Project Illapa

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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.

Project Illapa is a large part of the central theme of Just Cause 4.

Map of Project Illapa facilities — 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.

Spoiler warning: Significant plot details follow.

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. The official narrative constantly attempts to corroborate the claim, with Solís Hoy mentioning that 20 years ago, Oscar Espinosa's father Leon Espinosa was killed in an accidental plane crash that was caused by a tornado, which prompted him to start the project with the end goal of eliminating lightning storms, sandstorms and tornadoes.

In reality, Project Illapa was indeed created for said purpose, mentioned to be in development long before Oscar claimed so. When he took over, he weaponized it with the intent of selling it to the highest bidder.

During the events of Just Cause 4, the project has the highest priority for the nation and most of its industrial capabilities (barring those supplying the Black Hand with vehicles and equipment) is dedicated to this project. The main story missions involve the Army of Chaos sabotaging the project in hopes of preventing its completion, and they ultimately succeed.

The project has three main research bases 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.

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. The majority of all storyline missions then involve Rico sabotaging various Illapa Towers with help from Mira and the Army of Chaos before destroying the base itself in the final mission.

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 country with a dictatorship-style government, 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 would take at least three decades in the real world.
The name "Illapa" comes from South American Incan mythology. Illapa in Incan mythology was the god of thunder, lightning, rain, and war. Illapa is also considered the overall lord of weather.