Difference between revisions of "CDF Naval Service"

Revision as of 01:15, 28 November 2005

This article is about a branch of the armed forces of Sober Thought. For discussions about armed forces generally, see Category:Armed forces.

The Naval Service of Sober Thought is the navy branch of the Community Defence Forces.

Primary roles

See also article: CDF naval naming conventions The twin functions of the Naval Service are to transport troops of the Land Service to their overseas destinations and prevent hostile troops from landing on the shores of Sober Thought. All other functions are designed to further these two goals. For every one hundred million in population the nation has, there are three troop transports (together capable of transporting a division's worth of troops into friendly harbours) and nine landing ships (together capable of transporting a brigade's worth of troops onto hostile beaches).

The remainder of the combat fleet is prepared for anti-submarine warfare and is comprised of: cruisers, destroyers, frigates, submarines or undersea boats, fast patrol boats and mine warfare boats. Both battleships (which are ineffective against submarines) and corvettes can theoretically be built, but they are not on the production list. The first three ships listed above can also engage in gunnery attacks on surface or shore targets.

All surface ships may be refuelled or reprovisioned at sea by the nine supply ships per 100 million population. Additionally, two frigate hulls have been adapted as small craft tenders to support fast patrol boats and minelayer/hunters on extended operations.

Branches

The organisation of the Naval Service's branches most closely resembles that of the Air Service, since several branches are represented on every vessel while in the Land Service, most units have one (or mostly one) branch within it. The Bridge Branch includes navigation, command, radar, communications and similar functions.

The Naval Weapons Branch includes all sorts of offensive and defensive weapons, such as anti-ship guns and rockets, anti-aircraft guns and rockets, and anti-submarine mortars, mines and rockets.

The Naval Engineering Branch is primarily concerned with keeping the engines, hull and superstructure of various vessels in working order. Similar but separate functions are performed by members of the tri-service Maintenance Branch and Engineering Branch on the contents of the larger of these vessels.

Naval Air Division

In order to protect troop transports and the soldiers embarked upon them from air threat, the naval air arm, nominally part of the Air Service, is especially strong. Each hundred million of population supports one Naval Air Division comprised of one aircraft carrier group, a coastal defence group and several helicopter wings afloat on escort and landing vessels.

The aircraft carrier has more fliers than sailors aboard its 70 000 tonne and 320 m hull. Under the overall Chief Commander, it projects air power to distant shores, provides a combat air screen for large embarked fleets, and provides ground attack for large amphibious landings. It is mainly armed with the FN-1 naval variant of the Air Service fighter, which is equipped with arrestor hooks for carrier landings.

The underwater threat is partly minimized by HUB-77 anti-submarine helicopters aboard each surface ship (including the carrier). These ASW workhorses are also present in the Coastal Defence Air Group, which also has the propeller driven fixed wing EB-78 for long range and long term airborne reconnaissance and anti-submarine air attack.

Naturally, the landing ships' composite helicopter squadrons are heavily weighted towards rotary wing aircraft suitable for supporting an amphibious landing rather than ASW.

Marine Division

Each one hundred million population also supports one Marine Division, nominally part of the Land Service, consisting of three field brigades. The 1st Marine Brigade (Light Infantry) consists of one battalion permanently stationed on the aircraft carrier and two more battalions on shore. They are organized and armed like conventional land light infantry.

Additionally, each frigate has a squad of 11 marines permanently resident (totalling 264), each destroyer a platoon of 35 (420) and each cruiser a company of 115 (690). These light infantry are designed to provide boarding parties, so they are mainly armed with 9 mm submachine guns appropriate to the often confined spaces on small warships. The boarding parties are attached to the Marine Division for training and administrative purposes, but in practice wholly responsibile to their respective ships' captains.

The nine landing ships carry heavy marine units based on main battle tanks and armoured infantry combat vehicles which are organized as A through R Companies, Marine Assault Contingent. On shore is a cadre of 915 which expands and reorganizes the contingent into the 2nd Marine Brigade (Armoured) and 3rd Marine Brigade (Armoured Infantry). Combat support and service support troops numbering about 5600 also remain on land to round out the division or its brigade groups.