Government Support: Unlimited
Budget: 315 Total Mobilizational Capacity; 175 Available
-100 for 1 Month Societal Level Programs
-30 for 4 Months Superconductor Plants
-10 for 11 Months Nuclear Production
Defense of the 74th
AAR by Corporal Fiach Suairt
The company was tasked with the defense of the essential retreat corridors for the 58th armored after strong confirmations of counterattacks by the Sallies were received with all sectoral artillery tasked to supporting the frontal position. Immediate contact was made in the night with an armored force, trading fire with what was believed to be three IFVs and two tanks through the night as the terrain was poor, mobility was poor, and contact was sporadic. Immediate engagements were inconclusive with a single nuclear shell used against an IFV, securing the kill in exchange for a BD. Lighting the hill itself on fire has been a general negative, but operations continued in the area with the order given to hold until relieved or until the majority of the 58th was able to cross the position.
The second engagement came in the morning after as the smoldering hill was once again pressed with an infantry company tasked with providing screening along with a number of the new ATGMs. The former performed about as well as any infantry during the war, becoming heavily engaged and losing an older transport but deploying into the frontal trench works to delay screening attacks. Long-range fire continued to be exchanged into the afternoon as an armored presence moved in but it was entirely inconclusive due to a mixture of rain, fog, and generally miserable conditions for conducting any form of warfare. In the meantime, forces from the 58th including almost a complete battalion of tankers crossed to the south to friendly lines, using the narrow corridor as a retreat vector.
ATGM fire may not have managed to kill any of the IFVs but after two hits on a lead element it decided to fuck off, with a distinctive gouge in the upper turret from the ATGM. Penetration of the system has been an improvement over the L48 gun with a far better ability to see through visual soup, but the performance is still inadequate for proper anti-armor use. Two more tanks went down defeating a partial counter-attack on the hill almost with three transports that ended up out of position because some Sallie fucker managed to sneak an IFV deeper into the lines than any expected in the weather. AR systems have posed a key advantage but not one that is overwhelming as the Sallies still have thermal optics on their vehicles along with an ability for improvisation.
Mud has still been a constant of operations in the theater with the unit relieved of the post after practically an armored division worth of crews had been shipped behind the lines without their tanks as the massive BPLs detonated overhead. The positions at the front were in effect compromised and getting over-run with the 74th tasked with holding the front for long enough for reinforcements to be organized. The only bright spot was the general release of nuclear shells with each tanker left given two shots that would have otherwise gone to the howitzers. The unit is expected to sell itself well and hold until relieved or destroyed against a likely far superior enemy.
Initial offensive operations towards Dulliach for the execution of plan Orange have broadly failed in all respects less due to the enemy but due to the presence of significant mud across the majority of operational theaters. The Western attack was slowed significantly by the increased armor presence of the enemy and the increase in muddy conditions that had come with the early arrival of rains that would normally start in the late summer. Conditions on the front steadily worsened with the overflow of several rivers and the effective degradation of any flooding control infrastructure from continuous bombardments in the theater along with demolitions being conducted during tactical disengagement.
In the center, the advance has suffered even worse with the breaching of two dams forming a new lake along with significant portions of the ground itself sent downstream. No advances were attempted in the sector and no significant movements were even tried by the Alien Enemy as movement for even infantry was problematic, much less for significant supply movements. In the Eastern sector of the front, the initial planned attacks conducted by the 58th Armored were initially successful beyond any expectation. The weather in the area was balanced by denser coastal soils and a generally more forested terrain, allowing for gains to be made through the sector. The defenses of the Alien Enemy were overcome for some of the first times of the war with a gloriously bloody four days of continuous offensive action overcoming every attempt at defending the sector.
By the fifth day, additional forces of the Alien enemy were tasked with halting the incursion with VTOLs deployed in large numbers along with a stock of armored assets to halt the breakthrough. Broadly across the front, their holding actions failed, the armor that had consistently posed a threat that could not be surmounted was surmounted and overcome at several sectors. A single tank of the Alien Enemy used to be an insurmountable challenge, but with successive engagements, they have proven unable to adequately respond to coordinated flanking fire with previously solid defenses of two mutually supporting tanks capable of being overrun by a well-coordinated company.
Initial desperation ploys by the Alien Enemy to stall the advance by deploying a mixture of rear line IFV and VTOL assets have been partially defeated as while the latter proved more capable of defeating armor, the lack of warning has cost the Alien Enemy several VTOL craft. Counter-attacks in the sector have managed to stall the operation and provide a sufficient degree of delay on the main axis of advance but at a significant cost. Repositioning of what is believed to be a full alien armored battalion managed to contain the initial advance as the initiative was depleted along with several AFVs being stalled due to fuel, supply, and progressively worsening mud conditions. The division was still theoretically combat-capable in the initial phases before the Alien Enemy started large-scale counter-attack operations but that would not last.
Initial counterattacks by available armor proved that despite continuous success the offensive over-extended with a lack of coverage of flanking concentrations due to assumptions made on the mobility of the Alien Enemy. Operating its armor as more airborne assets rather than conventional armored ones put immense pressure on the flanks of the attack, degrading it significantly especially once a retreat from the salient was called. A full cauldron was not technically managed but much of the heavy equipment was destroyed in the retreat to avoid surrendering it to the enemy. The only reason much of the corps has retreated intact has been the worsening mud as continued airborne exploitation operations were delayed instead of driving straight for the killing blow.
The destruction of at least fifty alien IFVs has been confirmed along with confirmed gun camera kills on around twenty tanks and another twenty VTOL craft, significantly degrading forces in the theater. In terms of strategic success and further operations though, despite its partial implementation, Plan Orange has still forced the deployment of reinforcements to the theater rather than towards novel areas, testing them against steadily strengthening defenses. These have come with immediate major attacks after landing despite the significant interception of landing forces during the drop operation. This has led to something of a general defeat on the ground as the gains of the 58th were erased along with severe damage inflicted on the 32nd and 74th armored cores. Infantry commitments from the 40th CAA have stabilized the front temporarily but they represent some of the few forces responsible for immediate contact.
Interdiction operations against the Alien Enemies drop have been entirely focused on the re-entry shells rather than a more general targeting profile. To that end, fire was held as the transport ships committed to their drop to ensure optimal BPL impacts. This has come with the effective interception of something approximating a quarter of the tonnage dropped as the point defense against the operation was far lesser than original expectations. Despite these strong intercepts, the predicted armor division has impacted the lines, effectively breaking through the 40th CAA in sectors and leaving significant portions of the Eastern sector under-defended and broken open. New heavier infantry was also dropped into the location with them designated internally as a militia unit on corporate communications.
The immediate terrestrial strategic situation is that there is a wide breach in the front line that is currently only held by infantry and some limited support assets. The developing weather is comparatively mild for the expected autumn rains but they are coming far earlier than anyone expected due to likely climatic shifts. Offensives in the dense mud can of course be conducted but armored vehicles have already struggled as significant parts of topsoil have been washed away and turned to mud from regional firestorms and vegetation loss through the utilization of nuclear ordinance. Stabilizing the front is the principal concern of the situation, theoretically developing storms can slow the enemy sufficiently but this is not remotely guaranteed.
Continued communications intercepts have determined that the current drop in forces only represents a small part of the additional funds allocated by them to secure the Alien artifact. Presentations to the outside of the invasion have gone at length of the success of the operation and the need for one final decisive blow from the corporate board. Conversely, the terrestrial military command has continuously sent calls for more reinforcements with the board itself approving the request with newly raised capital going directly into the hiring of more mercenary units to deal with the attrition on the ground. Current estimates place the third wave to receive something close to three times the funding of the second one. What could be classified as stock manipulation has also happened according to some corporate training documentation, with the board selling down to a 51% stake compared to external investors.
[]Case Xanthous: The reduction in front-line capacity and the inclusion of new units onto the line can see operations focused elsewhere. Re-equipped special forces units will be tasked with making beachheads on Curach itself to start offensive operations in a secondary theater. Naval-aerial blockades of the routes back to the island will be blockaded with several divisions allocated to operations on the island. Limited forces from the Alien Enemy have been emplaced to garrison the island with lacking armored support. Focusing on a well-supported invasion with a heavy commitment to nuclear weaponry can seize ports in a decisive action, breaking the rear of the invasion with forces on the island focused on delaying the enemy as much as possible.
[]Case Coral: Conducting operations around the primary theater is going to come at a cost in men and materials that are hard to afford. Trading space for time as the weather gets worse will provide room for comprehensive refits and ensure that large amounts of soldiers are not expended for nothing. This would effectively retreat the entire Eastern flank of the front to more solid defensive positions with the defenders of Athlaus given new weapons and tank destroyers for the goal of holding the pocket. In the South, assuming the weather is anything but clear skies, the mud will prevent an enemy advance, trading space for time, and the opportunity to reform and refit units.
[]Case Goldenrod: Favoring a more conventional defense while accepting that the weather will not play to anyone's advantage, local units can instead be rotated out. This would replace the 32nd, 38th, and 58th Armored Corps along with the 40th and 87th CAA with new units moved in from other areas and unloaded directly into the city. The increased vulnerability from the rotation will be compensated for by having immediately available combat power. The incoming 2nd Guards, 5th, and 19th armored corps will take their places on the line with other units refitted in rear echelon depots for the first few weeks. Assuming the front is still intact against the likely armored offensive, units will deploy to enforce attritional constraints, burning up the infantry to deplete overall offensive strength.
[]Case Brown: The weather conditions are expected to get worse with the coming of the autumn rains early. Destabilization of local terrain is massive due to the damage done to local root and tree systems. Most of the terrain involved will likely be rendered all but impossible for high-speed offensive actions. VTOL deployments can be screened out by the available AA assets in the sector slowing the advance of enemy armor long enough to place shattered and depleted armor units into refit, providing them with new equipment while focusing all reinforcements on local forces. In case of good weather, the defense will switch to a conventional one delaying the enemy long enough to finish refits for damaged units.
Investigator Operations:
Data-interception operations have confirmed the location of several jump point stations only sixty light years away from Kuriuq with a spirited discussion by the corporate board on their exact content and why which station would be prioritized for trade expeditions. Current plans range from avoiding contact for long enough to secure modern cultural and scientific information to opening contact directly through the landing of an ambassadorial team into the closest equivalent of the core worlds after a few off-grid jumps. The latter is the inherently riskier option as the attention of the mainline state backing the Alien Enemy may come with far more drawbacks than the simple consequences of partial recognition.
The Lirrir in the meantime have worked tirelessly on improving their own economy and general infrastructure with the local replication of high-capability print heads. Self-replication of printers has so far been limited by HEA feedstocks and the lack of domestic metallurgical industry but that has started to be compensated for with practically planet-wide industrial programs. The use of easier-to-produce sodium batteries has also led to a revolution in Lirrir society as new vehicles have become commonplace reducing the massive amount of farm labor necessary. The adoption of nuclear energy has come somewhat slower with only six hundred reactor complexes currently under construction on the planet.
Orbital developments have continued with large rockets capable of high throughput production increasing the tonnage launched to orbit while one of the planetary trade associations has placed significant investment into the construction of a new launch ramp. Kuriuq's status as a small planet with a weak gravitational field of only 5.5m/s has if anything accelerated its way into space with even high-efficiency hydrogen single-stage rockets capable of making the trip. Plans for a space station to build out the rest of the orbital industry have already been made with the assistance of local experts, providing something of a base for trade. The governments on the planet are also in general collaboration with each other, focusing more on the construction of space infrastructure than normal politics.
Further operations with the Investigator have been broadly planned through several Department Four commissions as a true first contact with the Alien Enemies state would only lead to further attention. Some of the more optimistic members of the commission believe that from what is known, the corporation is actively committing some crimes, but the risk to everything from state interest is too much to bear. Several of the more questionable gray zone stations at the borders have historically served as the rallying places for mercenaries, malcontents, and something of the fringe of active colonization for what are believed to be historical reasons. Current operations are going to entirely focus on them, as a ship with a questionable drive and construction would not be out of place, especially if presented as a pure FTL hauler.
Penetration into the computer systems of the Alien Enemy has been massively hindered by a lack of compatible hardware and software, limiting what can be done with any reasonable infrastructure. The good news is that the penetration of CLP systems has indicated that several comparatively high-demand general goods are used for station maintenance with significant sellers for them. Nothing highly valuable could be made on Kuriuq in sufficient quantities outside of basic first-stage refinement rare earths but they are believed to be enough to secure a significant technical package along with a wealth of information. Plans to use this funding have prioritized access to databases as even when using local servers the archival database for one and a half million inhabitants should be sufficient for most purposes.
[]Keep Investigator at Kuriuq: Rather than attempting an exceptionally dangerous mission with what could best be seen as a ship that has been obsoleted by more than a decade of technical progress, work can instead go towards keeping the crew at Kuriuq and helping the Lirrir build up. This would avoid a challenging data collection mission and ensure that the investigator still exists at the end of the day. The less the Alien Enemy knows about the Authority the better and sending a ship to its proverbial gate would draw a massive amount of attention.
[]Technical Investigation Mission: Instead of attempting to purchase as many electronic devices as possible the expedition can be more restrained, trading a smaller amount of rare earth materials in exchange for textbooks and database access. The mission will if anything be more obvious that it is aiming to do something with a planet, but it may be possible to pass it off as an uplifting expedition instead of anything more suspicious. Diplomatic contact will not be made and as many transactions as possible will be conducted remotely to minimize surveillance impacts.
[]Technologies Acquisition Mission: Several commodities can be sold to the highest bidder if several corporate contacts are followed up upon. The CLP has left practically an entire database of contacts willing to move inventory in significant amounts and nuclear warheads can improve the diplomatic heft of the expedition. The primary goal will be the purchase of limited inventory arms, including armor, vehicles, IFVs, and a wealth of technical assets. The significant scale of the exchange along with its military nature may attract a certain clientele but the drive of the Investigator can easily outrange any figures present in CLP databases.
[]Degrade Corporate Image: A cursory understanding of how the CLP is organized has several loyal media contacts listed for public releases and PR statements. Carefully working around the list and towards organizations that are not known loyal can be done as a further stop in the journey. Raising additional capital has been key for the expedition and with a single masterstroke it might be possible to end the entire invasion by presenting the corporation's reports on how the war is going. The purchase of databases will come as an essential part of this, with local computers used to contact media closer to the core worlds and start up a story.
Next Generation Nuclear Production: Centrifugal liquid core systems can be built terrestrially with active filtering components built-in on a base level. This will improve the production of plutonium along with several other essential isotopes yielding limited electricity from the reactor cores. Most of the designs involved will practically be variations on older liquid fuel drive engines with the goal of rapid self-replication of enriched components to feed into more reactors and drives. Expansion of the program itself will take most of a year, especially as the doubling of plutonium yields will be needed for the rapid establishment of more fast spectrum reactors. (65)
Construction of twenty new liquid core reactors has started even if criticality is not going to be achieved in the first pair for another six months. Further efforts will involve the rapid high-gain production of plutonium from the initial cores being used to start the others and further increase plutonium production. Through the incorporation of chelating agents directly through the fuel mix, almost refined plutonium can be pulled from the core in situ, improving yields and assisting in the conversion of natural uranium. Moderation of the core is fairly moderate and requires a consistent stream of HEU but that in itself is far easier to produce than large quantities of plutonium. As cores reach criticality the production of nuclear weapons should rapidly increase to the point that they can be used in a nearly unlimited fashion.
Standardized High Effect Grenades: Improvements in explosive composition are going to be necessary to hinder the advance of the Alien Enemy adequately. Taking some cues from nuclear refining mixed reaction ClF3 can be used along with several gelling agents to ensure adequate adhesion to lensing and combat systems. The rapid oxidation of the Alien Enemies' carbon armor can be achieved along with degrading their diamondoid optics through intensive oxidization. Handling of the grenades themselves will pose several challenges but strong Teflon internal coating can prevent the rapid degradation of the grenade systems, allow adequate penetration of all alien systems, and enable their effective use as an anti-armor system. Variations on the system will be built into rocket-propelled flamethrowers, allowing the reduction of enemy armored strength from at least four hundred meters. (30)
The design of an individual grenade system has proven overwhelmingly challenging and impossible to deliver. The larger rocket system has advanced further with a greater capacity for carrying incendiary fluid if at a shorter range than original expectations would indicate. The mass production of the new 3kg system is capable of delivering incendiaries up to three hundred meters. To reduce production costs the missile itself is stored in a double-layer tube that is self-contained with a small aiming system remaining as the only non-disposable component. Standardized sighting on the rocket comes with a laser rangefinder and an automatically adjusting sight, avoiding any AR integration to keep costs low. Accuracy against moving targets has a limited gyroscopic auto-lead capacity but accuracy is expected to be poor.
Restart Theoretical Infantry Programs: Experience with new capacitor systems, alien small arms, and several other material sciences breakthroughs have revolutionized the standard concept of an infantry rifle. Improvements in HEA films and the general gains in rifle body design have shifted the program towards more conventional weaponry. A caseless 12mm round is expected to be sufficient to match the performance of the 15mm at most ranges while an enlarged muzzle break and internal counterweight system stabilize the gun for rapid-return fire. Heat rejection in the firing chamber will be achieved through redirection away, using the gun as a thermal block. Armor developments can logically proceed from current suits with improved mobility and armor granted through partial battery-powered leg power assistance that is recharged from associated vehicles. (52)
Rapid implementation of a new generation of rifles and accompanying weapon systems has come as a continuation of more conventional programs. The rifle itself is a standard offering from HKG, taking an adaptation of older DMR rifles and bringing them up to a modern standard. The use of a cased telescoped 12mm round has simplified the production and thermal characteristics of the gun while the 600mm barrel bullpup finally offers troops a compact efficient weapon system. Tungsten is necessary for the manufacture of new ammunition but represents a comparatively minor cost relative to all other procurement costs. Standard AR integration along with a flexible frontal rail system has come as standard with the ability to use an adjustable zoom automatic optic that can be synchronized directly to AR systems. New armor sets have come as a logical extension to older ones, providing mobility assistance to reduce fatigue and heavier plating to deny lethal effects from Alien carbines.
Type 45 Combined Equipment Set: The next generation of infantry equipment has come with significant improvements to mobility, survivability, comfort in use, and protection against lighter alien weaponry. The suit itself uses the same basis for closed cycle breathing with improvements made to increase onboard supply duration and a high throughput cooling system. AR integration has not notably improved outside of some mild useability, hardware, and cross-compatibility improvements to increase incorporation with other equipment. Standard rifles have come on a more conventional platform with a twenty-round magazine on a bullpup rifle, capable of being wielded in close quarters and allowing engagements at long range. Further, ammunition carry amounts have increased by fourfold, offering something of a return to suppressive tactics against Alien infantry. An accompanying machine gun has already started production with a slow rollout expected to replace older weaponry in service.
Advanced Tank Programs: Building a genuine challenge to the armored assets of the Alien Enemy is a massive technical undertaking but one that must be undertaken. A massive superconducting battery system can be paired with a railgun that runs the length of the tank taking advantage of hull traversal and a hydropneumatics suspension to aim munitions. Using a more capable SMES system across much of the lower tank, immediate power in the range of 1500GW can be achieved for the millisecond an armature is traversing the barrel. Internal superconducting elements along with improvements in high transmission alloys will make up the rails themselves to improve the comparative performance of the system. The current goal for the project itself is the launch of a 12 kg projectile armature at 10 km/s, achieving adequate effect to destroy any armor from the front. First production optimistically will start in six months, more practically in nine as the project remains immensely technical. (67)
Limited first-production superconductors have been given to evaluation and testing units to produce a new generation of the armored capability to engage and defeat alien armor. Independent testing of the railgun has started with a Lunos system designed to meet the demand for a sufficiently energetic system. SMES systems have come slower as the current immediate superconductors have come with production issues and technical problems. The actual drive train has been designed by UNISA and Synger, with a viable platform made for flexibly aiming an otherwise fixed gun, allowing for operation as an adequate tank destroyer. Fifteen-round power storage is expected to provide the capacity for sustained fire through the railgun with recharge occurring at the base using 50MW mobile generators or heavy grid-scale vehicles. The crew is placed around the gun in a fully insulated compartment, protecting them from the massive railgun current emissions, and even then the danger area in front of the muzzle extends 50m.
Type 46 "Fragarach'' Tank Destroyer: A fixed gun tank destroyer weighing almost eighty tons with a massive onboard battery system and a light generator system made to slowly trickle charge the general vehicle. The onboard 6 MW generator is made to power the four 1MW drive motors along with recharging the main gun over five minutes when necessary with a massive use of diesel fuel oil. The tank is not expected to use the feature outside of emergencies, but the dual drive system allows for it to be used outside support assets. Frontal armor protection is sufficient to resist tank firepower on the upper plate when emplaced and dug in, but the lower plate remains vulnerable to IFV fire. All-around protection from rifle fire has been achieved through the use of applique armor kits, with the goal of the program being the firing of a 12kg armature at 10 km/s. Railgun operation is highly dangerous and the systems onboard are unreliable but the Type 46 is the first machine to offer a genuine threat to enemy armor.
Expand Alien Agitprop: Department Eight has so far focused on cultural output to hook the Alien soldiers in but with further programs, this can be expanded in effect. Direct propaganda can be done at the main level interspersed with the shows along with explicit instructions on how to defect, methods to survive a defection, and how to cross lines. Bonuses for the capture of intact armored vehicles have been raised with significant financial assistance in their state currency through the provision of gold, a promise for later repatriation as they are not technically in a war and comfortable living conditions in rear line areas. Cultural sensitivity groups have been forced to work significantly harder to adjust current generative content and avoid insensitivity, but at this point, domestic films are at least equivalent in general themes to captured bootlegs across all industries and categories. (29)
Limitations in training databases have caused current generations of automatically generated films to be moderately culturally insensitive. Retraining the databases has come more slowly than expected as the captives available only have so much time in their days to watch and analyze films. Worse, none that have been captured are remotely qualified to judge the films for their literary value and their ability to adequately edit them is practically non-existent. Local units have been formed to improve algorithmic generation and the general quality of mass propaganda with secondary messaging prioritized over primary content. Strong offers for surrender along with images of the conditions of the captives and a general anti-oligarch message have been pushed as standard. Significant defections are not expected but every soldier off the lines is one less that needs to be overcome.
[]Establishment of New Electronics Plants: More mature designs for a combined sixty-four core conventional chipset interlinked with a lower node bridging circuit and two 90nm optical cores will more than quadruple general computing power. The non-monolithic design alone has moved electronics down another node with the optical cores providing rapid calculation capacity that would otherwise not be available. Applications for neural network modeling alone promise to be immense and if funded now could achieve initial technical yields in twelve months, revolutionizing military equipment and the economy. (-40 Mobilization Capacity for 3 Months)
[]Decentralization of Energy System Production: Solar and battery production has not previously been considered a high-priority industry to be of military necessity but now that the war is moving to a new stage, it still needs to be hardened. Battery production plants will be broken up and steadily moved into better camouflage areas with photovoltaic plants rapidly following behind them. Solar systems offer an unparalleled advantage in durability and portability compared to any other source of power generation and can provide some resilience to the general grid. Emergency generators are of course being built already but having more options for electricity is unlikely to damage anything. (-15 Mobilization Capacity for 6 Months)
[]Icebreaker Construction Efforts: With the expected northern freezes over much of the oceans from the incoming winter, new programs for building icebreakers are going to be needed. A massive amount of industrial supplies need to be shipped from mines in the south along with the necessities of maintaining a northern route to keep supply flowing to Milta and the other cities. Initial orders will come in place of modernized cargo ships with yards that are ready to complete their vessels on a standardized high-flotation design capable of dealing with moderate enemy fire and breaking thicker ice. Reinforcement in the form of a thicker high-capability HEA-Y prow will be implemented, allowing improved cold weather performance with the first examples ready by the end of the year. (-25 Mobilization Capacity)
[]Redundant Harbor Systems: As alien bombardment has started to hit harbor infrastructure no matter how much it has been diverted from laser intercepts, a critical question is to make infrastructure redundant while modifying ships for independent unloading. Current programs aim to do both with the modification of transport shipping to service prefabricated cranes that can flexibly load onto trucks and trains instead of using dedicated cargo-port infrastructure where necessary. Almost four hundred new low-capacity harbors have also been planned with a more resistant to bombardment layout, ensuring that operations can continue even under mildly disorganized bombardment. (-25 Mobilization Capacity for 6 Months)
[]Expand Mainline Yards: The large naval yards currently building and modifying ships by their hundreds need further expansion and funding to keep up with the intensifying demand for the movement of metal and war material. Immediate programs will focus on already existing yards, adding several slipways for conventional naval production along with expanding them to produce more vessels in general. The war has demanded far more of the merchant marine, especially with the growth of heavy industries above any original expectation. These expansions will be slow to start, but supplies of mainline transport ships might be stabilized by the end of next year. (-50 Mobilization Capacity)
[]Homefront Logistical Stabilization: Expanding local railways and truck routes has been something of a secondary priority due to the stress placed on the industry during the war, but both offer redundancy and industrial stability. These new rail lines would be comparatively well defended from kinetic strikes due to the laser batteries reducing the accuracy of fire while ensuring that large loads of cargo can easily travel internally. Trains further offer a more efficient mode of transportation than trucks, allowing previously logistically essential trucks to be mobilized for military use and to support units in the field. (-15 Mobilization Capacity for 6 Months)
[]Expand Housing Allocations: Building larger housing along the central Mouran chain will likely be taken as a bad sign but if massive numbers of refugees are inbound cities need to be prepared to house them. The program will mostly focus on the construction of expedient standardized housing as was done in the immediate post-exchange era. Little originality and flourish will be available, but for the next few months over fifty million apartments of adequate quality can be built. This will continue to expand the urban centers, and theoretically, if more jobs open up can even start some economic growth. (-20 Mobilization Capacity for 4 Months)
[]Seabed Mining and Refining Programs: High-quality HEA-Y production inherently depends on Yttrium with few exceptions. Nodule mining of the seafloor has been attempted several times with results slowing after the mass use of asteroid mining. Resuming those programs with an eye toward rare earths will be essential for increasing supplies. Enough of it will not be available to stick it on every application where it would offer an advantage, but most vehicles can have a few reinforced parts that will reduce wear. Refining industries are going to be massively power-hungry and polluting, but that in itself is a problem after the war. (-20 Mobilization Capacity for 2 Months)
[]Infantry System Production: Increasing the production of the Type 45 equipment set along with its accompanying automatic rifle variant will be important to modernize infantry formations. The automatic rifle is a simple extension with an enlarged fifty-round magazine fed through the rear, an integral bipod, and improvements in thermal performance under sustained fire. Both systems will start being issued to infantry units in the next month to improve the performance of current troops in the field and provide some minor gains in capability to new formations. The armor itself is if anything a larger problem as the more advanced equipment is problematic to manufacture as they demand improved AI performance. (-30 Mobilization Capacity for 2 Months)
[]Advanced MLRS Systems: Designing a new heavy MLRS system to be mounted on a Type 39 chassis is necessary if sufficient heavy shock-fire is to be provided. Ground and sea-skimming missiles will have to be developed, but those can be done on a standardized 250mm platform without excessive issues. The missiles themselves will be far harder to make than the platform itself, as the tubes will require little further work. The rounds will take time to produce and time to issue in mass, but at combat ranges of less than 100 km, they will be able to deliver adequate suppressive fires. The timeframe for the program is expected to be around six months, with mass examples available by winter. (-25 Mobilization Capacity)
[]Attritional Drones: The fundamental dominance of SPLAA is a consistent problem for every form of attack but it can partially be worked around. As there are no satellite communications and a general state of moderate jamming, this leaves few comfortable options for the utilization of hunter-killer drones. Current proposals from Milta, General Aerospace, and Lunos are an entirely autonomous self-contained system. Produced by the millions and capable of independently locating and intercepting infantry in a set region, it will ensure an adequate suppressive effect. Direct contact with a light cumulative charge will be challenging, reducing casualty-causing effect but the less the Alien Enemy can rest the greater the effect of all other forces. (-25 Mobilization Capacity)
[]Second Generation Airframes: The Type 45 is insufficient in a lot of ways due to the missile's primary armament it has brought onto the field when conducting operations against more capable Alien interception measures. Protection systems onboard are deeply inadequate for something that could best be approximated as a hit-scan laser system. Initial technical development for a comparative laser system with thicker frontal armoring along with a minimal traverse pulse laser can start now. The program will entirely focus on making a veritable aerial tank, capable of bringing up a heavy SMES system to power a high-strength pulse laser. Frontal protection would only be sufficient for exposure to VTOL fire with both engines' S-ducts prepared to similar standards for most combat engagements. First examples of the likely Type 47 are not expected for at least eighteen months, but it is expected to entirely revolutionize air combat through its existence. (-20 Mobilization Capacity for 3 Months)
[]Transport Helicopters: To move casualties away from frontline positions and provide some prospects for medevac a new generation of helicopters has been proven necessary. Improvements in technology have made the gunship obsolete but the other roles of the helicopter can still be useful. Cargo transportation to frontline bases along with the movement of wounded back to rearline positions will improve divisional casualty ratios and ensure that positions can be evacuated. The laser defenses of the Alien Enemy will prevent most conventional operations but a system to move troops around in the rear is still necessary at the current time. Further, cheap HEA-Y components and composites can reduce the price of the airframe and engines, accelerating the design to rapid mass production in a few months. (-25 Mobilization Capacity)
[]Accelerate Submarine Construction: There are not enough submarine dockyards to significantly raise production, but some measures can still be taken to accelerate production. Section building machinery can be expanded to produce more equipment for new submarines while missile production can be increased to compensate for any deficiencies. The new boats are going to have more issues than previous examples and the reactor cores will be built to a lower standard but any mobile anti-orbital strength cannot be under-estimated. (-40 Mobilization Capacity)
[]Emergency Food Programs: With the lack of food and partial destruction of the harvest the food situation has continued to destabilize with acute shortages expected over the winter. Supplementation with alternative food sources has already started but the initial expectations of a more normal harvest this year have been dashed by increasing cold conditions and a persistent reduction of sunlight along with increasing metallic burdens, causing crops to grow far smaller than they normally should. Third-generation starch organisms can be deployed both in contained and uncontained environments to stabilize the situation, allowing for continued resistance. (-30 Mobilization Capacity)
[]Expansion of Heating Systems: Nuclear winter is coming in the next few months with temperatures expected to drop by around ten degrees from current use and another five if the incineration of the biosphere is maintained. Out-of-control fires have been a mainstay of several sectors leading to massive depositions of carbon into the atmosphere. The number of ground bursts conducted has also increased the relative thermal burden, modifying the climate and reducing the availability of sunlight. Limited heating is going to cause several casualties if not built up now and the power grid loading will steadily increase as the winter gets worse. (-30 Mobilization Capacity) (Increases Power Issues)
[]New Fusion Reactor Cores: Older designed magnetic confinement fusion reactors can still maintain an adequate separation of reaction products, allowing for significant power yields from even DT reactions. Underground construction of high-efficiency 15GW D-T tokamaks will provide a comfortable amount of baseload for cities that are currently struggling with power security. The issues with building new cores are significant due to the technical demands of the project but hardened fusion cores represent an immense generation capacity. Surplus parts still exist along with some under-utilized production capacity allowing the program to be implemented quickly with slower follow-ons built up for general grid security. (-20 Total Mobilization Capacity) (Reduces Power Issues)
[]Continued Work Programs: Keeping a massive number of youths working and being productive has already improved morale on the homefront significantly but hour-sharing programs can be extended further. New housing construction and the operation of civilian economic services have not reduced in demand since the start of the war with both only increasing. To keep the under-served demand met and provide some chances for civilian growth grant funding can be organized through the civilian government to improve local business and provide for those who want to start fresh in the aftermath of relocations. (-20 Mobilization Capacity for 6 Months)
[]Partial Demobilization: The economy has done remarkably well at a war footing but its mildly shrinking outside military-related production is not the best victory to parade around. Focusing on reducing the direct control of the economy along with the re-introduction of monetary relations in some dual-purpose industries to allow for some growth. This reduction in military control will improve some of the control mechanisms for the economy as overwork in central coordination can be reduced. The civilian side of the economy can also stop being directed into maximum wartime production, providing some room for new machinery to be built and new technologies developed outside of military auspices. (-60 Total Mobilization Capacity) (Reduces Power Issues)
[]Government Wire-Taps: Monitoring core communications of the members of the civilian government to keep any collaborationist temptations down will be an important first step. If the legislators wanted to have privacy they should not be actively working as a part of the wartime government. Any corruption uncovered in the process will be forwarded to relevant authorities but likely ignored until after the war if it is not massively degrading military production to keep operational security. Most of the monitoring will come with the installation of backdoors and direct division four analysis of them to ensure that morale is staying high and the other aspects of society are not actively burning down. (-15 Mobilization Capacity)
[]Refound the Ecology Department: The presence of alien bodies has allowed for a revolution in new developments of technologies. The bodies of the Alien Enemy are badly optimized and replete with vulnerabilities for viable attack vectors. Immune recognition is slow without much of a redundant automatic mechanism. Further, lacking capabilities in signaling cascades in essential oxygen exchange organs speaks to a species that is poorly adapted for existence much less combat operations. Immediate vectors for deployment will focus on targeting these systems, aiming to reduce oxygen uptake and re-direct metabolic processes. Standardized fifth-generation systems will be adapted for the task of colonizing filters and breathing media for the constant production of new vectors. Viable agents can be made and released within two months, degrading enemy capacity until they can deploy adequate retroviral vectors to eliminate likely vulnerability routes. (-25 Mobilization Capacity)
6-Hour Moratorium Vote by Plan