The Iridium is an ongoing military conflict between the Iridium Federation and its allies against a combined Paterno-Awwami force.

The combat is situated in two fronts; the Western and Eastern Fronts.

Origins:

Iridium is a federal monarchy notable for the high degree of militarization. For a long time, mandatory service comprised of 15 years, later reduced to 7, and then 2. The soldiers lived in relatively poor conditions and were paid little. Despite the constant propaganda and training, the average Iridium soldier was considered largely unfit for anything other than human shields.

Despite the economic restrictions imposed by the Paternian government, the Iridium government continued to pour resources into various military ventures, such as various "Citadel" sea forts in the offshore islands, as well as building up a substantial navy.

This placed undue strain on the resource-based economy, which suffered further losses when the prices of raw materials plummeted due to an over-abundance of such.

Attempted Reform

Due to the dire situation, many groups petitioned for change. Socialist and communist movements sought for reform. However, the government reacted harshly, killing many innocent protesters. When several small cities took up arms to fight back, the Iridium Air Force bombed the cities to the ground.

The various socialist and communist groups quickly withdrew to the forests and tundras and found support among the rural populace. Despite material support by Paternia, they could not organize into a cohesive force.

To prevent these incidents from becoming more widespread, the Iridium Government locked down free speech, strictly regulating the flow of information. Internet connection, uncommon before, was essentially destroyed. The government then decided to pursue the rebels and destroy them once and for all.

However, the Iridium military could not dislodge the rebel groups; the extensive training and military buildup was devoted largely toward a conventional war with Paternia, not a counter-insurgency campaign. Through this, a large portion of the military was tied up fighting the guerrilla forces.

Seeds of Doubt

A Paternian invasion and subsequent withdrawal from their northern islands in Operation Tropic damaged the reputation of the Iridium government and its military forces.

The Iridium military suffered relatively heavy losses dislodging the relatively small Paternian force, and was unable to stop Operation Indigo, the landings in the South Kurils. Various government officials within Iridium were increasingly doubtful of the status quo, and many felt that they had a moral obligation to tell the world about the situation in Iridium.

Civil War

An Iridium official, code-named 1335 by the ICA, fled to Paternia with documents pertaining to the situation within Iridium. Extraction was successful. Due to the lack of any mass communication with the outside world, it was decided to broadcast the message through the Voice of Liberty program from the Seward Peninsula Radio Station in Alaska.

The broadcast contained damning information about the Iridium military and government. This information included the excessive Iridium military spending, the poor condition of the people, and the various atrocities committed by the Iridium military in their attempt to suppress rebels. It urged both civilians and soldiers to rise up and overthrow the Iridium government.

The broadcast sparked a fire of revolution with the people just as Awwami forces began their offensive into Iridium. Unwilling to fight, a large portion of the Iridium military mutinied against the government. However, loyalist forces were able to hold onto vital sectors, and the war began in earnest.

Enter Paternia

While Paternia has been involved in Iridium foreign affairs since the beginning, it was not until the onset of Operation Tropic and Indigo that Paternia felt more action needed to be taken. However, the massive military forces of the Iridium Federation deterred policymakers from conducting further military action.

With political unrest within Iridium, it was decided to launch an offensive to support dissenting Iridium forces as well as their Awwami allies. To support their desperate ally, the Continental African Federation expressed support but could not commit further units beyond those deployed.

The War, current stage:

So far, Paterno-Awwami forces have made limited gains.

Black Sea

Paternian naval dominance in the area was effectively unopposed, with the exception of coastal defense systems in the hands of loyalist units. Several of the railgun installations were manned by defecting Iridium forces, and supported the Paternian Navy and Marine assaults.

The much-vaunted Iridium railguns fell short of its expectations in either case, as they were neutralized by the Paternian Black Sea fleet as well as by land-based artillery systems. The guns could not be faced landward, and were soon outflanked.

Subsequent strikes by IRBMs and hypersonic cruise missiles were neutralized through plasma railguns from Project V.

Eastern Europe

Paternian forces in Ukraine and Phanpia (a country in what is Western Russia) made swift initial advanced eastward. Only the extensive minefields covered by fire and the resilience of loyalist Iridium and African forces did the offensives halt.

As attempting to resupply Iridium through the sea would be suicidal, it was decided to resupply them through the air. Attempts to resupply the African forces by air were met with stiff Paternian and Awwami air defense systems, and suffered tremendous casualties.

Propaganda efforts by the CAF were moderately successful. However, the Paternian military was far more experienced with counter-insurgency tactics, having suppressed right-wing militant groups such as Neo-Nazis, the Ku Klux Klan, and various right-wing Pan-African groups in the American South. As a result, the success was largely stifled by "swift but restrained" action.

Okhotsk Sea

The combined Paterno-Japanese naval forces quickly overtook the South Kuril Islands; Iturup, Habomai, Shikotan, and Kunashir. The islands were by treaty undefended, and resistance was minimal.

In Sakhalin, the relatively large size meant that the extensive Citadel network was easily bypassed and surrounded, resulting in their capture.

The more northern Kuril Islands proved more difficult due to the more effective implementation of the Citadel networks. Commando raids by Japanese Special Landing Forces and Paternian Navy SEALS were moderately successful on some islands, infiltrating through access networks made known by defectors.

This was not the case for more northerly islands, and the Paternian Navy waged an island-hopping campaign, with the Japanese Navy covering the flanks. Due to the vetting process, the island garrisons were almost entirely made up of loyalists, and few defected. As a result, the Paternian and Japanese forces suffered heavy losses taking the islands.

However, the islands were all eventually overrun; there was no chance that the Iridium Navy could have resupplied the garrisons.

Tumen River

The Iridium loyalist forces launched massive missile attacks against the relatively light border fortifications, utterly destroying the ROK Army Tumen River Brigade.

In addition, they launched intermediate-range ballistic missiles against various Korean cities, causing significant damage to civilian property while largely ignoring military units. Missiles which fell near military units were neutralized with plasma railgun systems.

Much heavier Paternian and Korean forces soon filled the gap and promptly neutralized Iridium missile batteries. Due to the small space on the front, the river is the site of a stalemate.

Philippines

Both Paternian and Iridium forces were stationed in the Philippines, and both soon came into contact with the onset of hostilities. In a blind panic, the Iridium commander ordered the reactors on the nuclear-powered carrier stationed there to go critical, causing considerable damage to the port area.

The remaining Iridium forces were captured by Philippine and Paternian military forces.