Lodamun

[imperialpearl]

As if the recent bombing campaign against the Likatonia had not been a sign of future actions against the nation, the Lodamese Army pierced the Likatonian-Lodamese border earlier this morning via a combined arms assault against pre-positioned, entrenched Likatonian Army formations. Artillery formations comprising MLRS (multiple launch rocket systems), towed field artillery and self-propelled howitzers hammered entrenched and fortified Likatonian positions along the border in an attempt to both weaken the morale of the supposedly battle-hardened soldiers and “soften” said formations for the ensuing invasion force. It had been previously reported within the Likatonian media that the nation’s armed forces had mobilised some 70,000 troops to the border in anticipation of an invasion from Lodamun, with commentators noting: “If our adversaries think that we will roll over, they are wrong”. The artillery barrage against these entrenched troops had been accompanied by an additional round of airstrikes and TLAM (Tomahawk Land Attack Missile) strikes, with the latter being primarily aimed at hardened bunkers and other installations along the border. 

Speaking at the DoD’s press briefing earlier, Secretary of Defence Andrew Jordan stated that the decision to invade Likatonia did not come without significant discussion as he noted that both President William Tabner and Vice-President Isaac Turner weighed the options of Lodamun formally entering the conflict against Kundrati and Likatonia. “Notwithstanding our obligations to our partners in Kalistan, we [the administration] have weighted our options and it is our belief that we must intervene to bring the fascist link between Likatonia and Kundrati to an end. The enabling role Likatonia plays in advancing Kundrati’s machinations represents one of the foremost dangers to security on the Seleyan continent,” Secretary Jordan explained. Secretary Jordan noted that since the mobilisation of troops to the Likatonian-Lodamese border, the Lodamese intelligence community, more specifically the Office of Defence Intelligence (ODI) had been conducting reconnaissance on troop formations and movements along the border. Aided by Kalistani reconnaissance satellites, Secretary Jordan noted that the ODI had been documenting the various pieces of equipment being deployed to the border alongside troops including tanks, armoured personnel carriers and short-range air defence systems.

The Lodamese Army and Marine Corps had been amassing forces in Cranston where for much of the period prior to the commencing of broad hostilities with Likatonia, the strategic planning for the ground invasion had been headquartered. Trains hauled self-propelled artillery batteries, and armoured vehicles (including tanks, armoured personnel carriers and infantry fighting vehicles) from their storage depots in eastern Berkwaki and other parts of the country whilst strategic airlifts aided in bringing supplies and troops to the central staging point at Sunderwell Air Force Base near Loxhampton. Some 100,000 troops had been called into active service, the largest mobilisation of Lodamese forces in centuries. Initial plans for the ground invasion were revealed to have contained significant involvement from the Commonwealth Guard, whose superior numbers (when compared to the Lodamese Army) would have provided sufficient numbers for a “mass assault” across the entire Likatonian-Lodamese border. However, as was revealed by recently promoted General Dave Sullivan, the Commonwealth Guard lacked the training needed to act as a spearhead force. 

“The Commonwealth Guard has traditionally been positioned as our rear-guard units. The entire structure had been crafted with the sole intent of defending Lodamese territory in a purely defensive capacity. Although they received training to work under combined arms, full-spectrum warfare land doctrine, their baseline is in irregular warfare, which isn’t suited for offensive, conventional engagements,” General Sullivan explained. Having been positioned as the nation’s foremost “shock troops”, the Lodamese Marine Corps had been tasked with leading the offensive. With armoured vehicles and main battle tanks loaned from the Commonwealth Guard, the 1st Marine Expeditionary Combat Force (MECF) kicked off the ground invasion, coined Operation Jackal, with a speedy thunder-dash through the unfinished segments of the Likatonian-Lodamese border fence. Behind them, 1st Corps (Army of the Halewood) formed the bulk of the follow-up units, with their combined armoured, mechanised and motorised infantry assault. As the Marine Corps had not been expected to enter Likatonia without significant air cover, AH-64 attack helicopters accompanied the initial armoured offensive into Norwalk and were reportedly instrumental in engaging Likatonian armoured vehicles and other pieces of equipment in the armoured spearhead’s away.

Some AH-64 pilots recalled a daring raid deep into the western portions of Norwalk. “I’ll be honest with you, I was scared beyond comprehension. We were ordered to fly at tree top level some minutes off midnight. The formation had to be tight,” Cpt. Leonard Parrish, an AH-64 pilot with the 4th Combat Aviation Brigade, recalled. “Intel placed significant movement around a train yard near Saultello. Some sort of transhipment point for supplies and equipment heading to the Likatonian border. Now, we knew that we were being hunted. These are loud helicopters and it’s gonna be obvious to the average Likatonian grunt that the sounds of helicopters going to the west weren’t friendly movements. We were a flight of eight birds; Condors 1 through 8. We popped over the forest line a few clicks from the train yard. I saw one of the freight trains, lazed it and called “Rifle” over the radio as the first ATGM left the rails.”