Operation Welder

*This article is about an in-universe event. For the in-game mission, see Red Sea.*

## Details

### Outcomes

**CIF victory*** Federation Navy power decimated with 1st Battlegroup
* Naval blockade around Presidia established

Strength| **Cascadian Independence Force*** Cascadian Air Force
* 1x *Anura I*-class air cruiser
* 1x *Anura II*-class air cruiser
* F/D-14s
* Cascadian Coast Guard
	+ *Eminent Domain*
	+ 1x Aircraft carrier
	+ 2x Littoral combat ship
	+ 4x Cruiser

 **Mercenaries*** Sicario remnants
	+ Hitman Team
	+ Assassin Team (late battle)
* 4x F/C-16
* 4x Sk.37 Decimator-B (late battle)
* 12x F/D-14 (late battle)

**Proxy squadrons** (late battle) | Federation Navy* 1st Battlegroup †
* 4x Cargo ship †

 Federation Air Force* 6x F/E-18 †
* 12x VX-23 †

 Federation Vertical Navy* 1x *205*-class air battleship †
* 2x *Arcion II*-class air heavy cruiser

*"Lay into them! Send them all to the bottom! Kill them all so they may never return!"*
― Captain Woodward finishing off the 1st Naval Battlegroup
**Operation Welder** was a major naval operation conducted by the Cascadian Independence Force to establish a naval blockade around Presidia, preventing the Pacific Federation defenders in their capital from receiving supplies by sea.

This attack was also used to lure the Federation Navy 1st Battlegroup out of port to sink them. The success of this objective effectively smoothened up the upcoming liberation of the capital.

## Prelude

*"The time is nearly upon us. Presidia is on the horizon, and the Federation is cornered like a rat in Cascadia. This is their final beast, and they are desperately trying to keep it fed."*
― Captain J. Griffiths
The Federation, ever since the lockdown on air traffic and transport in the months back due to rebel fighters running interference, had been using the ports in Presidia to resupply its forces in the country, which intensified following the Cascadian Calamity Event. Any break to this lifeline would greatly reduce their defensive effectiveness and starve the defenders, effectively securing the war in the rebels' favor. This was all the more important with a ceasefire secretly being worked on by higher-ups on both sides of the conflict.

Due to freezing relations between Sawaiiki and the Federation since the Wai Mami Port raid, which dealt plenty of damage to the port, the latter lost all access to its naval facilities, effectively depriving them of an important stopping point for naval forces. Consequently, any convoy under attack would be forced to sail all the way to the Federation Core States or nearby member nations, rendering them vulnerable - a "Catch-22" situation as described later. To worsen problems for the Federation, only 35% of the Federation Air Force in-country was operational, and even then, making a stand was voluntary; the rest were being sent back home to cut losses. Worse still, the 1st Battlegroup was the Federation's only remaining naval force in-theater.

The *Eminent Domain*, the rebel flagship, had been attempting to force a blockade at the route, only for the Federation to overpower them at every turn with the 1st Battlegroup. To rectify this, every available IF naval unit was scrambled to the Pacific Ocean to take on the battlegroup head-on, starting by sinking one of their convoys. Due to oceanic thermal interference, naval ships from both sides were forced to engage one another head-on. Air cover was advised to fly in with blast radius effect weapons to take on larger ships.

## Battle

*"We can't even get close! Three planes versus an entire battlegroup?!"
"You're gonna have more than that, Hitman!"*
― Evelyn London, right before Commander Arnold Frenken arrived with Periphery-based reinforcements
The Federation convoy sailing out of country was taken by surprise by the *Eminent Domain* fleet advancing directly into them, vainly attempting to engage from a safe distance and escape the rebels. The cargo ships, despite carrying wounded troops, were swiftly sunk, clearing the way for another wave of Federation ships and fighters.

Before engagement continued, Captain Woodward of the *Eminent Domain* attempted to parley with them, trying to convince them to power down their ship systems and evacuate for the sake of their sailors and soldiers' lives. Not receiving a response, he angrily resumed engagement with the Federation fleet, targeting the flagship/sister ship *Dejanus*. The remainder of the 1st Battlegroup arrived to engage the rebel fleet, this time severely outnumbering them.

Just then, Arnold Frenken, Sicario's leader, arrived with his squadron, leading a swarm of mercenary planes. Together, he and his struggling allies destroyed what remained of the 1st Battlegroup, taken by surprise by their presence just like the rebels, who decided to perform a daring charge into the center of the battlegroup. Without any Federation ships around to stop them, the rebel fleet formed up the naval blockade around Presidia, Sicario meanwhile celebrating their Commander's return to the fight.

## Aftermath

*"This last month abroad has been...really, really interesting. Long story short, a good part of the world is knowing where the wind is blowing, and I've got myself an army no one has ever seen before. Mercenaries, freedom fighters, maybe a secret proxy squadron or two from anti-Federation powers, but hey, we're all in it together now."*
― Arnold Frenken
The Federation practically had its back into a wall following the engagement, and they had little time if any to rally forces to break the blockade. Unfortunately for them, with the arrival of reinforcements, defeat was all but certain unless the ceasefire followed through in time.

The blockade was planned to be held for at least a month to soften defenses in the capital and ensure an easy liberation of the country. The rebels kept in mind, however, to move into the city soon to avoid defenses from being too prepared. Eventually, the ceasefire ended up being imminent, and the rebels were forced to invade almost three weeks earlier than planned.

## References

1. ↑ Sector D2. (2020). *Project Wingman* [Video game]. San Francisco, CA: Humble Games. Mission 20: "Presidia."