Solomani Confederation (Military)

[Condottiere]

Confederation Navy: Monitor Class Monitors

10. If you're going to invest that amount of capital, you might as well jump straight to a meson spinal mount.

11. And some might note the incongruity of a class of ship that would be used to defend Terra from the First Imperium.

12. Way before the Confederation navy was even formed.

13. An explanation could be they found a secret stash of them, hidden away on some remote moon.

14. I tend to think it was a work programme for lower teched worlds in the Confederation.

15. Though based more or less on the original plans.

16. I tend to think that the original Warrior is now a museum ship, orbitting Home.

17. The Monitor class is meant to provide worlds with lower technological based industries a defensive weapons platform they can easily man and maintain.

18. Also, in the more offensive role, a planetary bombardment platform, that can easily be transported by one of the larger jump shuttles, commercial towing starships, or battle tender.

19. And personnel drafted mostly from lower teched systems.

 

[Condottiere]

Confederation Navy: Monitor Class Monitors

20. The thing about space combat is guesstimating how long a battle will continue.

21. Then how long a starwarship will survive.

22. How to measure if it's still combat effective.

23. Specifically it's primary armament.

24. And are you getting the maximum bang for buck.

25. Generally speaking, if it's ordnance based, at some point you run out of ammunition.

26. Not to mention, ammunition is comparatively more expensive than regeneratable energy.

27. If you think that the engagement will be prolonged, and the primary weapon to all intents and purposes functional.

28. Then you opt for an energy based weapon system.

29. If the engagement is or will be curtailed, and the primary weapon likely non functional for whatever reason, then ordnance based.

 

[Condottiere]

Confederation Navy: Monitor Class Monitors

30. Since this is Traveller, it means looking at the costs of building a starwarship.

31. Battlecruisers are usually expensive, and the way they ae classically configured, not meant to stay long in the range of an opponent with similar armament.

32. Whereas a ships of the line is meant to slug it out with their opposite numbers, until something gives.

33. A railgun spinal mount has medium range, so either it has to close with the enemy, or the enemy has to come closer.

34. There's a gap between this and the other two energy based spinal mounts, which have long range.

35. At technological level ten, you only have factor three manoeuvre drives.

36. Against higher teched opponents, you can't run, and they are likely to determine the range.

37. Factor twelve rocket boosters, plus requisite fuel tank.

38. Or, more likely, factor three rocket boosters with sixty percent economy.

39. Which actually doesn't sound bad for utilizing Warrior's ten percent jump fuel tank.

 

[Condottiere]

Confederation Navy: Monitor Class Monitors

40. Let's use the Empress Troyhune as comparison.

41. Sixteen gigastarbux and a factor two meson spinal mount.

42. Forty two kilotonne ironick lightened planetoid, eighteen and nine tenths kay hull points, one hundred twenty six megastarbux.

43. Twenty percent wastage, plus ten percent crystaliron factor eight hull armour, fifty and two fifths megastarbux.

44. Fifty percent factor six railgun spinal mount, three gigastarbux, three kay power points.

45. Three percent factor three manoeuvre drives, twelve and three fifths kay power points, twenty five and one fifth hundred megastarbux.

46. Energy budget, basic eight and two fifths kay power points, thrust twelve and three fifths kay power points, railgun three kay power points.

47. Twenty four kay power points.

48. Early fusion reactors, six percent, twelve hundred sixty megastarbux.

49. 6'956.4 megastarbux, at eighty nine percent capacity

 

[Condottiere]

Confederation Authorized Volunteer Armed Long Range Yeomanry


Shipboard contingent


Paygrade C3 Watchmaster -

Paygrade C4 Scoutmaster -

Paygrade C5 Quartermaster -


Sailing master - astrogation zero plus, pilot zero plus, engineering zero plus, electronics zero plus, mechanics zero plus, vacuum suit zero plus, administration zero plus

Webmaster - chief communications and network specialist

Burgomaster - chief culinary officer

Drillmaster

Ironmaster - armourer

Loadmaster - loading, transport and unloading of cargoes

Truckmaster

Dockmaster - chief medical officer

Paymaster

Spymaster - chief intelligence officer

Bushmaster

Bandmaster

Brewmaster

Postmaster

Taskmaster

Stationmaster

Workmaster


Pilot - pilot zero required; likely seconded from the Confederation Navy; probably three per transport

Engineer - engineering zero required; likely seconded from the Confederation Navy; depends very much on the volume of the engineering compartment

Gunner - gunnery zero required; likely seconded from the Confederation Navy and/or Confederation Marines; one assumes about one hundred fifty percent of hardpoints

Astrogation - astrogation zero required; likely seconded from the Confederation Navy; you only need one per starship

Mechanic - mechanic zero required; likely seconded from the Confederation Navy, though this seems such a ubiquitous skill, could be anyone who knows what they are doing

Electronician - electronics zero required; likely seconded from the Confederation Navy, though besides ensuring that the software gets updated, more concerned with network security, remote operations, communications and sensors

Command Element

Captain - commanding officer

Staff
paygrade C5
Quartermaster - logistics
Paymaster - administration
Spymaster - intelligence
Taskmaster - operations
[Sailing Master - starship commander]

paygrade C4
Dockmaster - squadron surgeon
Drillmaster - training and readiness
Ironmaster - armourer
Webmaster - communications
Scoutmaster - troop leader, section commander, ten authorized

paygrade C3
Watchmaster - patrol leader, twenty five authorized
Signaller
Technician
Engineer

paygrade C2
Lancer - cell leader, seventy five authorized
Electronician
Mechanician
Sapper

paygrade C1
Trooper - one hundred fifty authorized

paygrade C0
Volunteer - recruit

 

[Condottiere]

Solomani Confederation Navy

Branch
Arm

Solomani Confederation Exploration Corps
Scientific
Flight
Human Resources
Security

Solomani Confederation Marine Corps

Solomani Confederation Construction Corps

Confederation Authorized Volunteer Armed Long Range Yeomanry

Solomani Confederation Space Cadet Corps

 

[Condottiere]

Confederation Navy: Monitor Class Monitors

50. The rules say that large ships can get by with a third of their listed crews.

51. I don't recall any exceptions, though I would suppose that you round up.

52. Considering that a third of an astrogator isn't going to be too helpful.

53. So logic should triumph.

54. And then we come to the gunnery division.

55. Going by the current rule set, a bit tough to have seventy gunners handle two hundred ten turrets.

56. Concurrently.

57. Exceptionally, this might work with a spinal mount.

58. But outside spinals mounted as planetary defences, they can only be embedded in five kay plus hulls in any event.

59. So the issue is murky.

 

[Condottiere]

Confederation Navy: Monitor Class Monitors

60. Ordnance costs money.

61. And that twenty tonne ball bearing is a fifth of a megastarbux.

62. You'll want to make every volley count, if only to placate the bean counters.

63. Each railgun spinal mount has an internal magazine of five slugs.

64. Assuming the rules don't come to the logical conclusion that range is practically infinite, and stick to medium range maximum.

65. Planetary bombardment has to be done via a flyby, like a strategic bomber.

66. You calculate how long your planetary passby lasts, and that's how many potential balls you can drop on planetary targets.

67. Do dogfight rules apply if the passby is within ten kilometres, or there is an enemy spacecraft within ten kilometres?

68. I think yes and no; the turrets and bay weapons can react that fast.

69. But the spinal mount still needs six minutes to reload, aim and fire.

 

[Condottiere]

Confederation Navy: Monitor Class Monitors

70. You still have the other two hundred and ten hardpoints.

71. While my gut would say to just fill them with triple pulse laser turrets, to act as both anti small craft and missile defence.

72. I think that it might be a better idea to allocate half of the available hardpoints with missile or torpedo launchers.

73. This would resolve the range factor to some extent.

74. Though unless there's constant resupply, at some point you run out of either missiles or torpedoes.

75. As a concept, the Monitor class can be parked a long time in orbit, but requires a fairly rapid decision in battle against a near peer opponent.

76. As a bombardment ship, it's calculated in that it would approach the more or less stationary target and fire off the railgun for a set period of time before moving out of range.

77. With a factor three manoeuvre drive, it would be hard to pin down a faster opponent.

78. However, if the opponent was forced to defend a fixed point in space, these starwarships are a pretty good option.

79. At least to soften up the opposition, before the main task force is committed.

 

[Condottiere]

Confederation Navy: Monitor Class Monitors

80. The gunnery division would have a base complement of four hundred twenty gunners.

81. Led by a division commander, twenty one officers, twenty two administrators, four medics, and six stewards.

82. Armament divided by function and range could allow a smaller gunnery division to concentrate on one task, and switch to another as either the range changed and/or one set of magazines ran dry.

83. While I don't recall coming across anything regarding fixedly mounted weapon systems and manning, outside of the pilot pointing the nose in the correct direction, missile and/or torpedo launchers embedded that way should be possibly centrally controlled, which may mean a single person pushing the button after selecting a target.

84. It's not mentioned, but presumably embedding torpedo cradles does allow access to an autoloader, like missile launchers have.

85. The assumption is, that space battles start at zero velocity.

86. By the Fifty Sixth Century, manoeuvre drive factor three would be considered a liability for a ship of the line.

87. Doctrine would be for such a ship, or group thereof, to entre battle at a running start, calculated tp intercept the opposing line of battle, and still have enough potential velocity to circle back to it's starting point.

88. Battle would be a series of encounters, assuming the opposing fleet is interested to reengage.

89. Or they could match velocities, which allow continuous exchanges of volleys.

 

[Condottiere]

Confederation Navy: Monitor Class Monitors

90. For a stationary target, or one with a fixed course, a drive by shooting will probably be for only one combat round.

91. Though that probably applies for (starwar)ships passing in the night (or the blackness of space), as well.

92. Likely, only one six minute combat round will allow medium to adjacent range, before being long range for the previous or following rounds.

93. For planets with atmospheres, or even ones without, you can pass through the thermosphere at short range.

94. That does give the option for a called shot.

95. I suspect that the total encounter maybe ten combat rounds, from distant range to distant range.

96. That's basically ten rounds of torpedo or missile exchanges, considering that the Monitors won't have hefty secondary energy weapon systems.

97. I should point out that I'm not a mathematician, so my back of an envelope calculations may be (way) off.

98. Though I'm quite sure that with a drive by shooting, there's only on combat round where you go from medium to adjacent to medium.

99. Which is why in this scenario, you only get to shoot the railgun spinal mount once.

 

[Condottiere]

Confederation Authorized Volunteer Armed Long Range Yeomanry: Organization

60. Having considered the matter, having exactly three hundred men and officers would only be accorded to elite Solomani ground units.

61. Confederation Marine companies would be authorized exactly three hundred Marines, though they might not be exactly up to strength.

62. CAVALRY units accorded elite status would be rare, if non existent.

63. Any CAVALRY trooper that capable will either be promoted, or recommended to transfer to the Marines or the Army.

64. However, during a general war, these units may appear, possibly as the no one in the unit wants to leave it.

65. Attrition, either by normal operations or by combat, would ensure that very rarely unit numbers would reach authorized strength.

66. You could have the Immortals option, in that pre selected candidates would be prepared from other units or regimental depot training battalions to fill in for fallen comrades.

67. Assuming Fleet Squadrons of six fast dreadnaughts, then you could have eleven three hundred men companies, one in each dreadnought, one each in four support ships, joined by four support and one battalion headquarters company, and I suppose a further reinforced company for detachments to smaller starwarships in the Fleet Squadron, or to keep track of detachments that are onboard ships that are temporarily assigned to the squadron.

68. Each CAVALRY regiment could have an Honour Guard of three hundred veteran troopers, detachments could be temporarily assigned to specific squadrons to fulfil specific missions.

69. I kinda think that unlike Marines, which could more or less smoothly integrate with different Marine units, CAVALRY troopers find that more difficult, which s why during the deployment they tend to stay with their originally assigned squadron, even if decimated and joined by other CAVALRY squadrons from the same regiment.

 

[Condottiere]

Battalion Tactical Groups

1. CAVALRY regiments don't have them, since they lack the organic artillery and heavy armoured assets.

2. In theory, you should be able to generate three from an upto strength mechanized or armoured division.

3. Maybe from a tank one.

4. Practically, only two, due to likely manning and equipment shortages.

5. In actuality, only one, and reportedly, due to fudging of manning levels and shrinkage in the inventories, might not be fully upto strength, either.

6. Supposedly nine hundred men, built around a mechanized infantry battalion, heavily reinforced by artillery, anti aircraft, reconnaissance elements, and a company of tanks.

7. Someone commented, to my surprise, that it's a very subtle instrument, that requires a very experienced commander and staff to use optimally, and correctly.

8. Compared to my perception that like most Soviet formations, it was a very blunt instrument.

9. Rather top heavy, with the artillery just battering the opponent until the mobile elements can overrun their positions.

 

[Condottiere]

Battalion Tactical Groups

10. As I understand it, the battalion tactical group was meant to be a stop gap until the Russian army reorganized itself, back from brigade centric to divisional.

11. Due to corruption and ineptitude, that hasn't really happened, regardless of appearances.

12. Also, one of those dictator's dilemmas, in that you can't really have a competent, integrated military, in case they decide to putsch.

13. It seemed that the battalion tactical group concept actually worked for the Russians, which might explain that no one involved felt any urgency to change it.

14. Probably in the small war campaigns such as Syria and the then ongoing insurgency in Ukraine post Twenty Fourteen.

15. Not when you mass two thirds or three quarters available from differing divisions and separate brigades, along three different fronts.

16. Whose staffs and commanders haven't really worked with each other, and the chain of command seems to extend first back to their parental units, as well as their logistical tail.

17. Which seems really starved, when you compare it to what it apparently should support at the teeth end.

18. Depending on analysis, conservatively twenty five percent of the original invasion force has been wiped out, casualties and materiel, at least in terms of battalion tactical groups still considered cohesive and not actually destroyed.

19. A more liberal interpretation is that half the materiel in total, about a third of Russia's frontline combat tanks, have been destroyed or captured, with an unknown number currently inoperable, and from the estimated twelve kay reserves, maybe half still exist and half of those may be salvageable, not counting the Tee Thirty Fours.

 

[Condottiere]

Battalion Tactical Groups

20. So, how does that affect us in Traveller?

21. There's a reason that NATO appears to have gone with the Brigade Combat Team.

22. Pound for pound, it has less firepower, but that's combined with a more balanced force structure.

23. And certainly at brigade level, a senior commander and staff qualified to lead an all arms force.

24. That's has been trained and equipped to work together, as well as with allied forces.

25. Most Traveller mercenary forces do not have the the money to equip a reinforced battalion as per battalion tactical group.

26. Not to mention shipping costs.

27. Well, maybe the Friedlanders, but they are Germanic and their specialty is armoured combat.

28. And being German, they probably know what they are doing.

29. And as I recall, they had an armoured brigade likely supported by a division of Covenant infantry, and in garrison, a battery of self propelled artillery supporting a regiment of Earth troops.

 

[Condottiere]

Battalion Tactical Groups

30. Considering the cost of such a deployment, this would be a striker ticket.

31. Logistics would be one constraint, though using fusion reactors and energy weapon systems, would sort of solve the issues of fuel and ammunition resupply.

32. Still need ammunition for the ballistic artillery.

33. So it's pretty much smash and grab, getting a decision early.

34. You have organic mechanized infantry, but that's not enough.

35. Should hire an additional battalion or so of motorized infantry, and another battalion or so of light infantry.

36. Either of which could be sourced locally.

37. Especially the light infantry, from around the area of operations, since they would know the terrain.

38. The objective should be achievable, within a more or less short time frame.

39. And reconnaissance, as well as air support, should be by drones, since you should presume everyone has enough anti aircraft weapon systems.

 

[Condottiere]

Confederation Authorized Volunteer Armed Long Range Yeomanry


Shipboard contingent


Paygrade C3 Watchmaster -

Paygrade C4 Scoutmaster -

Paygrade C5 Quartermaster -


Sailing master - astrogation zero plus, pilot zero plus, engineering zero plus, electronics zero plus, mechanics zero plus, vacuum suit zero plus, administration zero plus

Webmaster - chief communications and network specialist

Burgomaster - chief culinary officer

Drillmaster

Ironmaster - armourer

Loadmaster - loading, transport and unloading of cargoes

Truckmaster

Dockmaster - chief medical officer

Paymaster

Spymaster - chief intelligence officer

Bushmaster

Bandmaster

Brewmaster

Postmaster

Taskmaster

Stationmaster

Workmaster


Pilot - pilot zero required; likely seconded from the Confederation Navy; probably three per transport

Engineer - engineering zero required; likely seconded from the Confederation Navy; depends very much on the volume of the engineering compartment

Gunner - gunnery zero required; likely seconded from the Confederation Navy and/or Confederation Marines; one assumes about one hundred fifty percent of hardpoints

Astrogation - astrogation zero required; likely seconded from the Confederation Navy; you only need one per starship

Mechanic - mechanic zero required; likely seconded from the Confederation Navy, though this seems such a ubiquitous skill, could be anyone who knows what they are doing

Electronician - electronics zero required; likely seconded from the Confederation Navy, though besides ensuring that the software gets updated, more concerned with network security, remote operations, communications and sensors

Grandmaster - Grand Admiral

Chapter Master - colonel

Command Element

paygrade C8
Captain - commanding officer

paygrade C7
Cornet - troop commander
Ascended Master - commissioned warrant officer

Staff
paygrade C5
Quartermaster - logistics
Paymaster - administration
Spymaster - intelligence
Taskmaster - operations
[Sailing Master - starship commander]

paygrade C4
Dockmaster - squadron surgeon
Drillmaster - training and readiness
Ironmaster - armourer
Webmaster - communications
Scoutmaster - troop leader, section commander, ten authorized
Master at arms - military police

paygrade C3
Watchmaster - patrol leader, twenty five authorized
Signaller
Technician
Engineer

paygrade C2
Lancer - cell leader, seventy five authorized
Electronician
Mechanician
Sapper

paygrade C1
Trooper - one hundred fifty authorized

paygrade C0
Volunteer - recruit

 

[Condottiere]

Battalion Tactical Groups

40. I don't envision the Confederation Army configure their heavy formations that way.

41. Especially since they'll be using gravitationally motored armoured fighting vehicles, flying nap of the earth.

42. Battalion sized battle groups could be detached from the brigade combat teams, but still be more or less balanced, and can call on for support from them.

43. Extensive use of reconnaissance elements, both manned and drones, to map out the terrain and locate enemy forces.

44. While I tend to think that there would be equal numbers of mechanized (heavy) infantry and tank elements, that would be supplemented by an equal number of medium infantry from nearby Home Guard planetary forces, and light forces, especially specialized environment units.

45. While cooperation is expected from the Confederation Navy, in terms of aerospace superiority, satellite reconnaissance, close support and ortillery, the well prepared brigadier general has his own resources to fall back on.

46. Direct fire weapon systems, such as vehicle, anti aircraft and point defence, should be heavily biased towards energy based cannons.

47. They should retain the option to saturate a wide area with cluster munitions.

48. Loiter munitions would include suicide drones and mines that could pop up and take out low flying gravitated vehicles.

49. Also, enough food so that the troops aren't forced to live off the land.

 

[Condottiere]

Battalion Tactical Groups

50. As for the CAVALRY, if the situation calls for one or more formations with that amount of firepower, you call in the Confederation Army.

51. If regimental staff is aware deployment requires that amount of force, and the Army cannot, or will not, commit units, they might arrange a reinforced expeditionary group.

52. CAVALRY squadrons are supposed to be self reliant, but in this case, one of the Beta squadrons is reconfigured as a supply and support unit.

53. They might scrape together ten tanks for a specially set up squadron, plus maintenance and repair troop, made up of any troopers who have had some armoured experience.

54. One mechanized squadron with armoured personnel carriers.

55. One reconnaissance squadron

56. One light squadron, to provide flank protection.

57. One motorized squadron to provide convoy security.

58. One artillery squadron, with medium and heavy bombardment cannons.

59. One precision guided weapons and sensors squadron, to take out stuff that the other ones can't.

 

[Condottiere]

Grandmaster - Grand Admiral

Chapter Master - colonel, usually promoted through the ranks; if no suitable candidates, a Confederation Marine flag officer with extensive history with CAVALRY units

Command Element

paygrade C8
Captain - commanding officer

paygrade C7
Cornet - troop commander
Ascended Master - commissioned warrant officer

Staff
paygrade C5
Quartermaster - logistics
Paymaster - administration
Spymaster - intelligence
Taskmaster - operations
[Sailing Master - starship commander]

paygrade C4
Dockmaster - squadron surgeon
Drillmaster - training and readiness
Ironmaster - armourer
Webmaster - communications
Scoutmaster - troop leader, section commander, ten authorized
Master at arms - military police
Zenmaster - psychological warfare
Brewmaster - artillery
Loadmaster - loading, transport and unloading of cargoes
Burgomaster - culinary

paygrade C3
Watchmaster - patrol leader, twenty five authorized
Signaller
Technician
Engineer

paygrade C2
Lancer - cell leader, seventy five authorized
Electronician
Mechanician
Sapper

paygrade C1
Trooper - one hundred fifty authorized

paygrade C0
Volunteer - recruit