Solomani Confederation (Military)

[Condottiere]

Confederation Navy: Hearts of Iron reflections

Size matters.

The Solomani must have been very confident that there are facilities widespread to handle their fast dreadnoughts, specifically dockyards that can cater to their size and complexity, repair them in case of damage, and rapidly return them to service; the other side of the coin would be that two kay tonne hulls would have similar access to more conveniently sized facilities, and everything in between would just have to use the larger ones, which would be possibly inefficient, being one form of natural attrition.

The Confederation Navy is likely to be able to expand it's Construction Battalions, a subsidiary branch much like the Confederation Marines, rather than entrust this capability to civilian contractors. As the Solomani fleets liberate systems, rapidly or slowly as per the fortunes of war, specialists would be brought in to create repair and operate captured facilities, construct new ones, or bring in mobile facilities. These facilities wouldn't just construct housing for newly arrived liberation forces, and dockyards handle shipping and repair repairs to warships, but also bases for tactical attack starcrafts that would jump to nearby systems, unload their ordnance, and jump back.

It would also bring inhouse the capacity to hollow out planetoids, exerting quite a degree of control of information as to their actual purpose and design, which wouldn't be possible in a civilian shipyard, or miitary one staffed by civilian contractors.

While to simplify categorizations, light cruisers are included under screens, though they could handle independent cruises, and heavy cruisers under capital ships, though that would be pushing, since in an encounter with an actual ship of the line, it would be likely outranged and outgunned, heavy cruisers are mentioned as being built as part of the capitalization of the modern Confederation Navy. Though as no field or administrative formations exist or are mentioned, any commissioned ships are likely independent commands, or at least operate singularly with a high degree of autonomy.

Efficiency would probably lead to most designs being more largish than smallish, hence heavier cruisers. Though for infiltration missions, they might err more on the small side, one way to mislead Imperium intelligence as being counter intuitive.

Since you have a fewer number of a class of ship, that might be in demand from widespread commands, the natural inclination would be to maximize strategic movement, which would make Strike Cruisers the rational design the most likely design that would be constructed, which would give facilitate the deep strike role, and they wouldn't be expected to stand in the line of battle, which is why none are formally attached to a Fleet Squadron, certainly not to a Patrol Squadron, or even their own.

Strike Cruisers aren't battlecruisers, their armament wouldn't be powerful enough though their size would be comparable to the earlier technological level ones, more modern armour shrinks that percentage of the overall tonnage, while the jump drive and bunkerage squeezes available capacity for onboard weapon and defensive systems. They wouldn't have an entourage of their own light cruisers, besides the fact that few if any would be available, and the Confederation Navy doesn't have fleet escorts or destroyers, let alone those that have a factor five jump capability, leaving at best two kay tonne frigates that would be specifically designed to house such engines, which likely would force the Strike Cruiser into the additional role of milchkuh, otherwise you'd need a similarly capable tender to accompany this flotilla.

So it's probable that Strike Cruisers, like the fast dreadnought, are mostly self sustaining.

 

[Condottiere]

Confederation Navy: Hearts of Iron reflections

The Confederation Navy fast dreadnought is in conception closer to an Iowa class, than a Yamato, or any other super heavy battleship that they had on the design boards: it's fast, has just enough firepower to take on a Yamato, and it has battlecruiser lines, being technically a very much upgraded one.

The Confederation fast dreadnought very much resembles a Star Destroyer, though most of the Confederation Navy warships from the War of Imperium Aggression tend to be variations on that theme. While cheaper hull configurations were possible, I think you can put this down to our genetic memory of how absolutely intimidating they look and rule of cool. It would emphasize forward firepower, maybe additional to the flanks, but tend to leave the back somewhat vulnerable, which is where speed would come in play, as they would and should be designed one factor faster than the Imperium standard of six gees. leaving them to decide the engagement range, at least between the two opposing lines of battle.

By it;s solitary nature in terms of lack of support, the Confederation fast dreadnought would have to be large enough not just to stuff everything in, but leverage enough to be master not just a jack of a lot of trades, which removes a lot of the modularity you have with our modern and the then Imperium Navy task forces, where a specialized starwarship would be added to provide certain capabilities, the exceptions being fighter supercarriers and assault carriers, which seem to be spread rather thin on the ground, or space.

While the fast dreadnought would be the Mary Sue of the Solomani starwarships, at the other end of the spectrum, you'll have the Confederation Navy frigates, which would be capped at two kay tonnes, though game design mechanics would make that one thousand nine hundred and ninety nine, plus two pop up turrets, which would effectively give them three volume classes, popping the turrets up and down depending on what was shooting at them at any given turn.

I don't know why this artificial limitation was introduced, it could be that all commercial dockyards within the remaining Sphere can easily accomodate two kay tonnes, making it easy to repair them quickly and cheaply.

Two kay tonnes can only accommodate so much equipment, besides the primary mix of firepower, speed, protection and the jump drive/bunkerage.

You could have a jack of all trades patrol variant, which would work out in peace time for showing the flag, freedom of navigation cruises, and pirate suppression, rather than actual power projection. Could take on an Imperium close escort, but in a naval engagement, it will be easily swatted, whether by attack craft swarms, or anything larger paying attention to it.

So you have the standard hull, and just add what you need for the particular role that frigate is supposed to play, which is beginning to sound an awful lot similar to the Littoral Combat Ship; maybe I should look into making it a heavily modularized design. Minimum performance would still be factor seven manoeuvre drive and four parsec range, with one variant having five parsecs.

Confederation frigates would be highly specialized, and they would have to pick up the slack that having a lack of cruisers would give, which mostly are considered jacks of all trades, except those designed primarily as anti aircract area defence, or arsenal ships for missile bombardment. I wondered if the nomenclature would be patrol ship, but I think that if the accepted size of a destroyer starts at three kay, the modern definition of a frigate as a downgraded destroyer would apply. Propagandawise, it probably roles off the tongue better.

Primarily patrol role ships would be designated as general purpose frigates, which would have to have some form of troop contingent onboard.

Fleet Squadron escorts would be scout frigates, since that would be the main concern of the commanding admiral, knowing where everything is and what to expect; maybe reconnaissance frigate sounds better. Stealthed versions would probably be operated by the Solomani Security.

I'd be tempted to say that there would be an anti aerospacecraft variant, but I don't see that need for Fleet Squadrons, though member world navies might have ships specialized in that role.

On the other hand, anti submarine warfare frigates, or frigates whose role is to detect and engage stealthed ships, whether this is by hull configuration and/or radiation emission control, or just lurking within the atmosphere of gas giants; the best I can come up with is Anti Stealth Warfare.

Then you'd have those equipped for interstellar exploration and system surveys, though I think this might be one area that they'll use refurbished legacy cruisers for, or off the shelf commercial ships.

I think I would be a lot more curiouser, whether as a civilian or an intelligence officer, if one of those rare warbirds showed up, a Confederation Navy cruiser, than even a fast dreadnought, since they would be tasked with specific missions, rather than having a roving commission.

 

[Condottiere]

Confederation Authorized Volunteer Armed Regional Lorried Yeomanry

Personal Development
1. Strength +1
2. Dexterity +1
3. Endurance +1
4. Gambling
5. Melee
6. Jack of All Trades

Comments: the first three are physical statistics that most, if not all, close combat forces tend to develop; gambling seems to be an activity the military tends to spend a lot of their leisure time on, carousing being perhaps too politically incorrect to include; the rest of the time they seem to like to do a lot of physical conflict resolution; Jack of All Trades reflects how the CAVALRY is tasked with all sorts of stuff, and tend to be rather reliant upon their own resources.

Service
1. Athletics
2. Vacuum Suit
3. Tactics
4. Heavy Weapons
5. Gun Combat
6. Driver

Comments: nothing controversial, driver reflects their reliance on ground vehicles, as the Army operates grav vehicles, while the Navy compensates with extensive utilization of spacecraft equipped with lifters; to be fair, a CAVALRY Squadron isn't expected to widely range from and within their deployment area.

Advanced Education

Comments: CAVALRY enlistees don't have this option, being more personal development than any formal educational and professional development programme(s) offered by the CAVALRY.

Commissioned Officer

Comments: Commissioned officers are seconded from the Solomani Confederation Marine Corps and the Confederation Navy.

Support
1. Electronics
2. Mechanic
3. Medic
4. Engineer
5. Profession or Education
6. Explosives

Comments: supporters are troopers who have found to have the qualifications or knack to assist the mission and the line units more behind the scenes, or are just chosen at random to perform a specific non combat function.

Shipboard
1. Pilot
2. Gunner
3. Vacuum Suit
4. Electronics
5. Engineer
6. Mechanic

Comments: CAVALRY forces are tasked with a variety of missions, including shipboard troop contingents for merchantmen, if th situation so requires it; each squadron also operates their own starship.

Ground Assault
1. Survival
2. Recon
3. Melee
4. Stealth
5. Gun Combat
6. Heavy Weapons

Comments: close quarters combat, usually dirtside.

Ranks and Bonuses
E0 Recruit - Military etiquette
E1 Trooper - Gun Combat
E2 Corporal - Gun Combat
E3 Sergeant - Leadership
E4 First Sergeant - Administration
E5 (Quarter) Master Sergeant - Broker

 

[Condottiere]

Confederation Authorized Volunteer Armed Regional Lorried Yeomanry

Qualifications
Enlistment roll 5+
Strength 5+
Dexterity 5+
Endurance 5+
Intelligence 5+

Comments:
1. These are the minimums for enlistment.
2. The enlistment role is modified by all the above character attributes.
3. There is no Draft within the Solomani Confederation on a Confederational level; once a year you can apply to as many career paths you want to.
4. For CAVALRY applicants, previous careers or age are not counted as penalties or bonuses, only physical and mental fitness matters.
5. CAVALRY enlistees serve two year terms, at the end of which they can roll to continue, failure means automatic demobilization, success, the applicant can choose to stay or leave, and a natural twelve means a mandatory continuation clause has been activated.
6. If the enlistee has left the service, he can reapply at any time to reenlist at no penalty.
7. The initial term of service is divided normally into two halves, one year of training, and one year of deployment; subsequent terms are always deployment, though garrison duty would provide substantial more downtime, which is why terms are limited to two years, and it's made easy for the enlistee to temporarily leave the service.

Transfer to the Solomani Confederation Marine Corps or Confederation Navy
Transfer roll 10+

Comments:
1. Enlistees can apply to join these services, upon the recommendation of their commanding officer, but pay grade does not transfer.

Survival
Strength 6+
Dexterity 6+
Endurance 6+
Intelligence 6+
Education 6+

Comments:
1. The Dungeon Master narrows it down to three of the above listed character attributes that seem applicable to the situation the enlistee would find himself in; he can then roll using the bonuses of the character attribute he favours to resolve the situation.

Advancement
Advancement roll 9+
Intelligence
Education
Terms served
Paygrade level

Comments:
1. Penalties or bonuses from both the Intelligence and Education attribute apply.
2. Each term served is added as a bonus.
3. Each Paygrade level is minused off as a penalty.

 

[Condottiere]

Confederation Authorized Volunteer Armed Regional Lorried Yeomanry

Mustering Out Benefits: Cash
1. Oops
2. 1'000.-
3. 2'000.-
4. 5'000.-
5. 10'000.-
6. 20'000.-
7. 50'000.-

Mustering Out Benefits: Swag
1. Weapon
2. Random piece of equipment
3. Ground vehicle
4. Electronic gizmo
5. MacGuffin
6. Random character attribute +1
7. Ship share

Comments:
1. CAVALRY units salvage a great deal of equipment that they discover during the course of their deployment, some of which might end up in the character's locker.
2. Two year terms are counted as full terms, however, retirement benefits require a minimum of twenty years of service.

 

[Condottiere]

Confederation Authorized Volunteer Armed Regional Lorried Yeomanry

After the War of Imperium Aggession, the Confederation Navy came to the conclusion that it had been seriously overstretched in attempting to patrol the Confederation's frontiers, consolidate liberated systems, guard the hinterland, and combat the Imperium's battle fleets.

As part of it's reorganization to a more line of battle orientated navy, they asked for and received a mandate to create a new hybrid semi autonomous force that could be used in situations that would deem overkill having Marine contingent, together with accompanying support and naval elements, being despatched, or deployed in a non strategic area.

Thus Confederation Authorized Volunteer Armed Regional Lorried Yeomanry was born.

Twenty training regiments were established, each permitted to develop their own unique military doctrines to most effectively and efficiently use their allocated resources, which weren't extensive, as the Confederation Navy had to divert some of it's budget to pay for the operation of this new organization.

Each regiment created and trained new squadrons to operate both within the interior and along the frontier of the Confederation, with the limitation that none could have an establishment greater than two hundred and ninety nine combatants, with a temporary surge of twenty percent, without direct Inquistorial permission and oversight, which would likely be begrudging, short term, and rare.

No paramilitary force within Confederational jurisdiction may have a greater number of combatants than two hundred and ninety nine, whether sophonts or drones; permanent non combatants may number upto ninety nine; a twenty percent surge in numbers is tolerated, as long as it is temporary in nature, not longer than a season, or ninety days.

This restriction does not apply to home grown paramilitary organizations, as long as they remain on the planet or their origin, but rather those that operate interstallarly.

If two or more CAVALRY squadrons are brigaded together for an operation, a Solomani Security contingent would be attached.

 

[Condottiere]

Confederation Navy: Hearts of Iron reflections

Because I'm fairly familiar as to how the sequence of events are supposed to unfold, even ahistorically, I tend to let the French navy rush in, pinning the enemy, and letting them attrition their screening forces.

In theory, screening forces would be a flotilla of destroyers commanded from a light cruiser, an upgrade from the destroyer leader; outside a multi system league or a rather rich world, at best you'd have a composite flotilla from worlds fulfilling their feudal obligations.

Of course, the Confederation Navy conducts extensive exercises with these forces, and subsidizes them where necessary; they can leverage these auxiliary forces local knowledge to discover any tactical advantage that may give the Confederation Navy commander on the scene.

Beyond the immediate frontier, both the Confederation Navy units and their accompanying auxiliary forces are likely to be equally clueless, their enthusiasm probably tapped by increased distance from their home world and their realization of their role as meatshields.

Fleet Squadrons would be foolish to rely on a variable quality of auxiliary units to keep small and intermediate enemy combatants at a respectable distance, and would carry their own contingent of fleet defenders, as opposed to light and medium fighter squadrons, which would be part of the auxiliary forces, since that would be more to make up the numbers, though I like the concept of Marine Aerospace squadrons fulfilling that role.

While there might be more in the Strategic Reserve, on the frontline, the ratio of supercarrier to dreadnought is one to eighteen, so this is a pretty clear case where member worlds can contribute relatively inexpensively, as it's likely that fighters during war time would be manufactured by Confederation contracted production lines, and all they have to provide is a carrier with jump four capability if accompanying the Fleet, and trained warm bodies.

 

[Condottiere]

Confederation Authorized Volunteer Armed Lorried Regional Yeomanry

The foundation of the CAVALRY system are the twenty regimental depots distributed around the Confederation, that establish and equip squadrons, and tend to reflect the prevailing doctrines that that regimental command currently embraces.

There are two basic types of squadrons, the training squadrons that recruits are placed into, to familiarize them with the military culture, specifically that of the CAVALRY, and provide them with basic and advanced training to become competent soldiers able to apply the CAVALRY way of war. As applicants sign up for two year terms, their second year would be a short deployment to a frontier posting to digest and have have a practical experience of their newly acquired skills.

The second basic type of squadron would be the more common one, of reenlistees who won't need that initial year of training, and whose squadrons are immediately sent to their deployment for the next two years.

After the end of the two year deployment, squadrons are dissolved, and any reenlistees are kept together to form the cadre of a new squadron, whose numbers would be made up by returnees, or possibly the cadre of another dissolved squadron.

Returnees are former CAVALRY troopers who didn't immediately reenlist upon the end of their term of service, and as long as remain mentally and physically fit, can apply at any time for reenlistment for a two year term of service, not necessarily at their original CAVALRY regiment.

 

[Condottiere]

Confederation Authorized Volunteer Armed Lorried Regional Yeomanry: Comments

I suppose I could work on the Marine Corps, the Navy, and the Army, but those would be largely my take on them, and aren't my creation.

The CALALRY is a Corps, pretty much in the sense that the Marines are a Corps, a body of men and units belonging to a subsidiary organization to one of the primary military services.

Whereas the other three would be trained and equipped to a lavish degree, squadrons of the CAVALRY Corps are very much budget orientated and cost conscious, hence two year forward deployment tours of duty, which personal experience tells me is enough.

Troopers can ask to be discharged anywhere, one way the Confederation hopes to build up experienced ex military personnel along the frontier.

They're pretty much meant to be in the area deployed force playing cowboys and Indians with the Aslan, trying to intercept and interdict their nomadic behaviour, preferably in space before they can do some claim jumping, or on the ground, when they have to dislodge their colonists, should the local Home Guard be unable to do so, or call for help if it becomes overwhelming.

You could repeat this along three quarters of the frontier, though the Aslan seem to be the most egregious. Facing the Solomani Rim, however, it literally is to screen the movements of the Fleet Squadrons from Imperium Navy reconnaissance and scouts, unless it's meant to be a demonstration of force, in which case you want the battleships to be seen and reported.

They are limitanei, the auxilary soldiers on the frontier districts, that allow the Confederation to consolidate most of their mobile assets in Fleet Squadrons to act as comitatus when necessary, or just quietly move into staging areas, when the time is right.

I thought that it might be possible to emphasize a binary organization,but at the squadron level, remembering the old Westerns, the thought occurred to me that someone had to be left to guard the fort, or in this case, the squadron depot, with all those non combatants; that meant at least a square formation, as guard duty revolved through each of the line units, and formed a source for replacement personnel if another unit lost too many of their personnel, temporarily or permanently.

Non combatants can be any one from dependents that personnel had received permission to take along during the tour, to specialists seconded from the Marines or Navy, sent along to keep the place running, without requiring their participation in combat.

The less savory missions would be stuff like peace keeping, more rural than urban, which would require the deployment of more conditioned Confederation Army and Home Guard units.

 

[Condottiere]

Confederation Authorized Volunteer Armed Lorried Regional Yeomanry

Because, you know, sponsored by the Navy, and they're a mounted unit.

It's quite possible that they're two most prominent pieces of equipment would be motor cycles and the carbine variant of the advanced combat rifle, though considering the ubiquity of the ACR, maybe just that.

 

[Condottiere]

Confederation Authorized Volunteer Armed Lorried Regional Yeomanry

It's claimed the ideal size of a cavalry squadron is one hundred and twenty eight troopers, but that has more to do with pre-radio span of control and formation keeping, both on the battlefield and the parade ground.

The more classical approach could be to divide it into ten troops of twenty nine each, with the first troop made up of veterans in battle dress, troops Baker, Charlie, Delta and Easy being tactical line; the rest designated as reserve, but Fox and Gamma having motor cycle and pilot zero trainees, Hotel close assault trainees, Juliet heavy weapons trainees and Kilo CAVALRY recruits learning reconnaissance and sniping, if specific training squadrons aren't established.

The remaining nine slots would be for the Squadron Captain, the Chaplain, the Armourer, the Librarian, the Apothecary, the Mechanicus Engineer, the Adjutant, the Pilot Major, and the Aquilifer.

The troop could be divided into the Lieutenant, the troop sergeant, the vox caster bearer, the medic, and five five man squads.

 

[Condottiere]

Confederation Authorized Volunteer Armed Lorried Regional Yeomanry: Comments

At some point, it was discovered that four people made the optimally sized fire team; I think it came with the introduction of the jeep.

Teams can be anywhere from two to six people, I would guess most team leaders in the middle of combat have a pretty good grip of what the other three he's responsible for are doing at any one time.

Squad and section can be used interchangeably, though squad has a more modern ring to it; the squad leader combines supervision with exemplary conduct, though in more intimate settings, he may find himself being the senior team leader of a two team squad. Squad sizes seem very much tied into tactical considerations, specifically vehicle capacity rather than doctrine, though to be fair, this may be the tier where face to face communications is the driving factor.

You can have large squads, with attached specialist teams, but at that point it's a mini platoon; one advantage of stuffing in more fire teams is the inevitable attrition, and provision for the capability of the squad to fulfill expected missions or tasks; I don't remember the statistics, but six members was supposed to be the bare minimum. It probably helps if you can shift personnel around without friction to maintain capability.

Depending on definition, troops can be platoon sized or company sized, or even be two companies in an earlier era. Platoons are supposedly commanded by someone trained to understand what's going on, knows what he's doing, understands what's the supposed expected outcome, and is authorized to carry it out. Paradoxically, he's assigned to this command to acquire useful administrative and combat experience. When companies were the fundament of military organization, and lieutenants an extension of the company commander's span of control, this was a lot less relevant.

If at one time platoons were considered half a company, being sized fifty members makes sense; also the reason why you had the terms first and second lieutenant, denoting seniority. Attrition and a lack of qualified commanders, but well trained squad leaders may tend to favour larger sized platoons. We'll assume there's an abundance of SCMC junior officers to fill up platoon command slots, and a need to split up the squadron to perform a variety of missions, plus a willingness to move personnel around fill out any recently acquired gaps, so troops are going to be more on the smallish side, if only for the number of fire teams.

Twenty four troopers, not counting specialists and command, is an interesting size for a platoon, since it could be subdivided into two times twelve, three times eight, four times six, six times four.

 

[Condottiere]

Confederation Authorized Volunteer Armed Lorried Regional Yeomanry: Comments

Equipping the CAVALRY Squadron could be a pretty fun exercise in minimalism, until you start considering associated expenses, and precisely how opportunity cost works.

The baseline is the Advanced Combat Rifle, which most assuredly the Confederation would get all Home Guard ground units to adopt, even if they heavily subsidized it.

The Gauss Rifle only costs fifty percent more, and technological level twelve is well within their industrial base capability, it has more to do with the ability of the local Home Guards to maintain the side arm and produce ammunition for it, and we can assume a technologically advanced world of twelve can afford to manufacture Gauss Rifles to equip their forces, if that's what they wanted to do.

I don't recall if it's covered in this edition, but really massive production at a higher technological level than introduction, makes the manufacturing cost a helluvalot cheaper, so the Confederation can just shower member worlds' militia with it, if it served their purpose as the first line of local ground defence.

Since it's an option, they're also likely to opt issuing heavier slugged variants, to overcome better protected opposition, and a carbine variant for close quarters, with as much commonality as possible between them. It could be a bolter equivalent.

An interesting question would be if at this stage you'd need a squad automatic weapon; suppressive fire isn't likely going to scare off adequately protected forces, one option is just to assign one team member to carry additional barrels, since I'll assume ACR barrels will heat up, and possibly drum magazines and a bipod.

The other option would be laser carbines or rifles, and besides lugging around heavy backpacks, the simplicity of the slug throwing rifle, as well as the increased range, wins out.

The assault rifle as a military weapon would die out even on frontier worlds, leaving a rather more starker division between civilian use and military use; the only way the ACR could be civilized would be to castrate the removable magazine feature, keeping any internal capacity to around fivish, and then it doesn't matter if it can be altered to be automatic or not. A semi automatic Advanced Hunting Rifle.

I'll assume that the ammunition could be used in a bolt action rifle, so probably only minor alterations there.

Then you have to consider if Advabce Combat Rifle ammunition is actually technological level ten, in which case, an earlier industrial base can easily manufacture it.

At technological level fourteen, not that the CAVALRY Corps would normally operate at that level, the Advance Combat Rifle would seem to be like a Kalashnikov, rugged, widely available, and easy to use. The Gauss Rifle would be however you term the current standard American military side arm.

If you add rifle grenades, at squad and team level, you're only going to need a designated marksman as support, and all that might involve is adding a longer barrel to a well cared for Advanced Combat Rifle.

 

[Condottiere]

Confederation Authorized Volunteer Armed Lorried Regional Yeomanry: Comments

The way the game mechanics work, characters have to specialize; General Issue grunts are going to be told to concentrate on slug throwers for Gun Combat, rather than energy weapons, which would mean that they would need then accelerator rifles for zero gee environments, not that bobbing up and down with large battery backpacks doesn't have a certain piquancy.

Heavy weapons it would be Man Portable, though it's quite possible to mount these on vehicles for extra stability and manoeuverability. A mortar falls under Artillery, though you can angle rifle grenades and autogrenade launchers at forty five degrees for maximum range; mounted, accuracy improves and range would be consistent. Fifty calibre machine guns fall under man portable, and a technological level ten variant could be as effective as a current thirty millimetre autocannon.

Trained snipers probably would use lasers, but they could also have the added mission of forward observer, painting targets.

Next up would be turrets, since in theory you could install quite a lot of stuff in there, subject to volume.

They're CAVALRY, they should be able to use blades, and their weapon of choice would be the entrenching tool with sharpened edges, the sabre being more ceremonial.

 

[Condottiere]

Confederation Authorized Volunteer Armed Lorried Regional Yeomanry: Organization

T0 Recruit
T1 Trooper
T2 Lance Sergeant
T3 Sergeant
T4 [specialization] Sergeant
T5 Troop Sergeant
T6 Sergeant Major
T7 Quartermaster Sergeant Major
T8 Regimental Sergeant Major
T9 Sergeant Major General of the CAVALRY Corps

Recruit - Freshman year, first term; basic and advanced trainee.

Trooper - Second year, first term onwards; qualified soldier.

Lance sergeant - non commissioned officer; lance leader.

Sergeant - non commissioned officer; section leader.

[specialization] Sergeant - non commissioned officer; specialist: colour, flight, technical, signals, gunnery, staff, provost, sapper, supply.

Troop Sergeant - warrant officer; troop leader.

Sergeant Major - warrant officer; squadron senior warrant officer and non commissioned officer.

Quartermaster Sergeant Major - warrant officer; brigade senior warrant officer and non commissioned officer; regional supervisor and coordinator.

Regimental Sergeant Major - warrant officer; regimental senior warrant officer and non commissioned officer.

Sergeant Major General of the CAVALRY Corps - warrant officer; CAVALRY senior warrant officer and non commissioned officer; CAVALRY Corps interests advocate.

 

[Condottiere]

Confederation Authorized Volunteer Armed Lorried Regional Yeomanry: Organization

These are brevet ranks of commissioned officers seconded mostly from the Solomani Confederation Marine Corps and Comfederation Navy.

B0 Cornet
B1 Lieutenant
B2 Captain
B3 Captain Major
B4 Captain General
B5 Colonel in Chief
B6 Sky Marshal

Cornet - officer candidate; practical experience and on the job training.

Lieutenant - troop commander; staff assignment.

Captain - squadron commander.

Captain Major - senior squadron commander of a CAVALRY brigade.

Captain General - senior squadron commander of a CAVALRY division.

Colonel in Chief - patron, titular regimental commander; usually long standing association with regiment.

Sky Marshal - patron, nominal CAVALRY Corps commander.

 

[Condottiere]

Confederation Authorized Volunteer Armed Lorried Regional Yeomanry: Organization

[specialization] Sergeant - skill level two; trained personnel.

Armourer - mechanics two

Chief Steward - steward two

Colour Sergeant - five terms

Data Sergeant - electronics/computer two

Electronic Warfare Sergeant - electronics/sensors two

Engineering Sergeant - engineering/power plant two

Flight Sergeant - pilot/smallcraft two

Gunnery Sergeant - gunner/turret two

Medical Sergeant - medical/first aid two

Motor Pool Manager - mechanics two

Provost Sergeant - investigate two

Sapper Sergeant - explosives two

Signals Sergeant - electronics/communications two

Sniper Sergeant - gun combat/slug thrower three

Staff Sergeant - administration two

Technical Sergeant - mechanic two


Qualified personnel are invited to inhabit these slots.

 

[Condottiere]

Confederation Authorized Volunteer Armed Lorried Regional Yeomanry: Organization

Lance - team of four troopers, led by a lance sergeant or a sergeant.

Section - two lances, led by a sergeant; may have additional weapon teams and support personnel assigned.

Troop - nominally three sections, led by a troop sergeant and commanded by a lieutenant; may have additional weapon teams and support personnel assigned.

Squadron - upto two hundred and ninety nine combatants and ninety nine non combatants permanently assigned, led a sergeant major and commanded by a captain.

Brigade - two to ten squadrons and/or equivalent allied contingents or private military contracted units, commanded by the senior squadron captain, assisted by a Solomani Security liaison, with requisite support units.

Division - anything larger, commanded by a captain general; this would be a remarkably rare occurrence, and would require quite an infusion of supporting elements to make it viable as an independent task force.

 

[Condottiere]

Confederation Military: Brevet Rank Tiers


B0 Officer Candidate
B1 Junior Officer
B2 Tactical Officer
B3 Operational Officer
B4 Senior Operational Officer
B5 Flag Officer


Ground Forces

B0 Cadet
B1 Second Lieutenant
B2 First Lieutenant
B3 Lieutenant Colonel
B4 Brigadier
B5 Field Marshal


Naval Forces

B0 Midshipman
B1 Sub Lieutenant
B2 Lieutenant Commander
B3 Frigate Captain
B4 Commodore
B5 Marshal at Space


Solomani Confederation Marine Corps

B0 Third Lieutenant
B1 Second Lieutenant
B2 First Lieutenant
B3 Lieutenant Colonel
B4 Brigadier
B5 Sky Marshal


Confederation Authorized Volunteer Armed Lorried Regional Yeomanry Corps

B0 Cornet
B1 Lieutenant
B2 Captain
B3 Captain Major
B4 Colonel in Chief
B5 Chief Marshal


Private Military Contractors

B0 Ensign
B1 Lieutenant
B2 Captain
B3 Captain Major
B4 Captain General
B5 Great Captain

 

[Condottiere]

Confederation Authorized Volunteer Armed Lorried Regional Yeomanry: Organization

Lances and sections are the building bricks of a CAVALRY squadron, and each regiment may have developed a different doctrine regarding internal organization; however, every squadron captain has a degree of discretion as to the exact composition of their command, as circumstances change due to the tactical considerations or just plain attrition.

The default lance is composed of three troopers and a team leader, the section six troopers and a junior and and senior team leader, while a CAVALRY troop has a minimum of two sections plus command and support elements; which is very much binary.

Why eight? A Roman contubernium consisted of eight legionaries plus two servants and a mule, and they had centuries to figure it out.

In theory, a section could number between four to fourteen troopers plus a section leader (squads could be larger, but that would seem to impinge into platoon territory); anything smaller could be described as a team, cell, crew, binom or lone wolf.

A troop has a minimum of two rifle sections, upto a maximum of six rifle sections, though the troop commander is likely an experienced officer, if not the squadron captain himself, assisted by a junior officer, plus supporting elements.

Squadron captains have the imperium to hire or levy paramilitary forces, temporarily, if that action is required for them to accomplish the squadron's missions. as long as the total combatant and non combatant numbers do not exceed their authorized establishment.

Combatants can be defined as armed (generally ranged weapon systems) individual elements that have a combat role, whether living sentient or mechanical drone; a horse would be considered a vehicle, whereas a robot that's issued a rifle and is either programmed to utilize it or is remotely controlled would be considered a combatant.

Support personnel on the frontline, armed with ranged weapon systems would be considered as permanent combatants, even if it's purely for self defence purposes; support personnel in bases armed for self defence, such as medical doctors and clerical staff,would be considered temporary combatants; squadrons may have a surge of fifty nine (twenty percent) temporary combatants without a Solomani Security liaison.

No CAVALRY squadron may have an establishment larger than two hundred and ninety nine permanent combatants.

Temporary combatants may be hired or levied for not longer than a season (ninety days), without a Solomani Security liaison.