Lodamun

[imperialpearl]

In another major escalation in tensions in the region, Lodamese Majatran Command (MAJCOM) has stated that it has destroyed an Amudimim military ship in the Migrant’s Pass in response to what they called ‘dangerous’ and ‘provocative’ manoeuvres around a Lodamese Navy submarine. In an emergency press statement issued earlier this morning, MAJCOM Commander Rear Admiral Edward Criswell explained that the Lodamese Navy had destroyed an Amudimim frigate in a brief engagement some nautical miles off the Amudimim EEZ. In the minutes following the engagement, when information coming from Malivia and Tel Bira was supposedly fresh, social media went array with varying stories. Some reported in a Lodamese Navy ship beyond destroyed by a coordinated attack, whilst others reported that a Lodamese Navy submarine had been forced to surface and subsequently destroyed. According to the MAJCOM statement, the LCS-Grouper, a Lodamese Navy attack submarine, had been partially crippled after it had set off a derelict seamine, causing damage to the craft’s propellers. As a result of the damage, the submarine was forced to surface, wherein it requested an escort back to Naval Station Crocket in Malivia. Although the statement did provide details related to the sea mine incident, it clarified that the submarine did not cross into Amudim’s maritime EEZ as initial media reports had suggested. A detachment of vessels from the naval station had been rotated to the submarine with the intention of tugging it to port in NS Crocket. The detachment, according to the MAJCOM statement, comprised two littoral combat ships, the LCS-Freedie Jarvis and the LCS-Allen Whitehead, a minesweeper, the LCS-Letitko and a tug boat. “Upon escorting the Grouper back to Naval Station Crocket, an Amudimim frigate, which both the Jarvis and the Whitehead had been tracking whilst enroute to the submarine, had ignored multiple warnings to maintain a sizeable 10 nautical mile distance from the convoy. Following additional warning, including numerous warning shots, the vessel was subsequently engaged by two anti-ship missiles fired from the Freedie Jarvis and the Allen Whitehead. One of the missiles struck the frigate in its magazine, which detonated,” the statement read.

The escalation is the newest in a series of engagements/skirmishes between the Amudimim and the Lodamese Navy, which initially began with the warning shots fired on a group of Amudimim missile boats by the Freedie Jarvis. Secretary of Defence Jeremy Whitelock expressed outrage at the incident as he noted that the engagement had been wholly avoidable. “The nature of communication on the high seas is two way street. To prevent miscalculations of this nature, it has always been practice that ships adhere to warnings and answer various attempts at communication. The highly unprofessional manner of Amudimim’s naval units has created the impetus for greater escalation in the region,” Secretary Whitelock said via a press statement. Amidst the chaos, some have questioned the rationale behind the presence of a Lodamese attack submarine in the area. An official from the DoD stated that such patrols predate the concept of “Amudim” and go back as far as the State of Beiteynu. “Lodamese Navy submarines are always patrolling various parts of the globe as part of freedom of navigation operations. The Grouper’s presence in the Migrant’s Pass is not out of the ordinary, as submarines of all nations often use the route to enter Dovani,” the DoD official explained. The MAJCOM statement confirmed that the Grouper had been successfully towed back to port in Malivia and is awaiting transfer back to Lodamun for repairs. Since the engagement and the vessel’s subsequent sinking, Naval Station Crocket has been under high alert with maritime patrol drones highly at higher altitudes and for a greater duration, whilst patrol craft have expanded their patrol zone well into international waters. The Harrington Company has stopped short of issuing a warning for Lodamese civilian maritime traffic traversing the region, instead providing recommendations for ships to maintain persistent contact with Lodamese Navy forces whilst traversing the strait.