peron, giving Ignacio's shoulder a gentle punch as he walked by to go back to where most of the members of the Council were watching the television, at the other end of the room. Their comments on his fatigued appearance seemed to elicit something withing Ignacio, and he yawned shortly thereafter, whilst calling out, trying to change the topic of conversation "Has there been any accusations of a fraudulent election?" David Eversmann Fuentes, the leading member of the NTC's National Election Working Group, turned from the television, "About a dozen reports have been put forth by internal security, my election investigation team has sent national election agents to look into them. Probably will result in recounts at the polling sites." "Nothing major then?" "Considering it is our very first election for a seated government position, no, it is very minor," replied Fuentes, with a reassuring nod. Ignacio nodded lightly, then rubbed at the stubble that had formed on his chin, the gears in his mind continuing to look, the last week had been a roller coaster of emotions for him, his reservations of being the Head of State seemed to be forming a pit in his stomach. He was a business leader, he knew how to deal with contingencies and finance, but being the President of any country was a much more complex game. There was a finesse it required, and although he was a confident and learned man, his confidence still flagged at being the leader of tens of million of people. The decisions he made would effect an entire countries' population, not just the employees of a company or their partners in business, it was an entire step up, and it was one that he was still unsure that he wanted to take. As he grasped at his chin, Elena would walk over, gripping his shoulder lightly, making him look up from his reverie, she smiled lightly, and said in a low voice, "I hope it's you." He nodded in appreciation of her sentiment, and the pit in his stomach seemed to lighten, his eyes wandered from Elena as she walked to look out the window, down to his watch, which read '8:57'. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheShammySocialist Posted August 2, 2012 Author Report Share Posted August 2, 2012 (edited) [i]Ignacio de Ardanza picked up the small piece of thin matchwood, looking at the lines of lit candles in front of him, before looking up at the statue of the Virgin Mary above the lines of candles, her expression of soothing peace seemed to make his shoulders slump from the tension they felt. He leaned up and touched the matchwood to the main candle at her feet, and let the tip of the wood catch fire. The gentle flickering from the candles was the only source of light to be found in the darkened church, and their light provided enough illumination to show the pained face of the President of Gran Colombia.[/i] --- "That's right, Lela, it is an absolute zoo here outside the Palace of Justice, where we await the President to show himself after his private inauguration ceremony, well-wishers and followers of President-elect Ignacio de Ardanza have gathered in droves here," said a reporter, as the camera view from the Gran Colombian National News Network quickly flipped from a news room to the streets of Bogota. "Police have had to shut down the main avenues here outside the Palace of Justice, there are just [i]that[/i] many people here. We are waiting for a moment that the Colombian people have been waiting for, for years, even decades now, this is history in the making, and everyone here seems to want to be a part of it!" The female news reporter waved her arm in a sweeping gesture around her, and the camera panned out for effect as it looked over the multitude of individuals who surrounded them, having a good vantage point on top of a set of steps near the entrance to the Palace of Justice in Bogota. The election had gone down with little issue surprisingly, with only two dozen recounts being ordered at various polling stations, widespread about the country, and in all but one instance, they were all accidental incidents. Ignacio de Ardanza had been elected President with a fifty-two percent majority, ahead of his three fellow competitors, the country had spoken in its' first nation election, the quiet but determined leadership that Ignacio seemed to espouse was one that they had enjoyed. His role in the National Transition Council was well known, as its leading representative, a humble figurehead at the forefront of the council which had given the nation its independence, he was the driving force who had gathered the intellectuals and experts together. It was a leadership quality like this that had spoken for the soft-spoken business leader, speaking volumes for him. --- [i]Ignacio gently held the burning matchwood up, staring at the small flame that fluttered from it as he sighed softly, the soft gust of air threatening to put out the flame in his hand. He flicked his eyes from it, looking up at the Virgin Mary again, his eyes full of regret and sadness, he tore his eyes away from the statue and shook his head softly. His mouth opened and closed as he surveyed the lines of candles before him, unable to say the words he wanted to say. The cool and damp darkness of evening had penetrated the Cathedral and matched his mood, he shivered slightly, hearing the light clicks of heels behind him.[/i] --- "Here he comes now!" exclaimed the reporter, to the cameraman and, of course, her audience, as the camera flicked from her and adjusted quickly to the entrance of the Palace of Justice. Out of the doors, the crowd letting out a roar of exclamation as a group of security moved ahead of Ignacio to clear a path for the newly-inaugurated President of Gran Colombia. Ignacio came out the doors immediately after them, surrounded by members of the National Transition Council as well as other individuals who had attended the inauguration ceremony. "Let's try to get a little closer," said the reporter, urging her cameraman to follow her to the line that had been formed by the security. Ignacio took the stairs off the Palace of Justice at a quick pace, waving and smiling lightly as he passed by cheering well-wishers, the camera catching the sweep of his eyes as they surveyed the crowd with a small sense of awe. As Ignacio drew close to where the reporter and her cameraman stood, the camera swiveled to look at the other side of the crowd, across the line from them, where a scuffle had seemed to break out, someone seemed to be pushing well-wishers out of the way. The reporter next to the cameraman started, "It appears that a fight or somethin-," but was cut short by a man emerging at the edge of the line, drawing a handgun which he aimed towards the approaching new President, a member of security pushed at the man's outstretched arm, throwing off the man's aim but not his trigger finger, the gun erupted and there was a nearby cry of pain, as the individual holding the camera was hit, the camera wobbling from the force of the hit and the damage it had done. Screams erupted as the camera caught only glimpses of the next actions, as an individual rushed forward ahead of Ignacio with an arm outstretched as more gunshots piercing the air. --- [i]Ignacio looked beside him as another individual appeared next to him, he knew it had to be a member of his security team or confidant, the Cathedral had been put on lock down as soon as he had arrived. He flicked his eyes to see Elena Vasquez looking at him as she picked up a piece of matchwood of her own, her eyes flicking at the candle as she lit it, and then looked back to him, holding her own piece of matchwood up. His own was still burning down, he had yet to light a candle, his hand was shaking slightly as she looked at him, and nodded lightly. The sympathy was very evident in her eyes, her own hands were shaking, and her eyes displayed a sense of uncertainty that, for some reason, Ignacio wanted to quell. He looked at her for another moment, before finally lowering the lit matchwood to one of the small unlit candles in the lines that stood before them.[/i] --- The camera, still rolling, had clattered to the ground, landing on its side as panic swept the steps of the Palace of Justice, it was kicked around a bit as more gunshots rang out, before coming to a rest in the center of a throng of panicked well wishers. A group of people were hunched or surrounding one of the fallen, and the voice of Ignacio could be heard over all others; "Call an ambulance! We need to get him to the hospital immediately!" The camera was at an angle that was able to catch the gruesome result of the assassination attempt, as Ignacio's hands fought to keep pressure on the wound in a still unidentified man's neck, a spray of blood could be seen from the bullet wounded, which had clearly hit an artery. "Sir, we need to get you out of here!" yelled one of the security officers, as he tried to pull at Ignacio's shoulders, who stayed in place, unflinchingly staying by the downed figure. "No! I'm not leaving him, get a !@#$@#$ ambulance!" he yelled, over the din, as the figure's arms grasped at Ignacio's arm. Another kick delivered to the camera spun it just enough to catch a glimpse in the corner of the lens of the pained expression in Ignacio's face as he fought to keep the man alive, arterial spray had covered his face and his shirt as he held on for dear life. Even if an ambulance was able to arrive, however, the man on the ground had little time to live, even with Ignacio's fingers stuck in the artery in a desperate bid to keep the man alive. The grip on Ignacio's arm seemed to be getting lighter, and the man on the ground seemed to know the end was near, and so did Ignacio as tears could be seen making streaks in the blood sprayed on his face. "Stay with me, my friend, stay with me!" yelled Ignacio, desperately, as a siren wailing could be heard getting closer. "Clear a path for that ambulance! I don't care what it takes!" yelled one of the security officers, who seemed to be in charge of the security detail. "The ambulance is here, Juan, we're going to get you to a hospital," said Ignacio, revealing the identity of the individual on the ground for the first time to the camera's unnoticed presence. "Stay with me, old friend." But it was seemingly not meant to be; the hand fell from the grasp on his shoulder, and the sobs from Ignacio increased, as the struggling in Juan Ontiveros seemed to give out. The man's body relaxed, at peace with his life being turned upside down, along with others he had touched; Ignacio fell back on his heels, revealing the ghastly wound in the older man's neck he had been trying to plug, blood still dripping from his fingers as his old mentor's eyes stared lifelessly to the bright sky above. Ignacio was openly sobbing and his cursing nearly unintelligible, the group of gathered security and other politicians seemed to all be in mourning around him, others lowered their heads and shook them, who were knelt next to the fallen renaissance man. --- [i]Elena reached forward with her own piece of matchwood and lit the candle next to his, his eyes locked with hers as she did so, his mouth opened and closed, wanting to say something. She gently shook out the flame on her piece of matchwood and nodded lightly at him, unable to say anything to the shaken President who looked at her, his face a mask of grief and anguish. Elena stepped forward and lightly slipped her hands around his midsection, her small body against his, the warmth of her embrace seemingly to shake the cold from his own body, and he shivered as he put his arms around her. Tears slipped down both their cheeks as they refused to let go of one another, the candles illuminating the shiny trails upon their faces. "I'm so sorry," said Elena, refusing to let go of him, her words coming through a soft sob...[/i] Edited August 2, 2012 by TheShammySocialist Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheShammySocialist Posted August 4, 2012 Author Report Share Posted August 4, 2012 (edited) The lines of men and women stood stiffly on the training grounds' review field in the oppressive humidity of evening, even with the graduation ceremony being pushed back to seven in the evening, the heat was still stifling, and it was hard for many to breathe. Sweat shone on their skin, as a result of the heat and humidity or the situation they were in; they were facing their last review before leaving their abbreviated training period. Six weeks of indoctrination, basic conditioning and weapons training marked their military training, very basic field skills had been acquired, and it was expected that more would be coming in the future. Given the need for soldiers in the role of national defense, the National Transition Council had ordered training to be shortened until further notice, so that more soldiers could pass through basic training at an increased pace, with the straightforward promise to some general staff officers that further training would be applied once the state was on its' feet. 'And this is where we find ourselves, soldiers with a very basic knowledge of military skills, and raw experience,' thought Major General Rafael Gordillo, as he walked along the groups of one hundred newly-trained soldiers at Camp Perez, a slight distance outside of Bogota. He surveyed the young and middle aged faces, full of uncertainty, but there was something else in their expressions; pride, a sense of duty coursed through the veins of these soldiers who had all signed enlistment papers. If they were anything, they were bound by duty and abject patriotism to their nation, they had signed their papers in the midst of a patriotic, celebratory atmosphere, full of optimism, although uncertainty may have been in their eyes, they all seemed to have a measure of determination and, in some way, fear. Gordillo didn't blame them for having uncertainty and fear, although every soldiers' face he looked into, didn't seem to show an overwhelming expression of it, which was a good thing. A little bit of fear and uncertainty was good for any soldier, it made him fight harder to ensure that his life, and hopefully the lives of his fellow soldiers and the citizens of the country were protected. Fear of losing an ordered society, that was something to fight for in Gordillo's book, and as he reviewed the newly-trained recruits, he felt as though there was a strong sense of duty among them. They had every right to have uncertainty, they were part of an organization that was still standardizing and re-equipping itself, while assault rifles and basic infantry weapons were not scarce, and neither was ammunition, satisfactory amounts were actually available, there were a wide array of calibers to equip, and a wide assortment of vehicles both combat and utility, that served the Ejército Nacional de Gran Colombia. As Gordillo passed a new training company, the lieutenant bellowed, "Company, Present... ARMS!" The training company quickly snapped their weapons in front of them, as the other training company he had left brought their assault rifles to their shoulders. Gordillo returned the lieutenant's snap salute, and nodded lightly, surveying the recruits whose eyes followed him in front of him. He removed his peaked officers cap from his head, revealing a smartly-cut array of salt-and-pepper hair upon his head, as he put his hat underneath his arm and took a step to survey the entire training unit. "You men and women are this country's first line of defense, you signed your enlistment papers not so long ago, and now, here you find yourselves facing this moment, the moment you have all worked for, for the past six weeks. You ran, crawled, dived, ate, slept, and learned to kill alongside the men and women next to you, they are your family when conflict occurs, if it occurs at all. An army finds its strength in the men and women who serve it, they are the ones who push the ball forward, who pull the trigger, who push the buttons, who run ammunition, it is by the actions of you and your comrades that define what this army is," stated Gordillo, letting the statement sink into the lines of recruits. "It is by your actions whether this is an army, or just another mob armed with guns, anyone can pick up a gun and pull the trigger, but you have been trained to use that gun as a tool, not just point it and shoot it. You have objective, purpose in what you do, you defend this nation, you are our first and last line of defense, her citizen soldiers, there may not always be a man or woman to take the place behind you. Sometimes you may face hardships, defeat, you might see the horrors of war, of death for the first time, some of you may lose your friends, but that is not a reason that you should give up. We all signed enlistment papers for whatever reason, but we are honor bound by duty, to see through our orders, whatever they may be, to ensure that this nation, her people, and her constitution are defended," continued Gordillo, slowly pacing along a line, his voice booming over the soft, warm breeze that blew over the training fields. "You lay your lives on the ground every day here, you are here to serve the country that we all love, so, so dearly. We are a military that is still building itself, you are the vanguard, the progenitors, the first of many more to grace these halls of learning in the ways of battle. Take pride in that fact as we officially release you from your ranks as mere recruits in these armed forces that will eventually be some of the best in the world," stated Gordillo, whose statement was true more than many would believe; the rest of the military was not much better off than the National Army. The Air Force had only six or seven dozen combat aircraft, and although they were fairly well stocked with parts and a fair number of pilots, it was certainly a branch that would need to see large leaps and bounds to consider it truly active. The National Navy was in the same shape, armed with gunboats and patrol craft, it had no blue water capability at the moment, and was in the painful process of a large procurement order to the various shipbuilders of Gran Colombia. Anti-aircraft weaponry was in short supply, and anti-shipping weaponry was in even lesser availability, artillery pieces mainly were older field pieces that, while had proven themselves in conflicts past, were still aging and would need replacement. As these thoughts rolled over in Gordillo's mind, he shook them off, his speech clearly ignoring their technical deficiencies at the moment, he would finish his speech, "Remember, that you are the vanguard, the first of many, no, that does not give you superiority over those who come after you, but it was you who volunteered your lives for this nation. We are all measured by the deeds that we do in this life, and don't you forget that sentiment, not now, not ever. By the Grace of God above, and Our Lady of Mount Carmel, I proclaim the dissolution of National Army Training Regiment One, this day, you are all hereby alleviated of your rank as recruits, and are now fully enlisted members of the [i]Fuerzas Militares de Gran Colombia[/i]. May you do your duty proudly and with honor, from now, and henceforth." A roar of cheers went up, as the recruits all began cheering, many shouting patriotic slogans and waving their weapons into the air in celebration, as Gordillo dismissed them from their training review. A sense of pride welled up in Gordillo, as he surveyed the groups of newly-anointed soldiers, and he fought to keep his emotions from showing, as he smiled lightly in a proud fashion. Despite the potential for threats on the horizon, Gordillo knew that these soldiers, and their fellow compatriots would find the sense of duty and patriotism he had found in himself when he had first begun his career as an officer in the Imperial Forces, it was in these senses that they would find the strength to see through their roles as protectors of the nation and her people... Edited August 5, 2012 by TheShammySocialist Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheShammySocialist Posted August 4, 2012 Author Report Share Posted August 4, 2012 "So Professor, as a member of the National Transition Council's Government Planning Working Group, what is your take on the Congressional election results of last night?" asked the older, salt-and-pepper haired Alejandro Cartegna, the popular host of Gran Colombian National News Network's Sunday Morning's [i]Focus National[/i] talk show. "Well Alejandro, the Council was rather surprised by the results of the election last night, in the lead up to the election, the news networks, as well as many newspapers gave a majority to the Unified Liberal Front, based on its very strong social-welfare approach to governance. The victory by the National Unity Party, with its liberal conservative approach was one that was unexpected by the Council," commented Manuel Peron, as he looked at Alejandro. "Most of the council was fully expected a majority win for the left-wing politicians of our nation, rather than centrists, given the current socioeconomic conditions that the country does face while getting itself on its feet." "Some Unified Liberal Front members have touted the socioeconomic conditions as being the worst in the history of the region, what is your take on this sentiment?" asked Cartegna, leaning on the news desk and staring intently at Manuel. "If you want my true opinion on that, I believe that we do face a socioeconomic situation that will be challenging to overcome, with a disparity in the disposition of wealth throughout the nation, yes. But I believe that the left has exaggerated the conditions to be of almost insurmountable odds, these are tough times with our country having its newly-found independence, we have people out of work, we have so many things that our country needs to see to to ensure a growing economy as well as standard of living. There are going to be challenges, it is something that President de Ardanza highlighted in his speeches when he was running for office. This wasn't going to be an easy path of ascendancy, we are facing a lot of hard work here," said Manuel, before sipping a glass of water, and arranging his notes lightly on the desk. "Fair enough, do you believe that there is some truth in what the left has to say?" "Oh, of course, they do have some very valid points, national healthcare, social security, and economic market policies are probably the largest and most important socioeconomic issues that face our country. Reform in all of these at once is probably going to need to be undertaken now, its going to be painful, yes, but the pain will only last so long, the reforms are necessary, all of the political parties are in agreement on that. Its just about going through with them and whose policy we follow that dictates how painful and/or effective these reforms will be. The President voiced his support of socioeconomic reforms, he wants to see what the Chamber of Representatives comes up with, and he's going to work closely with the Chamber of Ministers, the Prime Minister, as well as the Congressional bodies to ensure that the best road of reform is taken," nodded Manuel, as he looked at Cartegna. "What do you expect out of the National Unity Party and its centrist and rightward leaning politics? Especially when taking on reforms?" "Well Salvatore Torres has said he is in agreement with the left, on the matter of reform, we can probably expect Mr. Torres to make a more fiscally conservative approach to reform, trying to ensure the country does not run a budgetary deficit. Torres is very moderate, he swings left and right on different issues, he has a good temperament for the position of Prime Minister, he's able to work with both sides of the political fence." "How would you describe a Torres government in one word, if you can use foresight and look into the future a bit?" "Responsibility," responded the college professor, without hesitation. "Having associations with Salvatore in the past, he is like many of the politicians who are taking to the government today, patriotic, pragmatic, they are problem-solvers, they see problems, they want to fix them. Of course, its sometimes hard to fix them when you think your way is best and the other man's isn't, but that's politics for you." Cartegna chuckled slightly, before Peron continued, "No, I fully believe that Mr. Torres will have a positive impact on our country socioeconomically, in all honesty, from an analyst's point of view such as mine, I believe that a centrist government is something that is needed right now, as the country is getting on its feet." "Of course, that makes sense, so from the sounds of it, the people of the Republic can rest assured that a centrist is in power, you heard it here first. Doctor, lets talk external relations and defense here quickly, before we move on to our next guest." "Fire away," nodded Manuel, as he took another sip from his glass of water, coughing lightly, before looking at Cartegna. "Given your position in the National Transition Council, can you give the viewers today a look into the future of external relations for Gran Colombia?" "While I'm not officially involved in the International Affairs Working Group, I believe the stated policy of the working group that the conduct of external relations by Gran Colombia is going to be a complex multilevel approach. The continuity of positive liaisons with the South American and North American community is preferable, although our confidence was shaken by the Umbrella Commonwealth's foray into Europ-." "I think everyone suffered some loss in confidence by that action," interrupted Cartegna, as he sifted through his notes, with a chuckle, and looked at Manuel, who nodded and shared a gentle laugh. "Those actions aside, the Republic was born into a relatively close and well-knit community of regional neighbors, we hope to continue positive relations for the sake of regional unity, as well as commerce and defense. Relations with Caribbean Rim countries will also take close precedent, as are relations with Pacific Coast neighbors, these are all areas of great interest to the nation, in my eyes. The public will see the International Affairs Ministry working to secure positive relations on all these fronts, as well as make intercontinental global connections, we live in a world that is closer than ever before, it is globalized, economies are interconnected and interrelated, trade protectionism is not as prevalent as it used to be. Our International Affairs bureau realizes this, and will be working hard to ensure that the people of this country are well represented abroad." "Just a few minutes left here, how about defense?" asked Cartegna, after nodding affirmatively at Peron. "Well, the armed forces of the Republic are certainly a priority, especially to the Torres Government, although to what extent it is a priority, still remains unclear, the attempt on President de Ardanza's life and the subsequent investigation has pointed to some troubling internal developments. What is very clear is that the military will be used in a constabulary role to augment security forces, given the history of insurgencies that have left this region, especially its' interior, war torn at times. The military is, of course, reorganizing and it will be in that phase for a good number of the coming months. I believe that enlistments are hitting record highs, however, and who can't blame it, the patriotic fervor that has driven many to join is rather addictive," nodded Manuel. "Is the military ready to defend this nation in the event of war? I mean, considering the actions of our neighbors and the tension the globe continues to find itself in, I think its a valid question." "The military is ready to defend this nation to the best of its current capabilities, Alejandro, I am confident to say that this country [i]as a whole[/i] is ready to defend itself in the event of war. Yes, the world is a tense place at this moment, but I do believe that the current geopolitical situation as it is, does not point to a general war that would see our Republic's sovereignty threatened," responded Manuel, looking assertively at Cartegna. "Very well," nodded the reporter, then turning to smile at the camera, "I'm afraid that that's all the time we have with Doctor Peron this morning, thank you again for joining us Doctor." "It was my pleasure, God Bless," said the college professor, as the show cut to commercial break. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheShammySocialist Posted August 5, 2012 Author Report Share Posted August 5, 2012 The light mist made the forested slopes of the Monserrate eerie in the early morning hours, the two horse riders, silhouetted against the mist, gently trotted along the trails that led along the side of the mountain, offering views of Bogota along the way. That view was limited this morning, with the fog having settled in over night, and it would last well into the mid morning before the sun would finally burn through its humid grasps. However, the seemingly gloomy atmosphere did not stall Ignacio de Ardanza's meeting with Brigadier General Carlos Jimenez, who had accepted Ignacio's invitation to go riding with him. The two Mangalarga Marchadors, a grey Brazilian breed of formerly Andalusian horses, trotted smartly through the eerie fog, keeping a leisurely pace with one another. Ignacio, being the successful businessman that he used to be, owned both horses, and had them transferred into a stable near Bogota after moving into the Presidential Palace. Both had greeted one another and talked about a lighter fare of subjects upon arriving at the trailhead, but they had fallen into silence for the last mile or so, enjoying the quiet trails, the sounds of Bogota very distant and almost non-existent. As they rounded a corner, Ignacio would be the first to speak in nearly thirty minutes, "Your history proceeds you, General. I believe I can thank the Heavens above that you and your movement laid down their arms, and came back into civilization's fold when independence was declared. Carlos Jimenez was the older of the two, with nearly twenty years on the younger President, and his history was one of regional interest and, at times, could be described as notorious. He had begun a military career in the Holy American Empire, but during the wars that saw the Empire dissolve, his group of Colombian Nationalists had been soundly defeated in the campaign by the Lunar Republic. Although he remained a force in the interior of Colombia and Venezuela, a constant annoyance to successive governments and overseers of the territory since with a masterful guerrilla campaign, only until Gran Colombia was founded, did the warlord and his band of guerrillas lay down their arms. A subsequent meeting with members of the National Transition Council served to reinforced relations and brought Jimenez back to national service, and many of his guerrillas enlisted along with their leader. "This country is a dream come true to me, Ignacio, you and I are idealists, like many people in this region are, we find equilibrium in tradition and patriotic sentiment, some of us, like yourself, embraced the new ways. It is not a bad thing, the lingering idealist in your heart came out, I saw my movement destroyed before it could be formed by imperialists from across the sea before my eyes. It pushed me to seek vengeance, I think the culmination of the Republic secured the dream I had for this region," nodded Jimenez, who had initially been referring to Ignacio as 'Mr. President', until Ignacio had convinced him to do otherwise. "It is a dream that needs protection, and I daresay, a dream that could find its way outside of this nation," said Ignacio, lightly, as his mount grunted softly. "We need experienced soldiers to defend this nation, provide our armed forces with a seasoned eye for detail, that knows both success and defeat, in my opinion. You are one of the few General Staff officers that has seen combat action, has tasted the sweet and bitter fruits of armed conflict for the longest time. You conducted a campaign for more than decade, against successive governments that secured a place in this region, you have an eye for detail and strong patriotic sentiment that you have espoused and is well known." "Leading a force of hundreds, or even tens of thousands, is much more responsibility than anything I have ever had for resources, Ignacio, I'm not sure what you are asking of me, but you are taking a chance by giving me any further responsibilities than my current post," responded Jimenez, looking over at Ignacio. Jimenez looked impressive, even in his semi-formal uniform, without his peaked officer's cap. "I need your expertise in strategy, Carlos, you are one of the few officers who has actual wartime strategic experience, you know how to make do with what the fates have dealt you for a hand. I need that kind of person leading more than just one of our frontier divisions," responded Ignacio, referring to Jimenez's current post as the temporary commander of the 2nd Light Division, which was specifically being trained for jungle and highland warfare, and light infantry tactics. Jimenez pulled the reins on his mount, and the horse came to a stop, Ignacio bringing his own to a stop as well, and looking at the former guerrilla commander. "What kind of responsibility are we talking about, Ignacio?" "I would like you to my Chief of Defense Staff, overseeing all branches of the military, you have the leadership qualities and expertise, and you'll have the subordinates who will be able to work out the details and day-to-day workings of the military. I need a seasoned officer as my Chief of Defense Staff, one who I know who has experience in basically dealing with a military that is in transition, we need a unique view and take on the military. I believe that you are the best candidate, and the Defense Planning Working Group has had similar sentiments about you," responded Ignacio, firmly. "You have the eye for detail to oversee the entire military." "I cannot guarantee that my ideas will always be acceptable to you or the Defense Ministry," said Jimenez, after seeming to think over Ignacio's words a little. "That is why we compromise, we flush ideas out, we make concessions when we feel they need to be made, and we have a mutual trust in one another to do what is right for this country, nothing more. I believe that we both can follow that type of working relationship, there is nothing that tells me that you would make a suggestion that might jeopardize the integrity and sovereignty of this nation, without good reason that is," responded Ignacio, as he looked at Jimenez, his eyes studying the military officers' expression, which seemed to soften. "You are certainly right on your last point," responded Jimenez, his voice full of assurance, as he scratched at some scruff on his neck. "I accept your offer, Mr. President," he continued, his voice changing to a formal tone, as he addressed Ignacio. "As I'm pretty sure you're not very fond of public engagements and formal dinners and the like," said Ignacio, as he took what looked like a jewelry case from his saddle bag, and handed it over to Jimenez. "I thought you'd be at home out here, receiving these." Jimenez would look at Ignacio, then open the case, revealing a line of four stars, the rank of General, then he looked up Ignacio again. "Congratulations General," said Ignacio, with a polite smile, and nod of affirmation. "Thank you sir," replied Jimenez, looking slightly stunned at Ignacio and smiling lightly, his attitude seemed to be one of not only disbelief, but of reaffirmed confidence in him, and that the President had confirmed his confidence in the former guerrilla's loyalty. "We have a lot of work to do, but I believe that can wait a little bit," said Ignacio, as he brought the reins up on his horse, and urging him along the trail. "I believe that Emile needs a good run every so often," he added, and with a smile at his new Chief of Defense Staff, he snapped the reins and urged the horse to gallop. Jimenez would do the same, and the two took off at a bolt along the trails, dashing through the eerie mists that were slowly starting to be burned off, it was starting to become clear in Bogota, literally and figuratively... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheShammySocialist Posted August 7, 2012 Author Report Share Posted August 7, 2012 (edited) [b]Encrypted Electronic Correspondence[/b] [quote][b]To: Offices of the Chief of Staff of the National Army, Chief of Staff of the Navy, and Chief of Staff of the Air Force From: Office of the Chief of Defense Staff, C. JIMENEZ, GEN CC: Office of the President; Office of the Minister of Defense; Office of the Prime Minister; Office of the Minister of the Interior Subj: Structure of the [i]Fuerzas Militares de Gran Colombia[/i][/b] [i]Gentlemen,[/i] With the continued development and reorganization of the military, my office has begun the first steps towards a standardized organization of the National Army, Navy, and Air Force, whilst drawing an entirely redeveloped plan of action for the procurement of weaponry and primary associated systems. In this email, I will detail the specifics of this plan of reorganization, as well as setting priorities for the military as a whole to accomplish during the next calendar year. These goals are ambitious, some may not be achieved in this year, but it would be desirable to see a majority of them achieved. The President, as well as the Congress, have set ambitious force strength levels for us to achieve, and given the continued ebb and flow of tensions about the globe, such a force strength level is preferable for our nation, despite the costs in money and resources associated, which will level out in the future after the military's establishment. The National Army shall be reorganized into sixty (60), twelve-thousand-soldier combat divisions, counting both regular and first-line reserve units, and will feature a wide array of specialized units, including armored, naval infantry, light (jungle and mountain), and airborne/air assault forces. These will be complemented with special forces units which will include Tier 1 and 2 special operations forces, including clandestine (Black Operations) forces, as well as naval assault, demolition, and direct action teams, regular direct action forces, as well as light infantry support forces, from which many of these units will draw the best soldiers from, Tier-1 assets will be available to the National Intelligence and Security Directorate for intelligence gathering and surveillance, as well as counter-terrorism. Material priorities for the National Army include light armament caliber standardization, the procurement of a new assault rifle, the standardization of vehicular forces, the procurement of a modern main battle tank as well as mechanized vehicles to accompany it, and the development of new artillery forces, both light and heavy. Given its very debilitated status right now, the Navy's priorities are currently to begin advanced training in both littoral and blue water naval warfare whilst continuing to practice both naval gunnery accuracy, as well as continue the development of interoperability with the combined services. The Congress has approved the development of both brown-water, littoral, and blue-water naval capabilities including the development of up to five "substantially-sized" aircraft carriers, as well as "significant" amphibious capability. The training and doctrine associated with these two types of warfare, along with the need to increase competency in anti-submarine and anti-aircraft warfare, is paramount and will be a definite priority as the ships become available to the Navy. Other significant naval priorities include the advanced development of a wide array of anti-shipping missiles and torpedoes, joint development of a high-performance fighter with the air force, development of an auxiliary support fleet, development of advanced naval artillery weaponry, and the development of a joint coastal defense force with the National Army. Lastly, the Air Force is operating along the same line as the Navy, with only a limited number of combat aircraft, with some of them being woefully obsolete in today's modern battlefield and technological standards. While most of the Air Forces' equipment could theoretically stand on its own against relatively advanced enemies, the infrastructure as well as advanced training simply does not exist, and while there are some quite well-experienced pilots, the Air Force needs to standardize training to provide a satisfactory level for all combat and auxiliary pilots based on their discipline. Working in cohesion with the National Army, the Air Force is to also develop an advanced anti-aircraft network and early warning system to complement it, to provide the best level of static and mobile defenses that the nation can provide. Working in cohesion with the Ministry of the Interior and Ministry of Home Affairs, the Air Force will also help coordinate an effort to provide Civil Defense forces with a network of bomb and fallout shelters in the event of sustained aerial or nuclear bombardment for the civilian population. Further priorities for the Air Force include the development and procurement of advanced stealth fighter and bomber forces, as well as an advanced tactical aircraft force, development of advanced aerial doctrines, coordination with the Navy on maritime patrol and defense, and working in cohesion with all armed forces on the procurement of a standard medium utility helicopter which can be used as a tactical transport, as well as excel in search and rescue, anti-submarine warfare, direct action, and patrol duties. We expect to develop these priorities further in joint defense committee meetings, but these reflect current standards for all branches, and I personally look forward to input from both our civilian counterparts, as well as from within the military itself. [i]Signed, C. JIMENEZ, GEN[/i] [b]Chief of Defense Staff Military Forces of Greater Colombia[/b][/quote] Edited August 8, 2012 by TheShammySocialist Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheShammySocialist Posted August 8, 2012 Author Report Share Posted August 8, 2012 [b]Official Public Statement[/b] "In an effort to ensure the smooth conduct of international relations with all countries about the globe, the Gran Colombia Ministry of International Affairs has organized the dispatch of embassy and consulate staff to all nations of the world. The goal of these missions is to establish a series of international consulates to provide Colombian Citizens with a location to go if there is an issue within their country of visit, and to provide a conduit for foreign citizens wishing to conduct business or education in, long-term visits or emigration to, the Republic. We look forward to building amicable relations with all nations abroad, and continue to strive for positive global citizenship." Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheShammySocialist Posted August 9, 2012 Author Report Share Posted August 9, 2012 The applause broke slowly as Salvatore Torres, the Prime Minister, continued to address the Chamber of Representatives in the country's first 'State of the Republic' speech, which had been organized at the insistence of President Ignacio de Ardanza, to give the public, as well as the world, an overview of the government's priorities, ongoing projects, and its stance on both internal and external events. The center-right Torres, a middle-aged college associate professor, who had delved into the world of politics, had just finished addressing the Chamber of Representatives, the High Court Judges, and invited guests on reform plans for healthcare and social security, the reforms being a bartered and hashed out plan from both sides of the political aisle. Torres sipped his glass of water, the greying Prime Minister's blue eyes sweeping expansively over the crowd of politicians, officials, judges, and private civilians, before stating firmly, after the applause had died down, "As many of you can surmise recent statement by the Ministry of International Affairs, the Republic has undertaken a proactive stance in its' diplomatic dealings and actions, in an effort to contribute positively to the global community. We are an idealistic nation, built on the dreams of not just one man in our history, but on the dreams of many men and women, this is a country built on equality and freedom, a tradition that is rich in its history back to its original founding over two centuries ago. But this is a changed world from the days of Simon Bolivar and his compatriots, we follow a path similar to his, but one that may be even more perilous then the one he took when he originally founded this nation." "Many regions of this world remain bastions of stability, save for the recent spate over the Great Britain, Eurasia remains stable and relatively peaceful, the great continent of Africa remains at peace and near unity. It is our hemisphere that continues to be a battleground for many great powers, as well as regional powers, and while North America has slowly solidified itself, save for hiccups now and then, South America has become the newest region of instability. Recent actions by the Imperial Commonwealth of Umbrella has opened this continent and its premier power to questions of its intentions, and by extension, has left our continent vulnerable. In our proactive stance, the Republic is moving forward to ensure that this continent's stability is once again ensured, we are people who have felt the trod of colonialism, it is a history we have embraced in stride, we take it for what it is, but we should know better than to impose it upon others," stated Torres, his voice confident and his tone seeming to rise with the speech. "Our country will work to contain threats that seek to disparage or tarnish the reputation of this region, this continent, which we consider to be our home as well, we will also move forward to ensure that this is a continent that is respected for its ability to self-police itself, for its citizens to find responsibility within their hearts. It is an ambitious proposal I am putting forward, we face certain adversity, from both reluctance from within ourselves, as well as potential lurking enemies abroad. If there is one thing that we must take from the [i]Libertados[/i] of the past, is that they were willing to move against one of the greatest global powers. They stood against the exploiting hand of colonialism, they took up the mantle of republicanism and equality, the latter quality before the United States even could overcome its' racial segregation. We are the sons and daughters of Europeans, Africans, and Native Americans, of indigenous peoples, immigrants, and slaves brought here against their will. We will not forget that heritage, we move forward proactively to defend that heritage, and hopefully find neighbors of similar ideological qualities," called out Torres, known for being a very spirited public speaker, his voice ebbing and flowing, growing in crescendo as he spoke. "We will not see that heritage disparaged, our regional history remembered for irresponsibility, we are above that, we will not suffer it through the actions of others. We move forward to create positive results from our external relations, but we must always be prepared to effect action to ensure that a positive result is effected in the long run," said Torres, looking with a sweeping gaze about his audience, many of whom were nodding. "That, is our policy on international relations, this is not a state of reaction, it is a state that effects [i]the[/i] action, through proactive means, whatever they may be." As he took a sip of his glass of water, the Chamber of Representatives erupted in applause, many politicians, from all parties, coming to their feet, as well as other attendees of the address, which was being televised nationally and internationally. Ignacio de Ardanza would be sitting in the front row, and shared in the applause, standing for a moment, Elena by his side, but he remained demure, Torres' line of international policy had been approved by him, although his rhetoric here and now was fiery, he wouldn't criticize him for it. "A rather stirring speech," called Elena, over the applause, as she took her seat again next to Ignacio. "Very rousing, I must say, but there is difference between talking that kind of talk, and walking the walk that comes along with it, our mettle and resolve to stick to our policies may be tested," responded Ignacio, smiling gently as she took his hand. "And I have no doubt we can do that," she said, smiling back at him, as they exchanged knowing looks with one another as the applause reached its crescendo, then began to die down. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheShammySocialist Posted August 9, 2012 Author Report Share Posted August 9, 2012 [b]Encrypted Electronic Correspondence[/b] [quote][b]To: Offices of the Chief of Staff of the National Army, Chief of Staff of the Navy, and Chief of Staff of the Air Force From: Office of the Chief of Defense Staff, C. JIMENEZ, GEN CC: Office of the President; Office of the Minister of Defense; Office of the Prime Minister; Office of the Minister of the Interior; Office of the Minister of Home Affairs Subj: Military Exercises and Environmental Immersion Training[/b] [i]Gentlemen,[/i] As discussed at our last national security meeting, your respective branches are to begin independent as well as joint military exercises to continue building competency in respective environments. For this round of training, the Air Force and National Army are to undertake tactical air support coordination without the use of global positioning system software, through the use of maps and compasses only to increase competency in manually guided close air support. The Navy is to continue brown water support and patrol operations with Riverine forces on the Orinoco River, with exercises in brown water amphibious deployment and exfiltration tactics, which will encompass members of the 1st Provisional Marine Brigade, an amalgamation of recently-trained marine infantry. Naval gunnery and missile exercises will continue at the onshore naval artillery and rocketry range south of Caracas as scheduled, and will continue indefinitely. Furthermore, the three light corps of the National Army (Second, Fifth, and Seventh Corps), are hereby deployed to the Amazon Frontier, in both States, and Pacaraima Mountains in the Venezuelan State for environmental immersion training. These Corps are to remain on station for a full three weeks, during which time survival, light infantry tactics, marksmanship, infiltration and exfiltration, and frontier medical evacuation training will occur. These units will be supplied in coordination with the Air Force, which will practice air-to-ground resupply coordination missions during these exercises. [i]Signed, C. JIMENEZ, GEN[/i] [b]Chief of Defense Staff Military Forces of Greater Colombia[/b][/quote] Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheShammySocialist Posted August 10, 2012 Author Report Share Posted August 10, 2012 (edited) As work proceeded to economically strengthen the country abroad, funded by corporations and the government alike, with investments in infrastructure being one of the more prevalent and visible revitalizations in the country. Further improvements were being made privately to the country's energy and manufacturing sector, agriculture also receiving a boost from government tax breaks to help encourage growth and development. The major defense contractors of the nation, such as the Aerospace firm Aguila de Colombia, and the various shipyards, including the large shipbuilding complexes centered around the strategic port of Maracaibo, continued to run up positive economic growth, fueled by domestic arms contracts. Various classes of naval vessels, large and small had begun construction in relative solitude, with the government only releasing small amounts of information about the future size of the fleet. The government-owned and -run small arms and artillery manufacturer, Indumil, would also see massive contracts being pushed through its two facilities in Colombia State, a third arsenal was being constructed in Ciudad Bolivar in the State of Venezuela. Vehicle manufacturing giant, National Motors of Colombia, was also setting up additional manufacturing plants in Venezuela to help supply further demands, put forth by both the civilian and military sectors. Further infrastructure spending which was providing jobs to civilians included the recent construction of major military garrisons and installations, including the ongoing construction of a division-sized bivouac at Santa Elena de Uairen, including expanded aerial facilities at the local airport, which would be a joint civil-military controlled installation. A similar brigade-sized installation was also under construction in the Colombian Department of Guaviare at the town of Miraflores, one of the few significant places in the Colombian Amazon that was reachable by vehicle and not just aircraft, boat, or foot travel. Further improvements to local infrastructure in the Amazonian regions of both states was underway, providing jobs to local workers and improving the economy in both interior regions, which were rather isolated from the rest of the country. The Amazonian region would not be the only areas of interest for military garrisons, military garrisons in the Colombian State at Girardot and Villavicencio were also being expanding from existing facilities, as well as an expansion of the Colombian Pacific Fleet's anchorage at Buenaventura, as well as the Caribbean Fleet's facilities at Turbo and various bases along the Venezuelan State's coastline. The expansion of fixed early warning systems and radar systems were also making an appearance along the coasts and interior of the country and on outlying islands off the northern coast. Edited August 10, 2012 by TheShammySocialist Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheShammySocialist Posted August 11, 2012 Author Report Share Posted August 11, 2012 (edited) [b]Encrypted Electronic Correspondence[/b] [quote][b]To: Office of the Chief of Defense Staff, C. JIMENEZ, GEN From: Office of the Chief of Staff of the Navy, J. MORALES, VADM CC: Office of the President; Office of the Minister of Defense; Office of the Prime Minister Subj: Naval Procurement Totals[/b] [i]General,[/i] As promised to you at our last national security meeting last week, the Navy was preparing the final tally of vessels, the types of vessels, and the various classes of vessels that would be commissioned as the part of Gran Colombian Navy. This list will not include auxiliary vessels, including lighter patrol gunboats and utility vessels like mine countermeasures ships, as well as fleet support vessels, which will be tallied at a later date. In another development, the Navy has approved Bell Colombia's multi-branch contender for a utility, anti-submarine warfare, search and rescue, and patrol helicopter, the CH-148 [i]Ciclón[/i], whose procurement will begin immediately. All vessels that are mentioned hereafter are currently in the procurement system, and many are already under construction, with a number of lighter vessels approaching launch and outfitting. As per procedure, the names of all active combat ships will be affixed with title 'Republic of Greater Colombia Ship' or 'RGCS' before their names, while auxiliary vessels will have the title 'Republic of Greater Colombia Auxiliary Ship' or 'RGCAS' before their names. And without further ado, here is the current roster of vessels and classes, and the numbers of each that will be in active commission; [list] [*]Five [url="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gerald_R._Ford_class_aircraft_carrier"][i]Boyacá[/i]-class Fleet Aircraft Carriers[/url] (Improved anti-air armaments, sensors/processing systems, and CIWS expected in final production) [*]Eight [url="http://i1192.photobucket.com/albums/aa325/VictorDeltaRomeo/arsenal1l.jpg"][i]Citadel[/i]-class Guided Missile Arsenal Vessels[/url] (Two reduced visibility 155mm guns expected to be installed, along with multiple CIWS systems, nuclear powered) [*]Six [url="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wasp_class_amphibious_assault_ship"][i]Endurance[/i]-class Amphibious Assault Ships[/url] (Improved sensors/processing systems/self-defense/offensive armament on final versions expected to be more advanced/heavier) [*]Three [url="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/San_Antonio_class_amphibious_transport_dock"][i]Rapier[/i]-class Amphibious Transport Docks[/url] (Improved self-defense armament expected on final versions) [*]Seven [url="http://i1192.photobucket.com/albums/aa325/VictorDeltaRomeo/USACGFGMCFutureGuidedMissileCruiser.gif"][i]Companion[/i]-class Guided Missile Cruisers[/url] (Initial design pictured, final ship length to be revised and expanded by twenty-five meters) [*]Ten [url="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sejong_the_Great_class_destroyer"][i]Bogota[/i]-class Heavy Guided Missile Destroyers[/url] (Further expansion of CIWS systems to be expected in final outfitting) [*]Twenty-Five [url="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Atago_class_destroyer"]Libertadore-class Guided Missile Destroyers[/url] (Thorough improvements and expansion of CIWS/sensors and processing systems expected) [*]Fifteen [url="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-aiyD_7Ll8lc/TmaCx2uNd8I/AAAAAAAAAfc/UEuDUxoVuAQ/s1600/Type+26+Frigate_Data.JPG"][i]Dauntless[/i]-class Heavy Frigates[/url] (Enhanced CIWS improvements, including tri-pack CIWS modules expected to be installed, VLS tubes expanded to a maximum of twenty four, with sixteen of the forward CAAM missile tubes being split into eight-tube increments, and set diagonally into the ships' bow hull on starboard and port, anti-submarine warfare package to include stern-launched unmanned long-endurance submersibles for tracking and trailing submarines) [*]Twenty [url="http://www.trdefence.com/multimedia/tf-2000-frigate.jpg"]River-class Multimission Frigates[/url] (Vertical launch systems pegged at 64-cell tactical strike package forward, with sixteen Sylver A-35 vertical anti-aircraft missile launching tubes midships, final outfits of gun systems unknown currently, two CIWS packages expected, modular strike packages to include both exceptional anti-aircraft and anti-submarine warfare packages and attributing sensors and processing systems) [*]Eight [url="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Type_212_submarine"]Island-class Diesel Submarines[/url] (Subsurface-launched anti-helicopter/patrol missiles to be employed, as well as enhanced sensor and processing systems) [*]Six [url="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Graney_class_submarine"][i]Rousseau[/i]-class Multimission Submarines[/url] (Subsurface-launched anti-helicopter/patrol missiles to be employed) [*]Ten [url="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/USS_Seawolf_%28SSN-21%29"][i]Valiant[/i]-class Nuclear Attack Submarines[/url] (Subsurface-launched anti-helicopter/patrol missiles to be employed, improvements to pressure hull to allow for greater operating depths) [*]Six [url="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ohio_class_submarine"]Mountain-class Ballistic Missile Submarines[/url] (Three to be constructed as guided missile submarines, with a capacity of 154 cruise missiles) [*]Twenty [url="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Formidable_class_frigate"][i]Pursuit[/i]-class Reduced Visibility Heavy Corvettes[/url] (Anti-ship missile launchers to be replaced with extra VLS systems, one tri-pack CIWS system expected to be employed) [*]Twenty-Five [url="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/USS_Freedom_%28LCS-1%29"]Department-class Littoral Combat Ships[/url] (Tri-pack CIWS system expected to be employed in place of RAM launcher on final version, modular strike and mission packages) [/list] The list of vessels available does seem rather exhaustive, but it is expected that the Navy will be able to form a full five carrier battle groups (CBG) out of the vessels listed, with enough vessels left over to provide littoral defense of the nation if all CBG are deployed out of home waters. Although the Navy's expressed current role is to ensure the sovereignty of the waters of the Republic, the ability to project power to at least one other region overseas is one that must be taken seriously, given our new commitment to the global community. Two carrier battle groups are expected to be deployed to our Caribbean and Atlantic bases, while the other three will be posted on the Pacific Coast, most littoral vessels will be deployed, obviously in the Caribbean, and provide the first line of defense as well as ensure the maritime integrity of the Republic as a whole. All vessels will be provided with the most advanced systems as well as countermeasures and decoys, as well as undergoing bi-annual HTS Degaussing. [i]Signed with Regards, J. MORALES, VADM[/i] [b]Chief of Staff of the Navy Military Forces of Greater Colombia[/b][/quote] Edited October 12, 2012 by TheShammySocialist Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheShammySocialist Posted August 11, 2012 Author Report Share Posted August 11, 2012 "You know, I think I prefer the in-person briefings by the Home Affairs Ministry over all others," chuckled Ignacio de Ardanza, as he finished sharing a series of steamy kisses with Elena Vasquez, who was still seated in his lap. As requested by Ignacio, the Deputy Ministers of each Ministry would present a weekly face-to-face briefing with him during the week, on a scheduled rotation. The weekly briefings provided a chance for him to look over data, priorities, and issues relating to each ministry, allowing him to keep pace with the developments and issues that might require his input or actions on the part of the executive branch to look into. "I can't imagine why," responded Elena, a grin spreading on her face, as she shared one last peck on the lips with him, curled up on his lap on a wicker couch on the enclosed porch of the Narino Palace, and the staff had been made well aware to leave them to their own devices, unless there was an emergency that required one or both of their attentions. As he moved in for a kiss on her neck, she smiled, and said, "Ignacio, work time." There was a muffled rumble of thunder nearby, adding to the soft patter of light rain on the roof above them, a cool, moist air drifted in through some of the windows, making both shiver and Elena curl up tighter as she shifted out of his lap. He smiled, gave her a soft peck on the cheek, then sat back on the couch as she settled next to him, her legs draped over his lap as she curled up against his side against the cool air that was drifting into enclosed porch. As she reached over to grab her briefing folder that they had discarded next to themselves, Ignacio spoke up, after feeling the shiver, "Want me to get the windows?" "No, that's fine," she responded, with a polite smile. "Cool air helps keep my head clear around you." She accentuated her point with a soft jab of her fist into his shoulder, as she grasped her folder, the President chuckling softly as she settled back against his side. As part of the Ministry of Home Affairs, Elena assisted Home Affairs Minister Diego Flores in overseeing departments involving social services, healthcare, education, infrastructure, emergency response services, workplace safety, along with numerous other functions. Home Affairs was one of the most expansive of the Ministries, and employed the bulk of the Republic's workers due to its vast responsibilities. Ignacio chuckled softly at her commentary, and looked at the brief folder, which was typically large as usual, he would read the summary report, typically twenty pages long, that was prepared for him in the front of the folder, and then, refer to other data in the rest of the summary report if he needed to. "What do you have for me this week, love?" he asked, as she set the folder down in her lap, and opened it up to a list of bullet points that she had made that she wanted to discuss. "Well, the infrastructure funding that we were talking about last week, that was partially stalled out in the Chamber of Representatives, got pushed through finally, there were a few tweaks that needed to be made. There has also been clamor over the possibility of a new infrastructure project, that has reached our doors," she replied. "Well, we needed to sink a lot of money into improvements to the road and rail system, where did the project come from?" "The Chamber, they brought up an old plan that had been shelved for a long time, the building and/or expansion of a rail link between the ports of Turbo on the Caribbean and Buenaventura, as well as expanded rail links between Buenaventura and the Venezuelan State, including Puerto La Cruz and areas in between," responded Elena, sliding out a map to emphasize her points. "Sounds like a rather large undertaking to me," replied Ignacio, as he lightly took the map from her, highlighted rail routes were outlined on the map, and he scratched at his beard lightly. "It would, however, complement the expansion of the ports at Turbo and Buenvaventura, which are already ongoing, and it would also decrease the dependency on trucks and increase efficiency, as well as provide further jobs in regions where unemployment is currently higher than the national average," countered Elena, knowing this is how Ignacio liked to be sold on ideas. He would express some doubt in them, to elicit a response of data. It was a rather neat tactic that forced politicians and Ministers to break their plans down, and pushed them to be well versed in their information before taking proposals to him. "Speak with Calles, see if he can find railroad corporate support for a government-assisted project building these links, I'd like to see private or maybe even foreign investment in this project," replied Ignacio, referring to Treasury Minister Francisco Calles. "That might require us to issue government bonds," countered Elena, looking up at Ignacio. "Which I believe, would still net us a profit in the long run, as well as provide a source of investment for outside governments or corporations in our country," replied Ignacio, the edge of confidence in his voice evident, given this was his area of expertise. "Speaking of investment, we've been able to secure corporate investments along with our own, for educational purposes, the Treasury is currently crunching the numbers, PDVSA, as well as Synergy Group and Ecopetrol, have all pledged upwards of three billion Bolivarian Pesos in educational funding. There are a number of other companies and corporations which have pledged funding for education, and it will be appropriated into public school and college budgets for the next four fiscal years. A lot of the funding is going to providing further enhancements to classroom, providing audio visual equipment, computers, access to the internet, scientific equipment, and other upgrades," nodded Elena, smiling proudly at Ignacio. "Give your public relations department a congratulations for me, that's very good news," nodded Ignacio, as he looked at a graph Elena handed to him showing projected contributions to public education. "It also has secured further funding for public television and radio broadcasting, enough so to alleviate any governmental budgetary constraints on them," nodded Elena. "Synergy has agreed to help fund the building of further broadcasting relay towers in more remote areas, which will bring public broadcasting to remote areas of the nation, as well as provide them with emergency alert services when needed. Some of the telecommunications companies have been speaking to us about this as well, and will assist in funding, provided they can use the towers for their own services," replied Elena. "Good, very good, healthcare?" "That's pretty much the last thing on my list of things to talk about," replied Elena. "Torres is due to vote on the National Healthcare System reform this week, as you know, in the Chamber, and our department of health is already on overtime trying to coordinate the application of the system. As you know, the Treasury put a hiring freeze on the government about two weeks ago for an entire quarter, as they are already playing catch up on working through kinks on the government employee payment and benefits system. Both Torres and Flores asked me to talk to you to see if you can get Calles to lift the employment freeze, if we don't, the implementation of reforms on the National Healthcare System will probably take a lot longer." "Alright, I'll speak with Francisco about it, I'll hear him out, but the NHS reforms are one of the, if not [i]the[/i] most important political issues facing the nation right now, the implementation and streamlining of them now, in a timely fashion, saves us from possible bureaucratic nightmares down the road," replied Ignacio, looking grimly at Elena, before smiling warmly at his companion. "What?" Ignacio just shrugged, and continued smiling. "No. Love, I am not staying tonight, I have an early morning tomorrow, I'm going to be meeting with Flores and a group of representatives from a bunch of corporations over this educational funding, they want to meet to play golf, the meeting is at five thirty. And [i]you[/i] need to call Calles tonight, and convince that stingy !@#$%^& to allow us some more workers." "Just for dinner," prodded Ignacio, just keeping his smile on his face. "No, we both know that you'll want to 'sit and talk' for awhile after that, [i]I am not staying[/i]," said Elena, standing up briskly, trying to keep a determined face, and picking up her purse and briefcase. She leaned over to give him a kiss, which lingered for a moment, her hardened expression softening as their lips met. She tore herself away from the kiss, and started to walk towards the porch door, her pace slowly grinding to a halt, Ignacio hearing a heavy sigh. "Alright, but just for dinner, having dinner alone at my flat is depressing anyways," she sighed again, looking at him with a slight blush on her cheeks, but her eyes twinkling. Ignacio just chuckled, as he picked up the phone next to himself, as she dropped her belongings back on the couch again, and curled up next to him, burying her head into his shoulder as he spoke with the kitchen staff. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheShammySocialist Posted August 12, 2012 Author Report Share Posted August 12, 2012 (edited) [b]Encrypted Electronic Correspondence[/b] [quote][b]To: Office of the Chief of Defense Staff, C. JIMENEZ, GEN From: Office of the Chief of Staff of the Air Force, V. ESCOBAR, AIR MARSHAL CC: Office of the President; Office of the Minister of Defense; Office of the Prime Minister Subj: Aircraft Standardization Acceptance[/b] ATTACHMENTS [i]Salutations General,[/i] As we discussed in our last national security meeting, my Office was to give you the final list of aircraft that are being put into production for the Air Force, and will be utilized as our front-line combat aircraft. This list will also detail the fate of aircraft currently serving as the Republic's air force right now, and will provide you with an overview of the up-and-coming air force as whole, along with its force structure and potential. Some of the details of this list will include aircraft that will be put into service with Naval Aviation as part of our joint development of a Sixth Generation aircraft. The combat aircraft that I have detailed in this list have been given the green light for production by my Office and by the Treasury at fixed costs for serial production, and they all represent pinnacles of technology for our nation. All aircraft currently under production have been given the best sensor, early warning equipment, and countermeasures available to us, some of the descriptions will detail the loadouts of these aircraft, and will provide you with a basic overview of their capabilities. The attachments I have enclosed along with this email will provide you with further details on the aircraft in question, their production statuses, and answer most standard questions of their capabilities. If you have any questions, please feel free to give me a shout over the phone or respond to this briefing email.[list] [*][b]Synergy Aerospace [url="http://i1192.photobucket.com/albums/aa325/VictorDeltaRomeo/Possible6thGen.png"]F-1 [i]Halcón[/i] Stealth Air Superiority Fighter[/url][/b] - As part of our Sixth Generation Development Program (Project [i]Halcón[/i]), Synergy Group's Aerospace Division's contender came out in front of all other designs, providing a super-maneuverable, full-spectrum stealth, high speed aircraft for the Air Force. Clocking speeds up to Mach 2.4, with the ability to supercruise (go supersonic without the use of afterburners) at Mach 1.9, and able to reach 1000 NMi as a combat range, with possible increases provided by conformal fuel tanks which only effect the aircraft's radar signature minimally. Through the use of clever placement of the engine, the use of radar absorbent composite materials, and heat-reducing materials, including around the thrust-vectoring nozzles, infrared and radar detection of the aircraft is made much more difficult to the point of similar contemporary 6th Generation Aircraft. One of the reasons for the lower profile of the [i]Halcón[/i] is the elimination of the nose-cone sensor array, which has been replaced by sensors embedded throughout the entire aircraft, using fly-by-light controls. The use of fly-by-light also eliminates weight across the entire aircraft, and allows for a faster transmission of data throughout the entire aircraft as a whole. The aircraft has six main internal hardpoints that can carry both air-to-air missiles of various ranges, as well as ground attack ordinance, a mission the aircraft can perform when and if needed. Two shorter range hardpoints with dual short-range air-to-air missiles are located in the wing roots to provide the aircraft with further armament, the [i]Halcón[/i] also boasted a thirty millimeter caseless cannon, as well as microwave emission system, and direct energy weapon, the secondary of which can be used against inbound missiles as part of the planes' extensive countermeasures system, which also includes advanced chaff and flare systems. Main sensor arrays for the aircraft include three-hundred-and-sixty degree synthetic aperture radar as well as frequency-hopping low-probability of intercept radar, along with active and passive scanned array modules. The aircraft is also equipped with built-in infrared detection modules, as well as LIDAR and high-resolution electro-optical visual aids for target identification. With its advanced onboard sensor package, the [i]Halcón[/i] is also capable of using systems to jam or counter other radar systems, allowing it to perform electronic warfare missions, with the use of DRFM, cyber attacks, frequency modulation, and active radar cancellation, many of these features found aboard the contemporary Thales SPECTRA system. The Naval Variant of the [i]Halcón[/i], designated the NF-1, has strengthened landing gear, is CATOBAR-capable, and is slightly larger in size, with extra ground attack sensor systems included, to provide it with a multirole focus. [*][b]Aguila de Colombia [url="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Boeing_F-15SE_Silent_Eagle"]F-15SE [i]Silent Eagle[/i] Reduced Visibility Multirole Fighter[/url][/b] - The winning contender for a partially stealth multirole aircraft is the venerable F-15 design, mixed with materials and components nominally found on the F-1. The ability for the aircraft to be modular was a deciding factor in our decision to adapt it to our uses, it will be able to carry a standard fifteen-thousand pound load when not in stealth configurations. Its stealthier configurations do include a reduction in payload by a certain extent, but it will continue to carry satisfactory loads for tactical air support missions, the mission general envisioned for it. [*][b]Aguila de Colombia [url="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ilyushin_Il-102"]FB-102 [i]Javelina[/i] Tactical Fighter-Bomber[/url][/b] - Derived from an old design from the Soviet Design Bureau Ilyushin, the [i]Javelina[/i] is a complete revamp of the Il-102, with the elimination of its tail gun and the streamlining of its' crew area, to make it a single-seat aircraft. The [i]Javelina[/i] can utilize various strike packages, including gun and rocket pods, or guided air-to-surface munitions, as well as carrying anti-ship missiles, and even air-to-air missiles, providing a wide array of options. Coupling a low stall speed, as well as utilizing composite materials for strengthened structural ability, the [i]Javelina[/i] can absorb large amounts of ground fire and remain in the air and providing ground forces with a superb amount of firepower. [*][b]Synergy Aerospace [url="http://i1192.photobucket.com/albums/aa325/VictorDeltaRomeo/lockheed_future_bomber.jpg"]B-1 [i]Condor[/i] Stealth Heavy Regional Strike Aircraft[/url][/b] - The only contender for Project [i]Condor[/i], Synergy Aerospace utilized many design and material features found in its [i]Halcon[/i] design to develop the [i]Condor[/i] Regional Strike Aircraft. Built of similar composite materials to its smaller fighter cousin, the [i]Condor[/i] is able to haul ninety thousand pounds of ordinance in two internal weapons bays, which has modular rotating weapon launcher apparatus, or a standard bomb bay with multiple bomb racks. The use of conformal fuel or weapons pods on its fuselage or wing structure allow it further range (which is already pegged at 5,000 NMi without refueling with a standard tactical load) or weapon loads. Incorporating similar sensory packages as its smaller cousin, the [i]Condor[/i] can also be utilized in electronic warfare missions, as well as provide loitering missile truck services for air-to-air combat situations, at standoff ranges. [*][b]Synergy Aerospace [url="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/RC-135"]RC-135M [i]Overwatch[/i] Modular Strategic Reconnaissance Aircraft[/url][/b] - Building upon the C-135 Transport, with the design originating from the 1960s, Synergy Aerospace has developed a modular variant of the aircraft that can perform various reconnaissance duties, loitering at safe distances from target locations. Reconnaissance modules can be installed in about six hours time by an experienced ground maintenance crew, and the aircraft can be sent on mission within two hours after that. Standard modules include SIGINT, ELINT, COMINT, and MASINT capabilities. [*][b]Embraer [i]Super Tucano[/i] COIN Aircraft[/b] - CURRENTLY OPERATING - Strategic Reserve and Training Missions involving Close Air Support [*][b]General Dynamics F-16 [i]Viper[/i] Multirole Fighter[/b] - CURRENTLY OPERATING - To be placed in Strategic Reserve and Training Missions as Advanced Jet Trainer/Aggressor [*][b]Sukhoi Su-30MK2 [i]Flanker-G[/i] Long Range Strike Aircraft[/b] - CURRENTLY OPERATING - To be placed in Strategic Reserve and Training Missions as Advanced Jet Trainer/Aggressor [*][b]IAI [i]Kfir[/i] Fighter Bomber[/b] - CURRENTLY OPERATING - To be placed in Strategic Reserve and Training Missions as Advanced Jet Trainer/Aggressor [*][b]Douglas AC-47 [i]Spooky[/i] Aerial Gunship[/b] - CURRENTLY OPERATING - To be placed in Strategic Reserve and Training Missions as Standard Heavy Aircraft Trainer as well as Airborne Gunship Training; to be replaced by variant derived from [url="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lockheed_Martin_C-130J_Super_Hercules"]C-130J[/url], to be known as the [i]Wraith[/i] [/list] The twelve-plane squadron will remain the Air Force's primary deployable tactical unit, with three groups of four planes each operating together in a 'flight', five squadrons grouped together will be known as a 'Wing', and will be granted an Air Commodore to oversee the management of those forces. Depending on combat situations, wings and squadrons may be grouped together into an 'Expeditionary Air Force', if circumstances dictate such a measure occurring, but the main grouping of force structure is to be considered the 'Wing', which reports directly to the Air Force's Chief of Aerial Operations and the Chief of Air Defense in times of war or national emergency. [i]Signed with Regards, V. ESCOBAR, AIR MARSHAL[/i] [b]Chief of Staff of the Air Force Military Forces of Greater Colombia[/b][/quote] [b][OOC: Edited in for design specifics and clarification. October 20, 2012][/b] [b]Equipment Profile: F-1 [i]Halcón[/i][/b] The F-1 was the culmination of a crash design effort that was undertaken by Colombia's most important defense contract, Synergy Group, in response to a request by the Office of the Chief of Staff of the Air Force for a "Sixth Generation Stealth Fighter Aircraft that could serve as a multirole or air superiority platform". Although the request was relatively simple, Synergy Group undertook the request with vigor to create one of the foremost aerial designs in the Western Hemisphere. The XF-1 was the result of the Air Force's Project [i]Halcon[/i], with sleek lines and the elimination of the nose-cone based radar system, in an effort to further smooth leading edges of the aircraft to aid in reduced radar visibility. Built from a series of lightweight, flexible, yet strong composites, the F-1's wing structure utilizes a series of reinforced internal triangular wing braces to strengthen internal structure and provide the F-1 with high tolerance to the stresses in dives and super-maneuverability. Synergy Group made a concerted effort to ensure the fighter remained a relative lightweight, to ensure high performance, although this has resulted in a fighter whose range is a little less than of normal contemporaries, it ensured that when it [i]was [/i]in a fight, the aircraft could turn and perform with most aircraft. Utilizing two three-dimensional thrust-vectoring modules, the fighter is capable of high speed maneuverability, whilst the vectoring units are internally laced with heat-sapping vents to reduce the fighter's thermal signature. Excess heat is transferred through thermal regeneration to be utilized by the aircraft's microwave weapon system, and powering cooling systems that vent cooled air from miniature vents around the thrust units and keep the caseless cannon's ammunition at a constant temperature. With six internal hardpoints on the F-1B, along with the ability to carry four short-ranged air-to-air infrared-homing or beam-riding missiles, the performance of the fighter is matched evenly with its firepower. A caseless thirty-millimeter automatic cannon, microwave and direct energy weapon round off the offensive weapons of the F-1 family. The new, larger-engined F-1C, which can only carry four weapons internally, is fitted for carrying long-range air-to-air missiles as part of a interceptor package, and while its thermal signature and greater weight reduces its maneuverability in any dogfight or air-to-air combat, it can also move at significantly increased speeds. As part of its role, the F-1C typically utilized as the main combat air patrol aircraft that performs airspace sovereignty patrols around the country, and is used as an intercept against any incoming threats or aircraft flying in Colombia's airspace, given its ability for faster response times. A large sensor and early warning package ensures the F-1 family of aircraft has excellent situational awareness, with the aircraft carrying a frequency-hopping low probability of intercept active and passive scanned array modules, synthetic aperture radar (which can be used for imaging purposes with the newest upgrades to the system). LIDAR and long-range electro-optical arrays allow for further target identification and engagement, as well as tracking ballistic missile launches into their second stage burnout at ranges up to eight hundred miles away, along with the ability to detect and track suborbital weaponry as well. The aircraft's countermeasures system can employ DRFM jamming, along with radar wave manipulation and active-cancellation technology. Edited December 30, 2012 by TheShammySocialist Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheShammySocialist Posted August 16, 2012 Author Report Share Posted August 16, 2012 The revival of the Colombian economy continued to accelerate as government spending leveled out, to allow for the economy to pick up some of the slack to fuel itself. The move to increase the efficiency and quality of infrastructure about the nation was paying dividends, with ports getting finances for new cranes. The road and rail systems out of strategically, but more importantly, economically important cities and locales were getting large upgrades, to provide for easier traffic flow. The government spending in infrastructure not only was providing industry with more efficient access to raw materials as well as allow for their products to be shipped at faster rates, it was also fueling other sectors of the economy. Heavy manufacturing companies were getting a boost from supplying heavy construction machinery, while steel and concrete companies and associated industries were getting a needed boost as well. Government subsidies and a healthy domestic demand as well as exports also were driving the agricultural sector to solid gains for the third quarter in a row, allowing for independent growers as well as corporate agribusiness to fund further improvements. The production of the traditional coca plant was plentiful, and given the government involvement in registering coca producers, and its use as a stimulant and traditional medicine was promoted by the government. The manufacture of cocaine in country was, of course, illegal, outside of using it as a proscribed pharmaceutical, and government prosecution of the production, trafficking, and sale of cocaine was harsh. Other sectors of the Gran Colombian agricultural sector were also seeing increased domestic use and export, including the revitalized Colombian coffee industry, along with the production of fruit, especially bananas. The energy market was also booming, as ever, with the Venezuelan oil fields producing enough supply for domestic supply, as well as export, the petrochemical industry had been able to secure some subsidies from the government to fund some expansions to certain refineries. These subsidies were secured with the understanding that further regulation of the petroleum and its associated industries would be undertaken by the government. Given the government's stance on creating a dynamic economy, and big business having been given this notice, regulations on the partially planned economy of many sectors of the economy, were not protested, instead, most corporate leaders were embracing limited state intervention, and were seeking government assistance in adapting their business plans to meet these regulations. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheShammySocialist Posted August 18, 2012 Author Report Share Posted August 18, 2012 One of the more particular advantages to the Venezuelan coastline was that many stretches of its eastern reaches were quite isolated, at least to the National Army and the Air Force, which had established a joint military base north of the resort town of Careneno, a little under one-hundred and fifty kilometers east of Caracas. A peninsula to the north of the town was home to Fort Paez, on its northern side, with a petrochemical refining complex located on its southern side. Having been established relatively quickly after the independence of the Republic, Fort Paez was still under construction, with living facilities still comprising of expeditionary tents being used for enlisted personnel. Work on Fort Paez, which was home to the Armed Forces' missile testing facilities was an ongoing project, but the basic facilities still existed for the launching of ballistic and cruise missiles, as well as smaller missiles like air-to-air missiles. The final complex would be a very modern facility, but that dream was still just a dream for many who served there, who had nicknamed the military post "Camp Mosquito" for its' abundance of the annoying insects. Their latest victim, Chief of Defense Staff Carlos Jimenez, did not give away his blood so easily, and was able to claim vengeance on a few of the annoying intruders to his skin with a swift slap to his right arm, catching two in the process as the Tiuna tactical transport slowly made the journey in a small convoy of vehicles to the missile launch facility of Fort Paez, which sat directly on the Caribbean coastline. "The troops aren't particularly fond of those buggers," noted Lieutenant Colonel-Doctor Ruiz Mora, who was a leading rocketry expert in the Armed Forces, prompting their decision to elevate him to Commander of Fort Paez, as well as head of the fort's Research and Development Team. "Doctor, show me one person who is in this world, who isn't in a straitjacket or a psyche ward," responded Jimenez, with a grin. Mora chuckled softly, "Quite right, sir, quite right." They broke through the seemingly impenetrable jungle along the unimproved road, driving parallel with the coast, a small embankment leading to sandy beaches to their right as they drove along the glittering Caribbean. "I'm surprised the national government was able to secure this location for a facility," remarked Jimenez, looking at Mora, who gave him a questioning look. "This is prime real estate for some wealthy man's mansion, very beautiful." "The beach here is quite popular with the personnel who have time off and there are no tests going on. I hear it is also the most prized guard duty on the post as well," chuckled Mora, eluding to the fact that the guards probably spent more time running and diving through the pristine surf than they did on alert. Jimenez gave him a raised eyebrow, before Mora quickly added with a curt nod, "It is also a matter of discipline that my adjutant is looking into fervently." "I would hope so, Doctor, this is one of our more strategically sensitive facilities," said Jimenez, in a more hardened tone than a couple minutes before. "Yes sir, I understand that, it is something we are looking into," responded Mora, in a reaffirming tone. "Good." "Ah, here we are now," said Mora, relatively quickly changing the subject, something that Jimenez noticed with a slight grin, as they reached a clearing right along the coast, with multiple buildings, including a couple launch towers, and a grouping of modified heavy mobility trucks that carried transporter-erector-launcher (TEL) systems on them. The TEL systems on four of the trucks were upturned and their payloads ready for launch, and a number of personnel were overseeing pre-launch preparations and scientific instruments for the test. Jimenez was also aware of an RC-135M Strategic Reconnaissance aircraft with a modular instrumentation and tracking package was off the coast waiting for the launches to go forward. The test would also be tracked by the Colombian Space Agency's Command Center at Barcelona, also the location of the still-under-construction Betancourt Orbital Launch Facility. "Looks like you've been very busy since Air Marshal Escobar's visit, he said that your launch facilities were still under construction," remarked Jimenez, as he stepped out of Tiuna with Mora quickly following. "Everything around here is under construction, sir, but the launch facilities [i]are[/i] much more complete then when the Air Marshal was here about a month ago," responded Mora, confidently as they walked over to the command center, which was inside a modified heavy mobility truck, the room was cramped, and both Jimenez and Mora finally found a spot in an alcove where, they could watch a large LCD television screen showing a close-circuit television view of the line of TEL vehicles set to launch. "Currently, we can only launch tactical ballistic missiles, as well as intercontinental ballistic missiles from TELs, as well as medium range ballistic missiles from our static launch pad," explained Mora, looking at Jimenez, who nodded lightly. "Very good," nodded Jimenez, "I like what I'm seeing so far, how long before launch?" Mora looked over at the launch operations officer, who was huddled over a computer nearby, looking up at Jimenez when he spoke, "We'll be launch-ready in two minutes sir." "And all appropriate precautions have been taken to avoid shipping in the landing area?" asked Jimenez, in a casual tone. "We have two heavy corvettes close by the target area, which we are in direct contact with," noted Mora, pointing at the communications workstation. "If there is an issue with vessels entering the target area, we self-destruct the missiles in flight. We have a salvage vessel standing by to recover any debris so that they may not release any confidential information or pose a threat to any shipping, as well." "Good, very good, it appears you are well-prepared for contingencies," said Jimenez, smiling appreciatively at Mora's professional attitude during the lead up to the missile tests. "Sir, all ground crew have cleared the area, we are ready to proceed," nodded the Launch Operations Officer, a hard-faced Major by the name of 'Montilla'. "Begin the countdown for at T-Minus three minutes," responded Mora, folding his arms as Jimenez clasped his hands behind his back as he watched the closed circuit television view. "Beginning ignition and countdown sequences, sir," answered Montilla, and began barking orders to the remote launch officers, who began inserting missile activation and launch keys into respective bays, preparing the launch of the ballistic missiles. The countdown clock had already begun marking off time, and Mora, although appearing confident, still appeared to have beads of sweat at his hairline on his forehead, despite the command vehicle having a constant air conditioning system. Jimenez would look on calmly as the automated launch sequences began and a flurry of voices talk behind him as launch systems officers called out system sequences as they went through pre-launch phase. The CCTV camera would shake suddenly, as well as the command vehicle as a flurry of dust and smoke suddenly enveloped the areas around the TEL vehicles and four M720 Tactical Ballistic Missiles shot skyward into the air. After leaving the confines of Fort Paez, the four missiles would be tracked by the RC-135M Strategic Reconnaissance Aircraft, which picked them up on a phased array receiver, and began tracking them closely as they flew westward along the northern coast of the State of Venezuela. The ballistic missiles would reach their highest altitude of fifty kilometers within a couple of minutes of leaving their TELs, cruising at Mach 7 towards their indicated target area, guided by a GPS-uplink, although their targeting methods could vary widely. Whilst at altitude, the missiles would perform standard evasive maneuvers as well as disperse decoys as part of the planned launch, at one point, two of the missiles entered a 25-G turn to avoid a pre-programmed anti-ballistic missile killer vehicle coming at it, successfully making the turn whilst keeping its planned trajectory. The missiles would continue their evasion measures as they entered terminal phase, making their descent towards the target area, which had been cordoned off by a small group of Naval vessels which were on hand. The target area would be about thirty kilometers south of Curacao, the missiles could be seen streaking through the sky as they made their descent south of the popular vacation island, and the military would be left answering a flurry of questions afterwards, but as the missiles splashed-down in their target areas, sending debris and geysers high into the air, the command vehicle at Fort Paez broke into elation at the successful conduct of their first official ballistic missile test. Jimenez would clap Mora on the shoulder, "Good job, Colonel, on your first successful test." Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheShammySocialist Posted August 19, 2012 Author Report Share Posted August 19, 2012 [b][Semi-Classified][/b] With the declaration of war against the Northern Imperium, the wariness of the Republic went to a heightened status as military operations began to be undertaken along the Gulf of Mexico and in North America. Any trained eye would note increased combat air patrols inside Colombia's airspace, with some of the newest aircraft in the Air Forces' inventory taking to the sky, as well as Strategic Reconnaissance Aircraft, which would loiter on station in the Southern Caribbean, with ELINT and COMINT mission packages. Subsequent data from gathered from the flights would be transferred to the National Security Council and the Joint Chiefs of the Defense Staff, and any abnormalities would be directly sent to the Offices of the President and the Defense Minister respectively. Further evidence of Colombian wariness of the situation would be the strengthening of defenses on the outlying islands, with the transfer of Marine Battalion Combat Teams with organic tank, artillery, and anti-aircraft weaponry incorporated being transferred to the islands of Aruba, Curacao, and Bonaire, as well as Margarita island. Similar deployments of individual reinforced Marine companies would take place to both Orchilla and La Blanquilla Islands, where defensive positions were established on the outlying islands. A deployment of reinforced military police detachments would also occur on the the Los Roques Archipelago, these deployments being sent to ensure the public that steps were being taken to protect them from the very remote possibility of violence spilling over borders in the Western Hemisphere. Despite the very remote possibilities of the war spilling over borders and seeping to Colombia's doorstep, General Carlos Jimenez took the opportunity of the war in North America to test the rapid deployment capabilities of the National Army's six airborne divisions, which could double as air cavalry units, although two of those dedicated units already existed. The 1st Airborne Division was deployed by air to the Barranquilla Metropolitan Area. The 2nd Airborne Division would go to a full REDCON Status, with its barracks already in Caracas, and some of its forces were deployed to protect the Air Base in the center of the city, while the 3rd Airborne Division would be deployed from Fort Sucre to Maiquetia by ground. The 4th Airborne Division would deploy from Fort Sucre to Barcelona by air, while the 5th and 6th Airborne Divisions, from Fort O'Leary and Fort O'Higgins to Bogota and Turbo respectively, by a combination of ground and air transport. The transfers of personnel and equipment of the entire divisions would proceed in an orderly and disciplined manner, and would be accomplished within the given time, with the target goals of a full combat brigade with limited support elements deployed within four hours of alerts being received. The Navy also deployed its limited forces into the unofficial "internal" waters of the Venezuelan Littoral Zone, which was a body of water formed by the outlying islands off the coast of Venezuela stretching from Aruba across to Margarita Island. A task force surrounding the newly-commissioned heavy frigate [i]Dauntless[/i], with three frigates ([i]Orinoco, Apure,[/i] and [i]Meta[/i]), and five heavy corvettes formed a surface action group patrolling the waters in a loose formation. Two diesel submarines ([i]Aruba[/i] and [i]Curacao[/i]) would provide surveillance and hunter-killer capabilities, with one of the submarines posted off the coast of Aruba, the other off the coast of Margarita. The multimission submarine [i]Rousseau[/i], only recently commissioned and still undergoing sea trials would post herself off the coast of Turbo, providing some undersea firepower to the meager collection of one heavy corvette, and a handful of patrol vessels and Coast Guard cutters there. These operations were undertaken more as a training exercise, rather than an actual military buildup or mobilization deployments, although they would serve dual purposes in ensuring that the public would see the military undertaking high-visibility operations in a bid to reassure them that no spillover of violence would be met with a delayed reaction. The national alert condition was raised to the status of "Readiness Condition 4" for the entire military, while the joint Civil-Military Alert Condition System went to "Delta" Status. This was to reflect the posture of military forces around the region, and the fact that military operations were being undertaken in the Gulf of Mexico by foreign military forces and the tense situation that had developed in North America. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheShammySocialist Posted August 19, 2012 Author Report Share Posted August 19, 2012 (edited) [b]Encrypted Electronic Correspondence[/b] [quote][b]To: Office of the Chief of Defense Staff, C. JIMENEZ, GEN From: Office of the Chief of Staff of the National Army, F. LEON, LTGEN CC: Office of the President; Office of the Minister of Defense; Office of the Prime Minister Subj: Current Composition of the National Army[/b] ATTACHMENTS [i]Saludos General,[/i] As promised at the latest National Security Council meeting, I would forward the current composition of the National Army, while some of the units in the following list are still in training or equipping, the basic organization exists for the forces accounted for. While we will not cover a detailed order of battle at this time, this list of forces and the basic organization of the units of the army will give you a basic understanding of the National Army's combat and support elements. As the basic standard unit of battle is the division, we will cover mainly the number of divisions, the types of divisions, and what each division and their subordinate units contain for units. The list below will give a break down on the types of divisions and units currently employed by National Army or Joint Military Units which involve the National Army, as well as the number of 'first rate' reserve divisions.[list] [*]Twelve Corps-Level Organizations (Corps Headquarters Units; Advanced Medical and Logistic Units; Corps-level Artillery Brigade; Heavy Construction Regiments; Strategic Anti-Aircraft Brigades) [*]Thirty-Five Infantry Divisions (Lorried Infantry; Eight 'First-Rate' Reserve Divisions) [*]Ten Armored Cavalry Divisions (Armor and Mechanized Infantry; Two 'First-Rate' Reserve Divisions) [*]Six Airborne Divisions (Light Airborne Infantry; Air Assault Capabilities; Independent Attack Helicopter Squadrons Attached when Applicable) [*]Four Light Divisions (Light Infantry; Airborne/Air Assault Capable; Advanced Training in Jungle/Alpine Warfare) [*]Four Marine Divisions (Naval Landing Infantry; Air Assault Capable; Advanced Training in Amphibious Warfare) [*]Two (Air) Cavalry Divisions (Heliborne Air Assault Light Infantry; Advanced Training in Combined Arms Maneuver Warfare) [*]Three Riverine Brigades (Joint Navy/National Army Force; Advanced Training in Brown Water Warfare; Inland Amphibious Warfare) [*]Two Airborne Ranger Brigades (45th and 75th Airborne Ranger Brigades; Tier 2 Special Operations Light Support Infantry; Airborne/Air Assault Capable) [*]Presidential Republican Honor Guard Regiment (HVI Defense; Mixed Tier 1/2 Special Operations Forces; Mechanized and Air Support Squadrons Attached; Ceremonial Duties; Direct Action Capable) [*]2031st Airborne Rescue Battalion (Joint Air Force/National Army Force; Tier 1 Special Operations; Trained in Hostage/Hostile SAR Operations) [*]Naval Commando Regiment (Joint Navy/National Army Force; Tier 1 Special Operations; Amphibious/Naval Warfare Specialties; UDT Capabilities; Infiltration and Intelligence Gathering Capabilities; Direct Action in Maritime Environments) [*]Battalion 5043 ([b]EXISTENCE OFFICIALLY DISAVOWED[/b]; Tier 1 Joint Special Operations Force; Intelligence Gathering; Counterterrorism; Clandestine Operations; Direct Action) [*]Task Force 332 ([b]EXISTENCE OFFICIALLY DISAVOWED[/b]; Tier 1 Joint Special Operations Force; Domestic Counterterrorism; Crisis Response Unit; Direct Action; Intelligence Gathering; Clandestine Domestic Operations) [*]558th, 563rd, 579th, 580th, and 585th Special Response Divisions (Joint Civil Military Response Units; CBRN Response/Containment/Clean-Up; Crisis Reaction; Counterterrorism; Limited Direct Action Capabilities; Aid to Civil Authority Missions) [/list] Although the [b]DIVISION[/b] is the standard unit of organization in the National Army, there exists twelve Corps-Level Units spread strategically throughout the nation, with attached intrinsic support elements that help organize groups of divisions into more manageable units. Although the Corps that are currently active do not have any attached units beyond their logistical and support elements, which include two regiments of artillery grouped into a brigade, including substantial numbers of multiple rocket launch systems, along with a standard strategic air defense brigade, divisions can be absorbed into Corps command structures quickly during times of national emergency or deployment abroad. Typically, when more than three divisions are deployed into the same geographic area, a Corps organization with a commanding general will be assigned to oversee the conduct of operations by the ground forces. The standard infantry division comprises twelve-thousand combat soldiers, split into two brigades of six-thousand soldiers each, with two regiments of three thousand soldiers beyond that, split into six five hundred-soldier battalions. The infantry division has its own intrinsic medical evacuation and logistical support elements, as well as a dedicated air defense battalion, an artillery regiment with four battalions of heavy artillery (FH-2000, Primus, or M52 Tornado MLRS). All units in the infantry division have their own intrinsic transport capabilities, with the ability to provide enough trucks to carry all soldiers at full allotted strength. Infantry brigades have their own battalion of artillery and support capabilities, and short-range air defense capabilities in a single company, while regiments are typically allotted a six-gun battery of light howitzers (G7 Howitzers) for support fire, as well as a short-range air defense battery. Six battalions make up an infantry regiment, and each has its own mortar units, motorized direct-fire vehicles (AMX 10RC), shoulder or vehicle launched air defense weaponry, as well as combat assault engineers. The Armored Cavalry division typically has the same number of combat soldiers, although its make up is different, in that it has two armored brigades, as well as a mechanized infantry brigade, which is deployed in armored personnel carriers (Terrex) or infantry fighting vehicles (Anders IFV). The armored brigades are made up of two regiments of two-hundred tanks (Jaguar MBT) each, as well as a full regiment of mechanized infantry attached. Support elements for these units typically are mechanized as well, including self-propelled artillery (Terrex Indirect Support/Primus SPA) units, as well as mechanized air defense vehicles (Terrex/Anders ADA). Airborne and Light Divisions tend to follow along the same lines of organization as the standard infantry division, although their weaponry tends to be much more lightweight and air-transportable, which is similar to the Air Cavalry Division. The Air Cavalry Division, however, deviates from the standard lines of infantry division organization with the replacement of two battalions of each infantry regiment with two, sixteen-machine attack helicopter (Mi-28N/Ka-52N) squadrons. The standard helicopter transport for the Air Cavalry Divisions will be the UH-148N Ciclón, which will be able to use gunship configurations as well as standard utility and troop transport configurations. The Marine Divisions are a departure completely from standard organization of the infantry division, with units organized into six two-thousand-marine-strong Marine Regimental Combat Teams, each with their own intrinsic artillery support, as well as an armored platoon, air-defense weaponry, marine combat assault engineer company, reinforced reconnaissance platoon, and amphibious assault vehicles. Marine Regimental Combat Teams are broken down into four five-hundred-strong battalions. Marine Divisions also have their own attack helicopter battalion, reconnaissance battalion, organic armored regiment, artillery brigade, air defense regiment, along with standard logistic and support units. I hope that these descriptions have given you a solid idea of the composition of our National Army's units, and their intrinsic capabilities, I look forward to any commentary you may have on this matter. [i]Best Regards, V. ESCOBAR, LTGEN[/i] [b]Chief of Staff of the National Army Military Forces of Greater Colombia[/b][/quote] [b][OOC: Edited in for design specifics and clarification. October 20, 2012][/b] [b]Equipment Profile: Jaguar MBT[/b] The [url=http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Leopard_2]Jaguar MBT[/url] is a culmination of efforts by National Motors of Colombia (NMC) in cooperation with Synergy Landsystems to create a main battle tank, which, according to the Chief of Staff of the Army, should be able to "operate in the rugged terrain of Greater Colombia, whilst maintaining the ability for deployment in a multitude of combat environments conducive with mechanized warfare". Based off the superlative design of the German Leopard 2 family of tanks, the Jaguar Main Battle Tank is built with an eye for the rugged environment of Greater Colombia, whilst being able to maintain high-paced mechanized advances, as well as providing the firepower required of a modern main battle tank. Taking the chassis of the Leopard 2, NMC redesigned and reinforced the tank's suspension system, adding three inches of track width after design input suggested that even a small increase in track size would improve cross-country performance. Built specifically for the Jaguar, the NMC 3000 Turbine Engine provides the tank with 1,750 shp, with road performance of forty five miles per hour, with the ability to use various fuel types to keep the tank on the move. With a ten minute field maintenance modification, which can be performed by the crew alone, the Jaguar can move in flooded areas up to twenty feet deep, a modification that takes into account the rigors and nature of the Greater Colombian interior. Utilizing a series of layered steel and composite and rolled homogenous armor (RHA) for protection, the Jaguar MBT's armor has been proven to break up sabot rounds through constant compression and decompression through the layers of its armor. Its composite armor is relatively lighter than other contemporary designs, ensuring that the tank does not exceed airlift capacity. Modular armor can be field applied by the crew including active protection armor modules and reactive armor types, ensuring further protection. Missile and rocket threats can be countered by fitting of slat armor or the vehicle's active protection active kill systems, while remote weapon stations allow the pintle mounted thirty-millimeter caseless cannon and fifty caliber machinegun to be manned from the interior of the vehicle. The vehicle is well-protected against NRBC attacks and environments, and is somewhat-protected against electromagnetic pulse attacks. The Jaguar's forty-four caliber, one-hundred and twenty millimeter smoothbore cannon utilizes electrothermal-chemical technology to provide increased accuracy and muzzle energy, and can fire a range of potent anti-tank, -personnel, -structure, and even -helicopter rounds and missiles. Utilizing modules that can be fitted along the sides of the turret, the Jaguar can carry up to twelve missiles that are smaller, more compact versions of the FGM-148 [i]Javelin[/i] allowing it to engage in attacks on helicopters, infantry, or other tanks up to a range of two kilometers. A coaxial machinegun for the loader allows for further firepower against enemy infantry and soft vehicle targets. Edited October 20, 2012 by TheShammySocialist Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheShammySocialist Posted August 20, 2012 Author Report Share Posted August 20, 2012 "When did the launches occur?" asked Ignacio de Ardanza, looking gravely at Jimenez after the General had told him the news. The Chief of the Defense Staff had found the younger President walking about the garden of the Narino Palace, his official residence in Bogota. "About an hour ago, phased array warning systems picked up the launches from various positions across the Commonwealth, one of the launch blooms was picked up by one of our new satellites up in orbit," responded Jimenez, folding his arms. "This situation is getting out of control, sir, rebels, with nuclear weapons?" "I realize that, General, but this is your area of expertise, not mine, I'm not the Chief of the Defense Staff, that is your prerogative, what is your suggestion on how we deal with this growing crisis to the south?" questioned Ignacio, as he turned to Jimenez with a grim look on his face. "I suggest we move at least a full five divisions and group them into a Corps in the Pacaraima Range, concentrate around Santa Elena de Uairen, close all border stations, increase manned and unmanned aerial patrols along the Amazonas Regions border, and increase foot patrols in that area wherever possible. We close off avenues of support that these rebels could use to get armaments, as well as prepare for a possible armed response," replied Jimenez, looking at the ground for a moment before responding to Ignacio. "I also suggest the increase of naval patrols in the Orinoco Delta, deploy three of the navy's monitors in the basin, while we deploy a force of destroyers, frigates, corvettes, and any submarines offshore to protect shipping going into the Orinoco Seaway." "We also need to reiterate support for the Commonwealth's government, I will discuss this series of events with Barrachos, and direct a personal letter to the Imperium, I will not tolerate a resurgence of the Holy American Empire. Our culture was eroded by that society, the civil war it brought to these lands completely devastated swaths of land and we are still recovering from those events now. These rebels getting their hands on nuclear missiles however, is an alarming development," nodded Ignacio. "The last time we dictated support for them during this crisis, if I remember correctly, they basically slapped our helping hand away." "In a lighter manner," retorted Ignacio. "Yes, but it is clear that the situation has devolved into a worsening crisis, and they didn't accept our help, and look what happened, we now have nuclear weapons being used by rebels [i]and[/i] their sovereign government, against their own people," replied Jimenez, sighing heavily. "Thousands of innocent people are dying across the border, and had we been allowed to assist, this civil war might not have happened." "General, I share your concern for this incident, it is [i]very[/i] troubling to me, but the potential for a wider conflict with armed intervention is greater should we move against these rebels, even to support the Umbrella Government," countered Ignacio, his thought train balanced by the fact that nuclear weapons had already been turned on the Umbrella's loyalist population centers, and the fact that such weapons could be turned on their own. "I understand sir, do you have any other further orders?" Ignacio looked at the ground, biting his lip as his train of thoughts careened along a track of potential possibilities that could enacted against the rebels, to assist in the restoration of law and order. Although the existence of a nuclear weapons program had been denied for some time, the development of nuclear weapons had yielded results in Gran Colombia, albeit untested, and the arsenal was limited to a handful of mostly tactical-sized warheads. That being said, the ability to counter any nuclear strike by the rebels in case they decided to aim their weapons north was possible, but the use of any nuclear weapons was abhorred by Ignacio, even in a nuclear counterstrike against rebels, who undoubtedly were amidst a large population of innocents. There did exist a possible ace up the sleeve of the Colombian Government, that had been under development at Fort Paez, although its use to assist in the restoration of law and order, was unadvised, Ignacio still wanted it operational, just in case. "I want you to contact Doctor Mora, tell him to accelerate work and testing on Project Skybolt, it is now an Echo Level Priority," said Ignacio, finally, looking at Jimenez with a hardened expression. "Yes sir." Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheShammySocialist Posted August 22, 2012 Author Report Share Posted August 22, 2012 (edited) Elena Vasquez held on tightly to a hand rail above her as the Terrex Armored Personnel Carrier bounced heavily on the rough road, despite having a tough, rugged suspension, high ground clearance, and a bulky weight, the Terrex still road rather heavily over the roads of Eastern Venezuela, which had yet to feel the full weight of infrastructure investments by the government. Even with the forced air system pumping cool air conditioned air into the cargo compartment, the air was heavy with humidity, as well as a sense of nervousness, as her vehicle, accompanied by two other Terrex vehicles, continued pressing northeast after entering the 'red zone' close to Ciudad Guyana, which had been evacuated, as the government of the Republic had dubbed it. The nuclear attacks which had leveled Paramaribo and Cayenne had spread a radioactive fallout plume into the Orinoco and Grande River Basins, and with Elena the Deputy Minister of Home Affairs, it was her job to work directly with the Ministry of Defense to effect a cleanup as soon as possible. Having worked feverishly with both the Ministry of Defense as well as the Ministry of the Interior over the past several days to effect what had become infamously known as "the Venezuelan Exodus", Elena had helped oversee the evacuation of between two and three million people, out of harms way in Eastern Venezuela. Through the use of mobile detection systems air dropped by air force transport aircraft, as well as working closely with the Colombian Weather Service, two plumes of radioactive fallout had been identified in Eastern Venezuela. The northern fallout plume had been dubbed the "Orinoco Radioactive Trace", a stretch of land and parts of the Orinoco River Delta, stretching northwest over the city of Tucupita, and substantial radiation readings terminating in the farmlands to its northwest. The second, known as the "Pacaraima Radioactive Trace", was a smaller plume that stretched from the border of Umbrellan Guyana, westward, with its plume a twenty kilometer north-to-south width, its center overshooting Highway Ten at the town of Las Claritas. Both fallout plumes had covered larger areas of Eastern Venezuela with hazardous fallout materials, and now it was the grim duty of the civil-military special response units, some fresh from their training, to jump directly into these crises. While decontamination crews worked to the south in the rough, tangled hillsides of the Pacaraima Range, to ascertain the full extent of radioactive contamination and develop a complete plan on how to deal with it, the Orinoco Radioactive Trace's full extent had only been just ascertained. The plume that extended over the delta of the largest river in the country had initially been thought to have been much smaller, but a security patrol in Tucupita had begun to receive radioactive fallout indications that the plume that had enveloped the area was clearly more concentrated than those over the Pacaraima Range. With decontamination units now redeploying to assist in the Orinoco River Delta, Elena had volunteered on behalf of the formed 'East Venezuelan Nuclear Fallout Crisis Response Team' to ascertain what had to be done in Tucupita to ensure the safe return of the citizens of the city and the surrounding area. Which was where she found herself now, with two nuclear scientists, on the road to Tucupita in the heart of the Orinoco Radioactive Trace. [center][IMG]http://i1192.photobucket.com/albums/aa325/VictorDeltaRomeo/TerrexRollout.png[/IMG][/center] "How much farther to the city?" called out Doctor Juan de Alberara, sitting across from Elena, who had beads of sweat along his hairline. "About ten more minutes, Doctor," responded a Sergeant, named Flores, who was putting the finishing touches on fully gearing up at the rear of the troop compartment. He looked over at Elena, "Holding in there ma'am?" "Well, Sergeant, if there is any learning experience to come from this, I think I know what a sardine feels like," responded Elena, causing both doctors to chuckle, as well as the Sergeant and his three-man section. "Imagine being in here with five other guys, Minister, we can seat twelve," responded Flores, after finishing his laughing. "I left my imagination back in Ciudad Bolivar, I'd rather not bring it along with me, it tends to wander, and I'd rather it not wander on a day like today," she retorted. "Fair enough, ma'am." "I'm not entirely familiar with nuclear fallout, Doctors, what exactly are we looking for out here, I know there is contamination, but what are the potential effects?" asked Elena, who served as primarily an administrator for the Caracas Health Department before partaking in the Congress of Caracas which eventually formed the National Transition Council. She was a bright individual, but she wasn't exactly well-briefed on the effects of nuclear fallout, which had been primarily the responsibility of the Ministry of Defense in dealing with, and given the crisis atmosphere, she had met with the Crisis Response Group only for a short period of time, before being flown out to Ciudad Bolivar, just outside of the 'red zone'. "Long term, Minister Vasquez, the effects are potentially long term if we don't deal with them, we need to do so quickly before further weather may help the transition of radioactive materials into ground water sources," responded the other Doctor, Charles Blanca. "Of particular concern, Minister, are two radioactive isotopes usually formed by nuclear fission, that is Strontium Ninety, and Caesium One-Three-Seven, both have the ability to adversely effect the health of an average citizen. The Caesium is of particular concern, because it is water-soluble, it forms a compound known as caesium-hydroxide, if it is left untreated, varying on dosage rate, or single dosage, it can kill an individual within weeks. The Strontium is also of the most concern, it has a long half life, and once absorbed into the body, is attracted to bones, much like calcium, enough of a dose, and it can lead to bone cancer and leukemia," added de Alberara, looking gravely at Elena, as the Terrex made a sharp turn, causing all to lean with the hulking vehicle as they took the corner. "And do we have the detection methods for it with us?" "Yes ma'am," answered Sergeant Flores, who was part of the 558th Special Response Division. "We have mobile radioisotope detection equipment in the vehicle riding on our six, it'll be able to give us a full spectrum of what kind of materials we are dealing with." "We're not going to stay long, we have a decontamination station set up at the security outpost at the Fire Station, we will take samples from the fields to the south of town, walk to the decontamination station, get cleaned off, and mount up again," said de Alberara. "That's not very much time spent on the ground here," responded Elena. "We're under orders to get you in there ma'am, and get you out, all quick like," responded Flores, looking at her resolutely. "Whose orders?" "Came from the top, so I'm assuming the Chiefs of the Defense Staff," replied Flores. "Which means they came from Ignacio," muttered Elena, who then smiled lightly to herself. "What was that ma'am?" asked Blanca. "Nothing," grinned Elena, nodding lightly at the doctor, as the Terrex began to slow down. Flores and the vehicle commander up front exchanged some words, before the commander sealed up his part of the vehicle, and Flores turned to the group. "Get suited up," he said, as he pulled his mask down over his face, and adjusted the full hood, before sliding on his ballistic helmet. Unlike the military suits, the two doctors and Elena were wearing yellow, rather than camouflage outfits, and slid on their masks, with de Alberara making sure Elena's was properly fitted, before they slid on the hoods and made sure they were completely sealed. The air that Elena now breathed smelled of rubber and a slight musky odor, but her breaths didn't seem constrained by the mask, and she gave the thumbs up to Flores, as did the two doctors before Flores reached beside himself and pulled on a release lever that opened the rear door of the halted Terrex, the hum of the forced air conditioning system loud next to them as they began piling out of the armored personnel carrier. Flores and his troopers were not taking any chances, and were all carrying assault rifles, and looked like formidable machines in their bulking CBRN suits. Blanca was carrying a radioisotope detector, while de Alberara was carrying a sample basket. They stepped out into the sun, which immediately made them hot as they adjusted to their surroundings, the area looked normal enough, although with houses everywhere, the absence of people felt awkward to Elena. She looked to the north, where the city of Tucupita was huddled against the waters of the Cano Manamo, with the eerie silence surrounding them, she watched as Blanca began walking out into the field, sweeping for radioisotopes, Elena followed after them, and Flores and his trio of troopers warily walked behind them, their heads swiveling left and right as they followed the doctor. The two armored personnel carriers that had not deposited them there, drove around the lead vehicle and towards the center of the city, while their vehicle sat, continuing to idle, its remote machinegun on top seemed to be moving every so often, keeping a close eye on its' charge. "Getting some higher readings here," called out Blanca, in a muffled voice through his mask. He waved de Alberara to him, the other doctor coming forward to reach down with a test tube to collect a clump of soil. "I'm going to keep moving towards the tree line, we had rain in this region during the fallout plume, the lower part of the field might yield some solid test samples," said Blanca, Flores responding with a nod. "Hurry it up, Charles, this place is giving me the creeps," responded de Alberara, Elena wanted to add her own sentiments of agreement, but she held her tongue. She walked up to de Alberara, who was holding the glass of soil up, and she looked at him, her eyes meeting his. "Will that tell us what we need to know?" "Or it will confirm what we already fear." "I'd rather stay optimistic until the results come back," replied Elena, but seeing the look on de Alberara's face was enough to tell her that optimism wasn't going to rebuke or make reality suddenly change... Edited August 22, 2012 by TheShammySocialist Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheShammySocialist Posted August 23, 2012 Author Report Share Posted August 23, 2012 (edited) As his name was called, the Chamber of Representatives gave a generally loud applause as Ignacio de Ardanza took the podium in front of the legislative body of his country, he had only spoken once at the Chamber of Representatives; its opening ceremonies. With the ongoing radioactive crisis in Eastern Venezuela, and fears of an economic recession ripe in the minds of many politicians, corporate leaders, economists, and most of all, workers, Salvatore Torres had urged Ignacio to speak before the Chamber, in an address to the nation as well. Much of the Chamber had been dimmed, with only the lights of the podium at full power, and news cameras in the front rows flashed as he took the podium, giving him light spots in his eyes, as his eyes swept the Chamber, observing familiar and unfamiliar faces, his eyes flicked to his Deputy Minister of Home Affairs and faithful amour, Elena Vasquez, sitting in the front row, and she smiled when she saw him looking at her, a light blush on her cheeks, and she nodded lightly. He cleared his throat, and looked out into the Chamber, and spoke, "Almost a week ago, the Republic of Greater Colombia came under indirect assault by not a nation abroad, but the after-effects of what chaos has sown, with radioactive fallout contaminating regions of the Departments of Venezuela Bolivar, and Delta Amacuro. This was directly the result of two nuclear strikes which have destroyed the restive Umbrellan cities of Paracaimbo and Cayenne, by the government of the Imperial Commonwealth of Umbrella. While many of our citizens and many politicians now feel ill-willed against our neighbors for these strikes, the repercussions of these strikes will be mediated over after the civil war across our borders is settled." There was a general murmur amongst the gathered politicians, military officers, press, and private guests, Ignacio ignoring the wave of muttering as he continued, "I come before you tonight, however, not with a statement of conflict, of leveling blame, of denouncement, I come before you with a message of unity, asking every single one of the citizens of this nation to work together to overcome this crisis. If there was ever a time of need in this country, it is now, we face unprecedented economic repercussions for the evacuation of Eastern Venezuela and the clean up that [i]will[/i] take years to accomplish thoroughly. The people in this Chamber now worked together to broker some of the most comprehensive economic and social reforms that are still taking effect across our nation, this chamber is a beacon for all citizens to look to in this crisis." "I understand the murky clouds that have installed themselves over our economy, it is one that is causing uncertainty and one that we need to put a halt to, our country has developed in leaps and bounds since its independence, and but the uncertainty that we now face, might force us to take four steps back after we have taken three forward ones. I am asking every citizen of this country to look to the needs of those who have been displaced and are still waiting to return to their homes, some of us will undoubtedly face hard times from this crisis. Friends, some of whom we didn't know we had, have appeared on the international stage, but that is not enough, we are a people that will not become dependent on foreign humanitarian relief, I refuse to see our country heavily burden others for long periods of time," said Ignacio, noticing general nods of approval in the audience. "We will work as a nation, with our friends internationally to decontaminate and restore the effected areas of this disaster, some have already been allowed to go home, the Departments of Sucre and Monagas have been reopened to their citizenry. This effort will not stop when every trace of radioactivity that we can find has vanished, this country was built on the ideal of human equality, everyone in this country has the right to justice, to live safely, to live in a healthy environment, to have a job, to pursue happiness and education, the list goes on. We will set up long term measures to ensure that any radiation that could be and undoubtedly might be missed, does not harm our populace. This is a long and arduous process that we will see through into the future, we will not forget what has happened, nor will we turn our backs on our citizenry when we believe our job may be done," said Ignacio, at one point hitting his hand with a resounding thud on the podium to accentuate his point. "Do what you can do for your fellow countryman, because you may never know when you may have need of them, this crisis, even if it is a setback for our nation, will [i]not[/i] be looked upon by historians as a low point in our history. We have the chance, and we will take that chance, to make this a time when a country becomes stronger than ever, when we put the needs of others over ourselves, we have tens if not hundreds of thousands of people now working to decontaminate and clean up, both citizens of our own country, and people from abroad. This is a time of unity, a time of bonding for our nation, it is one where we will emerge a stronger state, a more unified state, a state that will press on against this hardship that has been leveled upon us. I cannot tell you what you need to do to help, I am asking you, the citizens, workers, protectors, representatives of this nation, to come forward and quell the uncertainty," declared Ignacio, looking into the rolling news cameras as he spoke. "Together, our nation can make anything possible, it can wipe away the uncertainty, it can lift the chins of the downtrodden, it can tackle the challenges that need to be overcome to move on from this point. The uncertainty is bred from fear, fear that this crisis might precipitate struggling times for our country, well I am telling you, all you need to do, is look to your nearest fellow citizen, and know that together with them, you are strong. There are men and women fighting for their lives against some of the effects of this incident in the wards of the Simon Bolivar Military Hospital in Caracas, I visited them there this morning. The determination to live is strong with them, and my determination to see this country continue to weather this crisis and move beyond it hand in hand with my fellow citizens around me is never higher than before." "Look beyond this crisis, look to a future that is clear of uncertainty, cherish that foresight, grasp it, and you will have it," said Ignacio, as he closed out his speech. "God Bless, and good night." As he looked up into the crowd again, he seemed to see more determined faces, and a slow wave of applause began to grow exponentially, as news cameras flashed, and the assembled crowd began to rise to their feet. Edited September 1, 2012 by TheShammySocialist Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheShammySocialist Posted September 1, 2012 Author Report Share Posted September 1, 2012 After a year of independence, the Republic of Greater Colombia had much to celebrate, but there remained longstanding questions over the future of the country and its' role in the world. The country had seen itself explode economically since its' independence, as unemployment dropped, various sectors of the economy had grown, especially within the fields of heavy manufacturing and electronics. The agricultural sector was making strides to improve itself, despite most crops from the Venezuelan Bolivar and Delta Amacuro Departments having to be thrown due to possible radiation poisoning from the after effects of the Umbrellan Civil War. The economy had built itself up on government assistance, but also on the backs of its own people, who were shouldering the weight of the relatively new country with wages that might have been seen as more low than other nations in the world, but the promise of a better future and the continuation of government work on social programs had eased a lot of burdens on the working class. The position of the Republic internationally was still in transition, she had acquired friends across the seas and the respect of some states abroad, while there continued to be no glaring disputes with other countries, the Colombia that began its second year of independence was still a wary one. Wary of intercontinental intrusions and continued external hemispheric threats and interests in South America and the Americas in general. The response of other American nations to assist in the burden of the ongoing radioactive cleanup in Eastern Venezuela boded well and had given the people of the Republic an affinity for their northern neighbors. The outstanding diplomatic requests by Colombia to the Sovereign Initiative was still an ongoing point of contention, as was Colombia's general reluctance to involve itself in any major continental alliances without knowing that the relationship would be one of equality. Politically, the country was a stable one, with its political systems remaining unchallenged and its integrity untouched, although there was still concern over organized crime's involvement in the government, and the still-sensitive issue over the attempted assassination of President de Ardanza after his inauguration. Only the higher echelons of the country's government knew of the connection between the assassin and organized crime, the official story remained that the attempt was a "lone wolf incident". The highly-publicized government campaign against organized crime was ongoing, with criminal gangs profiting from the displaced citizens of the Department of Delta Amacuro, selling goods at higher-than-normal prices at refugee camps, and weapons and drugs trade continued to plague the Ministry of the Interior. The burdening of the Republic with its new Protectorate in Peru also opened up new points of conflict, with the resurgence of the "Shining Path" insurgency, which had drawn military and security resources from the effort to fight organized crime as well. Militarily, Colombia's capabilities grew by the day, with the retraining of many units to a more acceptable standard level, as many had gone through basic crash course training in the first three months of the country's existence. The Navy continued to gather its' forces, and its first overseas mission, a diplomatic one, had begun with the departure of the aircraft carrier [i]Carabobo[/i] for East Asia to visit the Chancellery of Cyrantia on her maiden transoceanic voyage, along with her battle group. The air force had acquired a number of capabilities over the course of the year, and the continued training and refinement of pilot skills was ongoing in the newly-christened Air Force Combat School. The military had also taken on the task of developing and keeping secret Colombia's nuclear weapons program, which was officially disavowed by the government despite a clear public knowledge that the country possessed some sort of nuclear strike capabilities. As the country progressed into its second year of independence, it was clear that Colombia was still a developing regional power, it did remain to be seen whether the country could endure the duress of foreign pressure should it come for whatever reason, or weather a long term military engagement, should a war come, or even overcome a resurgent Shining Path insurgency in Peru. It was clear that Colombia had succeeded to establish itself, what path it would take, however, was a question that anyone could answer with their own answer... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheShammySocialist Posted September 4, 2012 Author Report Share Posted September 4, 2012 (edited) [b]Classified[/b] Over the last quarter of its first year of independence, the military forces of Greater Colombia had been working together vigorously to improve the capabilities of the Republic's early warning systems and over-the-horizon systems. In cohesion with one of its biggest primary defense contractors, the Synergy Group, which was partnered with the engineering and electronic departments of the science-focused Simon Bolivar University in Caracas, the military had been able to assemble a series of durable and efficient over-the-horizon radar systems with multistatic capabilities, as well as the ability to track ballistic missiles. Utilizing transmitting and receiving sites lining the Northern Venezuelan Coast, the offshore islands of the Department of the Greater Colombian Caribbean Dependencies, and the Colombian West Coast, as well as systems based facing south and southeast in the interior Venezuelan Departments of Apure and Venezuela Bolivar, and the interior Colombian Department of Vichada, some of the radars would go on permanent activation, while others were kept on standby status. Although working partly from information garnered from research on the old United States Air Force AN/FPS-118 OTH-B radar and examples from the Australian Jindalee Operational Radar Network, the Colombians had completely redesigned their new radars radar to operate around an operating power of 950 kW, yet it had a far better operational range than the old 1MW-powered AN/FPS-118 OTH-B arrays due to improvements in electronics and the processing of signals. Officially rated with an operational range of 5,000km, with the ability to detect farther in some cases. Officially known as the AS/OTH-1, the static arrays would be backed up and augmented by tactical deployments of mobile radar vehicles attached to strategic air defense brigades. The Colombian National Army had also developed in a redeployable three-hundred-and-sixty-degree expeditionary over-the-horizon monostatic and bi-static radar system, which provided an official range of 1,500km, with the ability to transmit beyond that in some cases. Designated the AEM/OTH-2 for its monostatic version and AEBT/OTH-2 and AEBR/OTH-2 (for transmitting and receiving nodes respectively) for its bistatic version, it built on experience the French Armed Forces had with the NOSTRADAMUS system earlier in the century. Also deployed by the joint forces was the newly-developed Synergy Group IR/SSC-1 Quantum Well Infrared Photodetection (QWIP) Thermographic Camera units, which used giant telescopes to investigate anomalies detected by the various radar systems. No matter what kind of radar cross section the aircraft had, the thermographic cameras, with high-resolution screens, could pick up on infrared anomalies in the sky and once detected, could use a nearby LIDAR system to detect ranges using an advanced tracking program to help direct interception forces. With the QWIP being a relatively undetectable mode of interception, and with both mobile units (utilizing the IRT/SSC-2 mobile truck-mounted version, with an onboard LIDAR system) and static posts employing it, it gave the Colombian Air Force a leg up in stealth detection and intercepts. Utilizing the combination IR/SSC-1 with its LIDAR systems, an all out effort was being made to integrate a new surface-to-air missiles based on the RIM-162 ESSM, the BSAM-100 [i]Daga[/i], with a beam-riding capability that utilized a large proximity blast with submunitions that produced large "scattergun effect" against single or large groups of aircraft. Also included in new deployments included the Synergy Group AS/SOTH-3 and AS/SOTH-3ESW surface wave and electromagnetic surface wave radars in static posts for tracking ship traffic out to a distance of about four hundred kilometers, depending on frequency, vessel type, and radar type. Mobile, shorter-ranged surface wave radar vehicles would also be deployed alongside mobile shore defense units that randomly stalked the Venezuelan and Colombian Coastlines, with their surface radars usually on standby mode. In an effort to make the systems durable against electromagnetic pulse attacks, most static OTH positions had two to three concealed quadruple threat onshore close-in weapon systems that included a gun, missile, microwave emission weapon (MEW), and tactical high-energy laser (THEL) for various forms of air defense against multiple threats at once. The close-in weapon systems were well equipped to deal with both missile and airborne threats, and along with local strategic and tactical air defense forces, would be well capable of putting up a stalwart fight. Of course, these ground based systems would not be effective as aerial intercepts, which was where the air superiority squadrons of the Colombian Air Force would come into play, hopefully eliminating the threat before they even got within range of the IR/SSC-1 systems. Further enhancements to the systems would incorporate lessons learned during weapons testing of non-nuclear EMP weaponry that the Colombian Air Force had invested in, which highlighted the strengths and weaknesses of the systems. Major components for the radar systems and QWIP detection systems would be shielded as much as possible against electromagnetic interference, with processing systems utilizing superconducting dispersal cages that would partly shield the fortified equipment from the blast. Most of the radar systems had their own self-sustaining power sources, as well as connections to local grids and substations, many on the Colombian Coastline would utilize geothermal power systems (given the area was part of the volatile Pacific "Ring of Fire", the ability to tap into these resources was easy) which made them completely self-sufficient. Major components that were vulnerable to EMP bursts that could not be properly shielded had spare parts available on location or nearby with OTH base maintenance units, and were placed in easy-to-reach locations for quick repairs. The combat lifetime of the over-the-horizon stations in an offensive war against Greater Colombia was relatively low, but they nonetheless provided a vital link in the chain of defenses available to Greater Colombia. Edited September 15, 2012 by TheShammySocialist Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheShammySocialist Posted September 5, 2012 Author Report Share Posted September 5, 2012 (edited) [b]Semi-Classified[/b] In a coordinated effort to hone the skills of the Gran Colombian Navy's sailors and officers, a fortnight of exercises which would incorporate joint operations with the National Army and Air Force was scheduled with a variety of disciplines to test the aptitude of the Colombian Navy's capabilities, ships, and the venerable personnel who served. Utilizing international waters in the Central Caribbean, the [i]Boyaca[/i] and [i]Araure[/i] carrier battle groups would depart their naval stations at Maracaibo and Barcelona respectively, and form together for the first part of the exercises, which included a week of anti-submarine warfare exercises, anti-aircraft defense, and defense against surface vessel attacks. Utilizing the navy's submarine fleet, the Air Force's various available combat squadrons, also including units of the new Synergy Aerospace [url=http://sitelife.aviationweek.com/ver1.0/Content/images/store/11/3/1bed8b69-36d6-4829-8387-f6343366da04.Full.jpg][i]Supay[/i][/url] unmanned combat aerial vehicles being deployed in reconnaissance roles, as well as a group of surface vessels from the Colombian Navy. The fleet would also be subject to engagement with ballistic missiles, which were being test-fired from Fort Paez that week, four out of six test modules would be successfully intercepted in live fire exercises. During the exercises the fleet was bombarded with literally dozens of tactical and operational scenarios and situations over the course of the week, scoring successes but also suffering setbacks. A forty-eight hour window in the middle of the exercises allowed for officers and doctrinal and technical training staff to go over both the successes and setbacks in the course of the first week's training exercises, going over in detail the mistakes made and how to correct the mistakes. Another round of training would commence after the forty-eight hour "review and enhancement period", which ran through similar exercises, involving action against land-based aircraft, submarines, and surface vessels over a seventy-two hour window, in which the fleet performed at a higher standard. Many of the crews were still integrating and learning the newly-introduced [i]Illapa[/i] Combat Management System, which managed the ships' air defense systems, utilizing a cooperative engagement system to share the burden of defense throughout all the ships in a battlegroup, the [i]Illapa[/i] system was proving itself an efficient system, although there still existed some coding issues that were being worked through. The exercises would also help assist in finding bugs in the system, allowing for faster resolving of the system's various issues and ultimately lead to a smoother active deployment. After the second round of seventy-two hour exercises, another twenty-four hour period of "review and enhancement" would ensue, before a forty-eight hour simulated action, with the two carrier battle groups, which had been working together over the past week and a half, pitted against one another. The forty-eight hour battle would result in the [i]Boyaca[/i]'s battle group, barely gaining the edge, the [i]Boyaca[/i] having "sunk" its sister ship, [i]Araure[/i], but its battle group and the carrier itself would take a beating from one of the [i]Araure[/i]'s escort destroyers, and two multi-mission submarines that were able to sneak up on the [i]Boyaca[/i]'s battle group. All in all, the Colombian military leadership was proud of the military's performance, and both carrier battle groups would make port with non-essential personnel receiving a month's full leave, whilst the Navy's leadership element would go over the intricacies of the two-week exercise. Edited September 5, 2012 by TheShammySocialist Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheShammySocialist Posted September 6, 2012 Author Report Share Posted September 6, 2012 [b]Classified[/b] With the first year of independence behind it, long term projects continued to be completed at a feverish pace, including the full cross-branch introduction of the [i]Illapa[/i] Battle Management System, which was a joint services battle network, completely internalized on government servers separated from the civilian internet. The [i]Illapa[/i] System utilized a dual keycard/cryptographic key access, the latter of which changed every day and without the daily code or an access keycard, was completely resistant to forced DDoS attacks. The [i]Illapa[/i] System helped compile data from multiple situational awareness points to help give both battlefield commanders and soldiers on the ground a complete picture of the battle, helping deploy battlefield support assets in the most efficient way possible. The [i]Illapa[/i] System could prioritize targets for air support for ground forces, or assign artillery support to the highest priority target in an area of operations, while its air combat subsystem program could help fighters and missile truck support assign engagement priorities, its naval combat management subsystem helped coordinate the Navy's fleet defense programs. These subsystems all were compartmentalized by branch of service, area of operation, role, priority, sensitivity, rank of the user, and so on or so forth, with multiple levels of encryption inside of the program itself, which helped it recover if one area of the program was unlikely to be compromised as a precaution. For instance, a colonel at a regimental headquarters with a battle management real-time map could see more intelligence then a technical specialist operating a tactical laptop calling in air support via the system. The servers for the [i]Illapa[/i] System were completely guarded against intrusion from internet attacks, and security was highly monitored, no external devices that had had access to the civilian internet were allowed to connect with they system. Banks of internal servers were kept at various bases and installations, many were buried under the ground in remote locales in the Colombian Andes or the Coastal Venezuelan Range at one of a number of government facilities, and were hardwired to external transmission apparatuses via fiber-optic cables. Although, like any communications system, the [i]Illapa[/i] System could be jammed, the direct attack on its servers or systems was near impossible. Any unit in danger of being overrun was to destroy all cryptographic information and keycard access systems, and some larger systems were rigged with small amounts of explosives to destroy their equipment. All individuals with access to the system were vetted multiple times by immigration services and intelligence forces, and those people were given access to the system only after a full year's service in the military. Although the [i]Illapa[/i] System's defenses were well tuned to stave off cyber attacks, in the event they were somehow pierced, the military could fall back on other combat systems to coordinate support forces, although not as efficiently as the [i]Illapa[/i] BMS. The Colombian National Army and Air Force also began a full deployment of the Synergy Group ASAT/NLBS-1E [i]Safeguard[/i] satellite blinding/dazzling system to various locations throughout the country, which utilized a high-power laser to non-lethally blind optical surveillance satellites, which would begin actively operating once the units were installed. Utilizing phased array radars on board their own satellites and on the ground to establish patterns of passes by the satellites of foreign states, the dazzling system would disallow optical surveillance satellites from gathering photo intelligence of military installations and areas of interest. These dazzling weapons would be also mobile-based, riding shotgun with some mobile ballistic missile brigades, strategic air defense units, and anti-ship missile battalions to mask their deployments, although these units were well capable of camouflaging themselves from satellite surveillance, blending in with the rugged terrain of the Colombian countryside, moving in caravans at night with no indicators of what the heavy military trucks were carrying. Much of the testing of the [i]Safeguard[/i] system would be able to be tested as the Colombian Air Force conducted a flurry of satellite launches from the newly-opened orbital launch facility near Barcelona, which had a backlog of launches to accomplish over the next six months. Alongside military optical surveillance, global positioning system, communications, and signals intelligence satellites, the launch of which was classified, satellites from the civilian sector, including telecommunications and navigation satellites would also be launched. Some of the military satellites would be the first of two modules, the secondary of which including an orbital defense module for some of the satellites. The Colombian Air Force, in conjunction with the Colombian Space Agency (CSA), were also conducting tests on an unmanned space plane, which was set to be launched on its first orbital trials within the next year. It had proven to be a busy first year for the armed services of Colombia, and with the military industrial complex helping fund some of the economic growth in Colombia, it was surely to continue to expand its capabilities in the next fiscal year... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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