Lodamun

[imperialpearl]

With appropriations from the Senate Committee on Defence and National Security having been approved, the Lodamese Coast Guard has announced that the second phase of its vaunted modernisation programme will commence with the construction of additional vessels in anticipation of the branch’s enhanced role in Seleyan security and defence. At a substantive press conference held at the Department of Defence building in Kensington, Secretary of Domestic Security Stanley Brennan stated that with the State Department and Whitehall having articulated Lodamun’s border ambitions for continental defence and security and the central role the nation will play going into the future, it was imperative that the Lodamese Coast Guard be equipped to take on additional responsibilities in new areas/regions of the world. “Given the broader implications of Lourenne’s withdrawal from the international order, it is nonetheless important that we [Lodamun] ensure a sense of continuity on the continent with respect to its security environment. In that respect, we must equip the Lodmaese Coast Guard with the tools necessary to operate within new environments and anticipate potential threats.” Brennan explained. Although it may be reasonable for one to assume that owing to the now “expeditionary” nature of the Coast Guard that the Department responsible for domestic and national security ought to not have a say, however, owing to the structure of the Lodamese Armed Forces, the Coast Guard remains a subordinate entity of the DoDS except in times of war. 

Nonetheless, the Coast Guard’s “pivot” to Eastern Seleya/Western Dovani represents a major development in the branch’s operations, recognising that covering such a vast region will undoubtedly be a major challenge in itself owing to the vastness of the Eastern Seleyan sphere. In a review of the LCG’s current capabilities, it had been identified that although the branch had built a solid foundation for its operations in Western Seleya (including the Mad Dog Ocean, the Artanian Sea and the South Ocean), as said operations had been largely supported by infrastructure (in the form of LCG Station Newport) and accompanying vessels, such infrastructure did not exist for operations Eastern Seleya. Speaking to the review’s recommendations for a greater deal of emphasis on expanding the Coast Guard’s infrastructure and operational vessels, Commandant of the Coast Guard ADM. Nicholas Grant confirmed that considerable progress had been made in establishing a new Coast Guard station in Barrington. “We’ve already begun the work to build out LCG Station Emberton which will be the central hub for Coast Guard operations in Eastern Seleya/Western Dovani. Eastern Littoral Command has already been established under Rear Admiral Owen Gordon who will oversee the operationalisation of subordinate structures including SAR (search and rescue),” ADM. Grant explained.

The Defence Procurement Administration has confirmed that it has granted contracts to both Cowgill-Masterson Maritime Engineering (CMME) in Harrington and Kaliburg Shipyards in Kalistan for the construction of various vessels under Phase 2 of the Coast Guard Modernisation Programme. CMME is expected to act as a quasi-supervisor for the work done through Kaliburg Shipyards with a technical advisor reportedly being sent to primarily liaise with Kalistani engineers. The procurement order lists the construction of 10 Cobia-class offshore patrol cutters, 5 Union-class Domestic Security Cutters, and 15 Semper-class fast response cutters. Commandant Grant stated that the procurement order reflected the Coast Guard’s needs to populate the Eastern Littoral Command with vessels, as it remained cognizant of the fact that a withdrawal of naval assets from Western and Eastern Littoral Command would be unwise owing to greater activity in the Mad Dog/White Ocean and the Artanian Sea. “As mentioned prior, the vastness of Eastern Seleya/Western Dovani necessitates such a procurement order as we have to bring considerable assets to bear in this region to not only plug gaps left by Lourenne but also to work alongside like-minded states,” Grant explained. 

His comments nonetheless reiterate the claim made by Chairman of the Combined Chiefs Gen. Arthur Whitley who said that all nations on the Seleyan continent had a role to play in its defence and that Lodamun was willing to empower all Seleyan states seeking to recapture their sense of personal responsibility. “Lourenne’s presence has certainly imbued a sense of complacency among states on this continent and that is extremely troubling. Nations have left their defence to a nation that is no longer willing to look as outward as it used to. It is my honest belief that these nations must shake off that malaise and complacency and make honest efforts towards reclaiming their autonomy.” Harding noted. Alongside the procurement of additional vessels, the DPA has pointed to the suspension of its long-range drone programme as a major possibility. It noted that the Triton long-range drone does not suit the Lodamese Coast Guard and thus assessments are being made as to whether said assets could be transferred out of the LCG and into the Lodamese Navy, with the Coast Guard receiving a new sub-class of long-range maritime drones.