NationStates Jolt Archive

HOTH NEWS NETWORK
BREAKING NEWS

After heightened tensions between East Asian superpowers Defuniak and the Hoth Manufacturing Corporation's state, the Hoth system, following the outbreak of open warfare in Africa, Hoth Head of State Darryl Galvax has, with consent of the Board of Directors, declared a state of open hostilities with Defuniak.

In a press conference at the Hoth Manufacturing Administration Building in the Hothian capital of Apex, Galvax officially declared his intentions to free the Defuniak-held Korean peninsula.

"After repeated warnings and threats to relinquish hold of their annexed African territory to our ally Yalaluxurios, the rightful owners, Defuniak has in effect secured its own fate and ensured that the Korean peninsula, which for so long was crushed beneath its imperialistic grip, shall attain freedom. In response to the dangerous expansionist attitudes Defuniak has defiantly demonstrated, I have, quite relunctantly, declared a state of war between the Hoth Manufacturing Corporation and the Empire of Defuniak."

At this point, the Head of State and CEO was nearly drowned out by a barrage of questions from present reporters, but he managed to calm the crowd down enough to summarize his attack plan and make a final statement.

"As you know, our troops are already deployed at the border with Defuniak's Korea. Our attack, entitled Operation Raptor, will be, as the name implies, swift, devastating, and comprehensive. Our troops have begun their attack on the Korean peninsula and we expect to free it from Defuniakan oppression within a matter of weeks. More than this, I am not at liberty to say. Thank you for your time."

As he turned around and walked back into the building, a roar of questions went up from the reporters gathered once more, but their queries fell on deaf ears.

Even now, only one image has yet been leaked from the soon-to-be battle zone, an unmarked plan of attack showing angles of the projected troop movements.

http://img70.imageshack.us/img70/5715/koreaattack7cj.png

_____________________________

At 9:32 AM, the first Hothian soldier stepped foot over the Korean border. In all, here were the specific units that entered the nation:

1st Armored Regiment
-1,498 HM90 Cerberus MBTs
-504 M1A2 Abrams MBTs
-302 LAVs
-8,000 Supply Trucks

6th Armored Regiment
-1,498 HM90 Cerberus MBTs
-504 M1A2 Abrams MBTs
-302 LAVs
-8,000 Supply Trucks

7th Armored Regiment
-1,498 HM90 Cerberus MBTs
-504 M1A2 Abrams MBTs
-302 LAVs
-8,000 Supply Trucks

8th Armored Regiment
-1,498 HM90 Cerberus MBTs
-504 M1A2 Abrams MBTs
-302 LAVs
-8,000 Supply Trucks

1st Infantry Regiment
-20 Amphibious Assault Vehicles
-900 M2 Bradley Infantry Fighting Vehicles
-1,100 Soldiers w/Model G infantry armor and XM8 Baseline Carbines
-800 Soldiers w/Model G infantry armor and XM8 Automatic Rifles
-202 Soldiers w/Model G infantry armor and XM8 w/XM-320 40mm grenade launchers
-202 Soldiers w/Model G infantry armor and Javelin Anti-Tank missiles
-3,500 Support Staff w/Model G infantry armor
-5,500 Unarmored Support Staff

3rd Infantry Regiment
-20 Amphibious Assault Vehicles
-900 M2 Bradley Infantry Fighting Vehicles
-1,100 Soldiers w/Model G infantry armor and XM8 Baseline Carbines
-800 Soldiers w/Model G infantry armor and XM8 Automatic Rifles
-202 Soldiers w/Model G infantry armor and XM8 w/XM-320 40mm grenade launchers
-202 Soldiers w/Model G infantry armor and Javelin Anti-Tank missiles
-3,500 Support Staff w/Model G infantry armor
-5,500 Unarmored Support Staff

5th Infantry Regiment
-20 Amphibious Assault Vehicles
-900 M2 Bradley Infantry Fighting Vehicles
-1,100 Soldiers w/Model G infantry armor and XM8 Baseline Carbines
-800 Soldiers w/Model G infantry armor and XM8 Automatic Rifles
-202 Soldiers w/Model G infantry armor and XM8 w/XM-320 40mm grenade launchers
-202 Soldiers w/Model G infantry armor and Javelin Anti-Tank missiles
-3,500 Support Staff w/Model G infantry armor
-5,500 Unarmored Support Staff


7th Infantry Regiment
-20 Amphibious Assault Vehicles
-900 M2 Bradley Infantry Fighting Vehicles
-1,100 Soldiers w/Model G infantry armor and XM8 Baseline Carbines
-800 Soldiers w/Model G infantry armor and XM8 Automatic Rifles
-202 Soldiers w/Model G infantry armor and XM8 w/XM-320 40mm grenade launchers
-202 Soldiers w/Model G infantry armor and Javelin Anti-Tank missiles
-3,500 Support Staff w/Model G infantry armor
-5,500 Unarmored Support Staff


8th Infantry Regiment
-20 Amphibious Assault Vehicles
-900 M2 Bradley Infantry Fighting Vehicles
-1,100 Soldiers w/Model G infantry armor and XM8 Baseline Carbines
-800 Soldiers w/Model G infantry armor and XM8 Automatic Rifles
-202 Soldiers w/Model G infantry armor and XM8 w/XM-320 40mm grenade launchers
-202 Soldiers w/Model G infantry armor and Javelin Anti-Tank missiles
-3,500 Support Staff w/Model G infantry armor
-5,500 Unarmored Support Staff


9th Infantry Regiment
-20 Amphibious Assault Vehicles
-900 M2 Bradley Infantry Fighting Vehicles
-1,100 Soldiers w/Model G infantry armor and XM8 Baseline Carbines
-800 Soldiers w/Model G infantry armor and XM8 Automatic Rifles
-202 Soldiers w/Model G infantry armor and XM8 w/XM-320 40mm grenade launchers
-202 Soldiers w/Model G infantry armor and Javelin Anti-Tank missiles
-3,500 Support Staff w/Model G infantry armor
-5,500 Unarmored Support Staff

2nd Airborne Cavalry Regiment
-500 UH-60 Utility helicopters
-33 OH-58D Scout Helicopters
-275 AH-64 Apache attack helicopters
-5 EH-60 Quick Fix EW choppers

3rd Airborne Cavalry Regiment
-500 UH-60 Utility helicopters
-33 OH-58D Scout Helicopters
-275 AH-64 Apache attack helicopters
-5 EH-60 Quick Fix EW choppers

In addition, the following bombers are inbound from the nearby Hothian Corporate Air Force Base, to harass important military targets with carpet bombing:

40 F-16As
10 B-52s

In addition, 120 KC-130 Hercules cargo planes are being fueled and ready to fly in additional troops and supplies if an airfield is secured.

Also, along the coast, the following ships are being put into position for coastal bombardment, blockading, or engaging enemy fleets:

50 Los Angeles class Attack Submarines
5 Arleigh Burke class guided missile destroyers
40 Oliver Hazard Perry class frigates
40 Ticonderoga class guided missile cruisers
10 Supply class fast combat support ships
8 Nimitz class aircraft carriers, carrying:
-F/A-18 Hornets (48 in each)
-E-2C AEW (4 in each)
-E-A6B SEAD/EW (4 in each)
-S-3B (8 in each)
-Es-3A (2 in each)
-H-60 (6 in each)

Finally, a squad of elite Silent Infiltration Operators has entered the country, though it is unknown and highly classified what exactly their mission is or their current whereabouts.

OOC: Upping for visibility.

[Secret IC]

Night fell over the majestic mountains of North Korea, the last rays of sunset glimmering over the snow-covered peaks. Beyond the mountains, small flashes could be seen and rumblings echoed as an invasion force streamed over the border.

Over the mountains, however, there was only a single sign of life- one tiny black dot that was slowly flying away from the chaos in the next valley. A single UH-60 helicopter had broken off from the attack force. As it reached its destination, the top of a mountain far removed from the valley where the war raged, it began to descend. Headlights switched on, piercing the darkness with two brilliant beams that illuminated the snow below. The chopper touched down, its wheels crunching into the ice, and five figures hopped out in succession.

The first to hit the snow was Epsilon 1, known in a past life as Arnold Kramer. Ep-One, as he was usually called by his squadmates, was a Silent Infiltration Operator, one of only a handful of such. He brushed away his long brown hair as he peered out into the darkness, then made a complex hand signal to the helicopter pilot. The pilot nodded, gave a thumbs-up, and then took off back toward the main battle group.

Ep-One turned around to survey the other members of his team. He was unusually fortunate in having a team at all. Silent Infilitration Operations, the most elite soldier unit utilized by Hoth Manufacturing, consisted of around one hundred people. The vast majority worked alone, hiding in the shadows, away from the public light. If they were caught, they would find a way to kill themselves- they could not let themselves be tortured. Keeping SIOs seperate ensured utmost secrecy. For some missions, however, it was to dangerous to send a single man.

That was where Epsilon Team came in.

"Hey, Boss," said the man closest to Ep-One, named David Argrell but called Ep-Three, "that our target?"

Ep-One followed where he was pointing, down to a mass of far-away lights spread out in the next valley. It was clearly a large city, illuminated in the darkness of the night.

"Yep," Ep-One replied, "There she is."

"Well, Chief, no time to waste," said Ep-Two, the youngest of the group, a blonde, spiky-hair man named Hetch Betucha, as he raised his enclosed helmet and put it into place over his head, turning his voice into a crackly microphone capture, "Let's get this party started."

"Not so fast, Hetch," Ep-One said, catching the young soldier on his armored shoulder as he tried to walk past. "Hey, Tex, is that launcher ready?"

Ep-Five, or Tex Hodlem, looked up from where he was, sitting on a rock, fiddling with a grenade launcher attachment on the underside of his XM8 rifle. "Should be, Dave, if these casings hold up. I'm not overusing it, though, I don't want to push 'em."

"How about you, Bill?" William Hughfort or Ep-Four, the only member of the team with a heavy British accent, also looked up, from placing flash grenades into his belt slots. "I'm all set, Boss, ready to lock and load."

Ep-Three grunted. He hated cheesy military jargon.

"Well, let's get a move on then," Ep-One said, beginning to walke down the snowy embankment toward the valley below.

As he watched the others go, Ep-Two shook his head. "Now why couldn't Air Support have dropped us just a mile lower?"

"Stop complaining, Hetch, you can use the excercise, you need a little bulk," said the now-helmeted Ep-One into Ep-Two's helmet. The others stifled chuckles. Hetch's skinny build was the subject of an ongoing inside joke.

"Yeah, very funny," said Ep-Two as he followed the others down the hillside, "when we need someone to squeeze through a tight space, we'll see who's laughing then."


Two hours later, Ep-One's helmet peered over a bush. The team had reached the base of the mountain, and were now at the outskirts of a city. After taking in the surroundings, Ep-One turned back to the others.

"Okay, there's a huge electric fence, lots of guard towers, dogs, snipers, the whole shebang. We need to find another way around."

"Hey, Chief," said Ep-Four, "How about that?" He was pointing to a lare concrete structure a few hundred yards to their left that appeared to be the entrance to the sewers.

Ep-One looked at it for a moment, and then nodded. "That'll do."

The five soldiers crawled into the sewer, slinking through the muck, ever closer to their objective...