Imperial Questarian Naval Air Service

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The Imperial Questarian Naval Air Service is the Naval Air Service of the Imperial Questarian Navy. It consists of the Fleet Air Arm and the Ground Air Arm.

Hikoku (Aircraft)

Classification Letter

  • A = Fighter
  • J = Interceptor
  • G = Land based naval bomber
  • H = Maritime Patrol
  • D = Dive Bomber
  • B = Torpedo Bomber
  • M = Missile Bomber

Production Letter

  • H = Nakajima Hatsuo Aircraft Corporation
  • F = Fujisama Aerospace
  • M = Mitsubishi-Supermarine Conglomerate

Aircraft in use approximate [110,000]

  • A2H6 Zero, 2000
  • A3H2 Zuikaku, 6000
  • A4H4 Hiryu, 18000
  • A5H1 Akatombo¸ 6000
  • J1H2 Ginga, 2000
  • J2H3 Hayate, 4000
  • G3M2 Renzan, 5000
  • G4M6 Hayabusa, 8000
  • H2H2 Zuin, 10000
  • D2F2 Shiden, 6000
  • D3F1 Suiesi, 1000
  • D4M6 Tsurugi, 12000
  • D5M1 Baika, 2000
  • B3M6 Tenzan, 9000
  • B4M2 Amatake, 9000
  • M2F6 Soryu, 12000
  • M4F4 Shokaku, 4000

The naming conventions of the IQNAS are indeed puzzling to some foreign militaries. The A4H2 Hiryu for example, is designated: A, for fighter, 4, for the fourth in IQN service, H for Nakajima Hatsuo AC, the producer of the plane, 2 for the second type of the model in service, and Hiryu (flying dragon) for the name of the aircraft. The IQNAS uses a wide variety of planes, and doctrine dictates that different size carriers must use different proportions of aircraft. Furthermore, it is Questarian doctrine for planes to boast high manevourability and long range over payload, speed, or advanced electronics that other aircraft may offer. Pilots are given rigorous training, and often have the chance to perform in combat against insurgents and rebellions. To the Questarian pilot, discipline is the most important factor of personal contribution, and maneouvrability the most important factor of a plane. This is probably why the attack on the the Doomani capital grade ship Romulus was so successful, as torpedo bomber pilots advanced with ruthlessness and discipline that the Doomani’s did not expect from an “inferior race.”

Force Composition

  • Superheavy Carriers: 25% Fighter, 25% Dive Bomber, 25% Torpedo Bomber, 25% Missile Bomber
  • Heavy Carriers: 25% Fighter, 25% Torpedo Bomber, 50% Dive Bomber
  • Medium Carriers: 80% Missile Bomber, 10% Torpedo Bomber, 10% Fighter
  • Light Carriers: 80% Fighter, 20% Torpedo Bomber

Hikokitai (Carrier Groups)

Each carrier will have its planes set up into wings – Hikotai – led by a wing leader Hikotaicho. Then, all planes of the respective duty will be set up into either attack groups – Hikobuntai – or air brigades Hikodan. Fighters are put into Hikodan and bombers into Hikobuntai. A Hikobuntai / Hikodan may vary in size from one Hikotai to four Hikotai, but generally while Hikotai is a permanent organisation of either 12 fighters or 24 bombers, Hikobuntai and Hikodan are reorganised based on the mission and depending on how many waves will be used in an assault. Finally, all the Hikobuntai and Hikodan are put into:

  • Hikojo Chutai (Air Company – Light Carrier),
  • Hikojo Daitai (Air Battalion – Medium Carrier),
  • Hikosentai (Air Regiment – Heavy Carrier),
  • Hikoshidan (Air Division – Superheavy Carrier)

For example, a Torpedo Bomber Hikotaicho of the 1st Hikotai, 1st Hikobuntai, 1st Hikoshidan, would be the wing leader of the “first” torpedo bomber in the entire IQNAS Fleet Air Arm. The first division would probably be assigned to the flagship of the Kido Butai Mobile Striking Force. Hikotai, Hikobuntia, and Hikodan vary in size depending on the size of the carrier they are assigned to. For example, the 2nd Hikotai, 4th Hikobuntai, 11th Hikoshidan, assigned to HMS Shokaku¸ may be 24 planes in size, which, assuming the 4th Hikobuntai is the last Hikobuntai onboard, and that there are two Hikotai’s per Hikobuntai, would mean that there are 192 attack aircraft onboard the Shokaku, and secondly that the planner of the battle almost certainly intends there to be four waves of attack. It also signifies that the Shokaku is the 11th superheavy carrier in the IQN, since it carries the 11th Hikoshidan.

Meanwhile, the 1st Hikotai, 2nd Hikoden, 32nd Hikojo Daitai, assigned to HMS Ocean, may be 12 planes in size (take into consideration it could also be 6 planes or even 18 planes depending on the Shokan (Ranking Officer) in charge of the Hikojo Daitai. However, asuming there are 3 Hikoden, and there are 2 Hikotai per Hikoden, this means that this medium carrier is flying at least six missile bombers or fighters and a maximum of 80% of the carriers load, because Hikojo Daitai are assigned to medium carriers and 80% of a medium carrier’s aircraft are Hikoden.

However, there is really no way to tell how many aircraft are in a Hikotai, or a Hikoden or Hikobuntai. The only certain figure is that there will be at least 1 plane per Hikotai, 1 Hikotai per Hikoden/Hikobuntai, and 1 Hikoden and 1 Hikobuntai per carrier. The ranking officer is given almost ultimate control over how he organises his Hikoden, and is only told the targets or type of targets his Company, Battalion, Regiment, or Division has been assigned. For example if the officer of the 11th Hikoshidan has been told to sink the enemy carriers, he will meet with his peers to discuss the best way of doing so. If they decide it is to send three waves of simultaenous dive and torpedo bombers, and hit the enemy with missile bombers while they are dealing with the close range attacks, then he will divide his Hikoshidan into a number of Hikobuntai with a multiple of three. If he splits his bombers into three Hikobuntai, he is going to launch a brutal assault – if he splits his bombers into nine Hikobuntai, he is trying a more flexible approach and giving more breathing room for Hikotai and Hikobuntai commanders. We know this because there are only three waves, which mean with each wave he is launching the same number of aircraft. It just depends on how many aircraft are in a Hikobuntai to judge the way the Hikoshidan commander is going to launch his assault.

For example, if a Hikoshidan was launching an assault on a battleship, the commander would probably use two waves of brutal, all out attacks to overwhelm its defences. However, if he was attacking a carrier, he would launch three to four waves of more flexible and spread out attacks to divert and overstretch enemy fighters. Note this is extremely simplified and it is subject to many factors, not least the number of aircraft the commander has at his disposal or the speed and priority with which the target must be sunk.

Flexible and Brutal Assaults

There are two, and only two, types of assaults on enemy fleets carried out by IQNAS aircraft. These are the Flexible Assault and the Brutal Assault. Generally, Brutal Assaults have less wavs with more aircraft per wave and more aircraft per Hikobuntai, whereas Flexible assaults have more waves with less aircraft per wave and less aircraft per Hikobuntai. Also, Brutal Assault waves last longer and have a longer time inbetween waves, whereas Flexible Assault waves will probably be launched just as the previous wave has finished its assault and is returning.

In a nutshell, the Brutal Assault is a mass concentration of aircraft focusing on overwhelming the target and sinking it by pouring as much payload onto the target as fast as possible. These usually mean less but larger Hikobuntai, and so with more Hikotai per Hikobuntai, usually carried out in two or four waves. Dive bombers and torpedo bombers will advance at their set altitudes with missile bombers probably just above water level to hide themselves from RADAR and launch sea-skimming missiles. These bombers will advance extremely fast and when in range, will engage their attack with speed, discipline, and ferocity. Usually designated planes will hold slightly forward from the rest of their Hikotai, equipped entirely and especially with ECM pods and more flares, to try and stop large missile assaults. Brutal Assaults have the advantage of overwhelming power in a short space of time.

The Flexible Assault is much different. It involves spread out aircraft attacking at different, though synchronised and coordinated, times with multiple waves timed specially to evade and stretch out enemy fighters. These usually mean more but smaller Hikobuntai and so with less Hikotai – where a Brutal Assault of two waves may contain four Hikobuntai with four Hikotai each, two Hikobuntai per wave, a Flexible Assault of four waves, the very minimum, would contain Eight Hikobuntai with two Hikotai each – two Hikobuntai per wave. Also, more priority is given to Hikobuntai Commander planning, which means they may coordinate their attacks on a more personal level. Flexible Assaults usually take place with groups of aircraft attacking on different altitudes at different times, repeating and repeating until the target is sunk. Hikobuntai Commanders will coordinate with each other so the aircraft of each waves attack on different intervals and at different altitudes and directions to that enemy fighters can never find a pattern of assault. Flexible Assaults have the advantage of better plane-for-plane engagement and penetration of fleet defence, mostly CAP.

Generally, both take the same amount of casualties if they sink the target at the same time. Flexible Assaults will take lower casualties if they decide to stretch out their engagements, and Brutal Assaults will take more casualties if they decide to sink their target extremely fast. However, no battle plan is ever the same for the IQNAS as Officer Initiative is encouraged, praised, and well rewarded at every level.

Another popular attack by Questarian forces is the 'WIKIDSWOAT' attack style adopted by Field General Marshal Lord King Comrade Leader Evil1 at the battle of Norwich (where Norwich and London gassed the rest of the isles, except for SNP areas and Southern Ireland on the grounds it was "wikidswoat".