Freethinker Royal Navy
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| Motto | Sine Pari (Without Equal) |
| Established | 1800 (Formation of the Freethinker Dominion) |
| Technology Base | Post Modern Tech |
| Standing Strength | 4,200,000 (inc 1,200,000 NS personnel) |
| Headquarters | Admiralty House, Navarre |
| Commander-in-Chief | Admiral of the Line Sir Erik Svenson CMM, FRN |
The Freethinker Royal Navy is the oldest and arguably the most powerful component of the Freethinker Royal Armed Forces. The service is tasked with the defence of the Freethinker Commonwealth and its territorial waters and with providing, in the modern tech era, the main force projection power of the Freethinker Government in international affairs.
Contents
History
Founded in 1660 with the purchase of the ex-Midlonian Navy Sloop Adventure, the force had grown to twelve ships by the time of the 'War Of The Mainland', where, under the command of Sir John Barham, it scored several victories against the numerically superior Knootian navy in the area. A total of twenty enemy ships were destroyed for the loss of just four colonial vessels, and the part the force played in the war is seen as vital to the eventual Midlonian victory. Several captured Knootian ships were also added to the ranks of the fleet, meaning a net gain in terms of tonnage because of the conflict.
In the aftermath of the war, the service was seen as vital to protecting the coastlines and trade routes of the Mainland, and thus the late sevententh to the eighteenth century saw an exponential expansion of the force. Indeed, by the time of the offical name change at the beginning of the nineteenth century, over fifty ships, including four seventy-four gun 'Ships of the Line', had been commissioned into the growing colonial service.
The naval forces officially became the Freethinker Royal Navy in the spring of 1800. The naval forces of The Freethinker Commonwealth were generally known as the Freethinker Colonial Navy before the nation itself became a autonomous dominion of the Midlonian Empire in 1799.
Service to Midlonia
From 1800 onwards until the 1880's, the Freethinker Colonial Navy served as the regional squadron in support of Midlonian policy, defending cities, discouraging other country's attempts at settlement and of course mapping and scouting the huge untamed areas of the Mainland accessible by boat. The voyages of Admiral Rush and Commodore Pelios in particular are noteworthy for their epic scale, and their feats are remembered today in many place names along the central and southern coasts.
The Freethinker Colonial Navy also supported the civilian domestic government's colonisation efforts both within and beyond the Mainland, including supporting the Fargon campaign, bringing the northern archipelago under the reach of the Freethinker dominion.
Independence
The Second Moonstone War
Development
Today
The Freethinker Royal Navy has evolved into one of the most powerful maritime navies in the world today, equiped with arguably the finest and most powerful warships of their breeds ever to be laid down and crewed by well trained and highly motivated forces.
The Freethinker Royal Navy has taken part in several conflicts and peacekeeping operations around the world, proving itself proud time and again with impressive discipline and a potent combat record.
Doctrine
Bases
See Main Article: Freethinker Naval Bases
The Freethinker Royal Navy owns and operates a wide variety of bases around the Commonwealth (including officially a facility in the Freethinker Martian Territories, often attached to and indeed often using the same dockside facilities as many of the large civilian ports dotted along the coasts.
Most facilities tend to be fairly limited in scope, and though capable of expansion are primarily designed to support small local coastal defence forces and visiting warships on longer ranged patrols or deployments.
Rank Structure
Warships
Capital Ships
Escorts
Littoral
Submarines
Auxiliaries
Amphibious Assault
Equipment
Gunnery
Missiles
Other Systems
Current Fleets and Deployments
- Home Fleet;
- Expeditionary Battlegroups;
