Militech / MILITECH

Founded initially in 1996 by Italian weapons designer Antonio Luccessi as Armatech-Luccessi International, Militech, as it’s known today, began its journey with the 1998 trials for a new standardized US Infantry assault weapon.

Despite continued bankruptcy and ongoing recovery from the economic collapse of 1994, the US government decided the time had come to replace the M-16A2. The trials ultimately revealed three finalists: the FN SAP, a cheap but clunky and unreliable weapon, considered mainly due to powerful ties between the company Fabrique International and the US government, as well as its ammunition and parts compatibility with other members of the by then defunct NATO alliance; the Colt AR-17X, a good but expensive weapon; and a submission by newcomer Armatech-Luccessi International, a compact, reliable and moderately priced rifle.

USMC General Donald Lundee, a member of the Joint Chiefs overseeing the trials, was quickly sold on the Armatech system, assessing it as being the best combination of price, reliability, sturdiness and accuracy. Unfortunately, due to the collapse of the US economy and near collapse of the government, the national defense budget had not only tightened but also become insidiously coupled with industry influence that had crept into the political infrastructure and, in spite of General Lundee’s protests, the contract for the new US Infantry weapon system went to FN.

In 2003, during the Second South American Conflict, US soldiers had been dying in the thousands equipped with unreliable SAP rifles terribly suited for the tropical climate. Lundee had observed this from afar however, having resigned from the Marine Corps shortly after the trials of 1998 to become the CEO of Armatech, at the request of Luccessi. As a former Pentagon chief, he possessed a profound understanding of the modern military-industrial complex, including the extent to which older military contracting corporations had become incredibly bureaucratically top heavy, often touting shoddy and overpriced products that sold through contractual inertia alone.

Lundee saw an opportunity for streamlined and efficient military manufacturing – producing high quality, modern equipment at competitive prices, with the capability to sell technology in the global market regardless of political convention. This pitch, coupled with Luccessi’s brilliance in weapons design, allowed Armatech to acquire the capital needed to propel the company into a period of rapid expansion. Armatech’s new world prominence and overt visibility came with a new name, Militech Arms International.

The corporation’s first major success came in 2004. Given the disaster represented by the Central American Wars, the US finally scrapped the FN SAP and began new trials for a standardized infantry assault weapon. The resulting choice was the Militech Ronin Light Assault Rifle and, shortly afterwards, Militech also won the military side arm contract, directly resulting in sales of these weapons in vast quantities around the globe to nations and corporations alike. At the same time, Militech had begun development of heavy weapon systems, artillery, armored vehicles and aircraft. This greatly expanded catalogue, coupled with the brand’s moderate prices and excellent quality, enabled the company to take on several key contracts, winning them over established defense manufacturers that had operated through and beyond the economic collapse.

By the mid 2010s, Militech was the largest defense contractor in several countries, including the U.S, as well as being utilized by a number of corporations, all of which allowed the company to absorb a number of its now failing competitors in order to incorporate their designers and resources.

However despite great success, Militech suffered from internal problems. While Donald Lundee was never doubted leadership or executive abilities, the board of directors did not see him in a favorable light. Lundee was power hungry and did not hide it, he was determined to make Militech the largest force on Earth. During this time Lundee would often put up the corporation and himself against the Japanese conglomerate Arasaka. This rose tensions between the corporations with many that feared a corporate war could break out, these decisions left the various members of the corporation in disagreement. Even Lundee’s friend and ally Colonel Emile Lazarus did not favor this choice of direction.

By 2020, an ex-president of Militech Elizabeth Kress became the president of the United States benefiting the corporation. CEO Donald Lundee became paranoid of those who opposed him, while not having complete control of the company many were loyal to him leading to much internal conflict.