Deltaria

[Rogue]

Granica - In the border province of Granica the Imperial Deltarian Armed Forces (IDAF) conducted one of their largest military exercises since modernization, with a estimated 30.000 soldiers participating in the exercise named "Jelbic Dawn". Military enthusiasts largely looked forward to the exercise because it would likely mean the participation of countless new weapon systems purchased and developed by the IDAF in recent years. 

One of the biggest modernizations for the army was conducted on its tank reserves, with tanks that were considered obsolete sold for scrap and the GIA (Grand Imperial Army) focussing completely on modernizing and expanding the existing fleet of T84D Oplot tanks in service. Since this effort was initiated, with the Deltarian Defense Federation contracted to produce this new tank, the fleet of T84D's has been expanded from 100 initially to around 500 as of writing this article. The new tanks feature improved armor, new weapon stabilization features, enhanced commander optics and a new engine. Together with the T-84D, the army also maintains a fleet of T-90M tanks, although only 100 of these are in service due to high maintenance cost. 

The T-84D participated in a variety of operations as part of Jelbic Dawn, largely being used in a variety of mechanized formations during the course of the exercises. 
Additionally, the new modernized MiG-29M multirole fighters were also showcased, conducting a variety of air-support missions for forces on the ground. Importantly, the IDAF has been working on intergrating command structures between the Air force and Army, seeking better coordination in the field. Besides a few mishaps, these new structures seem to work as fire missions were succesfull in most instances and soldiers praised support from the modernized MiG's during a variety of scenarios. 

The clear focus for the Army has been mechanized warfare, with Jelbic Dawn showcasing just how much the GIA has focussed on improving its mechanized capabilities. Divisions largely consist of mechanized brigades, with the T-84D as the "heavy gun" within these formations, supplemented by mechanized infantry transported/supported in/by BMP-3, 2 and BTR's. Infantry is sometimes equipped with mobile armoured vehicles, largely designed for quick maneavours. Besides the mechanized formations, the army has been investing in mobile artillery batteries, mainly the new 2S40 Doks self-proppeled artillery battery and the older and less mobile 2S19. Additionally, older field artillery has been modernized and is still in use. 

Overall, Jelbic Dawn will largely be remembered as a field test for a new and increasingly capable military, with both Army and Air force increasingly in sync with one another. Field Marshal Branco Bukovac called the exercise "a great succes" and hasnt ruled out further exercises in the future. When questioned on the name of this particular exercise and its proximity to the Jelbe border, Bukovac called it "a mere coincidence" and refused to speculate on the meaning behind this decision.


The new T-84D Oplot in action during exercise Jelbic Dawn