UPA (Utanian Press Agency)
Release: August 5th, 300 AP.

Defence chief outlines "Rapid Response" division

In a thinly veiled attempt to save his boss from further political mauling by the Liberal Nationalist leader, Kyle Langley, Commander-in-Chief General Arjaat today outlined his plans for a "Rapid Response" division that would "take the sting out of any attacking nation's scorpion tail".

The Division, some 25,000 men, would consist of five brigades, two Armoured brigades, two mechanized infantry brigades, and one support brigade, including artillery and air cover supplied by liasing air force squadrons. The force would have sufficient firepower to neutralise an invading army with such heavy armour and firing capability. The "Rapid Response Division" would also be supported by several helicopter squads that would ferry infrantrymen from their bases to the frontline. After "neutralising the sting", light and medium infantry divisions could "mop up" pushing the crushed enemy back across the border.

However, the bold plan was lacking in firm details about the exact consistency of the force, such as the nature of the armoured brigades, aside from there being some five battalions per brigade.

Mr Langley replied with an even more damaging tirade, saying the General was "quite clearly the lapdog of the President, coming out to bark at that nasty LNP man". He said the most obvious question remained unanswered. "If we have 78 APC's and 18 AMAV's, enough for ONE mechanized infantry battalion, then where are the other, say, nine battalions getting their APC's from? Where are the other 500 tanks required to form two armoured brigades?"

"Does the President really think we are so foolish as not to see him pulling the rabbit from up his sleeve? There is no magic here, except if you count the 500 tanks and 900 APC's which are going to magically appear overnight!"

When asked to comment, General Arjaat conceded that his plan required a "significant capital injection".

This is the second time President Hope has been severely embarrassed by the issue of Utania's poor military capability, and it is ebbing at his support amongst rural Uta-Decashi voters who are increasingly throwing their support behind the "outsider" and renegade Liberal Nationalists.


©UPA, 300 AP.

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©Mike Ham, 2000. All rights reserved. No reproduction without, at least, tacit approval. ;-)