JOSH-Annex 1

The actions of Amerikka Command, and the large demilitarized border between the Atlantic Federation and the Pacific Rim Coalition presents many logistical problems, not the least of which is maintaining the integrity of the DMZ and ensuing non-proliferation of war materials. It is one of the most level headed borders in the world, and despite being largely friendly nations, both nations know that it would only take a small mistake to start a hot war between them, something that the Command would love to start. Attempts were made to create a joint base of operations, but doing so required it to be in the vicinity of the DMZ and have access to the ships of both nations while being secure from the infiltration of Amerikka Command. Terrestrial bases proved a failure as the Command proved disturbingly capable of breaking through almost all security systems. The eventual answer was the creation of JOSH-Annex 01.

Facilities

Locked in a fixed position directly above Pike's Peak, JOSH-A is a large military space installation that was joint built and occupied by the PRC and the AtFed. The facility is a flat ring shaped space station, with a central command hub in the center, ample facilities in the large ring section, and docking capabilities for up to 26 ships, including battlestar sized vessels.

Joint Ops Center

The JOC is the heart of JOSH-A and it is a multinational information and command center. Personnel from both governments monitor the same sensors and systems that keep an eye on the DMZ as it stretches from the Arctic circle down through Mexico. The main purpose of the JOC is to ensure that both nations know what is going on along the DMZ, to prevent any sort of shooting conflict to escalate out of control.

The Limits of Escalation treaty clause of the Pikes Peak Summit (ha!) limited the amount of equipment either nation is allowed to deploy into the DMZ in response to any particular threat. Despite the Federation's battlestars, or the PRCs aerospace carriers, neither is allowed to enter the DMZ due to their tonnage and potential firepower. Operations are carried out by smaller armed forces, with a tonnage cap on ships deployed. This causes friction on subordinate commanders on both sides as the tonnage cap is low, meaning ships as large as the Normandy Class are too large to be deployed. All ships in the DMZ must meet an individual tonnage cap (cutting off everything above frigates and destroyers) and there is a total tonnage cap, limiting each side to not putting more than a destroyer squadron across the entire DMZ.

The Near Earth Space Supremacy Act was one of the accords signed at the original Tycho Treaty convention, a mutual defense accord that would accordingly put all terrestrial conflicts on hold in the instance of a non-terrestrial threat to any nation on Earth. Considered preemptive and heavy handed, the Act is now supported following events such as the advent of the Seibetronians and their new homeworld on Ganymede, the renegade factions like the Five Metal Dragons, and offworld colonies like Huo Hsing. In the event of one of these, or an as yet unknown offworld power mounting an offensive against Earth, the nations would ally their intelligence assets, fleet assets, and strategic assets to ensure the protection of the planet against the aggressor. Having the largest respective fleet assets, the construction of the Joint Operations Space Headquarters was almost a given.

While principally designed to serve as a neutral point over the DMZ between the two nations, JOSH-A is a Federation keystone in their Earth Defense Plan. It is by no means alone, but it would function as the multinational center for operations, and would service Federation, PRC, New Themysciran, and EUdAS assets in defensive operations. There are plans to built more JOSH type stations, over Europe, Africa, the South Atlantic, and two more along the AmeroZone border with the PRC. These plans have been placed on the back burner as the construction was expensive, and other Federation space projects have demanded more resources.