Deltaria

[Rogue]

Balgrad - For the first time in nearly a century the Deltarian Navy has welcomed its first nuclear submarine. While traditionally the Deltarian Navy had long mastered the art of nuclear powered submarines, a lack of funding and other issues had resulted in the country no longer being in the possession of nuclear powered submarines for the last century. With renewed investments into defense and a rebirth of the country its naval industry, the first nuclear-powered attack submarine has left the Balgrad drydocks, entering the depths of the Majatran Sea for months of sea trials. Prime Minister Horvat was present at the joyous occassion, which saw several high ranked military and state officials attend. The new submarine is a modernized design of the old Akula-class submarines, with their own designation "Arsic-class" given, named after navy admiral Alexander Arsic. The new design features a modern nuclear engine, as well as updated weapon systems and the capability of carrying a variety of different torpedos. The Arsic-class, much like its predecessor Akula-class, is also able to deploy naval mines from its torpedo tubes. 

The introduction of the Arsic-class comes after years of development and nearly 12 billion in investments. The company Delta-Mar Defence & Shipworks worked together with the state-owned Deltarian Naval Systems to prepare the Balgrad naval facilities for construction of the Arsic-class, as well as working together in the eventual procurement of the submarine. Besides this first operational submarine, the Imperial Deltarian Armed Forces have ordered a additional 9 Arsic-class submarines, which will serve as a primary power projection tool for the Imperial Navy. Navy leadership has stepped away from previous "obsessions" with surface vessels, instead deciding to focus primarily on the procurement and operation of a formidable submersible fleet. The Arsic-class will be the flagships of this fleet of submersibles, with the Navy also working with several contractors on the procurement of the conventional, diesel-electric "Ada-class" submarines and the reintroduction of at least four Yasen-class cruise missile submarines, to be deployed for anti-ship and land-attack duties. The Yasen is also nuclear powered, but slated to cost 30% more then the Arsic-class attack submarines due to the complex nature of cruise missile technology employed on the ships. 

When reporters asked commander-in-chief and Admiral Vojin Popadić on the status of the service fleet, the admiral stayed vague. While it is known that the navy is reviewing the potential procurement of several modernized slava-class cruisers, the primary focus for the service fleet seems to be the modernization of several older frigates and destroyers currently in service. The reintroduction of aircraft carriers or the Kirov-class battlecruisers is "not on the table" according to Popadić. Prime Minister Horvat congratulated the navy on its achievements so far, thanking the "hard work of all the men and women that seek to strengthen our defense capabilities in light of a increasingly volatile world."


The "Bagarić", the first nuclear attack-submarine of the Deltarian Navy in a century during its initiation ceremony