 This article may seem complete to the untrained eye, but the gaps in information are still large enough for this elite team of Panauan Ninjas to hide inside of. |
(click here to learn more)Project Illapa is a large part of the central theme of Just Cause 4.
Map from the mission "Illapa Project" that shows the approximate locations of the bases.
There is also a location called Illapa and missions with the names The Illapa Project and Operation Illapa. This article is about the project itself.
Description[]
Mira Morales explains in the first mission of the game that the people of Solís are told and believe that the project is for peaceful purposes.
As explained on the Solís Hoy radio, Oscar Espinosa explains in his autobiography that he started the project 20 years ago when his father Leon Espinosa was killed in an accidental plane crash that was caused by a tornado. He wanted to control weather to eliminate extreme storms, like lightning storms, sandstorms and tornadoes.
This claim is proven a lie by the events of the game, where it is instead explained that Oscar wants to use controlled and weaponized storms.
In the mission Meeting Lanza Morales, it is explained that the project was actually in secret development for a number of years before Oscar took over. The original purpose was indeed to prevent extreme weather, but Oscar ordered it to be weaponized, so he could sell it to the highest bidder.
During the events of Just Cause 4, the project is the highest priority for the nation and most of the industry (that isn't producing weapons and vehicles for the Black Hand) is dedicated to this project.
The project has four main research bases: Zona Uno, Zona Dos and Zona Tres, and the major base at Illapa.
- "Zona Uno " (near the north-west corner of the map) is protected by a sandstorm. Operation Sandstinger destroys this base.
- "Zona Dos " (at the north-east corner of the map) is protected by a lightning storm. Operation Thunderbarge destroys this base.
- "Zona Tres " (in the middle of the southern part of the map) has a nearby tornado. This base is raided in the mission Zona Tres Upload and then used in its intended way in the mission Operation Windwalker.
- Illapa (in the mountains) is protected by a blizzard that has lightning. Operation Illapa destroys this base.
The main storyline missions are about preventing this project from being completed.
Project development history[]
Quote from a loading screen: "Thanks to Espinosa investment in weather technology, Solís boasts the world's best higher education programs for meteorology and climatology."
As explained in the mission Agency Distress Beacon, the project was started at least 30 years ago. This is when the Agency set up a hidden surveillance station next to Zona Dos, to keep an eye on the activity there.
The main weather machine at Illapa was developed by Miguel Rodriguez, a scientist who worked at Zona Dos.
They were, before any actual weather site was built, searching for a site to build a weather core. While their first choice, Isla Santuario was already having foundations for the project laid in, they decided to abandon the site, as the sands shifted too much, causing instabilities throughout the facilities. They then decided to set up their first core at Zona Uno.
As explained in the mission Meeting Lanza Morales, Zona Uno was the first successful weather machine and Miguel and Lanza Morales (another scientist) had both been working there for a while.
The fact that the project is known to have existed 10 years prior to Leon Espionsa's death in a plane crash and that two test tornadoes were sent to civilian settlements may imply Oscar orchestrated the incident so he could proceed with his own machinations. Indeed, when he took over his father's assets, he weaponized the project. This made Miguel leave and go back home to Medici. As estimated by Lanza Morales (another scientist), this set the project back by a whole decade. Oscar then ordered Gabriela Morales to imprison Lanza at La Mazmorra and forced him to continue his work.
The mission César's Theory explains that there was a tornado at Nueva Voz 10 years ago and another one soon after at Mina Vendaval were accompanied by suspicious activities from the Black Hand. Apparently they had started constructing wind cannons to divert the tornadoes already before the tornadoes hit.
This is confirmed by a caller on the Solís Hoy radio, who also mentions that the wind cannons at Mina Vendaval were suspiciously set up before the tornado. That caller is then ridiculed by the radio hosts who mock it as a ridiculous conspiracy theory.
Main base at Illapa[]
Main articles: Illapa and Operation Illapa.
This is the main weather machine. The base has three large towers surrounding it on the mountains.
Rico attacks this base at the beginning of the game, but fails to make it to his goal due to the storm and the defensive guns.
Rico then attacks the three wings of the project, the research bases, in order to help Mira destroy the Illapa towers.
The final storyline mission Operation Illapa is at this base and destroys it.
Trivia[]
- At the end of Operation Illapa, Tom Sheldon speculates that losing Project Illapa must have cost the Agency trillions. However, this would then raise the question of how Solís, being a relatively small dictatorship, could afford such an expensive project.
- This cost is probably only the price asked from the Agency. Considering an unknown profit margin, the actual project cost would be much lower than it appears to be. Also, Solís was gaining an unknown amount of profits from the Black Hand. As mentioned at Solís Hoy, the workforce is very cheap at Solís. Oscar Espinosa owned most businesses in Solís through a monopoly, which also contributed to profits. However, to reach trillions would take many years, and considering the state of Solís, it is practically... impossible in the real world.
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