Lodamun

[imperialpearl]

It ought to be noted that the defence of Lodamun proper has often been granted a priority by defence planners compared to say the defence of North Seleya or potentially the Seleyan continent as a whole. This is largely the product of otherwise outdated thinking that when in doubt, the Lodamese Armed Forces and its accompanying defence/security apparatus ought to circle the wagons around the defence of the nation itself or its immediate neighbourhood by proxy and that the other nations on the continent for whom Lodamun have traditionally called allies and partners be left the machinations of the emergent threat. The compartmentalisation of security had lent itself to a degree of arrogance on the part of Lodamese defence planners who believed that continent/sub-continent defence was not the responsibility of the Lodamese Armed Forces. Yet, the ever-changing global dynamic, largely marked by the emergence of numerous competitors each vying for influence both within Seleya and its neighbours, has made the concept of continental defence ever the more important. The Strategic Defence Agency (SDA) had been initially established not only to develop and maintain advanced systems which when working in tandem with each other may enhance the nation’s ability to defend itself from external threats but to also provide the means through which continental defence would become an essential part of the Lodamese Armed Forces’ core mission; hence underscoring the long-held notion that the defence of Seleya is as much of Lodamun’s business as it is that of any other nation on the continent. The agency is ultimately tasked with developing solutions aimed against the ever-increasing advances of numerous potential adversaries both regionally and internationally. The emergence of hypersonic weaponry, intercontinental ballistic missiles and intermediate-range weaponry in the arsenals of numerous states including Beiteynu, Baltusia and Deltaria poses a clear and present danger to the defence of Lodamun and by extension the Seleyan continent. Although the agency’s executives have remained largely tight-lipped surrounding some of its ongoing projects, in a rare press conference held at the Department of Defence building in Kensington, Director of the SDA General Daniel “Dan” Sutton lamented that Lodamun maintained no real answer to these systems beyond the rudimentary capabilities of the Andrew Neilson-class guided missile destroyer and the Andrews-class guided missile cruiser.

“What makes these weapons a particular threat to Lodamun is that we possess no dynamic means of defending ourselves against them. Although one may point to SENTINEL (AEGIS) on the Andrew Neilson-class destroyers as a potential answer, they remain a reluctant stopgap measure for what ought to be a layered defence,” General Sutton explained. Some analysts have pointed to the Lourennais-made SOTERIA system as a ready-made solution to the SDA’s dilemma, however, General Sutton has shot down such suggestions pointing to the importance of Lodamun maintaining an independently developed system. “It is imperative that we develop a system that is unique to our needs and does not put us at the behest of other states. Although the SOTERIA system is capable, we nonetheless recognise its glaring limitations, particularly in the area of early warning. Sortea by its very nature operates in clusters/islands, and does not possess the long-range, layered early warning capabilities we are seeking to build for ourselves,” Sutton noted. The SOTERIA system is one of the world’s most capable short-range anti-air networks currently in operation. It is said to be capable of dealing with most intermediary threats ranging from aircraft to unguided munitions. Its capabilities against hypersonic weaponry and intercontinental ballistic missiles are largely unknown, however, some analysts have speculated that similar to other systems currently in operations throughout the world, it maintains a worrying vulnerability to the high-speed manoeuvres of hypersonic missiles. “I believe it was Admiral [Richard] Ebaugh (General Sutton’s predecessor), who spoke on the need for Lodamun and perhaps other nations to catch up in developing capable deterrents to hypersonic weapons,” Stanley Foster, a Senior Policy Analyst at the Institute for Global Policy and Strategy (IGPS), commented. “The SOTERIA system has never been marketed as a long-range anti-air and ballistic missile system. Yes, it is supported by a network of satellites (of which Lourenne has recently updated). Where it falls short is in long-range engagements. It is uniquely placed to destroy targets within the bubble afforded by its short-range radar, which would enable it to engage numerous targets simultaneously. It is a SENTINEL (AEGIS)-like system, capable of handling multiple, simultaneous engagements from numerous threat sources but falls short of what Lodamun needs, which is that long-range engagement edge.” This long-range engagement edge primarily relates to Lodamun’s ability to intercept hypersonic and intercontinental ballistic missiles in orbit before they separate from their boost vehicles.

In its most recent budget proposal, the SDA requested some 1.1 billion LOD for the procurement of three semi-submersible oil platforms via a joint collaboration alongside Lodamese energy giant North Seleyan Petroleum which raised numerous eyebrows within the defence procurement sphere. Speculation regarding the agency’s potential use of these platforms ultimately led to the conclusion that the SDA had been interested in testing mobile, sea-based radar solutions as a means of providing the Lodamese Armed Forces with the flexibility needed to expand its radar network beyond Lodamun’s borders. Pointing to the regrettable circumstance surrounding Kalistan’s OTH radar in both Likatonia and Kundrati, Gen. Sutton noted that both instances reaffirmed his own commitment that as it pertained to the maintenance of various systems, Lodamun ought not to depend heavily on “unreliable entities”. “It is for that very reason we are looking into developing mobile systems we can easily deploy and move should the situation change.” Although not providing many details surrounding the agency’s intimate plans for strategic defence within Lodamun, North Seleya and potentially the Seleyan continent, Gen. Sutton noted that the SDA would be placing significant emphasis in enhancing the effectiveness of the Guardian defence system (the Lodamese pattern of the Patriot Missile Defence System) alongside the development of new systems as a means of establishing a layered hard-kill defence for Lodamun and North Seleya. Guardian stands as a backronym for Global Unified Anti-missile Response and Defense with Integrated Advanced Networking. “It is obvious that given our ambitions to develop newer, more advanced systems, there will be a need for us to enhance our cooperation with the Armed Forces Projects Agency (AFPA) and potentially the Research Projects Administration (RPA),” Gen. Sutton noted. The SDA continued cooperation with the Lodamese Space Administration and now the Lodamese Air Force on rocketry and eventually satellite technology continues as the ability to track and identify emerging airborne threats remains a core feature which is lacking from Lodamun’s air defence landscape.