Lodamun

[imperialpearl]

As tensions begin to flare in the Majatran continent amidst an ongoing skirmish between Pontesi and Istalian forces, the Lodamese Navy has reportedly dispatched an additional long-range Azuron long-range maritime patrol drone to Naval Station Crockett and Mordusia to enhance surveillance and monitoring in both the Migrant’s Pass and the Sea of Lost Souls. At a press conference held at the Department of Defence building in Kensington, Commander of South-Western Command (Majatran Command - MAJCOM), General Abel Milligen, Commander of Southern Command (Seleyan Command - SELCOM), Admiral Brendan Buckner and DoD Press Secretary Peter Hussain confirmed that the Lodamese Armed Forces was “monitoring” the situation. According to Hussain, the near-simultaneous attack against Pontesi and Kafuristan came as a surprise to the Lodamese military-intelligence establishment, admitting that an attack on such scale having gone unnoticed by the Lodamese Navy highlighted numerous holes in its intelligence-gathering operations. He noted that although claims surrounding Istalia’s capability to pull off a simultaneous attack on Kafuristan and Pontesi ought not to be doubted given the otherwise unique circumstances of the situation, the claims being made by Istalian state media have come into considerable doubt. “The Director of the ODI (Office of Defence Intelligence) is expected to have a more substantive press conference on this situation in the coming hours. However, I should note that the agency is disputing the claims held by Istalian state media of the scale of the offensives against Kafuristan and Pontesi.” Hussain explained. He also noted that the supposed invasion represented a major failure on the part of the MSCO, and its associated intelligence-gathering structures, pointing to the fact that although the organisation the organisation fashions itself a highly capable entity, similar to Lodamun, the Istalian movements “slip right under their noses.” According to General Milligen, the deployment of an additional Azuron drone to Naval Station Crockett would likely augment the efforts of the two (2) drones which have been permanently deployed to the base for the better half of a decade.

Although Lodamun maintains very little diplomatic contact with Pontesi, the situation’s proximity to the Migrant’s Pass, a vital artery of global trade and the route through which Harrington Company vessels transit from the REM ports of Vascania to Lodamun, has made it incumbent on the Federal Government to enhance its surveillance operations throughout the length and breadth of the strait. As Kafuristan is a close trading partner of Lodamun, as Lodamun imports large quantities and crude oil and natural gas from the Majatran energy giant, the deployment of an Azuron drone to Mordusia represents the first major deployment of Lodamese assets to Mordusia following the signing of the defence relationship between Kensington and Randworth. Admiral Buckner has noted that the dynamic related to Kafuristan is starkly different from that related to Pontesi, explaining that whereas in the Migrant’s Pass and Pontesi, the Lodamese Navy could maintain a hands-off policy (as remain in a surveillance/intelligence-gathering capacity), Istalia continued disruption of crude oil and natural gas imports from Lodamun may provoke a broader response. “A drone is being flown in from Lodamun into Mordusia where it will operate in the Sea of Lost Souls and conduct surveillance and intelligence-gathering operations. It is our belief that we need to establish a clear picture of the environment, which would in turn allow for us to make a better decision on the way forward. The Istalian attack has garnered significant condemnation, with the State Department and Harrington Company announcing broad sanctions against Istalia for its attack against Kafuristan. It has been reported that although the Harrington Company has issued notices barring Lodamese/HC ships from venturing near Istalia, Kafuristan and the Sea of Lost Souls, the DoD has issued warnings to the Istalian regime that offensive action against Lodamese shipping still in Majatra will be met with a “proportional response.” Expeditionary Action Group Majatra (formerly Expeditionary Action Group Malivia) is reportedly being held on standby should Istalian forces attempt military action against HC vessels fleeing the Majatran Sea.