NationStates Jolt Archive

[This is informative and secret. No IC responses by anyone outside the IADF will be tolerated.]

News from "informants" had been scarce in these tense days following Zelem's activation [see: News from Novikov] and only now, as Zelem neared th halfway point, was a break made in the nearly unbreakable silence coming from the territory of those states military and political analysts were calling "likely hostile."

The information had come from a minor informant inside Guilder Territory, reporting on, among other things, the sudden drafting of a slave army and a dangerous level of propaganda, much of which was aimed at one IADF nation or another. Among the documents sucessfully smuggled out of the country was a pamphlet, the cover of which depicted Minister Ulyanov, a devout atheist, burning at the stake. It was titled, "Novikov: A History of Heresy."

In respons, the first meeting of the Regional Commonwealth Congress took place onboard The Ul'yanovsk, the flagship of Novikov's Light Carrier Fleet. Members from both Czechzenia and Novikov attended, as well as a representive from both nation's militaries. The meeting culminated with the passing by unanimous vote, of General Defense Bill 001.

General Defense Bill 001 outlined a major increase in military funding and deployment. The Bill read as such:

General Defense Bill 001:
Novikovian Isles Regional Commonwealth (NIRC) Military

1) All factories under control of Novikovian and Czechzen Government authorities will begin an immediate movement to wartime production quotas, as outlined in the NIRC Military Charter. Factories designated "General Production" under the NIC Military Charter will be moved to prodution of the SA-17 and YJ-8 Missiles.

2) Munitions factories will recive individual grants of 22.000.000 Novikovian Euros each (Roughly 10.000.000 USD) with a total grant of 400.000.000 Euros being given. Funds will be derived from the General Defense Fund generated by Defense contributions given during the Novikov-Seversky War.

3) A block grant ammounting to 10% of the General Defense Fund will be partitioned to increase he Navy and Air Forces of Novikov and Czechzenia, ammounting to an estimated 26.400.000.000 USD.

4) A block grant ammounting to 10% of the General Defense Fund will be partitioned to increase Czechzen military assets abroad and at home, including, but not limited to, Air Force, Naval, and Ground Force assets within NIRC Territory. Funds are estimated at 26.400.000.000 USD.

5) A block grant ammounting to 20% of the General Defense Fund will be partitioned to increase Novikovian military assets, with not restrictions regarding areas of expense. Funds are estimated at 52.800.000.000 USD.

5) A general draft of all citizens between the ages of 18 and 22 will be preposed to the Czechzen Senate, expected to pass within five days.

6) A general mobilization of Novikovian Militia will begin, with unit orginization to be finialized within five days.

7) The arming of new troops is to take place via Novikov's arms surplus following military reconstruction as outlined in NPM Orginizational Charter, Amendment 4.

8) A general alert shall be passed regarding possible air and sea attacks on both Novikov and Czechzenia.

9) Novikov's 2nd Infantry Division, currently deployed in Communist Louisiana, will be recalled for deployment to the Second Empire. The measure for the deployment of the 2nd Infantry Division shall eb presented to Second Empire authorities within the next two days, expected to pass within a furthe two days.

10) A general embargo on Merchant Guild goods shall be declared, effective at noon omorrow. Tax rates will be set by local ordinances, but should not fall below 23% of each item's value.

11) Propaganda supporting the IADF will be distributed, effective as soon as stores of material are ready.

12) The Guilder propaganda piece "Novikov: A History of Heresy" will be reprinted and distributed by all political parties, effective as soon as stores of material are ready. A further notice shall be added to the material, stating this is of Guilder origin.

May we save ourselves.

-Signed, All members of NIRC Congress.

[Bump. Finished.]

New troops were called up in the days preceeding the announcement of General Defense Bill 001. Among the new recruits was Mladshy Leytenant Chernyavin, one of the nearly four-hundred pilots fresh out of flight school. He, list many others, had been assigned to the Kreml-Class Carrier, "Czechzen", as part of the 3rd Carrier Group under construction in Duma harbor. Luckily for the Czechzen, her crew had been partially transfered from work aboard a Ul'yanovsk-Class Carrier in the 2nd Carrier Group.

The 3rd Carrier Group consisted, on paper, of Czechzen and her sister ship, the Yevgeny, both of the Kreml-Class design, purchased hardly six-months ago and only recently activated for combat, as well as four Grisha-Class attack boats, two Gepard-Class Frigates and a Liuda III-Class Destroyer. A light compliment, needless to say, but still a powerful force if deployed properly.

The Czechzen's airwing was divided evenly between MiG-23K Carrier-based interceptors (who's pilots included Chernyavin) and Su-27K attack aircraft. The rolling dech of the carrier had posed a difficult target for the pilots, most of whom were just out of training and all of which had no experince on carriers. Yet deaths had been light (only one aboard Chernyavin's ship), and both carriers had a full airwing.

***

Elsewhere in the country, hundreds of more aircraft were being deployed, most with inexperinced pilots. Hundreds of aircraft poured in from foreign suppliers, including many of the MiG-23 Interceptors, some of which were equipped with advanced Radar-Jamming.

Together with some 21.000 Militia, they formed the backbone of a new army group, called Reserve Group A. This group, equipped mainly with the inexpensive Ak-47 rifle purchased abroad, as well as other old-model Soviet arms such as the SA-2 and T-72, was designated as the major reserve formation for Novikov's defense.

It was, however, rather inadiquite for the task, even by Novikovian military standards. Artillery was almost non-exsistant, with a mere 115 guns attached, several of which were mounted in the rear of "borrowed" civilian vehicles. Likewise, transport was carried out using civilian vehicles, public transport, and, if need be, forced marches. Troop discipline was low, as was combat readiness, and the general consensus was that this unit would not be ample to reinforce the Novikovian regular divisions, should the need arise.

***

The entire Czechzen military was in a simmilar state. It's small infantry force had been inflated to twice it's normal size in the week following General Defense Bill 001. It's factories strained to produce the arms and munitions needed to arm the me, with little sucess. The only relief seemed to come from abroad where Czechzenia's new, tremendous budget given to her by the NIRC.

Her airforce was likewise filled with new recruits, many piloting the Yak-28 which had just been removed from active service in the Czechzen military. A new influx of two-hundred pilots, trained in Novikov, as well as her own locally-trained pilots of equal number, brough her airforce to four-times it's normal size. New aircraft consisted mainly of the J-8s and MiG-23s, with some of the antiquated MiG-19 models being bought in a desperate attempt to fill in the ranks with aircraft of any type.

Thus, Czechzenia was likewise judged unready for conflict. Yet she had grown militarily by great leaps and bounds, and Novikov and her other allies would have to settle for that. It was the best that could be done.