Obtained data:
1. Military force
a) Small infantry units, no more than 10 men, in the settlements. Patrol their defense perimeters.
b) Up to a company of mechanized units: armored all-terrain vehicles with a machine gun mounted on top. Presumably powered by an electric motor and a high-density battery. First team of vehicles arrived about 3 weeks ago. Now there 12 such vehicles in the area. Attaching a depiction of the vehicle:
c) Platoon of heavy infantry on 2 APCs. Arrived to the area a week ago, presumably to guard diplomatic team.
d) No roads, way stations, military bases or other infrastructure detected in the explored area 500km from our borders. Tracks of the arriving vehicles lead deeper into Minervan territory.
e) Several scouting drones and at least one high-altitude transport/attack aircraft confirmed.
2. Minervan settlements.
a) 3 settlements located in a line from west to north, about 300km between each - purpure dots on the map.
b) Each settlement has about 1000 citizens.
c) Settlements are protected by a wall augmented by several long-term firing positions with light weapons - usually machine guns.
d) Settlements are poorly-developed economically. They are mainly occupied with growing food for themselves and mining raw materials.
e) Economical activity around the settlements is minor and confined to a small area around the walls, mainly limited to agricultural fields.
f) Citizens don't appear to me using vehicles, agricultural machinery or high-tech devices such as personal communication devices or computers.
Analysis:
1. Lack of roads and other infrastructure will hinder Minerva's mobility. It will take at least one day for a unit from core Minerva territory to arrive in this region.
2. Primary (and only) part of the infrastructure in the region are solar panel fields in the settlements. Their main goal appears to me supplying Minervan military force with power, since there are no civilian electric vehicles or energy-demanding production in the settlements that may consume such wast amounts of power.
3. Our scientists estimate that each solar field should contain about 1000 tons of solar panels. In pre-Cataclysm times solar panel's lifespan was about 10 years. Minervan scientists have probably increased that.
That means that several tons of solar panels should be replaced each year. Presumably, they are delivered on a large annual caravan our prisoners mentioned. Judging by our estimates of the amount of Minervan settlements Minerva should produce, deliver and replace at least half a thousand tons of solar panels each year.
4. Settlements should have large infrastructure for storing accumulated energy. They presumably use high-density batteries, which means they are dangerously explosive. Massive detonation may destroy an entire settlement.
5. Main purpose of those settlements is to serve as a supply base for Minervan military, mainly to provide electricity.
6. The destruction of electrical infrastructure will severely hinder Minervan capability in the region up to the point where they won't be able to maintain their constant presence in the area.
7. Judging by the estimated production capabilities of Minerva it will take several years to fully replace solar fields and infrastructure.
Recommendations:
1. Gather information about Minervan heavy infantry and APCs to develop a training course of fighting them for our soldiers.
2. Gather information about defense perimeters of the settlements - strength of the walls, efficiency of gun emplacements, etc. by instigating a raider band to attack.
3. Obtain samples of Minervan solar panels to determine the most efficient way to damage or destroy them.
4. Find energy accumulating infrastructure in the settlements, explore toe possibilities of compromising it in different ways.
Feb 11, 2016 19:34:32 GMT
Feb 11, 2016 19:34:32 GMT
