Kanjor

[Drax]

CLAIRON PICARD
 
LOURENNAIS FLEET JOINS OUR NAVY
 
Defense Ministry August 13, 5558: After Defense Minister Marcel Augereau met with the Chief of the Federal Defense Staff and the Chief of Naval Operations concerning the 5th Royal Lourennais Fleet, CLAIRON PICARD asked him if there were any problems, and Augereau replied:
 

The fleet was  transferred to us and we do want to operate it.  We were dealing with steps we need to take to make that work.
 
We spent a considerable amount of time considering whether to build the necessary facilities to service it in Savigny where it currently is located and move it to one of our existing naval bases.  We have not decided that yet but are leaning toward transfer to an existing naval base.
 
We all agreed the fleet should be operated as such rather than simply parceled out to our existing task forces. That was whole idea of transfer.  The Lourennais Third Fleet was transferred to Alduria and the Fourth to Rildanor..
 
Over time the Lourennais personnel will be retiring or choosing to return to Royaume Uni de Lourenne so the Federal Naval Staff is arranging replacements so they can be trained in place.  Two classes of transferred ships are new to us so it is particularly important that we learn quickly how to operate maintain, service and service them.  One is the aircraft carrier so this is a right important  reason for getting on with it.
 
We have decided to set up facilities in our Defense Ministry for Imperial Command to which the transferred fleet would directly report.  Once this is done it is hoped staff from the various Canraillaise Navies will join us to make it operative.
 
Then there is the cost of maintaining this considerable addition to our budget.  Past surpluses in the overall budget will delay any problems but leaving our submarines in drydock rather than making them operational again as we had planned to do shortly seems like a prudent budgetary move.  The Empire’s Bank of Canrille does have considerable funds available but having them serve as interest bearing capital rather than a slush fund as long as possible is what we hope to do. Implementation of a Canrillaise Imperial Intelligence service seems indefinitely delayed which would have been another draw on those funds.  We believe continued economic growth can alleviate any actual strain but we do want to be ready to handle the actual expenses as they occur.