Difference between revisions of "Democratic Colonies Military"

Revision as of 01:06, 28 August 2007

The Democratic Colonies Military is composed of six branches, each a part of the civilian Department of Defense, which is led by the Secretary of Defense. The most recent estimates place the defense budget at below 22% of the national budget, somewhere between $36,000,000,000 and $41,000,000,000, although this does not take into account the fact that in the past, salaries for enlisted personnel has been sometimes augmented by spending that is classified as "social equality spending" from the budget of the Department of Internal Affairs. During normal peace time, the military personnel form less than one half of a percentage of the nation's population, with less than 0.04% of the national population probably a more accurate figure. Both men and women can be accepted into any duty or position.

Inter-Service Rank System

Navy, Marine Corps, Air Force, and Army ranks are compatible through the Inter-Service Rank System:

Inter-Service Uniforms and Body Armour

Field Uniform

The Field Uniform [1] and for all branches are identical save for rank insignia style, shoulder patches, collar emblems, belt buckle, and beret emblems and beret colour if a beret is worn. The beret color system:

• Silver for Navy
  • Silver with white trim, caduceus emblem for Navy Medical Corps
  • Silver with broken orange trim for Naval Aviation Corps
  • Silver with teal trim for Navy Submarine Corps
  • Silver with purple trim for Navy Special Operations
  • Silver with yellow trim for Navy Engineering Corps
  • Silver with green trim for Marine Corps
    • Silver with broken green and orange trim for Marine Corps Aviation Arm
• Black for Air Force
  • Black with white trim, caduceus emblem for Air Force Medical Corps
  • Black with yellow trim for Air Force Engineering Corps
• Red for Army
  • Red with white trim, caduceus emblem for Army Medical Corps
  • Red with broken orange trim for Army Aviation Corps, Army Airbourne Corps, Army Airmobile Assault Corps
  • Red with purple trim for Army Special Operations
  • Red with broken purple trim for 1st Asymmetrical Warfare Division
  • Red with yellow trim for Army Engineering Corps
• Olive for Judge Advocate General's Command
• Gold for Strategic Deterrence Command
• Blue for Peacekeeper Command
  • Blue with white trim, caduceus emblem for Peacekeeper Medical Corps
  • Blue with broken orange trim for Peacekeeper Aviation Corps
  • Blue with yellow trim for Peacekeeper Engineering Corps
  • Blue with broken purple trim for 1st and 2nd Horse Cavalry Divisions
  • Blue with brown trim for reserve auxiliary personnel

Combat Armour

The Federated Armour Mk IV [2] is produced by the Perim Nealon Regal Group and is the standard body armour issued to military personnel and is worn by all military personnel assigned to operations where ground combat is occurring.

The Federated Armour Mk IV is modular in nature, with the forward and rear chest components, the lower back component, the forward and rear waist components, the right and left arm components and the right and left arm leg components all separate in nature. Each component is connected to the rest through a system of clamps and locks, which allows for rapid replacement of an armour component in the event of armour failure, rapid removal to facilitate treatment of injuries, easier maneuvering and user flexibility while wearing the armour, and the wearing of only selected portions of the armour by support personnel situated towards the rear of the operations zone.

The forward and rear chest components of the the Federated Armour Mk IV serve to protect the user primarily through the use of silicon carbide ceramic, ultra high molecular weight polyethylene thermoplastic, and kevlar synthetic fiber. While other components of the armour also make use of these materials, they do so in much smaller quantities, and in much thinner layers. In some areas, light-weight dilatant, which only provides some protection against fragments and flying debris, is used in order to reduce weight.

Despite the efforts to reduce the weight of the Federated Armour Mk IV, complaints from military personnel regarding its weight of the armour are still common, although complaints about its bulk and impact on the user's shape are much fewer in number then they were for the Mk IV's predecessor. Military personnel in support roles situated towards the rear of operations zones are usually permitted to wear only the chest components of the armour, but despite some protests regarding weight and impact on maneuverability, all personnel that could be reasonably expected the actively engage the enemy are required to wear the entire ensemble while conducting combat operations.

The Federated Armour Mk IV is usually issued in the general purpose MultiCam pattern, although it has been manufactured in other patterns in the past.

Dress Uniform

The Dress Uniform [3], uses the same colour system as the berets to determine coat colour based on branch. Gloves and caps were no longer issued or considered part of the Dress Uniform after July 1, 1971. The Model 1796 Light Cavalry Sabre [4], the type of sword Royal Navy Captain Willian Taggart used in his 1799 duel with King Orti'Ago, is still issued to military personnel and is part of the Dress Uniform.

Democratic Colonies Navy

The Navy is the largest single branch of the military, and includes the Marine Corps as well as its own special operations units under its authority. The Navy is considered by politicians and citizens alike as the most important branch of the military, for it is by sea that the vast majority of the nation's oil, food, and other vital imports arrive. The Navy is also the primary tool of power projection for the nation through combined use of aircraft carriers and battleships in Naval Action Groups, as well as difficult to detect missile-equipped submarines.

The Democratic Colonies Navy maintains on active duty, including vessels in Naval Action Groups:

Primary Surface Combatants

• 4 x Vigilant Class Superdreadnought [5]
• 236 x Pavanne Class Battleship [6]
• 42 x Whale Class Battleship [7]

Aircraft Carriers

• 27 x Tempora Heroica Class Internalized Through Deck Aircraft Carrier [8]
• 81 x Pax Magellanic Class Aircraft Carrier [9]

Secondary Surface Combatants

• 2,810 x Kidd Class Destroyer [10]

Submarines

• 200 x Dolphin Class Attack Submarine [11]
• 1,424 x Sea Wolf Class Attack Submarine [12]
• 600 x Ohio Class Missile Submarine [13]

Amphibious Operations Ships

• 150 x Wasp Class Amphibious Assault Ship [14]

Support Ships

• 7,125 x cargo, logistics, and support ships of various classes
• 215 x Mercy Class Hospital Ship [15]

Naval Action Groups

The Navy's primary formation is the Naval Action Group, of which 27 are in service. A single Naval Action Group is composed of:

• 1 x Tempora Heroica Class Internalized Through Deck Aircraft Carrier [16]
• 3 x Pax Magellanic Class Aircraft Carrier [17]
• 8 x Pavanne Class Battleship [18]
• 30 x Kidd Class Destroyer [19]
• 12 x Sea Wolf Class Attack Submarine [20]
• 12 x Hunt Class Mine Countermeasure Vessel [21]
• Support vessels, with the number depending on the duration of the mission

Naval Aviation Corps

The Naval Aviation Corps fields on each aircraft carrier:

• 72 x F-133 Valkyrie Air Superiority Fighter [22][23]
• 72 x F/I-58 Beholder R.II Interceptor [24]
• 18 x EA-111DC Electronic Warfare and Attack Aircraft
• 8 x KA-111DC Aerial Refueling Tanker
• 6 x S-111DC Anti-Submarine Anti-Submarine Aircraft
• 4 x E-3 Hawkeye Airborne Early Warning Aircraft [25] (not present on Tempora Heroica Class)
• A400M Cargo Aircraft [26] (not present on Tempora Heroica Class)

The Naval Aviation Corps also maintains the Seaplane Aviation Arm:

• 2,000 x KB-75B Seaplane Aerial Refueling Tanker [27]
• 200 x CB-75A Hydrolifter Seaplane Cargo Aircraft [28]

Marine Corps

The Marine Corps is currently formed into 20 Marine Infantry Divisions, which are composed of 20,000 Marines each. Marine equipment and vehicles include:

Man Portable Equipment

• DCP-101 Sidearm [29]
• P90 Submachine Gun [30]
• Remington 870 Compact Breaching Shotgun [31]
• DCR-6 Precision Combat Rifle [32]
• MG4 Light Machine Gun [33] in 6.5mm Grendel
• Starstreak Short Range Surface-to-Air Missile [34]
• FGM-148 Javelin Guided Anti-Tank Missile [35]
• M307 25mm Autocannon [36]
• M252 81mm Mortar [37]

Vehicles and Vehicle Mounted Equipment

• HMMWV [38]
• Spike Guided Anti-Tank Missile [39] mounted on HMMWV
• Starstreak Short Range Surface-to-Air Missile mounted on HMMWV
• M134 Powered Gatling Gun [40] in 6.5mm Grendel mounted on HMMWV
• M307 25mm Autocannon [41] mounted on HMMWV
• M252 81mm Mortar mounted on HMMWV
• Puma Tracked Infantry Fighting Vehicle [42]
• Spike Guided Anti-Tank Missile mounted on Puma Tracked Infantry Fighting Vehicle
• AMOS Dual Barrel 120mm Mortar System [43] on Puma Tracked Infantry Fighting Vehicle
• M777 Towed Artillery Piece [44]
• Leclerc Main Battle Tank [45]
• LCAC Hovercraft Transport [46]

Aircraft

• H-60 Black Hawk Medium Utility Helicopter (UH, MH, HH variants) [47]
• V-22 Osprey Tiltrotor Aircraft 75 x V-22 (V, CV variants) [48]
• SAH-27A Peregrine Attack Helicopter [49]
• AV-17 Attack Aircraft [50]

Democratic Colonies Air Force

The Air Force provides long ranged heavy bombing capability for the nation, and provides protection of Democratic Colonies airspace. The Democratic Colonies Air Force maintains a sizable fleet of aerial tankers to ensure that the Air Force is able to project power to even distant locations, although Air Force power projection capabilities remains inferior to those of the Navy in many regards.

The Democratic Colonies Air Force maintains on active duty:

Strategic Bombers

• 1,000 x B-1 Lancer Strategic Bomber [51]
• 200 x B-2 Spirit Strategic Bomber [52]
• 250 x B-70E Valkyrie Strategic Bomber [53]
• 750 x B300A Hurricane Strategic Bomber [54]
• 500 x EB-16 Arkbird Strategic Bomber [55]

Fighters, Interceptors, Strike, and Electronic Warfare Aircraft

• 40,000 x F-133 Valkyrie Air Superiority Fighter [56][57]
• 50,000 x JAS 39 Gripen Multi-Role Fighter [58]
• 10,000 x F/I-58 Beholder R.II Interceptor [59]
• 3,000 x AV-17 Attack Aircraft [60]
• 22,000 x EA-111DC Electronic Warfare and Attack Aircraft

Support Aircraft

• 14,000 x KC-777 Large Aerial Refueling Tanker
• 3,000 x KC-767 Medium Aerial Refueling Tanker [61]
• 75 x HC-A400M Helicopter Aerial Refueling Tanker
• 1,600 x E-767 Airborne Early Warning and Control Aircraft [62]
• 600 x E-10 MC2A Multi-Sensor Command and Control Aircraft [63]
• 75 x Global Express XRS Light Long Range Transport [64]
• 25,000 x A400M Cargo Aircraft [65]
• 6,250 x 777F Freighter Cargo Aircraft [66]
• 600 x An-225 [67]
• 400 x H-60 Black Hawk (UH, MH, HH variants) [68]
• 75 x V-22 (V, CV variants) [69]
• 400 x MQ-1 Predator [70]
• 125 x RQ-3 Dark Star [71]
• 75 x RQ-4 Global Hawk [72]

Democratic Colonies Army

The Army is regarded as being less important than the Navy and Air Force because of the Democratic Colonies' existence as a cluster of ten islands. The Army is a proportionally small service compared to the Navy and Air Force, but maintains sufficient personnel and equipment levels to present a feasible force projection and defensive capability.

The Democratic Colonies Army maintains 221 divisions on active duty and 10 divisions of reserve personnel, with each division consisting of 20,000 people:

• 75 x Mechanized Infantry Division
• 75 x Airbourne Division
• 50 x Armoured Division
• 10 x Airmobile Assault Division
• 10 x Light Infantry Division
• 1 x Asymmetrical Warfare Division
• 10 x Reserve Division

Army equipment and vehicles include:

Man Portable Equipment

• DCP-101 Sidearm [73]
• P90 Submachine Gun [74]
• Remington 870 Compact Breaching Shotgun [75]
• DCR-6 Precision Combat Rifle [76]
• MG4 Light Machine Gun [77] in 6.5mm Grendel
• Starstreak Short Range Surface-to-Air Missile [78]
• FGM-148 Javelin Guided Anti-Tank Missile [79]
• M307 25mm Autocannon [80]
• M252 81mm Mortar [81]

Vehicles and Vehicle Mounted Equipment

• HMMWV [82]
• Spike Guided Anti-Tank Missile [83] mounted on HMMWV
• Starstreak Short Range Surface-to-Air Missile mounted on HMMWV
• M134 Powered Gatling Gun [84] in 6.5mm Grendel mounted on HMMWV
• M307 25mm Autocannon [85] mounted on HMMWV
• M252 81mm Mortar mounted on HMMWV
• Puma Tracked Infantry Fighting Vehicle [86]
• Spike Guided Anti-Tank Missile mounted on Puma Tracked Infantry Fighting Vehicle
• AMOS Dual Barrel 120mm Mortar System [87] on Puma Tracked Infantry Fighting Vehicle
• M777 Towed Artillery Piece [88]
• PzH (Panzerhaubitze) 2000 Tracked Self-Propelled Artillery Piece [89]
• BM-30 Smerch Wheeled Multiple Rocket Launcher Vehicle[90]
• ST-29E1 SDV Zver Main Battle Tank [91]

Aircraft

• H-60 Black Hawk Medium Utility Helicopter (UH, MH, HH variants) [92]
• V-22 Osprey Tiltrotor Aircraft 75 x V-22 (V, CV variants) [93]
• SAH-27A Peregrine Attack Helicopter [94]