The Pelograd Apostle
Featuring contributions by Senior Economics Analyst Aleksei Yezhov, Senior Military Analyst Yuri Shaposhnikov, Senior Political Analyst Georgiy Dolokhov, and more.
The Pelograd Apostle is the official state media service of the Kingdom of Pelinai, and specializes in publishing economic, military, and political news from Pelinai and across the Mediterranean.
Skylance ALCM reveal, royal attendance take center stage on day 2 of PelinCon
Aleksandr Yezhov, senior economics analyst
Aerospace and defense company Aetherdyne shocked attendees this morning with the unveiling of a model of its prototype Type 85 ‘Skylance’ hypersonic missile. The reveal presentation by Aetherdyne engineers, which claimed that their new dual purpose anti-ship/land attack ALCM design boasted such impressive numbers as a 375kg payload, 3300kg total mass, 1500 kilometer range, and a maximum flight speed of mach 8.5, came as a surprise to military analysts that expected the rumored Ae-17 strike fighter to be the big announcement this year. Invitees to the ceremony included Defense Minister Anton Radovoy, Military Procurement Director Vladimir Nikovich, and even Queen Izumi II herself. Aetherdyne officials were later seen engaging in conversation with the group of dignitaries after the presentation, sparking intense speculation as to whether the Pelinese government intends to offer a military contract to fund the missile’s development and production infrastructure.
When asked what he thought of the presented design, Director Nikovich replied: “I believe that the unveiling of this new proposal is certainly a timely one. With the recent plague of bombings and civil wars erupting across the Southern Pacific, any increase to our ability to defend the Mediterranean from interventionists and terrorists would be welcome indeed.” This expression of growing concern over the global situation matches what we’ve heard from the Queen and other figures in the Pelinese government, and a contract to develop and build the Skylance seems to be increasingly likely.
If constructed, the missile’s ability to evade CIWS and other missile defense systems would make it an immensely powerful addition to the Pelinese military’s arsenal. The Skylance would likely be mounted to strike fighters and bombers like the Ae-15B ‘Ferry-B’ and the planned Ae-16 ‘Famine’ strike fighters, which would fire it from standoff range at land and ship targets.
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“Strait Bypass System,” other infrastructure investments proposed on day 3 of PelinCon
Aleksandr Yezhov, senior economics analyst
North Mediterranean Railways proposed a new “Strait Bypass System” at PelinCon today as the nation’a industry leaders discussed needed investment in maintaining Pelinai’s transport infrastructure. “We understand that the idea of building a railway to transport freight from ships in the Mediterranean to ports on the eastern coast is hard to swallow, but we believe that the need for us to have such a capability does exist,” states NMR representative Vasiliy Bezukhov. “The straits surrounding Zholtiya are narrow and easy to paint with naval mines, which presents a grave threat to shipping in the region should any kind of armed conflict arise.” Ministry of Economics officials, however, seemed skeptical of the idea. Minister of Economics Sergei Kazak, when asked to comment on the idea, said: “I just don’t think the line is necessary. Mining the straits would antagonize the entire Mediterranean, and the Pelinese Navy is more than capable of protecting a waterway so close to our own territory.” So far, the proposal remains a long shot.
Although the implementation of the SBS looks to be unlikely, the MoSR and MoE were more receptive to the idea of a general refurbishing of the existing Pelinese freight rail system. MoSR officials have been issuing reports of overcrowding on lines and dangerous levels of structural degradation for years now, and it looks like their complaints have finally been heard. Preliminary planning sessions discussed adding multiple new lanes to the most overtaxed areas, along with a general assessment and maintenance plan to fix damaged rail sections and prevent the system from falling into disrepair.
A possible high-speed passenger line connecting Korolyeviya to Letograd and Pelograd was also discussed, with Korolyeviya regional officials voicing their support for increased accessibility to the city from the rest of Pelinai. MoE planners were also receptive to the idea, which would greatly increase interconnectivity on the mainland and the ability of Pelinese citizens to easily access the northern part of the country.
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BREAKING NEWS: State Parliament passes package of punitive, security measures after recent terrorist acts by Valora and N&GB
September 27, 2022
Georgiy Dolokhov, senior political analyst
After much debate and preparation, the Pelinese State Parliament has officially passed a combined security/sanctions bill enacting a total trade and travel embargo on Valora and N&GB after a battery of horrific bombing attacks perpetrated at the behest of both governments. “State-sponsored terrorism has no place in the South Pacific whatsoever,” Queen Izumi II said in an address after the bill was passed, “and the Kingdom of Pelinai will have absolutely no part in granting economic engagement to any criminal state that perpetrates it.” The new restrictions supersede a smaller package that sanctioned Valora after its admission to state-sponsored terrorism against civilians.
Various articles of the bill enacted total travel bans against Valora and N&GB, barred all Pelinese companies from doing business with them, and closed off Pelinese territorial waters to all military and civilian ships flying the Valoran and N&GB flags. The bill additionally authorized temporary deployments of Reserve Guards units and MoJ security personnel to guard key infrastructure and locations within Pelinai, along with deployment of light armored vehicles and snipers to Parliament Hall and other major government buildings in Pelograd.
The Ministry of Justice also signaled its willingness to execute global arrest warrants issued against senior N&GB officials by the USI, even in the absence of a bilateral extradition treaty.
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Day 4 of PelinCon explores space
September 28, 2022
Aleskandr Yezhov, senior economics analyst
Ministry of Economics deputy director Mikhail Borisovich turned heads at PelinCon today as he gave a speech in which he outlined a bold new vision for a native Pelinese space program. In it, he stressed the economic and military importance of applying satellite technology in the modern age and urged the government to aggressively pursue the capability to independently launch satellites into orbit: “Some say that space is the final frontier. I don’t claim to know that this is true,” Deputy Director Borisovich said, “but I know that it is a frontier. More than that, it is a frontier that the Kingdom of Pelinai has erroneously ignored for far too long. We see ourselves as at the forefront of electronics design, aerospace engineering, and materials science, and yet we can’t launch so much as a simple telecoms relay into orbit. The satellite communications and imaging capabilities that we have foregone have immense value in commerce as well as on the battlefield, and we fall ever further behind with every day that we wait to enter space. For the sake of Pelinese security, both economic and military, we must repair this glaring deficiency at once.” While it remains to be seen whether the Deputy Director’s perspective is the right one, the convention seems to agree that it, like space, is not something to be ignored.
Convention-goers familiar with the intricacies of spacecraft design stated that any home space program would inevitably be incredibly expensive, casting doubts on whether the government will be willing to allocate it funding over the many projects it already has. The Pelinese government will find itself hard-pressed to have its military spending, its social spending, its infrastructure spending, and now possibly its space spending on a 2.1 trillion hana GDP, and the future may have difficult budgeting decisions in store unless Pelinai can attract international partners to its technological endeavors.
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Expanded forays into orchards, tree farms assessed on day 5 of PelinCon
September 29, 2022
Aleksandr Yezhov, senior economics analyst
The Pelinese All-Industry Convention pivoted to agriculture today as private industry reported a 49% increase in production of timber and 23% increase in harvested tree fruits, along with a general 37% increase in revenue by the forestry sector. Forestry unions expect to post further gains in the coming years as expanded tree plantations established in the previous two decades begin to reach harvesting age. The assessment has granted some much-sought visibility to the oft-overlooked activities of Pelinese agriculture, and promises a rare check on the rampant pollution of the mines, quarries, and factories that form the backbone of the modern Pelinese economy.
“While I can understand the government’s obsession with ‘modern’ industries, it truly is a shame that they seem to be neglecting the farmers” states Korolyeviya Foresters’ Association representative Fyodor Tomskov. “Tree farming and agroforestry have produced great benefits to the economy and the environment, and provide critical economic diversification. Pelinai has less need to import food now that we’ve replaced failing grain crops with orchards, and the timber that we produce keeps sawmills running.” While the Ministry of Economics has not yet published an official comment on the report, there was at least one confirmed representative of the MoE observing the presentation.
Farmers also posted a 13% increase in total farmable land being used, mostly due to a combination of intensified terracing activities and the gradual reduction in size of EZ-C-classified areas. These improvements are expected to bring Pelinai’s annual produced foodstuffs to 89% of its annual consumption, giving hope to Pelinese efforts to establish food self-sufficiency.
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Ministries of Economics and Foreign Affairs prepare foreign outreach efforts to encourage trade after PETDC: PelinCon day 6
September 30, 2022
Aleksandr Yezhov, senior economics analyst
The Pelinese Export and Trade Development Conference has just concluded at this year’s PelinCon after publishing recommended measures to increase Pelinai’s commercial engagement with the Mediterranean region and beyond. Government agencies and industrial unions alike expressed hope that the proposed initiatives and policy changes would be effective in strengthening trade ties with other nations and making domestic industry competitive abroad by enacting active outreach measures to make Pelinese goods more attractive on the world market: “It’s no secret that we haven’t been taking the initiative in furthering our commerce abroad,” states Korolyeviya Stonecutters’ Union boss Akira Takeda, “and our hope is that the report’s action plan will get us on track to change that.” A diplomatic task force charged with promoting imports of Pelinese goods is already being prepared, and could begin working as soon as November of this year.
The Conference’s 2023 report additionally recommended the establishment of new facilities to refine Pelinese mineral resources and turn them into useful products, bringing more of the manufacturing supply chain into Pelinai and facilitating increased employment and productivity. The Ministry of Economics hopes to rebalance 40% of its bulk metal and ore exports into sales of finished products like aircraft and electronic components by 2028.
Despite the preparation of an active trade policy, very little mention of possible membership in CMEC was made in the report. Although membership in the Mediterranean trade pact remains a goal for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, applying to enter CMEC was noted to be impossible at the present moment and is expected to remain so for the immediate future.
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Final day of PelinCon 2022 ends with closing speech by Queen Izumi II
October 1 2022
Aleksandr Yezhov, senior economics analyst
The PelinCon 2022 exhibition has officially concluded its seventh and final day today with a closing speech provided by Queen Izumi II. In her speech, the Queen reflected upon the successful industrialization of the country over the past 40 years and expressed confidence that Pelinai will continue to prosper and find success: “Over the last week, the people and companies of the Pelinese nation have been afforded the opportunity to demonstrate their skill and ingenuity to the world through the PelinCon exhibition. It is my belief that the degree of technological innovation and manufacturing quality that we have demonstrated here at PelinCon 2022 will ensure the long-term safety and security of the Pelinese people.” Shortly after the Queen’s speech, organizers held one last end-of-event gathering before declaring the exhibition to be concluded at 6:00PM this evening.
Speaking after the event, Ministry of Economics officials stated that they considered the event to be a success. Company representatives for MoSR and private industry have stated that they expect a significant increase in orders for Pelinese goods in the coming months, along with a moderate increase in tourism.
While it will take a few months to see just how effective of a marketing campaign this year’s PelinCon was, the Pelinese state and its contractors have already begun making preparations to enact the litany of projects given contracts over the past week. While PelinCon 2022 ended this evening, is effects are likely to be visible in Pelinai for a long time indeed.
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Shiroimizu Naval Yard expects to deliver ship package through early 2023
October 7, 2022
Yuri Shaposhnikov, senior military analyst
Shiroimizu Naval Yard has reported to the Ministry of Defense that the construction of the Pelinese Navy’s 2017 Naval Development Package for Five Year Plan 2022 is proceeding at a nominal pace and that the order is expected to be completed in blocks from October 2022 to May 2023. The ordered ships are scheduled to enter the Pelinese Navy after sea trials lasting 30 days after completion and will be assigned to the newly organized eastern Fleet headquartered in the closed town and port of Daishiroi on the Eastern Ocean. Officials have previously expressed doubt as to whether the freshly built shipyards in Pelograd and Zholtograd would be able to effectively construct the package on schedule, and its timely completion will be a great relief to the Pelinese Armed Forces as it seeks to upgrade its capability as quickly as possible.
The ordered ships, including 2 Yeda Class supply ships, 12 Wakizashi Class frigates, 16 Nodachi Class destroyers, 3 Pelograd Class STOBAR carriers, and 2 Sakura-class CATOBAR carriers, are planned to be deployed to currently empty sections of the Eastern Fleet of the Pelinese Navy. Daishiroi Naval Base has also already taken delivery of the four Pelograd class ships’ Carrier Air Groups and associated supplies, with the goal of ensuring that the build order is placed into active service with minimal delay.
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Pelinese Government announces creation of domestic space agency, addition of space forces branch to military
October 13, 2022
Aleksandr Yezhov, senior economics analyst
The public relations offices of the Pelinese Armed Forces and the Ministry of Economics have issued a joint announcement detailing the planned creation of a native Pelinese space agency less than a month after the idea was promoted at the PelinCon industrial exhibition. The announcement discloses the planned creation of two different space organizations within the Pelinese government: the civilian Pelkosmos and the military’s Royal Pelinese Space Forces. Documents released by the Ministry of Economics provide a roadmap in which the repurposing of ICBM weaponry and launch facilities is used to expedite the development of the program as much as possible, opening the possibility that Pelkosmos and the RPSF will begin launching cargoes into low Pacifican orbit as soon as June of 2023.
When asked why the Pelinese government had suddenly greenlit two entire space-focused departments, Minister of Economics Sergei Kazak stated that the primary reason came from a defense white paper authored in 2021. The paper in question evaluated multiple military and civilian applications for space-based technologies and found that lack of satellite utilization was likely to translate to severe military and economic disadvantages for the Pelinese state unless steps were taken to remedy the problem. The paper went largely unnoticed by government planners until events at PelinCon prompted a closer look at the idea by MoE and MoD personnel.
Questions about where the RPSF and Pelkosmos will get their satellites remain the largest doubt concerning their aggressive timeline. Although Pelinai’s domestic electronics and aerospace sectors are more than robust enough to manufacture spaceworthy and high-performance components for satellites, the design of the satellites themselves is expected to add a development time to the program that no amount of strategic missile repurposing will be able to fix. Military electronics company Pelektronik and high-performance camera manufacturer Iris Optical Systems have already been granted contracts to harden existing systems for deployment in space environments, and the Ministry of Economics’ new Pelinai Space Group industrial union is preparing to coordinate design and testing work for basic communications satellites and spy satellites in the near future.
While early satellite launches are expected to be performed from repurposed ICBM silos, the construction of a cosmodrome for Pelkosmos is critical to ensuring its ability to deliver results and keep up with launch schedules in the long term. The MoE’s current plan calls for the construction of such a facility in Korolyeviya prefecture, which is expected to begin operations by February 2024 and complete by 2028.
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Pelinese IT industry expected to make significant gains after announcements by Sekiei, other companies
October 16, 2022
Aleksandr Yezhov, senior economics analyst
After decades of hardware focused investment by the Ministry of Economics and private investors, the nascent Pelinese IT industry is hoping to take advantage of Pelinai’s abundant component and device manufacturing and catapult itself onto the world market for software products. Tech startup companies like Sekiei Software are announcing forays into office and networking software as well as search engines with the goal of filling the currently severe deficiency in capability between Pelinai’s electronics hardware and software industries. Experts say that the Pelinese IT industry is well positioned for significant gains in the coming years but warn that initial progress will be slow due to a lack of well established facilities and talent pools.
Most of Pelinai’s current non-hardware expertise is employed in the creation of firmware for its significant electronic components & devices industry, as well as producing military software. Some major employers in this area include computer and server components manufacturer Sakanov Electronics and industrial machinery manufacturer Pelograd Tooling Ltd., as well as aerospace corporation Aetherdyne and military electronics contractor Pelektronik. Even as Pelinese universities continue to strongly emphasize technology and engineering studies, the education of new software engineers is expected to take some time and may limit the speed at which Pelinese software manufacturers can obtain new talent.
Although its growth seems to be limited by availability of new employees and lack of an established expertise, tech startups like Sekiei Software continue to march forward. Some projects planned for 2023 by various companies include search engines, office software, server and networking software, and various audio and video editing options. CAD products and other modeling programs are also planned and expect to perform very well in Pelinai’s very strong engineering sector, potentially forming a safe harbor for domestic companies from which they can expand into other areas. Though the current plans generally call for expansions into the domestic market, the relative lack of major global software producers may leave an opening for Pelinese tech companies to reach into foreign markets in the future.
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Ministries pour money into technology education, industry in effort to grow economic base
October 21, 2022
Aleksandr Yezhov, senior economics analyst
The extraordinarily aggressive industrialization of Pelinai continues to progress, with the Ministry of Education, Ministry of Economics, Ministry of strategic resources, and various state industrial corporations all making significant announcements of future and current projects this morning. The published works, which are currently being informally grouped together as the “Domestic Five-Year Plan 2027,” cover everything from expansions of STEM and technical education to 58 billion Hana of state and private investments in new industrial complexes and infrastructure. Independent economic experts state that they expect this to be the main thrust of a larger push by the Pelinese government to establish and solidify Pelinai’s status as a modern and advanced economy. The investments are expected to take some time to take effect on account of the fact that they cover long-term education and construction goals, but benefits in areas like trades education and factory retooling could begin to materialize in as few as two years.
Reforms and extensions being made to the national education system by the Ministry of Education include additional gifted student programs for STEM fields, expanded student capacity for public trade schools, additional funding for primary education, and new work-study programs allowing engineering students to perform civilian contractor services for Pelinese military in exchange for pay, credit hours, extra credit for classes, and other benefits. The Ministry of Education stated in its briefing that the new programs will be paid for by additional taxes, and will help Pelinai fill newly created positions for highly skilled workers. Foreign exchange programs are also being considered, but none have been finalized yet.
In addition to upscaling the supply of educated workers, other aspects of the announcement package cover a wide array of new production complexes and infrastructure overhauls. Three new pure-play semiconductor foundries, maintenance overhauls for MoSR mineral extraction and refining equipment, expansion of 7 different electronics and aerospace products manufacturing facilities by various state corporations, more funding for national technological research laboratories, and the implementation of a planned railway network overhaul were all declared to be active projects by the Pelinese state with help from private capital. Other private initiatives include the building of new fish canneries in Letograd and Zholtograd and the construction of a new agricultural vehicles plant in Korolyeviya. The combined package of investments, which was reportedly coordinated and organized by Minister of Economics Sergei Kazak, constitutes a significant expansion of Pelinai’s high precision manufacturing capacity. Most of the new production, however, is likely to be exported on account of Pelinai’s already saturated domestic supply of the involved goods.
RPAF, RPN perform acrobatics and munitions demonstrations at Letograd Air Show
October 25, 2022
Yuri Shaposhnikov, senior military analyst
The Pelinese Armed Forces have officially opened this year’s rendition of the Letograd Air Show, allowing sightseers and aviation enthusiasts to observe the aircraft of the Royal Pelinese Air Force and Royal Pelinese Navy both up close and in action. Headlining events for Air Letograd 2022 include a mock dogfighting tournament between various squadrons from the RPAF and RPN, live demonstrations of dive bombings and N7L Crystal ALCM firings by the new Ae-16 Winterblossom, and another daring acrobatics display from the Royal Pelinese Air Force’s dedicated Radiant Squadron. Static displays for this year include, among others, an Ae-16 Winterblossom, an Ae-15 Orchid and Ae-15B Iris, and a To-91 Rowan.
The evening of October 25 concluded the first round of the dogfighting tournament, with the RPN’s Siren Squadron and the RPAF’s Seraph Squadron currently considered to be the top contenders. Eight teams have been eliminated so far, including the RPAF’s Shear Squadron, Blade Squadron, Regal Squadron, Dancer Squadron, Wren Squadron, and Prism Squadron as well as the RPN’s Razor Squadron and Wizard Squadron. Though analysts expected the RPAF and RPN to perform relatively equally, the RPN has taken the early lead due to the its higher training standards. The RPAF’s Seraph Squadron, however, has performed unexpectedly well in their production model Ae-16 Winterblossoms and are currently considered to be the greatest threat to the leading Siren Squadron. The RPN’s elite Luna, Fairy, and Wyvern Squadrons are currently engaging in joint military exercises on Zholtiya Zemla and were unable to participate in the tournament.
As another demonstration of Pelinese military capability, Ae-16 Winterblossom, Ae-15 Orchid, and Ae-15B Iris fighter aircraft all executed various bombing runs and missile firings. The Winterblossom and Iris in particular were heavily emphasized in the schedule and were assigned 87% of all munitions demonstrations during today’s proceedings. The aircraft deployed a range of weaponry against target boats in the Mediterranean Sea, including 30mm cannons, iron bombs, precision guided munitions, air launched cruise missiles, anti-tank missiles, and air to surface missiles. Winterblossom pilots also performed a variety of combat maneuvers as well as dive bombing runs against the targets in order to demonstrate the recently fielded aircraft’s performance to the Pelinese People and RPAF officers. Pilots of the Ae-15 and Ae-15B were additionally afforded the opportunity to intercept and shoot down maneuvering target drones with AAMs at standoff ranges for demonstration purposes.
Commentators believe that this year’s shift from primarily static displays and flights of historical aircraft towards live munitions demonstrations is motivated by the Pelinese military’s desire to illustrate the capability of its aircraft repertoire and gain international recognition and credibility in a region containing multiple major powers. A recently begun summit with Thalapadis has also been named as a possible factor, with some analysts speculating that the Pelinese government plans to offer it procurement contracts for one or more of the aircraft being demonstrated at Air Letograd.
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Pelinai and Weisserstein perform joint military exercises on Zholtiya
October 26, 2022
Yuri Shaposhnikov, senior military analyst
Elements from the Weissersteiner and Pelinese militaries have officially begun conducting joint military exercises on Zholtiya Zemla with the goal of maintaining troop readiness and testing new equipment. The exercises, called Operation Eastern Shield, are being conducted on the eastern coast of Zholtiya and cover a wargaming scenario simulating a maritime and amphibious conflict with a peer-level adversary. Participating Pelinese military personnel include the carrier air group of the KPF Korolyeviya, squadrons assigned to the carrier air group of the in-construction KPF Sakura, elements of the 3rd Air Forces Army, the 1st Surface Action Group of the RPN, the aircraft cruiser KPF Korolyeviya, and the 2nd Royal Marines Division with accompanying ships.
Procedures being practiced in Eastern Shield by the Pelinese Armed Forces include carrier operations in contested waters and airspace, land and naval attack operations with surface combatant-based and aircraft-based attack platforms, SEAD operations, ASW operations, opposed amphibious landings using tilt-rotor aircraft and landing craft, and naval damage control. The RPN and RPAF are additionally executing combat performance evaluations for the Ae-16 Winterblossom navalized strike fighter, which has recently been issued to the CAG of the Sakura as a new aircraft to be deployed on the Sakura-class aircraft carriers currently being built by the RPN. The participating forces are also expected to practice basic combat procedures and maneuvers in order to maintain training and skill level.
Preliminary evaluations of combat performance by Pelinese units participating in Operation Eastern Shield are generally positive, finding that units generally maintained a sufficient level of skill and combat ability to perform effectively in a real-world conflict scenario. Outstanding participants on the Pelinese side include Luna Squadron and Fairy Squadron of the Sakura’s CAG and Wyvern Squadron of the Korolyeviya’s CAG, with a combined total of 41 simulated air kills split between Luna and Fairy’s 24 Ae-16 Winterblossom strike fighters and Wyvern’s 12 Ae-15B Iris multirole fighters. Attached naval units of the 1st Surface Action Group also posted outstanding performance in the first day of exercises, with ships receiving an average evaluation score of 97/100 for Day 1. The Winterblossom as an aircraft also impressed observing engineers in its share of the operations, and pilots found it to excel in its role as a platform for executing naval interdiction, close air support, and combat air patrol operations.
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Pelinese Armed Forces, Pelkosmos order components to build supercomputer for orbital calculations
October 28, 2022
Aleksandr Yezhov, senior economics analyst
The Pelinese government has just signed procurement contracts with a wide array of manufacturers of semiconductor products and computer parts in order to source parts for a new supercomputer array. The device, called Sector 11 in internal documents, is being constructed with the purpose of performing orbital physics and other spaceflight calculations for the RPSF and Pelkosmos. Officials say that the project is expected to be fully functional by June of 2023 when Pelkosmos is scheduled to achieve Pacifican orbit capability, with a total paper-to-completion time of about seven months and a total project cost of about 800 million Hana.
Planned performance metrics for Sector 11 include a max processing power of approximately 500 petaFLOPS and a peak processing power of approximately 570 petaFLOPS, and would bring Pelinai’s total supercomputer power to approximately 1.5 exaFLOPS upon completion. The components planned to be used in the design include approximately 16,000 CPU units and approximately 20,000 GPU units, as well as 300PB of hard disk data storage. Despite the fact that the components being procured are not ordinarily sold outside of the supercomputer and industrial market, some analysts of the computer industry have expressed concern that Pelinai’s electronics manufacturing capacity could be overwhelmed by the volume of equipment being ordered by the Sector 11 project. Prices and short-term demand for CPUs and GPUs of hobbyist grade and below rose moderately after the announcement, but have not yet experienced a full run on supplies as of yet.
Sector 11 would be the 12th supercomputer in use within Pelinai, as per the Ministry of Economics’s definition of the term as a non-distributed computing system with a processing performance of greater than 1 petaFLOPS. Other systems, including ProtoSector and Sectors 1-10 are in service in Pelinese engineering firms and government ministries. Examples of preexisting systems include the 120 petaFLOPS Sector 6 used by Aetherdyne and the 27 petaFLOPS Sector 2 used by the Ministry of Defense. Increasing Pelinai’s volume of supercomputer power has been a major priority of the Ministry of State Industry and the Ministry of Economics, and the recent achievement of 1 exaFLOPS total is considered by the Pelinese government to be a significant milestone for the Pelinese economy.
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RPAF showcases new UCAV, comments on “Seaspear” leak
October 29, 2022
Yuri Shaposhnikov, senior military analyst
The Royal Pelinese Air Force has begun procurement and testing for the new Sesako Se-9S Violet bomber drone after an extended stay in prototyping, and will begin deploying the craft to airfields as soon as December of this year. Military spokesmen stated that the Violet will perform an important role as a light CAS aircraft that can be launched from small runways and used in situations deemed too dangerous to risk human-piloted strike fighters or bombers, and that it will greatly increase the army support capability of the RPAF. Independent analysts are wondering whether the design of the Violet and the recently leaked “Seaspear” drone are part of a wider campaign by the RPAF and RPN to increase their usage of UCAVs, with some speculating that the services intend to go as far as phasing out human pilots.
The primary military purpose of the Se-9S Violet UCAV is as a stealthy close air support vehicle performing high-precision airstrikes on ground targets. The 500kg payload capacity of the Violet is more than enough to carry a wide assortment of light antitank missiles and guided weaponry, which allows it to effectively engage armored formations and neutralize highly protected military vehicles like MBTs. The reduced size of the aircraft also makes it easy to transport and deploy from highways and other unprepared surfaces, which makes the Violet suitable for on-the-go usage and allows it to operate outside of preexisting aircraft facilities.
The RPAF was also asked to comment on the recently leaked images circulating online of what hobbyist aircraft enthusiasts are calling the “Seaspear,” a large RPN UCAV with low-RCS features. The branch refused to comment directly, but stated that the Pelinese military receives line drawings for a great variety of proposed aircraft that never make it to production or even prototyping. The news came as a disappointment to Pelinese aircraft hobbyists, who were hoping that the Seaspear project would receive public acknowledgement by the military.
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PWA practices repelling amphibious assaults
November 4, 2022
Yuri Shaposhnikov, senior military analyst
The Pelinese White Army has begun conducting amphibious defense wargames as it seeks to determine and improve the Pelinese military’s ability to defend the nation from invasion by a hostile foreign power. The wargames, which come as part of the PWA’s General National Defense Readiness Review, include 40% of the Army’s personnel and encompass a wide range of stations in Pelinai. Four separate iterations of the basic scenario are planned, with the intention of allowing incremental improvement and experimentation with strategies by commanders as well as allowing the REDFOR units to simulate a wide variety of potential opponents and enemy tactics.
Participating PWA personnel cover the whole array of combat and noncombat units, with highlights from the infantry, armored corps, coastal and land-air defense commands, and the civil defense command. Elements from the PWA, RPMC, and RPN are playing the role of the attacking team, which represents a full amphibious invasion force. Computer and practical military simulation methods will allow the two teams to act out a realistic wartime environment without any actual combat, allowing participants to practice in a more authentic situation than normal training and to obtain experience in performing combat operations.
Military spokesmen stated that the exercises being performed by the PWA will combine with separate training operations executed by the RPAF, RPMC, and RPN to increase the general capability of the Pelinese Armed Forces to defend the nation from external military threats. They went on to state that the recent geopolitical instability in South Pacifica and the threat to Pelinese sovereignty and independence that this poses necessitate a more militarily prepared Pelinai in order to safeguard the Pelinese people’s safety.
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November 26, 2022
Yuri Shaposhnikov, senior military analyst
The Ministry of Defense announced this morning that the KPF Yeda and Surface Action Group Ichi have arrived in Jakub to deliver Pelinese military aid and equipment to the Jakubian Armed Forces in support of its efforts to combat the Molician insurgency in the country’s east. The shipment on the Yeda completes the Pelinese government’s first transfer of supplies to the JAF after some of the materiel was delivered by aircraft, though the Ministry of Defense has kept the possibility of further transfers open should the need arise. Direct military intervention against the Molician insurgency is being avoided so far due to outside factors, but may become a possibility in the future.
The military aid transfer to Jakub is primarily focused on light equipment suitable to counterinsurgency operations, along with multiple SHORAD arrays being provided to protect critical targets in Jakub from rockets and other ballistic artillery. The transferred package of materiel includes, but is not limited to, 100,000 PS-17 infantry rifles, 50,000 SP-16 sidearms, infantry equipment for 20,000 soldiers including night vision scopes and goggles, grenades and ammunition for Jakubian and Pelinese armaments, 400 Type M97 Terrapin IED-resistant armored vehicles, 600 Type M99 Fox maneuverable armored vehicles, and 12 Type 38 Pavise SHORAD/C-RAM systems. Also being provided is a contingent of advisors from the Pelinese White Army to train the Jakubian Armed Forces in the effective usage of the provided materiel and in the execution of successful counterinsurgency operations. Rumors state that the Pelinese government has also offered the assistance of special forces from the RPMC to the Jakubian government, but this cannot be confirmed.
The Pelinese State Parliament has also reiterated its commitment to supporting the Jakubian government in its battle against Molician terrorists, with Prime Minister Aleksei Makarov quoted as stating: “The only benefactors of political and social instability on Crabry are imperialists and malicious actors; the Jakubians and the Pelinese both benefit from our efforts to achieve the stabilization of the political situation in Jakub and a restoration of peace within the region. The Jakubian Armed Forces and the support deployments from Weisserstein and Pelinai will therefore continue to work together to restore order in eastern Jakub and ensure the long-term safety of the Jakubian people.” Commentators say that the Pelinese government is likely to observe the effectiveness of its current aid package before deciding how to move forward with its continued support for the Jakubian government.
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Pelinese noncommercial boat industry achieves record sales
February 22, 2023
Aleksandr Yezhov, senior economics analyst
Boat making companies in Pelinai are achieving significant gains in both volume of sales and profits as the Pelinese boat manufacturing industry continues to upgrade its manufacturing processes and take advantage of rising disposable incomes among its potential customer base. Improved manufacturing techniques like vacuum-assisted resin transfer molding (VARTM) have allowed boat makers to simultaneously increase volume of production and lower the production cost per boat, which have the combined effect of lowering end-user prices and allowing for selling to a wider market. Industry experts state that mechanization of the manufacturing process and a high degree of access to critical materials like glass fiber, thermoset resin, and marine-grade machinery will allow continued growth for the foreseeable future.
According to data published by the Pelinese Ministry of Economics, the majority of noncommercial motorboats sold in Pelinai are of fiberglass construction. The use of this material in boat hulls has traditionally involved the labor-intensive, manual layup of the composite, most often consisting of E-glass matting coated with polyester or vinylester resin, within a large mold. While manufacturing tools like resin spray guns had improved the time and labor efficiency of the process somewhat, the increased use of machinery-based hull forming through VARTM and other methods has allowed for significant gains in both production volume and cost-per-unit reduction. The resulting reduction in end-market cost has put the price of a small motorboat within the reach of the average noncommercial purchaser, and boats for fishing especially have shown substantial increases in sales in response to the lowered prices.
Published sales figures from major Pelinese boat manufacturer Korayovic Boats indicate that most recreational motorboats sold in Pelinai are purchased by individuals living in the Pelograd and Zholtograd prefectures, both of which have high populations, large coastlines facing the Mediterranean Sea, and strong maritime-based economic sectors. A representative of Korayovic Boats expressed hope that the company will be able to increase its sales in other regions by extending its market to watercraft for use in freshwater areas like lakes and rivers.
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Ministry of Defense announces new force expansion plan
October 11, 2023
Yuri Shaposhnikov, senior military analyst
The Pelinese State Parliament passed a military spending additions bill authorizing roughly ◎58.1 billion in additional military expenditures on Wednesday, providing funding for expansions to both the Royal Pelinese Navy and the Royal Pelinese Air Force. The decision comes at a critical moment in the security situation of the Mediterranean region as military tensions continue to rise, with the ongoing crisis between the Imperial Frost Federation and the Democratic People’s Republic of Rekhiva creeping further towards warfare and the recently announced expansion of the Stoinian Royal Navy threatening to see the Mediterranean Sea saturated with ever more Concordian warships. MPs from the ruling United Pelinai party celebrated the success of the bill shortly after its passing, with leading party member Chihiro Tsuguniko (UP-MD) calling it “a victory for Pelinai’s defense and a critical step in ensuring its continued ability to maintain the Pelinese nation’s right to self-determination,” while the opposition maintains that further Pelinese rearmament runs a high risk of provoking an arms race in the Mediterranean.
The Pelinese government’s latest allocation towards military spending occurs in midst of a fraught balance of power between the nations of the Mediterranean region. While the flashpoint between Frost and Rekhiva remains the most pressing matter at hand, other circumstances such as the newly announced Stoinian naval buildup and the Sallodesian military facilities in Varana are also believed to be primary reasons for the Pelinese Navy’s continued expansion; the Varana base in particular prompted a redeployment of air defense assets towards Pelinai’s Mediterranean coast with its first announcement, and remains a significant source of agitation for Pelinese leadership. The governing UP-CD-PN-RU coalition maintains that further increases to the Pelinese military’s capability are necessary to offset the risks that these developments pose, while the opposition claims that such actions will only cause further tensions in the region and increase the risk of catastrophic military conflict.
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The new spending bill authorizes approximately ◎58.1 billion Hana in new funding for the navy and air force, including roughly 400 new aircraft and 35 new ships as well as equipment for four new coastal defense battalions and additional sustainment funding for currently building ships. The RPAF is expected to add 300 airframes of the Ae-15 Ayame fighter aircraft, 40 Na-17 Marahu heavy bombers, and 30 dedicated trainer aircraft, as well as 6 new AEW&C platforms, while the navy will receive 45 maritime patrol aircraft, 2 AEW&C aircraft, 35 Tori-S class missile cutters to expand its missile boat fleet and replace aging Tori class boats, and four complete Caltrop missile systems. The purchased equipment will be used to form four new aircraft wings, 10 new aircraft squadrons, 4 coastal defense battalions, and two new missile cutter flotillas, most of which are expected ro be stationed along Pelinai’s western coast.
Forces procured under the additions bill will join an already immense and well-established Pelinese military presence in the Mediterranean, one which encompasses carrier battlegroups, flotillas of submarines and fast attack craft, and shore-based cover and support from fighters, bombers, airborne command aircraft, and maritime patrol aircraft, as well as anti-ship and anti-aircraft missile batteries, conventional and over-the-horizon radar arrays, and an extensive network of anti-submarine hydrophones. This vast array of naval warfare capability has formed the cornerstone of Pelinese long-term security strategy since the late 1990s, receiving continual upgrades and fleet additions as various wars, formations of foreign alliances, and other geopolitical events have arisen, and it remains likely that the Ministry of Defense will continue to add further hardware to the region as a wide selection of security concerns loom ever closer from Pelinai’s west.