NationStates Jolt Archive

Current Progress

Currently 12 Devils Desert Nations have signed up to the Damocles Treaty, and while ratification has not yet taken place, construction on the project is well under way. All DomLBeF and Yerwhatian commitments have now been launched and emplaced, and Whispering Voices commitments are currently being transferred to orbit via the Isla Meridia Accelerator. Other nations have been delivered the plans and system documentation and are proceeding with the construction at their own pace. Some nations with space programs are launching their own components to ease the strain on the IM magnetic acceleration cargo launcher. The space above the Devils Desert is alive with construction....

Currently Participating Nations of Devils Desert

Los Bananos El Fuego
Santa Barbara
Whispering Voices
Austrin Ontis
Yerwhat
Nikea
Ichidou
Stuff and Shinies
Thulackack
Tarrican
Gehenna Tartarus
Fyrn

Historical Basis

Initial Proposal

http://www.geocities.com/kickxia/

http://invisionfree.com/forums/The_Devils_Desert/index.php?showtopic=128

Discussion Thread

http://www.nationstates.net/forum/viewtopic.php?t=70690&postdays=0&postorder=asc&start=0

In addition, the New Babel station near the OMF will be able to undertake certain parts of the construction of support systems, although not the construction of the actual planned satellites.

Even as Project Longinus enters third-stage construction, the factories of Ruthvere and Port Sarnwog turn towards the high-spec electronics and materials that make up numerous components of the DAMOCLES project's various parts.

And somewhere, deep in the wild jungles of southern Tarrican... construction begins on a fortified base. Staring with high, electrified fences which, if they wont always keep the dangerous beasts out... will at least slow them down.

OMF City, drifting serenely like a spindly metal insect with hundreds of limbs, is as usual a hub of Conglomerate activity. Raw materials are hurtled into orbit, intercepted and carried to the versatile OMFs, which assemble the materiel into modules, and the modules into the latest construction project.

But it is not a WV shipyard/station they construct now, but the weapons of war. Specifications and designs from the DAMOCLES program are poured over by hundreds of engineers and officials, and the new defense program is initiated at full throttle.

The latest OOTG warships are continued to be constructed as well, while the older versions undergo the latest modernization upgrades, docked at not only the collection known as OMF City, but at other OMF modules located throughout earth orbit. They will be integrated seamlessly with the DAMOCLES command, and perform their usual-- or not so usual-- roles in the ITDO.

In countless factory cities along the south coast production is both massive and tireless. Bolstered by recent automation initiatives and tempered by a long history of manufacturing experience, the rates of production are unsurpassed, the factories ceaselessly consuming resources and spewing forth a constant stream of gigantic freighters, loaded with goods and bound for the Isla Meridia Accelerator where their cargoes will continue their journey into space. The range of parts being produced is also staggering, from refined materials that will be used for construction to the most sophisticated electronic essentials, to the even more sophisticated programming language developed purely for this project, which is even now being tested and re-testing using programming and development techniques so advanced there are barely names for them yet, to ensure that every possible error dies during it's construction. Within the secure facilities of Crater Bay, great weapon systems are assembled from exacting descriptions and parts both rare and vastly expensive. The night skies above it turn a multitude of brilliant shades as more physical testing is undertaken.

Each individual component is built with not only skill and precison, but also with pride, as this endeavour symbolises the greatest joint venture in the history of the Devils Desert, dwarfing the proudest acheivements of each individual nation with a combined display of pure, irresistable power.

<Excerpts from PCC Technology Newsline>

"...prying details from the tight-lipped PCC-ITDO is naturally difficult, but a Conglomerate spokesman admitted that 'the Atmospheric Layer of defense is nearly complete, with Orbital Layers following close behind.' The codenamed Ripper series CASCG, based closely on recently publicized models of CASCG produced by GFE, is rumored to be produced in even greater numbers than specified by the DAMOCLES defense specifications...

"Jenna Timothy, of the PCC Public Assets department, announced that Mr Pratt was 'most eager' to initiate the 'ratification, organisation, and implementation' of the Regional Defense Council (RDC), and the Devils Desert Aerospace Defense Command (DDADC)..."

<Excerpts from the New State City Times>

"Analysts wonder if the recent reportings of increased activity from the ITDO are connected with the DAMOCLES defense program, but so far indications show that mobilization of naval, air and ground forces has been concentrated on the PCC holdings in the Corporate Islands, far from the Devils Desert region....

"'We believe that these movements are merely to keep the traditional high levels of consumer and shareholder confidence in the PCC... well, and to make sure nobody is foolish enough to attack our assets in the CI, of course,' Cathedral Capital stockholder Bill Bryants says...

"Of course, anyone with a telescope can see the OOTG ships as they circle the earth above like little (if warships in the hundreds-of-meters range cna be considered 'little') satellites. To most, they are a symbol of national pride for Santa Barbara, but many question the urgency of need for these ships... the DAMOCLES defense program, almost ratified by many allied nations, may provide further clues..."

Private Gary "Heavy End" Roberts sat on one of the new stations which made part of the Damocles defence network. "Sarge, what the hell are we doing on this tin can in space?"

Sergeant Davin "Lampost" Kramar dropped down from his Mountain Lion combat unit to speak to the rest of his squad. "Because we volunteered to be dropped with our little toys from this thing along with those drop troopers to provide fire support, that's why."

"Oh yeah. Haven't been doing anything like that recently, wonder when we get to play?"

Corporal Helena "Top Hatch" Jurgennson threw the remains of a snack bar at Heavy, grinning. "Because it costs an absolute packet everytime we do so they don't like to do it until absolutely necessary. So we get stuck up here until we are needed."

"At least we're not getting shot at or falling off mountains," piped up Ian "Shocker" Lance. "Still it is kind of boring. At least Bits has things to do, he spends most of his time with our ship."

Warren "Crater" Jones fielded the snack bar thrown by Top Hatch and frowned before throwing it over his shoulder. Do we have to do any fighting up here? I mean there isn't really a down unless you count the really big one and we can't exactly walk."

The bar landed in the lap of the last member of the squad, Karen "Bridge" Killane, who ate it.

**************
General Halsguard revied the personell dossier sat on his desk. He had been waiting for this for a while, the squad of veteran Mountain Lion pilots who were to help integrate the units in the Damocles drop troopers.

Yerwahtten 1st drop Mountain Lion Platoon "Screaming Eagles"

(The name is already being passed about as 'Screaming Loonies' by the less space inclined Lion pilots)

Sergeant Davin "Lampost" Kramar, Squad Leader
Pilot: Lion Heavy Standard
Excellent improviser and motivator, his nickname was gained when he managed to wrap the barrel of his 105mm Lion AT gun around a lampost when turning too quickly.

Corporal Helena "Top Hatch" Jurgennson, Second
Pilot: Lion Heavy Dedicated
AT sniper and long range engagement specialist, gained her nickname in aiding the capture tanks by special forces by blowing the top hatches off from her support position.

Private Gary "Heavy End" Roberts
Pilot: Lion Standard
Close support specialist, he knows how to use his 30mm autogun in close proximity to infantry so well he's occasionally gone into large corridors with the grunts. Gained his name from an ambush incedent on an APC convoy. With the transmission 'time to drop the heavy end of the hammer' the cliff he was standing at the edge of gave way and he dropped straight onto one of the targets below.

Private Warren "Crater" Jones
Pilot: Lion Standard
Solid pilot and good all rounder. The name crater was applied to him after order were passed on in a slightly creative manner. 'Help take those bunkers' became 'obliterate those bunkers' by the time it got to him, and Warren was very supprised when the brass chewed him out after the mission.

Private Karen "Bridge" Killane
Pilot: Lion Standard
Famed for once sleeping through a heavy artillery barrage, Karen has the knack for getting her Lion through the heaviest damage still working. Here nickname comes from an incedent where she charged through a bridge in support of her squad mates without realising, resulting in the destruction of the bridge and light damage to her sensor systems.

Ian "Shocker" Lance
Pilot: Lion Recon/EW
Being unobtrusive is a large walking armament system is no easy task, yet Ian seems to manage it. Adept at keeping the squad one step ahead of everyone, including their own command, his Lion occaisionally suffers from bad feedback when losing out when the EW gets realy high, and goes around discharging static for the next few hours.

Technician Specialist <<FILE ERROR>>"Bits"
Bits his so named after the fad of technicians to have a bits box of handy wiring, switches and the like. At last count Bits' 'box' filled three 7 1/2 tonners. Still he could make anything work with a Lion and managed to keep a squad in combat operations for three days by raiding DIY stores.

Yerwahtten Mountain Lion

(OOC: very similar to Gears in Heavy Gear)

The Yerwahtten Mountain Lion is a lightweight walking battle system developed for fighting in steep, harsh terrain and tunnels, which basically all there is to Yerwaht. It is armoured enough to withstand most infantry weapons and is designed for front line duty where conventional vehicles are not suitable and for difficult terrain ambush. In a straight out fight with AFVs the Lion will lose. They can be outfitted with several different loadouts.

Lion Standard
A 30mm autogun looking like an oversized assault rifle is carried. Solid penetrator, high explosive, and high explosive frag rounds are carried. A 40mm gun model is currently in development.
Shoulder mounted rocket pods are carried for fire support.

Lion Recon/EW
Less armoured and without the rockets, this model is crammed with sensor, jammer, decoy and other EW systems that allows the Lion squad to be in the right place and the right time and to avoid intereception. It too carries the 30mm gun.

Lion Heavy
This carries the monster 105mm AT gun which is usually loaded with sabot rounds. Not much ammunition is carried for this weapon as it is used for ambushing tanks, typically 3-5 rounds. Pilots are not meant to miss with this. This model also sports the rocket pods, usually bigger versions.

Lion Heavy Dedicated
This model dumps the rockets for more 105mm ammo. For dedicated tank hunters.

Lion Anti-Aircraft
Usually only deployed above squad level, this model only carries dedicated aircraft tracking and guidance systems and SAMs.

The general picked up his desk phone. "Yes, hello. Has the Lion drop detail left yet? It has? Thanks." He put the phon edown and began banging his head lightly on the desk. "Why that lot?"

Bishop Jared Marklew looked happily at the Reciprocity battle station's shell, almost ready for launch in the docks attached to the back of New Babel, themselves undergoing constant expansion and construction. The satellite - well, space station, really, as a battle platform it was far bigger than things which were commonly referred to as 'satellites' - had been constructed in modules on the surface and launched via the Isla Meridia facility of Los Bananos El Fuego. The parts had mated with New Babel, where they were being formed into the whole. A little different from the standard specifications - optimised for use with innovations made for Whispering Voices' planned space fleet - the Arctic Rest was nevertheless up to the strict and rigid standards required by the treaty.

It had been made first, along with a planned and extravagant second of its type, whilst facilities were built on the New Babel - in turn, that space station would soon be able to construct the smaller orbital systems. Near orbit and ground were - essentially - all but finished.

Ratification of the treaty came closer every day ...

Current Progress

All participating nations have accepted the modifications to the proposals indicated in the updated sections of the Master Reference Document. With this in mind, we are pleased to announce that the completion of the Outer and Inner Orbit Layer components for all participating nations is now complete with the exception of the national supercoilgun systems which are anticipated to take at least another month (2RL days). Some fiscal and material slack has been taken up for the smaller participating nations.

Transfer of the Inner Orbit components to their holding orbits is continuing through dispatch from orbital manufacturing as well as rocket launches from Cape Tobago and Santaz Maria cosmodrome complexes. The Isla Meridia linear accellerator is currently tasked full-time with moving outer-orbit layer components and supplies to the relevant manufacturing orbital areas for construction. We anticipate that the outer orbit layer for all participating nations will be compete within two months (4RL days).

Successful Completion of the Devils Desert Damocles Regional Defence System

We are pleased to report the successful completion of the Damocles regional defence system. All layers (atmospheric, inner, and outer orbital) have now been completed, equipped, and emplaced from all participating nations.

With the co-operation of national forces, the DAMOCLES RD system now ushers in a new era of protection from orbital extra-regional threats.

We offer our thanks to the defence contractors who altered specifications for certain areas of the system most successfully over a short changeover period. We believe that the inclusion of Particle Beam Weapon technology instead of laser systems offers a new level of capacity for the network.

Primary systems testing has been completed, with only a 2% error rate which is now being corrected during the shakedown period.

Ratification of the Damocles Treaty is expected to take place within the week, at which point the system will be pronounced fully operational.

PCC Announces Ratification of Damocles Treaty

The Conglomerate leadership announced officially that it would ratify the Damocles Regional Defense System Treaty immediately.

Jenna Timothy, PA Director, had this to say. "Well, as a military force, all the Damocles elements have been assembled and incorporated into our existing national defense programs. However, with the ratification of the treaty, all the Damocles elements from all our allies in the Devils Desert will become a cohesive, unified defense. It is our hope that this is a step towards a more unified region and globe, and that it signals a new era of peace, international cooperation, and security for all parties."

Yerwaht announces DAMOCLES complete

"DAMOCLES has gone operational, ratified by the council. With it ties betewen the Devils Desert nations have increased. Welcome to a new era in the history of the region."

Govenor Jeremiah Williamsuncle

sounds like an important development, tag

DomLBeF Ratifies Damocles Treaty

"With the successful completion of the construction and testing phases of the Damocles Regional Defence System, and the ratification of the Damocles Treaty on Regional Defence, we are pleased to confirm our commitment to the principle that the components of the Damocles System, material and personnel, are no longer part of their national militaries, but now a separate force for regional defence. While a core principle is the assistance of national forces in the event of severe system stress, we feel that it is a historic event that so many nations have willingly contributed to a force for unity, a force for progress, and a force, ultimatly, for security."

Joaquim Fernandez
Minister for Foreign Intervention

Tartarus' Ratification of the Damocles Treaty

The Empress Gehenna of Tartarus today gave her official seal of approval to the Damocles Treaty. The strengthening of regional defence is of the highest importance to the Empire.

Emma Sarie
Minister for Foreign Affairs

Whispering Voices ratifies DAMOCLES treaty

The High Council of Whispering Voices, the Voices of Spring, Summer, Autumn, and Winter, have all affixed the seal of the council to the document.

http://www.angelfire.com/creep/fyad/colourcrest.jpg

ooc:

Is there a wording of this treaty anywhere? Some place people can read it? Or is it super-ultra-top secret?

MODEST NEMIT TRANSMITEL
Nikeaeleth Dominiu, A Empirieth Queldi

Et: Isterin Terenel, Mestiriueth Ministrielis
Quersi: Anglio

Nikean Ratification of the DAMOCLES Treaty

The Nikean Ministry of Security has announced the official ratification of the DAMOCLES treaty. The Nikean government and Nikean Self-Preservation Force are pleased that regional defense has grown even stronger in a region with already extremely strong armed forces.

Isterin Terenel
Dominion of Nikea
Minister of Security

OOC

As stated above, at this location:

http://www.geocities.com/kickxia/

Can be found the System Reference Document for the Damocles System, an appendix of which contains the full text of the treaty. Feel free to check it out. Currently there is a continuity error in that document which will hopefully be resolved soon (relating to energy weapons systems: the Laser and Maser systems described have been replaced with two other systems based on Particle Beam Weapon technology, the SRD should be updated soon).

Having studied the document and conferred with those officers of our government pertinent to this subject, Councillor Leyenda of the Dominion of Fyrn hereby formally ratifies the DAMOCLES treaty.

The government of Fyrn requests, however that the names and nationalities of officers at every level of higher command be released at the earliest possible opportunity. If, as is understandable, names cannot be released for reasons of security, nationalities will suffice.

We welcome the government of Fyrn as the newest member of the DAMOCLES peace treaty. Elections are expected post-haste.

The High Priest is most glad to be able to finally ratify this treaty. Whilst Thulackack has not been able to contribute the raw technical prowess of our allies, our funding has helped to ensure an era of safety and peace across the region.

http://www.nationstates.net/forum/viewtopic.php?t=84158

Regional Defence Council, important issues, Anaxa, etc.

Tarrican announces ratification of DAMOCLES treaty

The security concerns council (consisting of the Magisters Diplomus, Alderman and Guildus as well as the Strategos and the seconds in command of Land and Naval opperations) has met and concluded that the Damocles Treaty is acceptable and worthy of the full support of the nation.

After long contemplation I am satisfied with the proposals at hand and agree to ratify the DAMOCLES treaty.

May the ideals never be lost in the bureaucracy!

The Empress

Ichidou ratifies the DAMOCLES treaty, and hopes that this will being a new era af peace and prosperity to these lands.