NationStates Jolt Archive


[Earth II] Awake

Layarteb
24-02-2006, 01:34
Navassa Island was a strategic masterpiece. It was situated 160 kilometers south of Guantanamo Bay, a major Layartebian naval port, and it was about one-fourth of the way from Haiti to Jamaica in the Jamaica Channel. The island's latitude and longitude is 18°24'0°N, 75°0'30°W, smack in the Caribbean Sea, a major sphere of influence for the Empire. In addition, passing through the Windward Passage on the way to the Panama Canal meant going past Navassa Island. Part of the Caribbean Republic, the island was kept from the republic only to be turned into a major military base.

The terrain of Navassa Island consisted mostly of exposed rock with some grassland. Dense stands of fig-like trees and scattered cactus also decorated the island. Having a naval port was out of the question due to the rock face on the edges of the island. However, at 5.2 km², it was large enough to support a medium sized airfield with associated air defense and sea defense units. The plan to turn the island into a military base had remained a secret thus far and it would remain as such. It would mostly be under the control of the Imperial Layartebian Defense Forces but it would also play home to a small satellite and space tracking base, which would be under the control of the Imperial Layartebian Space Division.

The presence of a four runway airfield would be supported by Crow and Advanced Air Defense Medium Range Missile sites, the island would be easily defendable. SAM protection would also consist of mobile units such as the LAADS, the Predator, and the APDS. An Advanced Anti-Ballistic Missile site would provide missile defense for most of the Caribbean. Lastly, a single SLASM silo site consisting of 40 launcher silos would grace the northern part of the island, covered underneath the trees and brush. When it was completed, the island would be home to about one hundred aircraft, air defense missiles and guns, missile defense missiles, anti-ship missiles, and a whole host and array of communications, control, and tracking stations. The §350M project was slated to begin immediately. Satellite jammers would be set up first to hide the construction from spying satellites.