Lodamun

[imperialpearl]

With significant attention being placed on enhancing Lodamun’s at-sea capabilities, President George Menkyn announced that the Department of Defence, through the Defence Procurement Administration (DPA) had signed off on the production of three (3) nuclear-powered aircraft carriers which, when complete, are set to transform the structure and functionality of the Lodamese Navy. At a press conference held at Whitehall in Kensington, Secretary of Defence Wesley Randall confirmed that Cowgill-Masterson Maritime Engineering (CMME) had been selected as the preferred bidder for the entire project, which has been dubbed the Next Generation Carrier Program (NGCP). The announcement represents the culmination of decades, if not centuries of mounting interest among Lodamese defence planners, who throughout the years have maintained altering opinions of whether Lodamun indeed needed an aircraft carrier to project influence beyond its borders.

Prior to CMME’s selection as the project’s preferred bidder, the Department of Defence continued a series of field investigations and studies, observing the historic use of aircraft carriers throughout the world among various nations including Beiteynu, Lourenne, Dorvik, Hutori and Luthori. These studies primarily focused on the way in which the vessels were deployed/utilised among the various nations, their design concepts/philosophies, alongside their role in advancing the defence and foreign policy objectives of the respective nations. Although the Lodamese Navy possesses knowledge in amphibious/sea-borne air operations, as has been done via its four (4) St. Christopher-class amphibious assault ships, the construction and subsequent deployment of a carrier strike group represents a fundamental expansion in Lodamese naval capability. “Although the Lodamese Navy is by no means a lesser or ill-prepared force, these carriers represent a transformation of the force itself: granting Lodamun the ability to truly operate anywhere and everywhere,” Patrick Morrow, a defence reporter, noted.

CMME’s design features a Catapult-Assisted Take-Off Barrier Arrested Recovery (CATOBAR) type design with an angled flight deck layout, which has been the preferred design for most aircraft carriers, setting aside Luthori’s ski-jump carriers. The CATOBAR works such that aircraft are launched using a powerful catapult to reach flying speed quickly and then land by catching an arresting wire on the deck to slow down and safely stop on the carrier, essentially allowing for heavier aircraft with less powerful engines to operate effectively on a limited deck space. The angled deck is meant to allow for safer and more efficient landing operations, particularly for jet aircraft, by providing a "go-around" option in those instances where a plane that misses the arresting wires can simply accelerate and take off again instead of crashing had the deck been straight. The carrier will supposedly possess two nuclear reactors, which will provide them with the ability to remain at sea indefinitely, barring the need for R&R and repairs.

The vessels will be rated to carry up to 75 aircraft of varying roles and complements. Although the vessels have not been constructed, the Department of the Navy has confirmed that the LF-18, alongside the LF-35C, will form the backbone of Lodamun’s carrier air combat wings. Beyond this, AEW and light cargo aircraft are currently being selected as part of the airborne early warning and cargo wings, which will operate alongside combat aircraft. With Lodamun having taken over the X-43 programme, the multi-role stealth fighter, as mentioned prior, will play a central role in projecting Lodamese influence in all areas where the carriers may be deployed. “There is a unique opportunity for naval aviation to reinvent itself. With the X-43 programme now under our supervision, it would be worthwhile to experiment with its use in our amphibious assault ships and our future carriers. These aircraft, if fully integrated into the lodamese naval aviation doctrine, could very well aid in enabling us to maintain and enhance our lethal edge,” Secretary of the Navy Peter Arnold said.

In a press statement released following the announcement, CMME noted that although it had been selected as the preferred bidder in the project, the carriers may not be wholly built in Lodamun. The company noted that as it continues to fulfil the Harrington Company’s ship orders, the vast majority of Lodamun’s ports, excluding the company’s principal facility in Portswood, are occupied. “We have ensured that a drydock has been placed in reserve for these carriers so that the lead ship may be built within Lodamun proper; however, we do not believe that we will be capable of building the remaining carriers in time should we remain within Lodamun,” CMME’s statement read. The company noted that it intends to have the remaining two carriers constructed in Kalistan and Gaduridos. “This does not represent a collapse of the Lodamese shipbuilding sector. In fact, it remains one of the strongest such industries in the world. What this decision represents is the reality that the Lodamese shipyards capable of accepting orders of this scale/scope are occupied and thus, we must look to the facilities in Kalistan and Gaduridos. We have long partnered with shipyards throughout the world because there is a deep belief within the Lodamese shipbuilding sector that we must ensure that all benefit/share in the bounty.” The CMME statement concluded. Liberal estimates from the Office of Fiscal Responsibility noted that the per-unit cost of the proposed carriers could be as much as 15 billion LOD, making the vessels the most expensive to be ever fielded by the Lodamese Armed Forces.