Yuktobanian Central Party Bulletin ПОСЛЕДУЙТЕ: Posleduyte [2]
On Completion of a New Class of Submarine
Prime Minister Samanov pronounced in a ringing voice to those in attendance of the upper party convention held in Cinigrad on the 2nd that initial construction of a new class of submarine pursued jointly by the Bureau of Military Industry and the Navy was a success. He emphasized that this administration’s large scale military modernization program has been proceeding extremely smoothly, and urged both the party and people to rise even further into action to support Yuktobania’s allies.
The submarine revealed in the photos is a “ballistic missile platform.” Its operational usage differs entirely from ordinary nuclear attack submarines, having been based on the arsenal ship concept championed by Admiral Leonov as a means of countering - among other things - the SDI nuclear strategy Osea proposed in the 80s. It combines hundreds of strategic, theater, and tactical level missiles of varying range and purpose into a single launch platform - a system which is capable of engaging many different targets at once, with launch controllable by either accompanying warships or satellites. The hull is the most central and important of all its constituent elements. Its high degree of stealth obscures her exact point of launch when firing SLBMs, with the goal of avoiding interception during boost phase: the most vulnerable stage of the missile’s flight towards the target. Very ambitious design elements have furthermore been incorporated, including a new class of warhead which grants area denial and simultaneous attacks against multiple targets during close range combat, as well as onboard VTOL attack aircraft.
Although a clarification was not offered as to what national defense considerations prompted this, construction was done in a secret development in the outskirts of Okchabrusk. The multi-staged construction program following completion of the lead ship appears to have already begun. Labor saving improvements to the new class of submarine’s operational systems are being considered for the future, as appear to be improvements to the onboard UCAVs (Uninhabited [3] Combat Air Vehicle), such as underwater launch capabilities and engine refinements for greater cruising distance. As a “warship of a new era” which exceeds submarines in covertness, carriers in mobility, and cruisers in area denial, this giant vessel exceeding 300m in length takes position at the forefront of all future speculation about organization of military forces.
Besides the successful trial of an improved new type of intercontinental ballistic missile warhead this year, the air force has completed its selection of a next-generation tactical fighter. Its with leaps and bounds such as these that our Yuktobanian military’s expansion advances onward. This is the light in which Prime Minister Samanov made this strong appeal: “We are concerned that yesterday’s movements towards independence in the Belkan Federation are the result of Osea using their strong influence to reorganize Belka according to their own selfish interests. We must resolve to stand our position with courage in order to deter this chaos which does nothing to benefit the development of the region.”
Anti-Government, Anti-Osean Movements All Across Belka
The protest movement incited by the discovery of a cover-up by the Great Lakes Resources Development Company - a joint venture between Osea and Belka - of the fact that they had sunk well below the break-even point has entered into its second week, and is developing into a large scale insurrection. The flames started by siege of parliament by 40 thousand citizens, most of whom supporters of the largest opposition group, the Fatherland [4] Worker’s Party, have spread across the nation. There are still no signs of a settlement.
There is a strong belief that the profitability of the Great Lakes Resources Development Company was initially evaluated according to resource survey data which Osea tampered with for their own self-serving purposes, rekindling in the citizens of Belka a fierce anti-Osean sentiment. The tip of the protester’s spear seems furthermore pointed at the government’s timid, noncommittal attitude towards the independence of the national provinces, and they are now demanding the resignation of the cabinet.
Belka and Osea have come into conflict over the years concerning territorial rights to the five Great Lakes which run north to south in old Belkan territory. The ratio of dividends from the Great Lakes Resources Development Company were made to weigh heavily in Belka’s favor as a result of the particulars of the agreement in which Belka made concessions to Osea. However, in light of the recent revelations, the Fatherland Worker’s Party blames the current state of affairs on Osea for premeditated treachery in pursuit of their expansionist policies. Belkan government press secretary Von Nordenstadt avoided giving a clear answer, saying “We are investigating the facts of the matter.” However, this comes on the backdrop of a governmental policy that a cooperative relationship between Osea and Belka is indispensable to rebuild from the economic collapse which has seemingly no way out and is spurring the dissolution of the Federation. It’s certain that should a regime change come to pass, the far right Fatherland Worker’s Party would rescind this policy, and the collapse of the partnership between Osea and Belka which has persisted since the 1987 federal law review would be certain.
The Belkan Federation’s paralysis, with no long term solutions to their national emergency on the horizon, has been brought on by Osea’s opportunistic expansionism and realpolitik. This is in addition to their irresponsible gamesmanship in blatant disregard to the stability of the international community. Make no mistake, the ones who will suffer their evil are the people of Osea and Belka, and their neighbors. Though the flames do not reach the shores of our Yuktobania, we must not be remiss in laboring to demonstrate our leadership as a great nation. It is towards that duty which the industry of our people and the sacrifice of our soldiers go.
Osean Response
In response to the TV broadcast of the party convention on the 2nd, Osean Minister of Foreign Affairs Howards appeared on a news program the same day. He downplayed the announcement of construction of a new class of submarine, saying “It’s a whole lot of hot air, not worthy of attention.” He also pointed to suspicions that the very design concept was copied from the FCU’s Dragonet class submarine. Furthermore, regarding Yuktobanian contributions towards the stability of the region surrounding Osea and Belka, the Minister blustered, “They think only to begin looking for a chance to relieve Belka of her old interests. Yuktobania’s shamelessness when caught red-handed is staggering.” [5]
Formation of Youth Corps. Recruitment of Young Talent.
The military public relations department reported that they are recruiting talent over a broad spectrum with a focus on young people regardless of whether they’re in the military or not, with the goal of furthering the adoption and spread of the advanced technology we anticipate from this point onwards. The Yuktobanian government will advance this goal with national public service special employment slots. They will organize a “Youth Corps,” with the main goal of cultivating talented individuals who possess insights and academics mainly in computer engineering, maintenance of large scale information transmission networks, etc. for leadership roles. The military recruiter called on young people to actively participate. “Our goal for the new organization is to bind patriotism – and its power to lead one’s comrades – together with the power of technology so as to contribute to a growing world peace. We welcome in a new era where the profession of all is the eradication of our enemies. It is our wish that brilliant intellects shall be used for justice.”
Translation Notes
[1] "New Submarine"
[2] The original text is the Cyrillic script and a katakana transcription of it. Literally translated as "FOLLOW", note that "posleduyte" is in the second-person plural imperative perfective of после́довать (poslédovatʹ), commanding the reader to follow (presumably the Central Party). There is no precedent for this kind of title in Soviet media, but it is likely a deliberate decision by Project Aces.
[3] Rendered in English in the original text, presumably a typo and intended to be "unmanned".
[4] 祖国 is gender neutral and can be rendered as "motherland" or "fatherland". We chose "fatherland" due to Belka's German aesthetics.
[5] 盗人猛々しい is a Japanese idiom that more literally refers to "the audacity of a thief". It is used in Japanese to call someone out for arguing or not showing remorse when they have clearly been caught in the wrong.
