Luthori

[Ligbruderkrieg]

Yet another naval fleet for Luthori? Navy HQ gives green light for "eastern armada" study.
July 5737 (backdated)

Fort William’s recent moves have all indicated towards the formation of a new fleet in the Eastern Hemisphere. The conclusion of the Schismatic Crisis has left the Prosperity Fleet vastly overstretched, leading to yet another round of debates within the Ministry of Defence and Imperial General Headquarters about the necessity of the formation of another fleet.

The main issue resided with the opposition of the Treasury, which warned about the expanded military expenditures and upkeep costs that have risen dramatically over the last decade. The Labour government’s continued deficit spending, a sharp break from traditional conservative Luthorian spending policy has continued to raise to the national debt from 66% of GDP to 79% of GDP over 24 years of continued Labour administration (with a short interregnum from Parkford’s Conservative Party between 5723 and 5727).

In a recent Imperial Defence Committee meeting, two visions clashed, one favourable to an expansion of the Prosperity Fleet, and other one favourable to creating another fleet from scratch, at the risk of once again, rising the expected cost of military expenditures and upkeep, but one ultimately prevailed, with the Imperial General Headquarters confirming alongside the Ministry of Defence that the risk of “vastly overstretching” the Prosperity Fleet by strengthening its forces with the addition of several new naval vessels, furthermore, it would place the Prosperity Fleet’s organisation at odds with the overall Luthorian standardisation model in its naval fleets’ formation.

The Navy Headquarters announced the Navy’s intent at “restructuring” the current deployment orders for the Prosperity Fleet, furthermore, adding to that statement that the publication of the next Naval White Paper, due for 5740, will tackle with the conclusion of the modernisation program of the Imperial Luthorian Navy and the restructuration of the naval presence in the eastern hemisphere.

By that statement, later confirmed by words from First Sea Lord and Chief of the Naval Staff, Lloyd Radcliff, the Imperial Luthorian Navy will soon launch the preparation for one of its biggest naval procurement programs, outside of a standard modernisation course. 

Details around the creation, organisation, objectives and command structure of the future “Eastern Fleet” of the Imperial Luthorian Navy have for now not been communicated by the Imperial Navy’s Headquarters nor by the Ministry of Defence, nonetheless it seems likely that the Eastern Fleet will take over the current role of the Prosperity Fleet in the Eastern Hemisphere, acting as the main arm of Luthorian power projection in eastern Seleya and western Dovani.

Due to continued tensions between Fort William and Kaliburg, tensions that have been reduced due to Gaduri mediation of the Schismatic Sea Crisis in 5726, it’s unknown how Kaliburg will react to the formation of the ILN’s Eastern Fleet. Imperial General HQ aimed at reassuring that the aforementioned agreement between the two empires will be “honoured” by the Imperial Luthorian Armed Forces, a sentiment echoed by the Ministry of Defence, which confirmed that the Luthori-Kalistani agreement will continue to be upheld by His Majesty’s Government. 

“The potential for the creation of another active Luthorian carrier strike group represent a worrying development for the preservation of peace in the region”, stated the pacifist organisation, Luthori4Peace which urged in a statement the government to “reconsider the decision”, enlightening the lingering tensions between Fort William and Kaliburg as a threat to global peace.

The government hasn’t answered to these allegations, although the Prime Minister dismissed the allegations in which Luthori-Kalistani relations were going to be threatened by the ILN placing its future Eastern Fleet in the Schismatic Sea: “We’ve reached an agreement with Kalistan, and the government intend to stand by it. Any future deployment in the Eastern Hemisphere will not constitute a genuine threat to these relations.”