Review of the Iron Isles military

[Aisha Greyjoy]

The Iron Isles has an Army, and Air Force.  In the days of yore, it had a fearsome fleet of Galleys, but the Iron Isles, lacking both Iron and Coal, was unable to keep up in the age of Steel.  Its wooden ships were lost in battle a hundred years ago against the first ironclads.

 

Today the army consists of five infantry brigades.  The infantry are armed with FN-Fal assault rifles.  Squads typically also have one heavy machine gun, typicall a GShG-7.62.  All units are motorized.  Mechanized infantry is an innovation the Iron Isles has not embraced, citing expense.  That did not stop the army from acquiring a large stock of M-60 Patton Main Battle Tanks.  Its armored forces are organized into eight regiments.  While the armored forces have some battle experience, they suffer from a lack of equipment diversity.  There is no self propelled artillery, making fully integrated combined arms battle impossible.  A handful of scout tanks, very obsolete T-60's, were purchased recently, but it isn't clear how effective they are.

 

The Air Force of the Iron Isles, however, is in much better shape.  Two Squadrons of natively built II-F4 fighters complement the single squadron of II-B3 bombers.  While the Iron Isles air force hasn't dropped a bomb since the war with Demon, using primitive II-B1 bombers, the many exports to smaller nations has seen the II-F4 prove itself.  The II-B3 does not have as good a reputation due the high demand for spare parts, and the II-B4 is rumored to be in development.

[Placentica]

Quality post for your $100,000 bonus.

[Ashland]

I also received utility from reading this.

[Aisha Greyjoy]

1986:

 

A series of disastrous tests of the II-B4 bomber led to the cancellation of the contract with Wyk Industries.  The CEO of Wyk Industries was taken into custody and a video confession shown on state television, whereby he admitted to stealing state funds and releasing state secrets to hostile foreign powers.

 

After the public drowning of the entire board of directors, Wyk industries is nationalized and a new wing of II-F4a fighter-bombers begins production.

[Aisha Greyjoy]

Feb. 1986.

 

Recent experiments by the Iron Islands navy in using certain water-based mammals as offensive weapons.  A Greenpeace expose opened the secret program to the world.  It seems that they had begun using microfusion devices mounted on a platypus.  After the program was exposed, the country's president issued hasty denials of the program.  Several admirals disappeared shortly thereafter.

 

The president was overheard saying "Seriously?  Platypus weaponry?  What were they thinking?"

 

[Khestra]

Makes sense to me.  That is the face of a merciless reaver if there ever was one.

[Ayayay]

Shoulda used Dolphins

 

[P2K]

I love this good idea.

[Aisha Greyjoy]

After the playtpus weaponry debacle of 7 months ago, the new Navy Admiralty proudly oversaw the commissioning of the Warship IIS Balon.

 

The Balon is an anti-submarine cruiser purchased from the Soviet Union.  It was originally commissioned by the Soviets in 1967 as the Vladivostok, a large anti-submarine vessel of the Kresta I(Project 1134) class.  It is said the purchase price included substantial reserves of steel and cold hard cash.  The Balon's duties are to secure the seaways around the Iron Isles.  Pirates from NorthEast Africa are cited as a growing concern requiring this naval enhancement, although the foreign press mocks this rational, pointing out an anti-submarine vessel is aimed not at pirates but at the navies of other powerful nations.

 

The Iron Isles also arranged a purchase of 12 MIG-25's and 6 SU-25's and cancelled its domestic aircraft production, preferring to rely instead on imported battle-tested equipment.  

 

In further developments, several hundred AK-74's were ordered to replace the aging FN-Fal's in service. 

 

Finally, three batallions of T-72 MBT's were delivered.  The economic success of the Iron Isles is translating into a boom in arms sales as the nation ramps up its military stockpiles.

[Aisha Greyjoy]

After a large amount of arms purchases, some civic leaders call for protests.  A national day of "Peace Protests" was called for.  The Mayor of Pyke, saying "We have no enemies, why do we need such arms?  Its clear that having these weapons will only encourage their use and lead to....."  The rest of his speech was cut short as an SU-25 delivered an 11,000lb bomb on city hall, killing hundreds and flattening the neighborhood.

 

Protesters all over the country were shot.  Any who managed to get arrested were later shot.

 

The Iron Isles does not tolerate dissent.  It is obviously willing to use its newfound military power to keep its own people in check.

Edited November 20, 2014 by Aisha Greyjoy

[Aisha Greyjoy]

A mere two months later, a small ship, a missile frigate, the Victarion, is rolled out at what was thought to be a civilian shipyard.  It has eight launcher tubes and a large ammunition storage area.  Small five inch guns, machine gun nests, and two anti-air batteries round out its armaments.  

 

Reviews of the ship by foreign analysts suggest a direct hit would be catastrophic.  While it isn't known what missiles it does carry, its quite possible that it will engage at such a distance that a direct hit is unlikely.

 

As the first modern warship built in the Iron Isles, the citizenry is quite pleased to see a budding naval presence.  Or it might be that they remember what happened the last time they weren't enthusiastic about a ship deployment.

Edited November 21, 2014 by Aisha Greyjoy

[Khestra]

The Iron Islands is such a posh place.  If I didn't have a Host of thralls, penitents, menials, crusaders, chosen, god-touched, and warmongers to rule over with a daemonic lash and lead through the Long War, I would live in the Iron Islands.

[Aisha Greyjoy]

In other news, a vacation home has been set aside for Khestra for when the hosts of of thralls, penitents, menials, crusaders, chosen, god-touched, and warmongers get boring.  It features eighteen bedrooms and six swimming pools.  It also overlooks the artillery testing range so quiet peaceful mornings are essentially unheard of.   Rumor has it that there is an energy shield protecting the house from poorly aimed barrages.

 

Two more warships joined the Iron Isles navy this year.  The Balon and Victarion are joined by the Dagon and the Euren, a pair of Soviet Sierra-class submarines.  When asked about the massive naval expansion and the defense re-ortientation towards communist arms supplies the Admiralty response was that the possibility of Green aggression and the dangers demonstrated by the abrupt folding of the Socialists demonstrate the need for constant readiness, and that Soviet equipment was cheaper then Western Arms and fit the budget better.