Agrandov
12-03-2008, 01:02
Rising Herald
The Central State of Agrandov Declares Beaches Off-Limits to Civilians
By Gregory Walker
For two years now the privatised beaches of Agrandov have been the last bastion of the environment, as the nation's rapid industrial growth has claimed thousands of acres of woodland. With a unanimous acceptance of the National Perimeter Security Act of 2008 however, a huge 10-mile strip of land along the coast has been declared government property and out-of-bounds for civilians. What does this mean for Agrandov?
It means that the nation's last few beauty spots will disappear in a matter of days, as it has already confirmed that the Military will be taking control. With Agrandov's recent resurgence into the international community - and with what critics have declared as "transparently imperialist" actions - the current speculation is that the nation's short and largely awkward coast will be transformed into a defensive line.
The exception to the 10-mile rule - which will be relaxed to five miles once construction has finished - will be the three coastal cities of Delos, Elpum and Mavot, where "cones" of access to the immediate beach and sea will allow merchant and civilian shipping to go unhindered. These assurances restored confidence in some shipping companies, which initially took a hit when the legislation was passed.
The Emperor's input was strangely absent on this move, although by the absence of his veto it can be assumed that he is a supporter if not an active proponent of the plan. A joint statement was recently released from the Ministry of War and the Ministry of Peace;
"This move by the Senate in establishing a government-only line of operations along the coast is vital for national security against foreign aggressors, and will also be used to exert more influence over the crime-affected cities of Mavot and Elpus. A positive by-product of this move is that illegal immigration into Agrandov will fall by as much as 85%."
Continued on Page 2.
The Field Marshal folded the newspaper once and placed it on the dashboard, glancing towards the driver to make sure they had arrived. With one nod, they both exited the cab of the huge military transporter truck. Staring out into the distant ocean, with the beach in front and the Empire behind, the Field Marshal sighed. It was time to get to work.
The coast of Agrandov is notably small for the nation's size, and had been contested territory throughout it's history of warring city-states. With long, low beaches interspersed with tall and rocky cliffs, they formed a double-edged sword as perfect landing grounds... for about one hundred metres. From then on it would be an uphill struggle, and it was Field Marshal Marius's job to make that struggle as devastating as possible. The construction crews were beginning to arrive, as a mix of corporate contractors and Engineer divisions arrived on the scene.
The whole project would encompass a defensive network of a scale and depth that had never been seen before, made possible by the fortunate terrain and gratuitous funding for the project. Thousands of miles of barbed wire and thousands of tank obstacles would be kept in storage for now, to be deployed in times of war. Blueprints were followed to the letter for cliff-top fortifications, as huge slabs of steel-framed concrete were unloaded. These would be stacked against the base of the cliffs, and used to block passageways from the beaches to the land above.
A large number of buildings were already set up, as prefabricated homes and offices for the construction crews were joined by pre-built bunkers and long, low pillboxes. At five metre intervals up the cliffs, steel spikes linked by razor wire were driven into the rock face to repel climbers. On Silver Beach - the longest accessible strip of coast in Agrandov - some four-hundred access points were eliminated, leaving only two large ones that were slightly wider than a tank. With the geographical transformation of coast to fortress completed within a week, the defensive systems were soon moved in.
Huge, unmarked transporters were delivering pre-built weapons systems that were largely unmanned, as these would be the permanent fixtures. Temporary measures, such as machine guns in the bunkers, would be supplied at the time by any defending forces. A range of CIWS and anti-personnel guns were installed, with unmanned anti-tank and SAM platforms were deployed further from the beach alongside fortified mortar-pits and artillery-pits even further back. Missile systems capable of launching long-range cruise missiles were built in the middle of military bases, which in turn had lines of trenches running around and up to the cliff's edge.
Within two months the entire project was declared complete, although adjustments were being made for another week. A token garrison moved in to the coastal cities and the new military bases, although these were now designated rally points for all reservists in the East of the country. A new Field Marshal inspected the finished product - with Field Marshal Marius being relocated to the North some weeks ago - alongside two Generals. The officers of the local force were staying exclusively in fine villas of the nearby towns, although a few had apartments in the coastal cities. The five-mile no-trespass zone was largely enforced by wire fencing, although the garrison-towns and nearby bases maintained vigilance.
It was two weeks later, after yet another rearranging from the echelons above, that the promising General Reynold found himself on duty as the administrator of these parts. The defensive system's capabilities had only grown, as larger missile silos capable of ASAT warfare, as well as huge sensor and RADAR arrays, had been constructed. Small, sinister-looking towers had sprung up amongst the second line of unmanned guns, although large waterproof sheets were covering the octagonal forms underneath. With an effective range of 600 metres, these Active Denial Systems would render huge areas of beach extremely inhospitable to any intruders.
The three large and two small beaches of Agrandov, with fortifications even on the harsh cliffs in between, had been fully transformed into a barrier against anything that might come their way. Within only a few hours notice, some ten million troops would be within 50 miles of the line. A satellite was permanently stationed above to scour the ocean nearby, although true effectiveness would only be gained in concert with the land-based systems and other Gholgoth powers.
The Central State of Agrandov Declares Beaches Off-Limits to Civilians
By Gregory Walker
For two years now the privatised beaches of Agrandov have been the last bastion of the environment, as the nation's rapid industrial growth has claimed thousands of acres of woodland. With a unanimous acceptance of the National Perimeter Security Act of 2008 however, a huge 10-mile strip of land along the coast has been declared government property and out-of-bounds for civilians. What does this mean for Agrandov?
It means that the nation's last few beauty spots will disappear in a matter of days, as it has already confirmed that the Military will be taking control. With Agrandov's recent resurgence into the international community - and with what critics have declared as "transparently imperialist" actions - the current speculation is that the nation's short and largely awkward coast will be transformed into a defensive line.
The exception to the 10-mile rule - which will be relaxed to five miles once construction has finished - will be the three coastal cities of Delos, Elpum and Mavot, where "cones" of access to the immediate beach and sea will allow merchant and civilian shipping to go unhindered. These assurances restored confidence in some shipping companies, which initially took a hit when the legislation was passed.
The Emperor's input was strangely absent on this move, although by the absence of his veto it can be assumed that he is a supporter if not an active proponent of the plan. A joint statement was recently released from the Ministry of War and the Ministry of Peace;
"This move by the Senate in establishing a government-only line of operations along the coast is vital for national security against foreign aggressors, and will also be used to exert more influence over the crime-affected cities of Mavot and Elpus. A positive by-product of this move is that illegal immigration into Agrandov will fall by as much as 85%."
Continued on Page 2.
The Field Marshal folded the newspaper once and placed it on the dashboard, glancing towards the driver to make sure they had arrived. With one nod, they both exited the cab of the huge military transporter truck. Staring out into the distant ocean, with the beach in front and the Empire behind, the Field Marshal sighed. It was time to get to work.
The coast of Agrandov is notably small for the nation's size, and had been contested territory throughout it's history of warring city-states. With long, low beaches interspersed with tall and rocky cliffs, they formed a double-edged sword as perfect landing grounds... for about one hundred metres. From then on it would be an uphill struggle, and it was Field Marshal Marius's job to make that struggle as devastating as possible. The construction crews were beginning to arrive, as a mix of corporate contractors and Engineer divisions arrived on the scene.
The whole project would encompass a defensive network of a scale and depth that had never been seen before, made possible by the fortunate terrain and gratuitous funding for the project. Thousands of miles of barbed wire and thousands of tank obstacles would be kept in storage for now, to be deployed in times of war. Blueprints were followed to the letter for cliff-top fortifications, as huge slabs of steel-framed concrete were unloaded. These would be stacked against the base of the cliffs, and used to block passageways from the beaches to the land above.
A large number of buildings were already set up, as prefabricated homes and offices for the construction crews were joined by pre-built bunkers and long, low pillboxes. At five metre intervals up the cliffs, steel spikes linked by razor wire were driven into the rock face to repel climbers. On Silver Beach - the longest accessible strip of coast in Agrandov - some four-hundred access points were eliminated, leaving only two large ones that were slightly wider than a tank. With the geographical transformation of coast to fortress completed within a week, the defensive systems were soon moved in.
Huge, unmarked transporters were delivering pre-built weapons systems that were largely unmanned, as these would be the permanent fixtures. Temporary measures, such as machine guns in the bunkers, would be supplied at the time by any defending forces. A range of CIWS and anti-personnel guns were installed, with unmanned anti-tank and SAM platforms were deployed further from the beach alongside fortified mortar-pits and artillery-pits even further back. Missile systems capable of launching long-range cruise missiles were built in the middle of military bases, which in turn had lines of trenches running around and up to the cliff's edge.
Within two months the entire project was declared complete, although adjustments were being made for another week. A token garrison moved in to the coastal cities and the new military bases, although these were now designated rally points for all reservists in the East of the country. A new Field Marshal inspected the finished product - with Field Marshal Marius being relocated to the North some weeks ago - alongside two Generals. The officers of the local force were staying exclusively in fine villas of the nearby towns, although a few had apartments in the coastal cities. The five-mile no-trespass zone was largely enforced by wire fencing, although the garrison-towns and nearby bases maintained vigilance.
It was two weeks later, after yet another rearranging from the echelons above, that the promising General Reynold found himself on duty as the administrator of these parts. The defensive system's capabilities had only grown, as larger missile silos capable of ASAT warfare, as well as huge sensor and RADAR arrays, had been constructed. Small, sinister-looking towers had sprung up amongst the second line of unmanned guns, although large waterproof sheets were covering the octagonal forms underneath. With an effective range of 600 metres, these Active Denial Systems would render huge areas of beach extremely inhospitable to any intruders.
The three large and two small beaches of Agrandov, with fortifications even on the harsh cliffs in between, had been fully transformed into a barrier against anything that might come their way. Within only a few hours notice, some ten million troops would be within 50 miles of the line. A satellite was permanently stationed above to scour the ocean nearby, although true effectiveness would only be gained in concert with the land-based systems and other Gholgoth powers.