Caselonian armed forces
The Caselonian military forces have undergone a substantial number of revisions through the years. For the purposes of remaining concise this particular series of articles will cover only the modern incarnation of the Caselonian armed forces while historical organs and units will be covered in the main history section in future.
Contents
Overview
The Caselonian armed forces currently consists of four branches: the People's Army, the People's Navy, the People's Air Force and the «Airborne & Strategic Rocket Forces». The "traditional" branches of service have been called the People's Army, Navy and Air Force since 1928 when they were renamed from the "Caselonian Red Army of Workers and Soldiers." Needless to say the name of the entire military from 1916-1928 was an unwieldy mouthful but post-1928 military focus, both in civil government and within the military establishment itself, has been on modernization, increasing efficiency and effectiveness and, to some extent, Westernizing the tactical and logistical models. 1928 is also the same year that ranks were reinstated and a more conventional (and more effective) military model returned to the Caselonian services.
Caselonian People's Army
The Caselonian People's Army is a 70% professional force, with the remaining 30% comprised of conscripts serving their two years of compulsory «universal military service.» The CPA operates a vast array of equipment and possesses a huge number of armored vehicles. The majority of Caselonian infantry formations are mechanized and large numbers of helicopters are attached to CPA units. While the overwhelming majority of equipment operated by the CPA is modern and state of the art, some units are equipped with older equipment that still proves useful, but it is mainly employed solely for border patrol and internal security purposes.
Caselonian People's Air Force
Caselonian Airborne & Strategic Rocket Forces
Conflicts and Deployments
In the modern era Caselonia has only been driven to actual war twice, one of which was the engagement- and casualty-less war with the Holy Empire of the Water Cooler. Long-running cold wars and occasional brinkmanship between the CSFR and both the Coolian Empire and the Sultanate of Transoxiana have led Caselonia to spend a significant amount on defense, including in the areas of research and development. While Caselonia has made attempts to avoid war, and continues to do so, Caselonian troops have a variety of experience through the deployments and conflicts that Caselonia has been involved in over the last twenty-five years, ranging from humanitarian missions in disaster-torn nations to defending allies from imperialism and insurgency.
During its time as a member of The Heartland region Caselonia was involved in only a single war of substantial size while deployments for peace-keeping and protection missions became almost commonplace.
The Heartland
The Melbournistan War
The Melbournistan War lasted from 14 December 2003 through 11 January 2004 between the forces of Caselonia and Texarnica (mainly) and the troops of monarchist nations and remaining Melbourni royalists. On December 14, 2003 Melbourni rebels seized key installations, including radio and television stations and the palace itself, in the capital city of Astana, then called Jamestown. Caselonia was the first nation to pledge aid and recognize the new government and Caselonian troops began crossing into Melbournistan on 15 December 2003. Monarchist nations offered support to ousted King Henry Goucheston who began setting up a government-in-exile in Breyoun, a nation with which Caselonia fought a long, costly war in the 1930s and 1940s.
- Freedom Alliance
- Caselonia
- Gesamtkuntswerk
- Keisten
- Melbournistan (Free Forces)
- Texarnica
- Loyalist Coalition
- Breyoun
- Daemoniata
- Grays Harbor
- Herconia
- Los Paises Lejanos
- Melbournistan (Royalist Forces)
While skirmishing between free and royalist forces was commonplace, especially in the opening days of the revolution, three major battles shaped the outcome of the war. The first, in the Western city of Winston, saw Caselonian and Commoner Militia (the official name for Free Melbourni forces) elements defeat Royal Marines remaining in the city. Vastly outnumbered, the Marines refused to surrender and subsequently suffered terrible casualties. Farther south, on the border with the Grays Harbor crown colony of Aldeshara, the city of Hangley was under threat by Herconian forces. Commoner Militia forces in control of Hangley were heavily outnumbered and outgunned, but a rapid reaction by Caselonian «Airmobile» troops not only defeated the Herconians in Hangley but drove them back into Aldeshara. The final decisive battle in Melbournistan, in which Caselonia only participated in through air support, was fought in the Bay of Trenket off the coast of the city of Mutoga. There, large fleets squared off against each other resulting in heavy casualties on all sides. Breyoun succeeding in landing a volunteer force outside Mutoga despite losing substantial naval assets. This force, Freiwilligenlegion Falke, was in turn decimated by Caselonian air attacks. Caselonian strategic bombers inflicted heavy damage on the sea fleets of Breyoun, Los Paises Lejanos and Daemoniata as well. The war is widely regarded as a triumph for Caselonia, although overzealous commanders blackened the victory in the closing days. Caselonian and Texarnican air units pursued retreating Herconian forces across the Aldesharan border, prompting outrage among monarchist nations and eliciting threats of war from the Kingdom of Grays Harbor, a very substantial naval power. The threats were finally defused, however, at a peace conference pressed for by Austrivum, a neutral and well-respected party. On 11 January 2004 the [Melbournistan Peace Accord] was signed by all involved parties, ending the war.
