EDA 8: The Unification War, 2040

[IanD (OP)]

The Unification War, 2040

2040

EDA Order of Battle

The EDA navy is currently centred around four battle groups each based on a carrier.

Illustrious Battle Group (Titan)
CV Illustrious with 12 Hurricane F2 and 2 Atlantique Mk II embarked.
Gomati Mk III Missile Boats: Halibut, Grampus, Dolphin, Finback, Hammerhead
Mountain Class CLE: Carpathian, Etna, Mount Everest, Himalayas, Mount Fuji,
Whale class munitions ships, Blue Whale
Leaf Class Tanker: Pear Leaf

Victorious Battle Group (Mars)
CV Victorious with 12 Hurricane F2 and 2 Atlantique Mk II embarked.
Gomati Mk II Missile boats Cod, Conger, Cuttlefish, Darter, Devilfish,
Whale class munitions ships, Grey Whale
Leaf Class Tanker: Plum Leaf

Téméraire Battle Group (Titan)
CV Téméraire with 12 Hurricane F2 and 2 Atlantique Mk II embarked.
Gomati Mk III Missile boats: Herring, Hawksbill, Lamprey, Lionfish, Mackerel
Whale class munitions ships, Humpbacked Whale
Leaf Class Tanker: Apple Leaf

Triomphant Battle Group (Mars)
CV Triomphant with 10 Hurricane F2 and 2 Atlantique Mk II embarked.
Gomati Mk II Missile boats Barracuda, Bowfin, Batfish, Billfish, Catfish
Whale class munitions ships, Fin Whale
Leaf Class Tanker: Bramble Leaf

First Escort Group, Distant Cover (high Earth orbit)
Missile Cruisers (Jianghu class)
JiangKia, Chengdu

Second Escort Group, Close Cover (low Earth orbit)
Patrol Ships (Lexington Class)
Wasp, Yorktown
Escorts (Luda class Escort Cruiser)
Anshan, Luyang
FACs
13 Luhu class of which 3 are the sensor version.

Low Earth orbit Bases
Jade Palace
Kirov 1 and 2.

Troopships
Task Group Eisenhower (Titan)
General Class: Eisenhower
Okinawa Class: Okinawa, Philippines, Saipan

Task Group Wellington (Mars)
General Class: Wellington,
Okinawa Class: Guadalcanal, Anzio, Narvik

Task Group Guan Yu (Mars)
Okinawa Class: Guam, Messina

Fleet Auxiliaries (Mars)
State Class: Alabama, Alaska, Ohio, Montana
Whale class munitions ships, Bow Whale, Right Whale

PDCs Earth Force
Two Vengeance class PDCs.
Two Peacekeeper class PDCs
Two Rampart class PDCs
Two Astrodromes class PDCs, each with 18 Hurricane F1 and two Atlantique Mk I fighters embarked.
One Great Wall class PDCs
Four Nikhab class PDCs
37 Defender class PDCs

PDCs Mars Force
Two Astrodromes class PDCs, each with 18 Hurricane F2 and two Atlantique Mk II fighters embarked.
5 Defender class PDCs

PDCs Titan Force
Two Astrodromes class PDCs, each with 18 Hurricane F2 and two Atlantique Mk II fighters embarked.
3 Defender class PDCs

Islamic Block Order of Battle

Five Gnoll (Mouge) class close attack ships, 6950 tonnes
Two Werewolf (Alborz) close attack ships 2650 tonnes

FAC
48 Ettin (Falakhon) Class operated in four squadrons of twelve. 1000 tonnes.
8 Umber Hulk (Saf) class sensor FAC. Two attached to each Ettin squadron. 1000 tonnes.
18 Xorn (Shamshir) class. Operated in three squadrons of six. 1000 tonnes.

PDCs
8 Ghoul (Fath) PDCs
7 Sphinx (Xoubin) Class PDC

AME Block Order of Battle

FACs
11 Imp (Falaq) class. 700 tonnes.
2 Lich (Nahid) class sensor FAC. 800 tonnes.

PDCs
30 ICBM bases.

For older ship codes see EDA1: The Protagonists.

15th January 2040 EDA, Mars.
The Islamic Block continues to test the EDAs resolve as its latest probe is turned back from the Mars exclusion zone.

17th January 2040, EDA, Earth.
he EDA Resource Commission reported that the civilian mining operation on Iapetus has been increased to 18 civilian mining complexes.

3rd February 2040, EDA, Earth.
3rd and 5th Expeditionary Divisions have now been formally constituted with their HQ unit, even though the fifth is still awaiting the training of its assault element. .

14th February 2040, EDA, Earth.
All accessible deposits of Vedarite have been exhausted on Earth. The EDA has total reserves of approximately 200,000 tonnes on Earth and good reserves on mining colonies.

The EDA Resource Commission reported that the civilian mining operation on Iapetus has been increased to 19 civilian mining complexes, while that on Callisto has been increased to 38 civilian mining complexes.

22nd February. 2040, EDA, Mars.
The latest in the Islamic Blocks probes is turned back from the Mars exclusion zone.

EDA, Mars.
The atmosphere of Mars is now breathable without artificial aids. Atmospheric pressure is now 0.68 atm; it will be increased to a full 1 atm. The population is now at >37 million and is currently the only population were unrest has ceased.

4th March 2040, EDA, Earth.
Adharma Ahmed defensive systems research group completed work on cloak sensor reduction 90%.

25th March 2040, EDA, Mars.
Yet another probe by the Islamic Block is turned back from the Mars exclusion zone.

29th March 2040, EDA, Earth.
Earth based sensors at Cape Canaveral are tracking one of the Gnoll class Islamic vessels heading into the outer system. If it continues on this course it will arrive in the vicinity of Saturnian system. The capabilities of the Gnoll are unknown, it’s not a fast ship by EDA standards at 2000 k/s, but nothing else is known of its capabilities.

3rd April 2040, EDA, Earth.
Gnoll 004 has passed out of range of the active Cape Canaveral tracking station, but remained on passive Earth and Titan based tracking stations. The Illustrious Battle Group had been tasked to intercept the ship should it attempt to close on the Saturnian system.

4th April 2040, EDA, Earth.
Balducci commissioned a new Port class freighter in an attempt to break into the lucrative freight market.

5th April 2040, EDA, Titan.
Illustrious launched its strike group in an effort to intercept the Islamic vessel short of the Saturnian system, which the EDA declared as being an exclusion zone to all non-EDA vessels.

7th April 2040
05:42:46 102 million kilometres from Saturn.
The Gnoll entered the sensor envelope of the Altantique of No. 4 Squadron, The Warhawks (EDAV Illustrious), range 8 million kilometres.

05:44 98.3 million kilometres from Saturn.
As the Gnoll entered the engagement range of the Star Flash missiles carried by the Hurricanes a message was transmitted from No. 4 Squadron (EDAV Illustrious) to Gnoll 004. “Warning if you continue on this course you will be fired on and destroyed. Repeat if you continue on this course you will be fired on and destroyed you have one minute to comply by changing course.”

05:44:31 98.3 million kilometres from Saturn.
The Gnoll switched its active sensors on but did not change course or indicate it had received the message. The range was 4.1m kilometres and closing at 80,000 kilometres every 30 seconds.

05:46 98.1 million kilometres from Saturn.
Squadron commander Rear Admiral Faddei Kuznetsov ordered Hurricane F2 001 to open fire with a full spread of Star Flash 4 AS missiles. While a relatively old missile it was more than fast enough to intercept this target and it still carried a 7-megaton warhead.

05:48:51 98.1 million kilometres from Saturn.
The Gnoll appeared to register the incoming missiles as it took evasive manoeuvres, There was a discharge of some type of energy weapon and a CIWS to no avail, five seconds later the five missiles struck their target, but appear to have caused no obvious damage to the vessel, it was not leaking atmosphere, it did not slow down, but it did reverse course and then set a course that would return it to near Earth orbital space. The squadron watched it for a couple of hours before starting the return journey to their carrier.

07:15, EDA, Earth.
Director Karamchand was informed of events near Saturn while at breakfast; he increased the readiness state of the armed forces to yellow, but thought no other action was necessary.

07:20, Islamic Block, Revolutionary Guard HQ briefing room.
President Alam was grey as he met Daryadar Dovom Bayat, the Blocks Revolutionary Guard Fleet Commander; he had just had a very rough ten minutes with the Supreme Leader. “The Supreme Leader is apoplectic and enraged that the EDA infidels dared to fire on our ship on a peaceful mission of exploration, the sons of Satan must be taught a lesson, you are instructed to destroy one of the EDA orbital bases immediately.” Bayat replied, “You realize this could mean all out war?” President Alam went on “No, it should not come to that, the Supreme Leader does not believe the EDA has the backbone to stand up to God’s Chosen Children. They have done nothing in the last fifteen years.” “But if they do?” insisted Bayat. Alam shrugged “You have your orders, contact Nakhoda Yekom Roushanaee and put the Guard on alert and inform our defence bases. And remember immediately, within minutes!” and he turned away.

07:25 07:29 Islamic Block, Low Earth Orbit.
Nakhoda Yekom Kimia Zahabi Looked at the flimsy, it was an order to engaged the nearest EDA orbital platform with half his squadron of Falakhon FACs, “Is this for real?” he asked looking at his Comms Officer who had delivered the message to him. The Comms Officer replied “It appears so; it carried all the correct designations and was in the correct code.” “Well get confirmation, I am not going to start a war because of a mistake, make sure it’s for us and not an exercise another Squadron is carrying out” demanded Nakhoda Yekom Zahabi. A couple of minutes later the Coms Officer returned, with another flimsy, he blurted out “It’s been confirmed, it’s a direct order from the Supreme Leader”. Nakhoda Yekom Zahabi looked stunned, well he hadn’t done his promotion prospects any good; you didn’t question orders of the Supreme Leader, “OK let’s get things moving then.”

Islamic FAC squadrons moved to gain orbital advantage, EDA forces responded.
 
07:30 Low Earth Orbit and Earth
Approximately one hour forty-two minutes after the events near the Saturnian system, on Earth and in near Earth orbit all Islamic block units went active. This was rapidly followed by EDA forces going active, triggered by the advanced EDA AI monitoring the Islamic forces. The fire controls began screaming for target designations.

07:30:51, EDA, Earth.
Missile Launch detected!  Two salvos of 33 missiles were inbound; their target appeared to be the Jade Palace orbital base. The AI authorised weapons release and began assigning targets faster than its human masters could comprehend, it was all automatic from here on in. On European Astrodromes alarms shrieked, massive doors began to open, pilots reached their craft as engines woke roaring to life, as that part of the deterrent struggled to get space borne. Within a handful of seconds the 36 Hurricanes were above the Earth, receiving targeting information. The EDA AI decided to take out the great mass of Islamic FACs with missiles and worry the big ships to death with meson beams.  Priority targets were the Xorn class FAC of unknown capabilities and the Umber Hulk sensor platforms. Only the old Werewolf (Alborz) class were left untargeted for the moment, but that would change. The AI was capable, in an attempt to limit the engagement, to authorise aggressive action only by orbital assets, restricting PDCs to counter missile fire unless planetary intercontinental missile launches were detected.

In all 66 missiles slammed into the Jade Palace, airtight doors slammed shut across the base, the orbital platform was smothered in nuclear fire, but when it died away the base was still there! Its armour was thick if old and the hull not breached. Time for retaliation!

07:31:00 Low Earth Orbit.
Nakhoda Yekom Zahabi looked at his readouts in horror, the station was not even leaking atmosphere, his orders said destroy, he was in enough trouble already he ordered the rest of the squadron to fire. Five seconds later his threat alarm went off! There were a rash of new thermal contacts on his screens, the Infidels had retaliated! Their damned fighters had scrambled from their European bases, there were over two hundred missiles coming his way.
Five seconds after that ships began to explode around him, The Islamic Blocks limited AI finally authorised general weapons free, but for many ships it was too late, the inexperience of their crews proving fatal. Another five seconds and Nakhoda Yekom Zahabi’s constituent atoms were stripped of their electrons and mixed with those of his crew in the plasma of a nuclear fireball as five Star Flash missiles tore his ship apart.
The Fath missile PDCs began launching AMMs at the missiles inbound from the First Escort Group in high Earth orbit, EDA PDCs began launching AMM-3 Spartan missiles to intercept Islamic missiles.

07:31:36 Low Earth Orbit.
The EDA vessels finally began to take a little damage. The Yorktown was hit by an energy weapon, probably a meson beam, from a Xorn class FAC, fortunately the missile launcher hit remained functional. The EDAV Anshan was hit by 11 missiles launched by an Ettin class FAC, the only one of half-a–dozen FAC targeting that ship that managed to get its weapons away. All damage was absorbed by the armour belt protecting the ship. The Jade Palace and Kirov 1 orbital bases started taking internal damage after being the focus of attack by several of the remaining Xorn FAC and Gnoll class ships, which mounted plasma carronades, as well as the two Werewolf class which carried particle beams.

07:31:41 Low Earth Orbit.
The Shamshir (Xorn) squadrons had been gutted, only four Xorn class FAC remaining, only one of them still firing, of the Gnoll class close attack ships only one managed to fire, three had been rendered toothless by meson beam hits, the EDA tactic of cycling eight meson beams from the pair of massive quad turrets on each of the Kirov bases through a different pair of Gnoll class targets each firing cycle paid off with fortunate hits taking out the fire control or the weapons themselves of at least two of the ships, the other taking a long time to get its weapons online. The Ettin class by and large ceased to exist once the Hurricanes had done their business. The EDA strike fighters were already returning to their bases to rearm after delivering a withering attack.

In the control centre deep below the streets of Tehran reports from the fleet began to trickle in, the AI control necessary to assess the situation in a handful of seconds was not available to the Islamic Block. Unfortunately it was very clear that they were losing. Most of the large Mouge (Gnoll) class close attack ships had been rendered toothless by meson beam hits to their fire controls, only one Falakhon (Ettin) FAC remained and its fire control had been destroyed. Authority was requested that the Xoubin meson bases target the EDA craft in low orbit to level the score. For once the Islamic AI functioned smoothly and authorised the release. The next five seconds saw the EDAV Yorktown break up as it was riddled with meson beams, the destruction of the Luyang followed shortly. The Wasp and Anshan did not escape and they attempted to move to high orbit, but meson beams had destroyed many of their engines. Fortunately the attack switched to the Luhu class FACs, which were incapacitated by the beams, they had hundreds of seconds before their launchers would reload and had little chance of surviving that long. The Vasco Da Gama and Sir Francis Drake, geological survey vessels, also felt the touch of meson beams as the Islamic bases targeted ships of 1000 tonnes in orbit indiscriminately. The survey ships soon broke up under the onslaught.

07:32:30, AME Block, C³I Centre.
A phone on Rear admiral Kurai Werunga’s vast desk rang, he picked it up, it was his Intelligence chief, Captain Wambui Gachamba was on the line “All hell is breaking loose boss, the EDA has attacked an Islamic ship out near Saturn about an hour and a half ago, now all Islamic and EDA ships and bases in orbit and on Earth have gone active. Hold on I am getting reports of nuclear detonations in orbit and missile launches from Earth-based PDCs.” “Right, put our squadron on alert, be ready to activate in line with our mutual defence treaty. But don’t go active just yet and get on to Brigadier General Abdi, alert him to monitor our borders for incursions.” Werunga rang off and dialled President Jumapili Ntalami on the hot line “Mr President, there is something kicking off in Earth orbit, can you” was all he got out before the line went dead. Werunga phoned the operator “The line to the President has just gone dead, get him back it’s urgent.” He put the phone down, A couple of minutes later Gachamba came into Werunga’s office, “Communications have gone down across the Block, there have been multiple EMPs in low Earth orbit, all we have left is the hardened lines to our missile bases and the hardened transmitter to our Squadron, the whole Block could have ceased to exist and I would not know it.” As he said it the hot line phone rang, Werunga jumped on it wrenching it from its cradle “Hallo,” but it was only the operator telling him all external lines were down except the ones to the missile bases, they were otherwise isolated. Werunga stood up, watched by Gachamba, he paced his office. The words from Gachamba “the whole Block could have ceased to exist” began to play on his mind along with the phrase one of his instructors used to pound into him as a cadet, “use it or lose it.” There may only be seconds to get their retaliation in. He looked at Gachamba “are we under attack, are our allies under attack?” Gachamba answered, “Yes, no I mean.... I don’t know.” Werunga activated the screen on the wall of his office and selected the view from the external cameras, all was quite until he cycled to the one pointing north with a view of the Horizon, which was lit by actinic flashes of light as warheads burst in low orbit “Now what do you think?” Gachamba stuttered “it, it looks like we are at war” Werunga picked up a red phone from his desk, when it was answered he said “Lieutenant Commander Otenyo, this is Rear Admiral Kurai Werunga, Code Red, this is no drill, I repeat Code Red fire on targets, authorisation code Tango Whiskey Echo Delta Romeo Niner Five Zero Seven Niner Four Alpha One Omega” after which he handed the phone to Gachamba, who said “Lieutenant Commander Otenyo, this Captain Wambui Gachamba, I am confirming the Code Red, confirmation code is Echo Delta Alpha Two Five Six One Omega” he then handed the phone back to Werunga who replaced the phone in its cradle. Werunga looked at Gachamba, put his hands together and said, “let us pray.”

07:32:51 Low Earth Orbit.
The battle in orbit appeared to die down, only crippled EDA ships and the four large Islamic ships remained in low Earth orbit along with the EDA orbital bases which were still firing.

07:33:30 Islamic Block, Earth.
The engagement had been disastrous for the Islamic Block; their fleet had been swept from orbit. Only the lone Mouge returning from the Saturnian system was left, but at least the fighting had been more or less confined to orbit. The remaining EDA ships were now out range of the Earth bound bases, but two large EDA warships had been destroyed along with the EDA fast attack squadron, so it wasn’t totally one sided.

07:34:36 Earth.
Two hundred ICBMs rose from the African continent joined by a hundred more from bases around the Middle East. The orbiting Squadron received their instructions, sensors activated, keys turned buttons were pushed. Armageddon was on its way.
Alarms on EDA ships and bases wailed as the new flights of missiles appeared on the scanners. The AI tasked with protecting the EDA reconfigured to meet this new threat, there were now new priority targets, the AI reasoned (or at least it’s programming) that  if the AME had launched then it was party to the attack by the Islamic Block, therefore the Islamic bases could be expected to fire within seconds. Defender PDCs targeted the Islamic PDCs as targets of the highest priority. Meson beams were no respecters of armour let alone a few thousand miles of rock and magma.  15 bases spat death through the planet at the Islamic PDCs; the rest used their beams to attempt the interception of enemy missiles. The PDCs targeted the fast moving small missiles launched by the AME fast attack craft with their meson cannons, but they had too little notice and missed them all. The Islamic control centre gave in to the inevitable and authorised weapons release for the intercontinental defence bases. Launch sequences were initiated.

07:34:21 EDA, Earth.
The first of two ragged salvos fell on the EDA from the AME fast attack craft. The first eight missiles hit the China and the Far East Sector; another four fell on the South American Sector. 3.6 million Civilians died in the nuclear fireballs that burst above their homes. Nineteen construction factories, eleven mines and five fuel refineries were also destroyed.

07:34:26 EDA, Earth.
The second salvo of thirty-two 3-megaton warheads was scattered across all the EDA, nowhere on Earth was spared. The Euro-Russian sector lost a fuel refinery, a research lab, an automated mine, a deep space tracking station, four construction factories, three ordnance factories, a fuel refinery and three mines, the North American Sector lost sixteen construction factories, a maintenance facility, an automated mine, four ordnance factories, eight fuel refineries, and six mines. China and the Far East Sector lost three construction factories, three mines, and four fuel refineries. The South America Sector lost nine construction factories and three mines. In addition there were 9.6 million civilian casualties from the immediate blast and heat effects.

07:34:36 EDA, Earth.
Just when human operators thought it might be over sixty Ashura missiles rose from the Islamic block, each armed with a 9-megaton warhead. The Defender PDCs alert now locked onto the incoming missiles. Some of the contrails tearing across the sky ended suddenly as vital components blew, but too few, only thirty-six were intercepted in the missile storm that was the Thermosphere as Spartan AMMs attempted interception. Twenty-four Ashuras continued on to burst above their hapless targets. But this was the only salvo those bases would get off as the EDA meson beams tore them apart with a relentless bombardment, by 07:34:56 they had been destroyed. Thirty Defender PDCs locked on to the AME Block ICBM bases. Ten seconds later the thirty African and Middle Eastern missile bases ceased to exist.

07:34:41 EDA, Earth.
Each EDA sector was hit by six of the 9-megaton missiles. 21.6 million Citizens of the EDA were killed by in the nuclear conflagration. The EDA also lost a research lab, two automated mines, seventy construction factories, fourteen ordnance factories, nineteen fuel refineries, fifty-eight mines and two maintenance facilities. The South American Sector suffered grievously, all its industrial centres were obliterated, not one was spared. However the damage was such that it did not meet the criteria to allow the AI to launch a retaliatory strike without human approval, which was not forthcoming at this point, the EDA having survived the onslaught.

07:33:51 Low Earth Orbit.
Earth orbit has been swept clean of all except the three EDA orbital bases and the hulk of Gnoll #2 that refused to die. The surface of the Earth had also been swept clean of any base but those of the EDA.

07:35:06 EDA, Earth.
The orbital war was all over; the EDA was in control of orbital space. All that were left of the Islamic Fleet was the Gnoll on its way back to Earth. The Escort Group moved in to recover life pods. Search and rescue was completed by 13:42 that day.

The EDA High Command was in video-conference with the EDA Directors and Governors, the unanimous decision was the world must be united, even if it meant the use of more nuclear weapons to soften the enemy up. Demonstration nuclear strikes in advance of the invasions were authorised on both blocks. The orbital bases were ordered to fire on Islamic and AME troop concentrations.  A land war was agreed on by the Directors, they would attack Africa and the Middle East from with a division from the Euro-Russian Sector and the Air Mobile MI from South America would join in, there was also enough heavy lift to get a brigade of armour over as well. The China Far East Sector and Euro-Russian Sector would each attack the Islamic Block with a division. A two front war was the last thing they wanted but they could see no alternative. The Expeditionary Divisions would be recalled from Mars and Titan to assist in the attack.

07:41:41 Low Earth Orbit.
The EDA orbital bases opened fire on a once green Earth. But after two salvos fire was halted as too damaging to the environment. The temperature had already plummeted to less than -12^oC, winter had returned in what should be spring. The bombardments collateral damage in Africa and the Middle East destroyed a construction factory, two mines, two ordnance factories and nine conventional industry. In the Islamic Block nine construction factories, an ordnance factory, six mines, three automated mines, two research labs and a maintenance facility were destroyed. 3.6 million Civilians were also casualties.

05:42 8th April 2040 102 million kilometres from Saturn.
The Illustrious strike fighter squadron was given orders to eliminate the Islamic ship retiring from the Saturnian system. 19:42, The Hurricanes ran down the fleeing Gnoll and with a ragged salvo sealed its fate. At19:43:46 Gnoll #4 detected the first of the inbound missiles. At 19:43:51 one missile of the first 25 was destroyed by a CIWS, but the rest carved deep gashes in the ships armour and the ship began to lose atmosphere. The final 20 missiles hammered into the bleeding ship, the structure failed under the blows and it broke up, engulfed in the nuclear cataclysm, it was a wonder anyone got off alive, but 174 did.

Dawn, EDA, Earth.
At Dawn on the 8th the land invasion got underway on two fronts. The available forces were on the light side for a full scale invasion, the South American Sector still required a garrison so a brigade of the 6th Infantry Division was left behind for that task. But the 5th Expeditionary division would soon be on hand to reinforce the AME front (Western Front) and the 3rd Expeditionary Division would be available in a few days to reinforce the Islamic Block front (Eastern Front). The hope was to overrun the AME Block quickly and then divert a division or two to the Eastern Front.

The forces deployed against the African and Middle Eastern Block were:

6th Infantry Division

9th Ghurkha Brigade
1st Battalion 1st Gorkha Rifles (MI)
2nd Battalion 1st Gorkha Rifles (MI)
3rd Battalion 1st Gorkha Rifles (MI)
4th Battalion 1st Gorkha Rifles (MI)

3rd Air Mobile Brigade
1st Battalion, Royal Irish Regiment (MI)
2nd Battalions, The Rifles (MI)
3rd Battalions, The Rifles (MI)
Argyll & Sutherland Highlanders, 5th Battalion, Royal Regiment of Scotland (MI)

5th Armoured Cavalry Brigade
6th Armoured Cavalry Regiment (HVY)
11th Armoured Cavalry Regiment (HVY)
107th Armoured Cavalry Regiment (HVY)
116th Armoured Cavalry Regiment (HVY)

2nd Armoured Division

4th Armoured Brigade
702nd Tank Destroyer Battalion (HVY)
2nd Armoured Cavalry Regiment (HVY)
28th Canadian Armoured Regiment (HVY)
11th Armoured Cavalry Regiment (HVY)

3rd Armoured Brigade
37th Armoured Regiment (HVY)
3rd Armoured Cavalry Regiment (HVY)
66th Armoured Regiment (HVY)
41st Armoured Infantry Regiment (AST)

101st Mobile Infantry Brigade
187th Infantry Regiment (MI)
327th Infantry Regiment (MI)
502nd Infantry Regiment (MI)
506th Infantry Regiment (MI)

52nd Infantry Brigade
1st Battalion, 503rd Infantry Regiment (AST)
2nd Battalion, 503rd Infantry Regiment (AST)
1st Battalion, 2nd Infantry Regiment (MI)
1st Battalion, 28th Infantry Regiment (MI)

Independent brigades

1 Commando Brigade
1st Marine Regiment
2nd Marine Regiment
3rd Marine Regiment
4th Marine Regiment
 
All headings in bold indicate an HQ unit, thus most brigades consists of five units.

Estimated African and Middle Eastern Block Forces.
6 Assault Infantry Battalions, 5 Mobile Infantry Battalions, 9 Conventional Armoured Battalions, 6 Conventional Infantry Battalions, 4 Garrison Battalions

African and Middle Eastern Block.
The first battles of the ground war started this evening at 19:42. The 41st Armoured Infantry Regt. 3rd Armoured Brigade suffered 17% losses during the initial landings in North Africa after running into stiff opposition from a mix of conventional armour and assault infantry, but single handed reduced four enemy units by between 20% and 40% and held the beachhead.
The 502nd Infantry Regiment, 101st Airborne Brigade suffered 47% casualties as they pushed out from the LZ, running into an AME assault infantry battalion, which suffered similar casualties in a bloody battle. The 107th Armoured Cavalry Regiment, 5th Cavalry Brigade lost 17% of their vehicles when they went to the aid of the 502nd. Four conventional AME armoured battalions were severely handled when they tried to intervene in the engagement, which went on throughout the night. The 5th Armoured Cavalry Brigade HQ was caught up in the fighting at one stage and received >10% casualties before they could extricate themselves.

The second front in the African campaign was a push down from the Balkans. This found the 4th Armoured Brigade on a drive down the shores of the Mediterranean suffering minimal casualties after running into a mixed force of conventional infantry and MI battalions, which were severely mauled. The 4th Armoured Brigade in conjunction with the 3rd Air Mobile Brigade surprised a brigade of enemy assault and mobile infantry, inflicting severe losses on them.  

Collateral damage was 7 conventional industry destroyed and 200,000 civilian casualties.

The forces selected to attack the Islamic block were:

4th Mechanised Division

1025th Motor Infantry Brigade
2nd Tank Regiment (HVY)
3rd Tank Regiment (HVY)
258th Infantry Regiment (AST)
259th Infantry Regiment (AST)

127th Light Mobile Brigade
424th Infantry Regiment (MI)
430th Infantry Regiment (MI)
462nd Infantry Regiment (MI)
487th Infantry Regiment (MI)

4 Commando Brigade
5th Marine Regiment
6th Marine Regiment
7th Marine Regiment
8th Marine Regiment

86th Motor Infantry Brigade
164th Tank Regiment (HVY)
165th Tank Regiment (HVY)
524th Infantry Regiment (AST)
525th Infantry Regiment (AST)

1st Armoured Division

Brigade of Guards
Coldstream Guards Regiment (AST)
Grenadier Guards Regiment (AST)
Irish Guards Regiment (AST)
Scots Guards Regiment (AST)

12th Armoured Brigade
Armoured Battalion 104 (HVY)
Tank Battalion 203 (HVY)
Parachute Battalion 261 (AST)
Parachute Battalion 263 (AST)

5th Guard’s Tank Brigade
15th Guards Tank Regiment (HVY)
26th Guards Tank Regiment (HVY)
58th Guards Tank Regiment (HVY)
73rd Guards Tank Regiment (HVY)
 
6th Assault Brigade
166 Guards Motor Infantry Regiment (AST)
210th Motor Infantry Regiment (AST)
Black watch, 3rd Battalion, Royal Regiment of Scotland (AST)
Welsh Guards Regiment (AST)

Independent brigades

The Garhwal Rifles Brigade
1st Battalion Garhwal Rifles Regiment (MI)
2nd Battalion Garhwal Rifles Regiment (MI)
3rd Battalion Garhwal Rifles Regiment (MI)
4th Battalion Garhwal Rifles Regiment (MI)

Estimated Islamic Block Forces
10 heavy assault battalions, 8 mobile infantry battalions, 8 assault infantry battalions and 7 garrison battalions.

Islamic Block
First contact also occurred on the 8th on the Eastern Front. Forces probed across the borders and there was light skirmishing but there were no clashes of note on the first day of the invasion other than the Welsh Guards, 6th Assault Brigade catching an Islamic heavy assault battalion and destroying more than 25% of their vehicles. There was no collateral damage.

12th April 2040, EDA, Earth.
The 5th Expeditionary Division returned from Mars and immediately joined in the assault on the AME Block.
.
5th Expeditionary Division

125th Assault Brigade
16e Bataillon de Chasseurs (AST)
1er Régiment de Tirailleurs (AST)

3 Commando Brigade
106th Naval Infantry Regiment (MAR)
165th "Cossack" Naval Infantry Regiment (MAR)
382nd Naval Infantry Regiment (MAR)
390th Naval Infantry Regiment (MAR)

82nd Mobile Infantry Brigade
325th Infantry Regiment (MI)
504th Infantry Regiment (MI)
505th Infantry Regiment (MI)
508th Infantry Regiment (MI)

7th Armoured Brigade
2nd Royal Tank Regiment (HVY)
4th/7th Royal Dragoon Guards (HVY)
7th Hussars (HVY)
9th/12th Royal Lancers (HVY)


13th April 2040, EDA, Earth.
The EDAV Mount Kilimanjaro, CLE, completed at the JaingYang naval orbital shipyard and left for the Victorious Battle Group at Mars. A new CLE was started in the empty bay.

African and Middle Eastern Block.
There was heavy fighting all along the Western Front. 508th Infantry Regiment, 82nd MI Brigade suffered 27% losses while the 9th Ghurkha brigade was in heavy action with conventional forces. 2nd Battalion 1st Gorkha Rifles suffered catastrophic casualties, with nearly 50% of the unit killed or wounded in heavy fighting in the assault on Algiers. The 1st Battalion, 1st Gorkha Rifles also received heavy casualties in the same action that saw seven enemy conventional battalions take between 30-50% casualties.

Collateral damage was 250,000 civilian dead, two construction factories, 1 research lab and five conventional industrial complexes destroyed.

Islamic Block
The EDA spearhead formations finally made contact with the enemy and were mauled. 2nd and 3rd Battalions, Garhwal Rifles Regiment lost between 20-30% of their effectives in constant fighting in Kashmir involving enemy assault infantry. The 4th Mechanised Division HQ lost 26% casualties when an enemy heavy assault battalion found it. The 8th Marine Regiment was engaged by enemy assault infantry and 50% of the unit wiped out.  

Collateral damage was 75,000 civilian casualties, a fuel refinery and a mine.

17th April EDA, Earth.
The 3rd Expeditionary Division arrived in the China & Far East Sector. Combat operations started almost as soon as unloading was completed.

3rd Expeditionary Division HQ

10th Air Assault brigade
1st Battalion Parachute Regiment (AST)
2nd Battalion Parachute Regiment (AST)
3rd Battalion Parachute Regiment (AST)
4th Battalion Parachute Regiment (AST)

5 Commando Brigade
877th Naval Infantry Battalion (MAR)
878th Naval Infantry Battalion (MAR)
9th Assault Regiment, Col Moschin (MAR)
Commando Trepel (MAR)

58th Infantry Brigade
172nd Mobile Infantry Regiment (MI)
173rd Mobile Infantry Regiment (MI)
174th Mobile Infantry Regiment (MI)
175th Mobile Infantry Regiment (MI)

9th Armoured Brigade
17/21 Lancers (HVY)
35th Armour Regiment (HVY)
77th Armour Regiment (HVY)
9th Horse Regiment (HVY)

18th April 2040, African and Middle Eastern Block.
3rd Air Mobile Brigade moved deeper into Africa, fierce fighting ensued as they assaulted the Nigerian capital, Abuja, but were beaten back at considerable cost to the defenders, mobile infantry and conventional battalions all took significant (40+%) casualties. An assault infantry battalion was annihilated for little loss to the attackers as it tried to relieve the siege.  A second attempt to relieve the Capital fared no better than the first as half destroyed units were thrown into the fray, with severe losses to the AME forces although the 1st Battalion, 503rd Infantry Regiment, 52nd Infantry Brigade, came under pressure losing a third of its effectives in the second battle of Abuja.
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Collateral losses were a mine, two ordnance factories and two conventional industrial complexes as well as 25,000 civilians killed or wounded.

Islamic Block.
While the African campaign may be running to schedule the EDA forces on the Eastern Front were not having so happy a time of it, finding stiff resistance. The 1025th Motor Infantry Brigade was in the thick of the fighting, the 2nd Tank Regiment taking heavy losses as many as half of their vehicles were put out of action. Claims were made that three enemy units were considerably reduced.
An estimated 25,000 civilians were casualties from these actions.

22nd April 2040, African and Middle Eastern Block.
Abuja was turning into a bear pit for the AME army. They referred to it as the Cauldron; units went in but rarely came out. The effort to defend Abuja had cost the Army a conventional infantry battalion, two conventional armour battalions, two mobile infantry battalions and their HQ, and the city had still fallen. They had inflicted severe losses on two EDA formations, the unmistakable Argyll & Sutherland Highlanders, 5th Battalion, Royal Regiment of Scotland and the 66th Armoured Regiment, both of which took 40% casualties in the AME Block’s abortive attempt to recapture the city.
Collateral damage cost 325,000 civilian casualties, a construction factory, two mines and eight conventional industrial complexes.

Islamic Block
The bitter fighting on the Eastern Front continued, the 2nd Tank Regiment no sooner received its replacement vehicles than it lost them again, but this time only 20% of them.  4 and 5 Commando Brigades were also heavily involved in fighting, several Commandos having 25% of their troops killed or wounded for 20-40% losses inflicted on eight opposing battalions. The Campaign was gathering steam, but had yet to have the breakthrough seen in the West.

Collateral damage was 100,000 civilian casualties, two mines and a deep space tracking station.

27th April African and Middle Eastern Block.
The 4th Armoured Brigade was involved in heavy fighting, advancing on Addis Ababa. It found itself opposed by two ad hoc enemy brigades, but went through them like a hot knife through butter! Two conventional infantry battalions, three conventional armoured battalions, two assault infantry battalions and an MI battalion perished beneath its guns.
As the drive through Sudan progressed it was impossible to prevent all surprises, the 1st battalion Royal Ghurkha Rifles were ambushed, losing 50% of their personnel incapacitated, but fought their way out much to the detriment of their attackers.

Collateral damage was a construction factory, three mines, an ordnance factory, six conventional industrial complexes and 400,000 civilian casualties.

Islamic Block.
In the East the 1025th Motor Infantry Brigade was still in combat, this time it was the 528th infantry Regiment with Tank battalion 203, a former German unit, with the 12th Armoured Brigade that were involved in taking on Islamic heavy assault battalions, which were fanatical in their resistance. The drive to Islamabad had effectively stalled before it started; the forces were just too equal.
Collateral damage cost an automated mine and 100,000 civilian casualties.

3rd May 2040, African and Middle Eastern Block.
The offensive in the West continued to gather pace. The 4th Armoured brigade claimed the destruction of another conventional infantry and armoured battalion in addition to an assault infantry battalion. The fall of Addis Ababa was not long delayed and three garrison battalions were destroyed on its investiture.
This left the drive by the 6th Infantry Division and 5th Expeditionary Division with Pretoria as the main focus as the 2nd Armoured Division moved up to the Egyptian border. The 9th Ghurkha brigade was in the forefront of the advance on Pretoria when two ad hoc enemy brigades opposed them. The numerical advantage did not help the AME forces, even the Ghurkha’s Headquarters unit was in the thick of the fighting, the brigade accounted for six AME battalions. After the fall of Pretoria the drive continued to the outskirts of Cape Town. The fall of the AME could not long be delayed.
Collateral damage cost a construction factory, a mine, a research lab, and seven conventional industrial complexes and 375,000 civilian casualties.

Islamic Block.
Fighting on the Eastern Front was as fierce as ever with neither side giving ground. The 127th Light Mobile Brigade tried an out flanking manoeuvre, but had to be extracted by the 10th Assault brigade. The Stalemate continued.
Collateral damage was a mine and a maintenance facility and 75,000 civilian casualties.

8th May African and Middle Eastern Block.
Cape Town fell and with it any chance for continued resistance by the AME Block, its army had been all but destroyed. The 2nd Armoured Division was poised to advance on Cairo and a single MI battalion stood in its way.
Collateral damage was four conventional industrial complexes lost and 100,000 civilian casualties.

Islamic Block.
The war in the East ground on, no one giving ground, the EDA was desperate for the reinforcements that victory in Africa would give it. The mountainous terrain was unforgiving.
Collateral damage was a mine and a fuel refinery and 50,000 civilian casualties.

13th May African and Middle Eastern Block
The 5th Expeditionary Division came up to take the place of the 2nd Armoured Division before the gates of Cairo, which stood open before it as the last MI battalion was destroyed and organised resistance ended. The 2nd Armoured Division made for the Iraqi borders and prepared to join the fight on the Eastern Front.
There was no collateral damage, Cairo surrendered without a fight.

EDA, Somewhere in Europe.
Farah Isfahani had been a loyal citizen of the EDA and before that the EU, he had been lucky and avoided the nuclear strikes against the EDA.  But the scenes being shown nightly from the war with the Islamic Block sickened him. There were endless shots dead civilians and of burnt out schools, hospitals and mosques. He approached his Imam at his mosque and asked what he could do to help his brothers. A couple of days later he met with a like-minded group of worshippers who wanted an end to the war, he was among several who voted for direct action.

Islamic Block.
On the Eastern Front the 2nd Tank Regiment was in action yet again, losing 25% of its vehicles once more. The 9th Armoured Brigade tried to breakthrough but once again the offensive stalled.
Collateral damage cost a fuel refinery and 25,000 civilian casualties.

18th May African and Middle Eastern Block.
The African and Middle Eastern Block surrendered to the EDA to prevent more bloodshed today. The war in Africa was over. President Jumapili Ntalami has been taken into custody and will face trial on charges of crimes against humanity, which carries a death penalty. Rear admiral Kurai Werunga and Captain Wambui Gachamba formerly of the AME High Command are being actively hunted for as war criminals.

Islamic Block
The 6th Infantry Division settled in as the AME occupation force while the 5th Expeditionary Division with 1 and 2 Commando Brigades were sent to join the assault on Baghdad. On the original Eastern Front there was the hint of movement as an attack by an Islamic Heavy assault brigade was repulsed with heavy losses, the 86th Motor Infantry Brigade was at the centre of the fighting, once more an HQ unit was involved in the intense combat. A raid on Samawah by the 327th Infantry Regiment, 101st Mobile Infantry Brigade was thrown back with heavy losses.
Collateral damage cost a maintenance facility and 100,000 civilian casualties.

EDA, Somewhere in Europe.
Farah Isfahani found himself with several others in yellow jackets excavating a road junction. They were quite deep now and a bundle of secure communications cables were revealed in the bottom of the trench. One of the men produced a package which he taped to the cables, a thin wire led from the package, which as they filled the trench in he was careful to make sure was not broken, so that when they finally finished there was the barest scrap of aerial poking above the tarmac, which ended up underneath a plastic traffic island.

23rd May 2040, EDA, Earth.
Darr Trading launched a Nieuw Amsterdam colony ship, which immediately left orbit to clear a conflict zone.

Islamic Block.
On the Eastern borders of the Islamic Block fighting in the mountains of Kashmir and Afghanistan has bogged down, but the 12th Armoured Brigade broke through on to the Indus plains and a fierce tank battle ensued. The attacks on the western border were in a quite phase.
Collateral damage was two construction factories, two fuel refineries, an ordnance factory and 175,000civilian casualties.

14:14:31 Low Earth Orbit.
Five Gnoll class vessels left the Qeshm Shipyard.  Their first act was to send a signal towards the EDA. The results were unspectacular but several vital communications cables were cut and towers toppled. The EDA AI responded to the Islamic ships immediately and targeted them with the Defender PDCs and ordered the launch the Hurricane strike fighters, but there was no reply, comms were down and it would take vital minutes to circumvent the normal channels. The AI fell back on the Earth based missile armed PDCs and authorised them fire on the ships. Five seconds later missiles were on their way as the PDCs acquired when Russia, China and India joined the EDA added their fire to those in Europe and North America. Five seconds after that the missiles detonated in a nuclear conflagration in the Thermosphere, but the ships were still there when it cleared. The launchers were slow cycling so it was up to the orbital bases and the remaining vessels of the Escort Groups which still bore the scars of the previous engagement, the two Chinese build escort cruisers had expended their supply of Star Lion missiles (size 3) and there were no more in the magazines planet side. The situation was not yet dangerous but it was serious.

14:14:41 Low Earth Orbit.
There was an exchange of fire between the EDA orbital forces and the Islamic ships, plasma carronade fire tore chunks of armour out of the Kirov 1 orbital base, plasma penetrated to her magazines and she blew up in an eye searing actinic flash. The Gnolls did not have it all their own way as meson beams knocked out plasma carronades and reactors on one of them, effectively making it a hulk, and all displayed scars on their thick armour.

14:14:46 Low Earth Orbit.
Even the thick armour of the Gnoll class was beginning to wear thin; two vessels had lost all weapons and fire control, notably those targeted by the Kirov bases meson beams. Damage control teams were desperately trying to get systems back on line.

14:14:56 Low Earth Orbit.
Two of the Gnolls with intact weapons finished charging their plasma carronades, and immediately discharged them, gutting the remaining Kirov orbital base.

14:15:06 Low Earth Orbit.
The Jade Palace’s armour was deeply scored, but the level 10 armour was demonstrating its worth until the remaining Gnoll fired on it with three plasma carronades. The Jade Palace’s armour finally buckled under this last insult, plasma rushed into the station, incinerating the bridge and its officers. Plasma reached the magazines, secondary explosions rocked the station and its old structure came apart at the seams, large chunks of the station fell into the Pacific.

14:15:36 Low Earth Orbit.
The Gnolls were being targeted by a continual stream of missiles from the Earth based PDCs, and only one still retained her weapons. But they had the Wasp in their sights and a series of vicious hits rocked the ship to her keel, armour burning through in multiple places.

14:16:06 Low Earth Orbit.
The Kirov 2 base was hit by multiple plasma carronades, its weakened structure could no longer take it and it disintegrated forming a temporary belt of debris around the Earth.  However in the next ten seconds two of the Islamic ships finally fell apart and all fell silent. By 14:16:11 it was over the lifeless hulks joined the widening belt of wreckage in low Earth orbit. Recovery operations began.

28th May 2040, Islamic Block.
Baghdad had fallen and the first Islamic units destroyed as its garrison died rather than surrender. Elsewhere some progress was being made but it was slow going.
With the push into populated areas collateral damage increased. A construction factory, three mines, two fuel refineries and two maintenance faculties were destroyed in addition to the 250,000 civilian casualties.

4th June 2040, EDA, Earth.
The Gaun Yu, a General class troop transport with accommodation for the division command element left the Astano commercial ‘Yard to join the rest of its transport group of Okinawa class transports.

The Maggart Corporation completed a new port freighter, its twenty-sixth freighter.

Islamic Block.
The fighting on the Western front of the Eastern war in Iraq stepped up a gear there was fierce fighting around Riyadh as 3 Commando Brigade assaulted the city, the 106th naval Infantry Regiment suffered grievously over a third of the Regiment was incapacitated, but they destroyed an MI battalion and routed another.
The drive on Amarah was interrupted by a brigade of assault infantry barring the way. The 3rd Armoured Cavalry Regiment went in and destroyed half the brigade and drove off the rest with heavy casualties. As Amarah was invested an Islamic MI battalion resisted to the last man. With the attack through Iraq there was the sign of a thaw in the war against the Islamic Block. The Eastern front was still deadlocked in the mountains with occasional forays across them.

Collateral damage two fuel refineries, a construction factory, two mines and an ordnance factory, 300,000 civilian casualties.

9th June, 2040, EDA, Earth.
The EDA Resource Commission reported that the civilian mining operation on Iapetus has been increased to 20 civilian mining complexes.

Islamic Block.
The Eastern offensive started with renewed hope. The 165th Tank Regiment led the assault on Karachi and Hyderabad losing over 20% of its vehicles in the fighting. The 86th Motorised Brigade surprised a mixed brigade of armour and MI, just leaving its bivouac outside the city of Hyderabad, one battalion of each was destroyed and the other two routed.  In the same action the 1st Battalion, 503rd Infantry Regiment lost over a fifth of its number. On the Western Front the 3rd and 4th Armoured Brigades probing the outskirts of Kermanshah were involved in heavy combat with Islamic battalions, an assault infantry brigade was routed and half destroyed.
Collateral damage was a fuel refinery, a construction factory, four mines and a research lab as well as 275,000 civilian casualties.

14th June 2040, EDA, Earth.
The EDAV Krakatoa, a CLE, left the JaingYang naval orbital shipyard and joined the Victorious Battle Group at Mars.

Islamic Block
On the Western Front the 82nd Airborne raided Rasht where the 508th infantry regiment lost heavily when surprised by enemy armour, but they successfully extracted themselves destroying an enemy tank battalion in the process. The Third Armoured Brigade began to move on Tehran, running over enemy brigades that tried to stand against it, leaving the wreckage of at least three battalions in its wake. However the 41st Armoured Infantry Regiment paid the price with nearly 50% casualties.
The stalemate in the east looked to be well and truly broken. The stubborn resistance of the Islamic fighters proving no match for weight of metal. The noose began to close on Islamabad, Kabul fell under the guns of the 4th Mechanised Division, in the process three quarters of an armoured brigade was annihilated.  
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Collateral damage was four construction factories, a fuel refinery, three mines, a ground force training facility, and a maintenance facility were destroyed and 300,000 civilian casualties.

19th June 2040, Islamic Block
The ability of the Islamic block to defend itself was waning; it had barely a division and a half left at the start of the week.  The defence of Islamabad left a brigade destroyed at its gates and the city invested by elements of the 4th Mechanised Division. On the approaches to Tehran another brigade perished, Mashhad was overrun with the loss of another short brigade. There was not a full brigade left to defend Tehran. The war was drawing to a close; the Block would be lucky to survive another week.
Collateral damage an automated mine, two mines, seven construction factories, a maintenance facility and an ordnance factory were destroyed with 400,000 civilian casualties.

24th June 2040, Islamic Block
The siege of Tehran was brief; the 2nd Armoured Division captured the city with little effort destroying the last of any organised resistance, the Block surrendered.  President Alam and the former Supreme Leader were being sought in connection with crimes against humanity. The 4th Mechanised Division was to provide the occupation force.

Collateral damage was a mine and 25,000 civilian casualties incurred in the occupation of Tehran.

The planet was finally united under a The EDA. It was time for the recriminations to begin. One of the first decisions the EDA Directors made was the former African and Middle Eastern Block and the Islamic Block would be demilitarised and deindustrialised, returned to an agrarian economy. Georgia Dodds was appointed interim Governor of the Middle Eastern Sector and Grady Growchowski Governor of the African Sector, the former only after intense political manoeuvring after a move by Deputy Director Lei Yi Ni  to get his protégée appointed, the very able Dong Hui Qiao. A board of inquiry was set up into how the war started and its conduct.

10th July 2040, EDA Earth
The EDA Resource Commission reported that the civilian mining operation on Callisto has been increased to 39 civilian mining complexes.

16th July 2040, EDA Earth
The Tarawa the last Okinawa class troop transport completed at the Electric Boat commercial orbital ‘Yard and moved out to join its parent formation, the Gaun Yu transport group at Mars.

27th July 2040, EDA Earth
The Deutsche Werfte commercial orbital ‘Yard finished the James H. Newman and Oleg Makarov, Astronaut class terraformers. The Gennady Padalka and Donald Slayton were laid down in the empty bays.

15th August 2040, EDA Earth
Darr Trading commissioned a new Nieuw Amsterdam colony ship, its fifth such vessel and it’s second this year.

3rd September 2040, EDA Earth
The Ryzkhov Shipping Company commissioned its second Nieuw Amsterdam colony ship.

The Varne commercial orbital ‘Yard completed the Port Calais, Dover, Cherbourg, Hamburg and Dunkerque. In their place the ‘Yard laid down the Port Brisbane, Auckland, Hankou, Sydney and Singapore.

8th September 2040, EDA Earth
The Deutsche Werfte commercial orbital ‘Yard completed the Alexandr Serebrov Terrafomer which moved to Mars. The David Scott was laid down in the vacated bay.

25th September 2040, EDA Earth
The Maggart Corporation launched a new Nieuw Amsterdam colony ship its twelfth colony ship.

The Board of Inquiry published its findings. The principal one being the war was an accident, tens of millions of people dying because the pride of the Islamic Block had been hurt by the EDAs enforcement of the Saturnian exclusion zone. This led to the Supreme leaders desire not to lose face and attack one of the EDAs orbital platforms, some evidence indicates this was intended to be a limited attack. However this activated the AI controlling the weapons release of EDA PDCs and near orbit assets, and while it is sophisticated, it could not tell if this action was an isolated action or the prelude to a general attack and thus initiated a counter attack. The rest as they say is history.

The situation was compounded because the EDA Navy did not view the Islamic Block as a real threat as it lagged so far behind the EDA technologically. Thus the Navy had not updated the ships in the orbital Escort Groups tasked with controlling near Earth space, continuing to use old obsolete pre-Intruder vessels and bases unfit for the task. Only the fact that the EDA AI controlling the deterrent was so sophisticated prevented an all out nuclear exchange.

The report pointed out that had the Islamic Block launched a first strike the chance of the PDCs intercepting as many missiles as they did would be unlikely and the devastation very much greater. The Islamic Block could have destroyed the EDAs orbital ‘Yards and the EDA was very fortunate the second orbital battle caused no losses to these installations. The communication outage at the start of this action was caused by sabotage and the elements of the population responsible should be subjected to increased surveillance.

The available evidence indicates that the trigger for the launch of the AME Block missiles was caused by inadequate command and control. This does not excuse those responsible for the resultant crimes against humanity.

The Board recommended that the Navy should develop a close action combatant so that it never needs to risk orbital supremacy again. That orbital base for the reserve strike fighter squadrons should be built and initially based in Earth orbit. The Boards final conclusion was that the Navy would be hard pressed to prevent another Intruder fleet causing extensive damage to the EDA. Thus a final recommendation was that the South American Sector should be abandoned and the population transported to Mars, along with the industry from the former African, Middle Eastern and Islamic Blocks to provide a depth to the human occupation of Sol System. In the longer term some EDA ‘Yards should also be relocated to provide some dispersal of resources.

25th October 2040, EDA Earth
The Harrison Schmitt terraformer left the Deutsche Werfte commercial orbital ‘Yard enroute for Mars. The Brewster Shaw was laid down in the empty slip.

The EDA Resource Commission reported that reserves of Corundium on Comet Beersatron have been exhausted. However there are still decades of reserves of other TN minerals remaining.

17th November 2040, EDA Earth
The EDA Resource Commission reported that the civilian mining operation on Callisto has been increased to 40 civilian mining complexes.

23rd December 2040, EDA Earth.
The Sing Koon-Seng Commercial ‘Yard completed the Nieuw Amsterdam class colony ships Arlanza, Ivervnia, Sylvania, Carmania, Carinthia. The last five of this contract, the Amazon, Aragon, Saxonia Mauretania and Aquitania were laid down in their place. On completion of this final group of vessels the EDA will have a lift capacity of a million colonists. The Colony transport group is currently engaged on transporting the bulk of the South American Sector population to Mars.

The EDA Resource Commission reported that the civilian mining operation on Callisto has been increased to 41 civilian mining complexes.

28th December 2040, EDA Earth
De-industrialisation of the former Islamic Block largely completed. All that remain are the orbital construction ‘Yards and the ground force training facilities. The former will be moved when the Turmoil class tugs complete.

2040 Summary

The EDA Resource Commission reported that the commercial mining operations had a further modest increase in investment during the year. The mining operation on Iapetus has expanded from 17 to 20 civilian mining complexes and the mining operation on Castillo has been expanded from 37 to 41 civilian mining complexes.

The Maggart Corporation still dwarfs all of its competitors, currently operating a fleet of 26 Port class freighters and 12 Nieuw Amsterdam colony ships of various marques. It share price has reached a new high of EDA$76.59. Darr Trading had a good year, now running six vessels and a share price od EDA$ 10.12. The two newcomers Balducci Colony Group and the Ryzkhov Shipping Company which both operate two ships and share prices of EDA$5.50 and 4.60 respectively.

The war came as a shock to the EDA; the Directors thought they could call all the shots. However the end result is one they desired, a planet unified under the Earth Defence Authority. The depopulation of the South American Sector is a brave initiative, the standard of living on Mars must surely be an improvement on what they currently have, but it is not without its vocal protesters. While the Commander-in-Chief of the EDA Navy is still Rear Admiral Boris Bogdanov the reputation of the Navy has been dented by the findings of the Board of Inquiry. The return to peace has found the commercial sector still willing to invest in EDA projects. The Earth itself suffered in the conflict, although the population growth had dipped but not gone in to negative figures industrial production had been adversely affected. The long suffering citizen saw a cut in their rations which uptil now had been increasing in quantity and quality.

The recovery operations at Xanadu City, Titan continued in spite of the war.  This year’s recoveries included Twelve mines, ten automated mines, fourteen construction factories, an ordnance factories, a genomic modification centres, a commercial spaceport, two deep space tracking station, two fighter factories, one terraforming installation, a fuel refineries, 880 units of infrastructure, 800,000 litres of fuel, 900 tonnes of Uridium, 4000 tonnes of Mercassium, 8400 tonnes of Gallicite, 3600 tonnes of Neutronium. 62 internal confinement fusion drives and 4 advanced cargo handling systems. Most of the advanced tech wa