Solomani Confederation (Military)

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Solomani Navy: Task Force Designations

Solomani Navy task force numbering for Fleet Squadrons is as follows:

aa.bb.cc.dd

Where aa is the task force designation, traditionally is the squadron number of the FleetRon, of which one hundred are authorized.

Where bb is the task group number:

0 Command division
1-9 Line of battle divisions, usually only three, and traditionally numbered one to three
11-19 Escort divisions, if any
21-29 Reconnaissance and/or courier divisions
31-39 Logistics divisions
41-49 Carrier divisions, if any
51-59 Assault divisions, if any
61-69 Home Guard naval divisions, if any
71-79 Allied and client state divisions, if any
81-89 Private military contractor divisions, if any

Where cc is the task unit number, major combatants are seen as a holistic whole, as they contain subsidiary craft(s):

0 Flagship, line of battle division
1+ Attached capital ship or major combatant
11-19 Escort ship
21-29 Reconnaissance and/or couriers
31-39 Logistics ships
41-49 Carriers, if any
51-59 Assault ships, if any
61-69 Home Guard ships, if any
71-79 Allied and client state ships, if any
81-89 Private military contractor ships, if any

Where dd is the task element number:

0 Capital ship or major combatant
1-9 Strikecraft squadrons
11-19 Fighter squadrons
21-29 Transport Squadrons

0 Fleet Carrier
101-199 Strikecraft squadrons
201-299 Fighter squadrons
301-399 Transport squadrons

 

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Solomani Army: Motorized Battalion

Considering that the actual purpose of the motorized battalion is to spread the presence of Solomani authority as cheaply as possible with indigenous resources, three hundred seems too small, and was really, just my go at munchkinning the minimum number, and giving a boundary, that would regulate the size of the next unit size, the company.

A full reinforced motorized battalion will have a more enhanced supervisory level with much larger company command posts, with four or five rifle platoons, and probably as many of those that they have qualified personnel, seconded, hired or recruited, for.

Motorized platoons aren't expected to go into a full scale combat, security and counter insurgency will likely be small firefights with few insurgents. Their primary purpose is to remind the inhabitants that there is a new management, and hinder easy movement of insurgents.

It's an interesting debate as to finding the appropriate size of various military units, taking into account the missions they will be assigned, the equipment they're supposed to carry. the support they can expect and the span of control.

Four three man cells equal to twelve riflemen, plus the platoon command cell and the medium machine gun cell, slightly larger than a USMC squad; you have to remember, that the five drivers are supposed to remain with their jeeps, though you could have a heavy weapon mounted on a pintle on each, that the drivers could use to support the dismounted infantry, somewhat inexpertly. It's meant to contrast with the Imperium Marines, who have Gravitic IFVs, and whose platoons are three times larger. You can split into two sections, which should be appropriate to clear houses, though I'll admit the automatic rifles are going to be a bit in the way for that sort of fast combat.

The mobility for each cell, allows the rapid allocation and concentration of assets.

Equipment selection would be from the dagger, the semi-automatic pistol (the autopistol appears to be the default sidearm in Traveller), the submachinegun for close assault, the automatic rifle, medium machine gun, the heavy machine gun, flak jacket, cloth armour, presumably a helmet, jeep, truck (pickup), truck

For the minimized motorized battalion, I count the following specializations:

1. Rifleman
Automatic rifle, if you don't mind a heavier recoil; lower tech level than either an assault rifle, heavier but longer ranged, or an ACR
Gun combat, melee

2. Driver. messenger, radioman
Drive/wheel, mechanic, jack of all trades

3. Medic
Medic, gun combat

5. Machine gunner
Gun combat, melee

6. Mortar man
Heavy weapons, gun combat

7. Recoilless cannoneer
Heavy weapons, gun combat

8. Man portable missile man
Heavy weapons, gun combat

9. Cook
Steward

10. Sniper
Gun combat, recon, stealth, forward observer

11. Reconnaissance
Recon, stealth, gun combat, investigate

12. Maintenance
Mechanic

13. Assault
Gun combat, melee

14. Quartermaster
Admin, broker

15. Non commissioned officer
Leadership, gun combat, melee, instruction

16. Battalion combat officer
Leadership, tactics, gun combat, melee, forward observer

17. Transport officer
Admin 2

18. Cyberspace officer
Electronics 2

19. Supply officer
Admin 2, broker

20. Battalion surgeon
Medic 2, electronics

21. Adjutant
Admin, diplomat, gun combat

22. Solsec liaison
Diplomat, advocate

23. Intelligence officer
Interrogation, electronics

24. Operations officer
Tactics, gun combat

25 Engineering officer
Combat engineering, explosives, gun combat, mechanic

 

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Confederation Marines: ULTRAMarines

Aliens is one of my favourite films, but there is no way you can reconcile the Colonial Marines with the Confederation Marines.

Except:

Ultra Light Tactical Reaction Auxiliary

Sometimes, the Navy is just left holding the bag.

Their Marine force is meant to either keep trespassers off their ships, or invite themselves on others. Or secure Naval orbital and space facilities, or dissuade others from visiting. Occasionally, they'll pull off either act as a rapid reaction force that will surprise the unwary, or gather enough forces to make a full planetary assault, or at least a continent wide one.

Then they pass over the problem to the Army or SolSec to deal with, at least when it comes to the prolonged counter insurgency or internal security aspect.

Either of which the grav driven battle dressed PGMP armed bleeding edge Marine contingents are overkill for, and a waste of a scarce asset.

So when it appears that no one else is turning up for the party, if only to clean up the place, especially to clean up the place, reluctant to concede the liberated prize back to whoever might still be lurking around who the Navy and the Marines missed in the round up of the usual suspects, the Navy starts hiiring mercenaries or recruiting from suitable indigents to establish a security force.

Solomani Confederation law is quite clear, no paramilitary force of battalion strength may be permanently established, without a charter and a SolSec liaison, a battalion defined as a body of three hundred sophonts plus, inclusive of combat support or civilian equivalents.

The Army is quite used to SolSec involvement, so they have no issue with establishing their own Motorized Battalions to plug the holes of any particular deployment.

The Navy is less sanguine, insisting on a minimal SolSec presence, if not dispensing with them altogether, so their variant remains at company strength, reinforced company strength.

 

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Confederation Marines: ULTRAMarines

Among other differences would be that they're likely to send a Dingir class light cruiser/destroyer leader with a fully reinforced platoon to take a look. if not a company, which would be fully manned and not automated. The Solomani aren't fond of low berths, so everyone will be awake,

Heavily armed and armoured assault shuttle would be the transport norm, but as per agreement with the Army, ground military transport and vehicles are their province, so the IFVs and their crews would need to be seconded from them. It's true that the Marines would have gravved battle dress, but the IFVs would allow them to save power and be the point of recharging the batteries.

A SolSec liaison officer would be onboard, probably with a team of his own. If they wanted to be sure, they'd need him to sign off for the nuclear strike, since any use of a weapon of mass destruction against an inhabited planet is forbidden without sanction from the Navy's political masters, and the SolSec liaison represents their interests.

If it really was politically sensitive, SolSec would have substituted a SPETSNAZ force for the Marines.

Ultra Light Tactical Reaction Auxiliary

The Navy has a certain freedom to hire mercenaries forces, though the battalion rule still applies but usually can be bypassed if they rotate different company sized units in the same operational area, which is convenient, since Solomani mercenary units don't tend to be larger than the aforesaid reinforced company and are quite happy to sign up for a six month tour.

Most mercenary companies operating in Solomani space tend to specialize in one or two aspects of the art of warfare, acting as force multipliers, You can't charge a lot for light infantry, unless they're veterans.

One type of mercenary company that the Navy does hire is one specialized in transportation, providing drivers and vehicles for the use of Navy and Marine personnel dirtside, which saves time and the annoyance of requesting it from the local Army command, with the added bonus that the drivers are well versed with local conditions, and the vehicles will stand out less.

 

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Confederation Marines: ULTRAMarines

While Confederation Marines are in comparison lightly equipped, compared to their Imperium counterparts, all of them have gravved battle dresses, and usually the full support of naval gunnery and navy gunships. Having accomplished their mission, Confederation Marine forces are meant to be withdrawn, since they're optimized for a rapid strike, and not for a presence nor security role dirtside, with currently five exceptions, which are boosted to Corps echelon level.

The presence and security missions are allocated to the Army and SolSec forces, who would be deployed as the Confederation Marines complete the destruction of the enemy as a cohesive force, or the establishment of a beach head that allows the deployment of follow on Army units.

On remoter or less important planets, where enemy forces have been destroyed, but for some reason neither Arm nor SolSec forces are available, the Confederation Marines withdraw but leave behind locally recruited company sized units to hold certain critical installations, commanded by promising Marine officers and NCOs, seconded from parent units, that usually remain a part of the deep strike warships and Fleet Squadrons, which are then redeployed.

Ultra Light Tactical Reaction Auxiliary

Unlike Motorized Battalions, ULTRAMarine company recruits are expected to have a higher standard of fitness, and armed and equipped at a more advanced tech level, though considerably cheaper. Weapons are optimized for close range combat, since they're not expected< to operate much beyond the facilities they're meant to protect.

Speaking of protection, the Army is leery of deploying on and securing anything beyond the inner system or major planetary bodies, like the fourth moon of Yavin. That leaves a lot of territory to cover, usually under the purview of the local system government.

With the Fleet Squadrons and their Marine contingents redeployed, ULTRAMarines may find themselves retrained and re-equipped for a new role, Space Patrol.

 

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Solomani Army: Motorized Battalion

Is equipping the Motorized Riflemen with a tech level auto rifle a good idea?

In theory, four out of five firefights will be within two hundred metres, but recent experience in the counter insurgency field tends to indicate that the insurgents seem to prefer to shoot at long distance out in the field(s). Also, the Motorized Riflemen aren't tapped for urban operations, rather for presence in rural districts.

With a folding stock, they can shorten the auto rifle for transport, and make it easier to swing around in more cramped quarters.

They can feed the ammo from a box (maybe hundred) or box (maybe fifty) magazines, and a bipod, and use it as an ad hoc LMG; the obvious problem would be the barrel heating up, and there doesn't seem to be a quick change option for that.

Being tech level six, fairly easy to maintain and robust, plus should be still cheaper due to wholesale purchases and tech level differences.

Add to that rifle grenades, and someone could set that up as light mortar.

Could also be adjusted to fire caseless ammunition, which I think you can stuff more of in the magazine(s).

The bullets should also be large enough to make them more specialized, like adding high explosives.

 

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Starships: Ship's Locker

Prevailing jurisdiction onboard any Solomani starship would be it's registered home port, which makes boarding and inspecting it by another jurisdiction a mite tricky, especially if that home port belongs to a very powerful faction, and is nearby.

As with a lot of other duties shovelled on them, the Navy gets to perform this procedure most of the time, which is at best circumspect and as short as the inspection crew can manage, so they'll look for contraband that the Secretariat frowns upon, and might give a warning as to an imminent fusion meltdown.

Regardless of home port regulations, starships and their crews have in Solomani space an absolute right to self defence, so that means turrets are legal, as well as lasers and depending on the payload, sand canisters, and missiles. Licensed paramilitary ships can have barbettes and small and medium bays, though not meson weapon systems.

To prevent high tech arms proliferation, and just plain smuggling, Solomani tolerance for starship crews' defence ends at tech level eleven, and heavy weapons, unless licences are produced.

Interstellar travel within the borders of the Confederation tends to be mostly safe, since one thing the Solomani does like to do is chasing pirates, though more opportunistic raiders can try their luck along the boundaries; also, does not apply within the area of a trade war suddenly getting hot between member worlds.

Snub weaponry is a standard shipboard security measure, as are laser guns for the more wealthier shipping lines, since a common tactic is to switch off the artificial gravity onboard, making recoilless features very attractive.

Carrying lethal weapons around in starports is very much frowned upon, though local spaceports are not regulated by the Confederacy, most jurisdictions aren't comfortable with snub and laser weapons, either.

Autopistols are easy to obtain in most jurisdictions, and considered the default handgun the ship lockers of most Solomani starships, which could include a hunting rifle and/or a pump action shotgun, usually configured with a folding stock for tighter storage. Solomani tradition tends to tolerate lever action carbines and six chambered revolvers.

 

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Solomani Army: Motorized Battalion

Apparently, viable caseless ammunition is available at tech level eight, not that I see much evidence of that here. They still need a way to dump the heat.

The autorifle can be converted to fire caseless rounds, just as the autopistol could be. The question is if the weapons can be converted with tech level six methods and materials, or you'd have to use tech level seven or eight. That has some relevance in terms of tech level rebates and maintenance requirements. The heat sinks probably would make it tech level eight.


Oh yeah, let's add the one/two barrel shotgun to traditional Solomani weapons. And the bowie knife.

And the Swiss Army Knife. Solomani Army Knife?

 

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Confederation Marines: ULTRAMarines

ULTRAMarines are organized into a traditional ten man tactical squad, split into two five men fire teams, one led by the squad leader, and the other by the squad's assistant leader. They are equipped by the Navy with Tech Tens Advanced Combat Rifles, that has an underslung grenade launcher, and a semi-automatic Snub Pistol.

Line platoons consist of four tactical squads, with a command element made of the platoon commander, his executive officer, two medics, two signalmen, and two two men man portable missile crews.

An ULTRAMarine company has four line platoons, a headquarters platoon, and support elements, never exceeding two hundred and ninety-nine at any one time.

They headquarters platoon has the company command post with the company commander, his executive officer, the senior company non-commissioned officer, the company adjutant, the company logistics officer, the company heavy weapons officer, the company psychological counselor, and the company intelligence officer.

 

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Confederation Marines: ULTRAMarines

Let me try that again.

You have tactical teams, devastator teams, and assault teams. The standard squad are two tactical teams. You can exchange a tactical team for a either a devastator team or an assault team from the company pool, or you can set them up independently.

Terminator teams would be the ones wearing battle dress, assuming the company had acquired some examples.

The primary weapon of the ULTRAMarines is the combined advanced combat rifle and grenade launcher.

Their standard camouflage uniforms are deep blue in colour.

 

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Solomani Navy: Uniforms

My personal choice for a uniform colour would be black, since it would be both easier to hide stains and camouflage yourself in deep space. Or not so deep space.

On the other hand, what does a sailor need with camouflage while onboard ship or base?

So, let's give them a white uniform.

Modern laundry machinery should keep them cleaned and pressed in minutes.

It will also make them look like the good guys.

 

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Solomani Navy: Battlecruisers and Rapid fire Spinal Mounts

Without the rapid fire option, there is very little justification for the Solomani Navy to have built battlecruisers.

 

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Solomani Military: Locally recruited forces

Troops that either SolSec, the Army, or the Navy recruit as local security services, are termed:

Specially Enlisted Provisional Organized Infantry

These can include combat support branches such as artillery, engineers, and armour, as well as administration, transportation, logistics and maintenance. However, aerospace transportation and Close Aerospace Support would be provided by Private Military Contractors, normally not larger than a company, though there may be more than one private contractor providing any of the above services or serving as cadre.

 

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Solomani Military: Air/Couch

Actually, I think that would be a worthwile investment for them.

Light armoured personnel carrier, or even heavy weapon or artillery platform.

You strip the modules bare, and assuming they had a basic load of two hundred kilos, yoke thirty of them together to provide lift for a ten man squad, a driver, a HMG and some armour.

 

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Solomani Confederation: Private Military Contractors

So if Solomani mercenary units want to remain unSolSec liaisioned, how does that work out?

Most starships that mercenaries operate are going to have way below two hundred fifty crews, so essentially, you could probably operate them as a permanent squadron, if you had that much money. You have to remember that base maintenance crews count to the total as well.

Speaking of squadrons, aerospace squadrons provide a capability, whether temporary or permanent, that local polities can hire and not have to raise and maintain. Needless to say, the Solomani Navy isn't that enthused, because it cuts down on the possibility to find promising pilots and ships' crews from these member worlds and/or keep them in reserve. Aerospace squadrons for hire tend to have their own C3I, maintenance crews, ordnance, air defence and security troops.

Usually a company of combat engineers is more than enough for whatever you're planning.

Adding a company of grav tanks is certainly a substantial force multiplier. Since the restriction is on number of personnel, you could in theory have ninety nine three men tank crews, which would be the equivalent of two or three battalions (or half the current British total), but since you need support personnel, and you can't really use unit designations above what's traditionally used above company, you could have five armoured platoons, with three three tank sections and one command tank. It might also be wise to include your own mounted infantry, or include IFVs to bring along some, air defence unit and a salvage unit.

Artillery companies face similar problems.

Transport companies differ in the sense of what tech level vehicles they use, and how far they're willing to involve themselves in combat.

 

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Starships: Ship's Locker

I doubt that you can stuff in a tech level eleven grav floater into your typical ship's locker, and you have to admit, the price is very attractive, and more than sufficient for some short range travel.

However, a tech level eight foldable powered bicycle should fit, and provide the crew with some easy to maintain dirtside transport.

 

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Solomani Confederation: Private Military Contractors

For agglomerations of more than a single mercenary company, numbering three hundred or more personnel, you need a SolSec issued charter to operate within the borders of the Solomani Confederation, plus a SolSec liaison officer to check that your mercenary band stay within the Solomani interpretation of the Rules of War. The SolSec officer is attached to headquarters element.

Usually, the party interested in hiring a mercenary company with contact either a broker specialized in this industry, and/or a Contractor, who's responsible for organizing and paying for the private military contractors, as well as the logistical aspects as getting them to their area of operations, and of course, getting them out of here, as well.

The contractor may be a civilian or an actual mercenary commander. He may be in charge of a comprehensive all arms paramilitary unit, with an already attached SolSec liaison officer, or may strictly adhere to the personnel limits and just inform SolSec to issue one, once he goes over the limit, for the personnel under his charge.

The chances are, SolSec liaison or not, SolSec has already infiltrated a monitor into the mercenary unit.

Through his contacts, the Contractor then subcontracts various mercenary units that he believes the mission requires to be a success.

Then, a Captain General is appointed to take command of the mission, which may be the Contractor himself, one of the commanders of the subcontracted mercenary companies, or an outside party.

While the legal term is the Great Company, the ad hoc collection of mercenary companies could be informally referred to as a/the brigade, legion, cohort, division, corps, band or whatever, and possibly by a geographic name related to the area of operations, or the name of the Contractor and/or Captain General.

The Great Company can organize itself without any further restriction(s). SolSec tends to drastically increase monitoring and/or interfere once it grows beyond a reinforced division, say twenty thousand personnel.

 

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Solomani Confederation: Private Military Contractors

The Solomani aren't fonder fonder of protracted military conflicts than the Imperium, and there are incentives for wrapping it up as fast as possible.

That means that having experienced and full equipped mercenaries that can be deployed quickly becomes essential, if you don't have organic military forces capable of achieving your objectives, before your intentions are guessed or discovered by your opponents, especially since it's probably very hard to keep anything really secret in the Confederation, and not have it leaked to interested parties.

Infantry units would be very experienced, or specialists, whether for a specific environment or commando raiding.

One variant would be a cadre unit, that can train and lead indigenous units, possibly even supply the requisite equipment, and expand four to ten times it size. It would be possible, but probably too expensive in time, effort and money to try that for more specialized roles, like grav armoured vehicles or artillery, but light, irregular or assault infantry it should work out.

Weapon systems tech level twelve and above in private hands and/or ownership would need a license

 

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Solomani Confederation: Private Military Contractors

Mercenary companies could also be hybrids.

An example of this would be the Broadsword variant, where you operate what appears to be a para-militarized ships, that can act both as an armed merchantman, troop carrier and/or aerospace carrier.The sample crew is about twenty to operate the ship, and thirty troops, give or take.

Speaking of hybrids, I wonder how far Aslan or uplifted species can play a role? On one hand, they might be dismissed as Cannon fodder, on the other, possible spies.

 

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Solomani Navy: Career

Sticking to the simplified character generation, Line officers would need an automatic skill of Astrogation in order to graduate to Ensign, instead of a melee weapon.

The Flight branch, as well as some of the other specialist branches, can issue Warrants to candidates that are qualified to fly spacecraft, but have little interest in command. Thus Pilot Officer is a Warrant rank, that's awarded to candidates that are certified to fly spacecraft. Capital ships, however the tonnage for that is defined, requires a commissioned officer to helm her.

Let's include Astrogation Officer, a specialist who's mostly assigned to non capital ships to perform this role.