>>39554412Yeah afaik /inf/ never detailed the developmental history of their ironclads. Actually for the timeline I might push the actual operation back 2-3 years. Guess the Alivian fleet losing an important and expensive ship could be the reason the clocks yielded. Unless there's a specific reason why it happened before the path was finished.
The Republic might have already started sending some supplies to /mep/ a year or two before it, and the operation is just a (logical and natural) escalation of said support. The detailed reason could be some contacts with VIPs in /mep/ I think. Reine did do a couple collabs with Mumei before. Priests could be the initial link of how the first deal for covert support was made. Like /mep/ started contacting the Republic for support 1 one or two years after /inf/'s declaration.