War Update: Large Fleet Engagement on the R3-K7K Station

On the second of May, 19:00 EVE Standard Time, a large fleet battle developed in R3-K7K system, Providence region, over a station exiting reinforced mode between Nulli Secunda Alliance and the Providence Bloc.

The timer for the first reinforce cycle was reaching its end when a large Nulli Secunda fleet entered the system and situated itself around the station. The fleet was comprised of a Harbinger class Battlecruiser wing with a large Augoror class Cruiser Logistics support force, and a Purifer class Stealth Bomber wing with Inquisitor class Frigate Logistic support, as well as a few more assorted Frigate class ships. In total the force was estimated at one hundred and seventy pilots strong.

The Nulli Secunda fleet

Providence Bloc forces were split between several fleets, with the main battle fleet re-shipping once, thus making it hard to give accurate numbers. It is estimated that more than three hundred and seventy pilots were fighting under the Providence Bloc banner at the peak of the battle, however, actual numbers may be even higher. The main battle fleet was a Rupture class Cruiser fleet supported by a mixed Naga and Tornado class Battlecruiser fleet and a mixed Caracal and Vexor gang, with a small Stealth Bomber wing carrying occasional bombing runs.

The first battle went badly for the Providence Bloc, as the main Rupture fleet warped to the station in order to engage the Nulli Secunda force, only to be caught by an interdiction probe deployed by Nulli Secunda and annihilated by the Nulli Secunda Purifier wing in a coordinated bombing run.

First engagement, just before the Nulli Secunda bombing run

The devastating effect of the bombing run

After this initial engagement, Providence Bloc carried only light harassment in the form of Stealth Bomber bombing runs for half an hour. However these proved ineffectual, with one Stealth Bomber squadron even getting caught and bombed as well by a Pasta Syndicate Alliance Stealth Bomber gang that was present in the system. During that time Nulli Secunda mainly focused its attention on the station.

                   R3-K7K station under attack by the Nulli Secunda Fleet

The second engagement kicked off exactly half an hour after the first encounter, with three Providence Bloc fleets engaging simultaneously. For a few minutes Providence Bloc was holding its ground, trading blows with the Nulli Secunda force and though losing far more ships than its opponent, was still committing to the fight. At some point though, Pasta Syndicate bombers managed to carry a successful bombing run on the Naga and Tornado fleet, decimating it. After that event, a total collapse occurred, with Providence Bloc forces deciding to dis-engage rather than continue fighting, conceding the field to Nulli Secunda.

 The second engagement unfolding

After the second fight, the Nulli Secunda fleet decided to leave the system without reinforcing the station again, allowing Providence Bloc forces to take stock of their losses. Though there is much confusion on the killboards, it is a conservative estimation that Providence Bloc lost approximately three hundred ships, mainly Cruiser and Battlecruiser class, with Nulli Secunda losing only twenty ships in return. 

Aftermath of the battle

The battle itself was plagued with Time Dilation fluctuations, reaching a peak of 26% Time Dilation at one point, with system housing more than seven hundred pilots at the height of the second engagement.

Only other notable incident after the main battle was a Razor Alliance Interceptor class Frigate gang, some twenty pilots strong, losing half its members to a bombing run carried by Pasta Syndicate.

With the fighting over, Providence Bloc forces repaired the station and cleared the field, as well as taken down the Nulli Secunda Sovereignty Blockade Units. As of time of writing, no new Sovereignty Blockade Units have been deployed in the system, however an Infrastructure Hub will be exiting reinforced mode at 16:00 EVE Standard Time. The EVE Scribe will be there to report on any further fighting.

War Update: R3-K7K Infrastructure Hub Saved, Nulli Secunda Re-Deploys Sovereignty Blockade Units

On the first of May, 11:00 EVE Standard time, a large fleet battle erupted on the Infrastructure Hub in the R3-K7K system, Providence region, between the Providence Bloc and Nulli Secunda Alliance.

The fight started shortly after the server's scheduled downtime, with the Infrastructure Hub in the system reaching the end of its first reinforced mode. Nulli Secunda showed with a Harbinger class Battlecruiser fleet, approximately ninety pilots strong with a large Tech I Logistics Cruiser support. Providence Bloc fielded two separate fleets, with a large Naga and Tornado class Battlecruiser fleet, some hundred-fifty strong with a large Logistics and support wing, and a Stealth Bomber class Frigate fleet, around hundred pilots or so large. In total there were three hundred and twenty pilots on Providence Bloc's side.

As expected, the fight was quite one sided, with minimal losses incurred to the Providence Bloc side, and most if not all of the Nulli Secunda fleet lost.

The battle report can be found here.

After the destruction of the Nulli Secunda fleet, the Sovereignty Blockade Units were removed by the fleets, and the Infrastructure Hub safely exited reinforced mode. However later that day a second incursion by Nulli Secunda forces resulted in a vastly different result, as a second Harbinger class Battlecruiser fleet some sixty pilots strong deployed new Sovereignty Blockade Units in the R3-K7K system. 

That force was intercepted by a Providence Bloc fleet of Caracal and Rupture class Cruiser fleet, some eighty pilots strong. The Providence Bloc force was annihilated by the Nulli Secunda fleet, who sustained minimal losses.

As of yet, the Killboards are still slowly synching.
The zKillboard link can be found here.

With the Sovereignty Blockade Units replaced, it is only logical to assume a continuation of the hostilities between the Providence Bloc forces and Nulli Secunda Alliance. The EVE Scribe will keep covering these events in detail.

Breaking News: Nulli Secunda Deploys Sovereigny Blockade Units in R3-K7K

In the early hours of the thirtieth of April, a fleet belonging to Nulli Secunda Alliance deployed Sovereignty Blockade Units in the R3-K7K system, Providence region.

The fleet, comprising some seventy pilots, mainly in Harbinger class Battlecruisers with Logistic support and assorted Strategic class Cruisers, entered the R3-K7K system around 1:00 EVE Standard Time and deployed the Sovereignty Blockade Units. Providence Bloc forces which were assembled at the time in an eighty pilot strong Naga class Battlecruiser fleet with Logistic support quickly responded to the threat and moved to engage the Nulli Secunda force.

A battle developed with Providence Bloc forces taking heavy losses but incurring some losses in return for the Nulli Secunda side as well. In the end, however, Nulli Secunda managed to hold the field, allowing it to finish deploying the Sovereignty Blockade Units and force both the Infrastructure Hub and the Station in the system into reinforced mode.

This will mark the third time the Providence Bloc will be facing a defensive sovereignty war in the last year, with the first being the Northern Catch Pocket dispute between Against ALL Authorities Alliance and Providence Bloc. That war resulted in a loss for the Providence Bloc, as the ERVK-P system fell into the hands of Darkness of Despair Alliance, an ally of Against ALL Authorities at the time.

The second war was between the Providence Bloc and Insidious Empire Alliance, with the 9UY4-H system, Providence region, a major crossroad, being contested. Ultimately the system was saved and Insidious Empire forces retreated.

Whether this is mainly an attempt to illicit fights from the Providence Bloc or a precursor to a full scale invasion is still unclear at this point, but prudent pilots have already started evacuating non-essential ships and modules. Though at the time it seems that Nulli Secunda is operating independently, both Pandemic Legion and Northern Coalition(dot) Alliances have been known to operate in the neighboring regions of Catch and Curse, and have been observed moving both Titans and Mothership class ships around Low Security Space near the Providence region.

Until further notice, a full scale mobilization of the Coalition is in effect, with Call to Arms planned and announced to defend the region. The EVE Scribe will continue to update you as the situation unfolds.