Colonial Self-Defense Forces
| Colonial Self-Defense Forces Coloni Self-Defensio Virium | |
|---|---|
 The seals of the six service branches of the Colonial Self-Defense Forces. Clockwise from the top: Colonial Army, Colonial Navy, Colonial Air Force, Colonial Maritime Protection Forces, Colonial Guard & the Colonial Marine Corps | |
| Founded | June 1st, 1619 |
| Current form | September 15th, 1992 |
| Service branches |
Colonial Navy Colonial Marine Corps Colonial Army Colonial Air Force Colonial Maritime-Forces Colonial Guard |
| Headquarters | The Round Table, Aldia |
| Leadership | |
| Commander-in-Chief | Viktor Geller |
| Director of the Colonial Military Administration | Gatot Simanjuntak |
| Political & Morale Commander | Viktor Geller |
| Manpower | |
| Military age | 18 |
| Conscription | Provided by law but never implemented |
| Available for military service |
1.8 Billion males, age 15–49 1.5 Billion females, age 15-49, age 15–49 |
| Fit for military service |
1.5 Billion males, age 15–49 1.2 Billion females, age 15–49 |
| Active personnel | 61,891,573 |
| Reserve personnel | 502,459,698 |
| Deployed personnel | 1,743,101 |
| Expenditures | |
| Budget | cR 69 Trillion |
| Percent of GDP | 25.9% |
| Industry | |
| Domestic suppliers |
General Resources Ltd Xiandong Industries Gondwana Shipyards Aquarian Design Bureau Polystralian Shipyards Grunder Industries Neucom Incorporated |
| Annual imports | None |
| Annual exports | None |
The Colonial Self-Defense Forces (CSDF) is the unified armed forces of the United Colonies of Aldia that was established on the 1st of June 1619. It is administered by the Colonial Military Administration while the Political & Morale Commander of the United Colonies serves commander-in-chief of the CSDF. The CSDF consists of the Colonial Army, Colonial Navy, Colonial Air Force, Colonial Marine Corps, Colonial Maritime Protection Forces and the Colonial Guard, the latter being the largest component of the CSDF in terms of number of personnel. The primary tasks of the CSDF is to protect and preserve the territories of the United Colonies from both domestic and foreign enemies. Although the United Colonies has maintained a policy of non-interventionism in its foreign policy, it also implicitly reserves the right the use of armed forces and declarations of war to resolve international disputes.
The Colonial Self-Defense Forces was preceded by the Aldia's Cooperative own armed forces, then known as the Multinational Task Forces (MTFs). The MTF was formed by the Aldian Cooperative in preparation for a major rebellion by Aldia's colonies. The Interplanetary War unified a majority of Aldia's countries together under the banner of the Aldian Cooperative. The MTFs integrated the military forces of these nations into an integrated global and space-borne military force. Through a series of successful Propaganda & Public Relation campaigns the Aldian Cooperative was able to militarize itself quickly to subdue rebel forces in space and on Aldia itself. By the end of the Interplanetary War, the Aldian Cooperative and the Multinational Task Forces were left as the sole unified global governing and military bodies respectively. Under the constitution of the United Colonies of Aldia, the Multinational Task Forces were reorganized into a permanent professional armed forces for the newly formed nation.
Conscription is provided by law although the CSDF has been able to maintain a reasonable number of personnel without resorting to a draft. There are approximately ten million active CSDF personnel, this excludes civilian employees who work within the Colonial Military Administration. The Colonial Guard, the CSDFs' organized militia component, is the largest branch of the CSDF and is also considered as the CSDF's reserve components. Currently more than half a billion citizens are registered as fully-trained members of the Colonial Guard. The CSDF is supported by many domestic defense contractors to supply it with state-of-the-art equipment.
Contents
History
Origins: the Interplanetary War
The Colonial Self-Defense Forces traces its origins back to the Interplanetary War of 1578. During this period of time the predecessor of the United Colonies, then known as the Aldian Cooperative, struggled to maintain the unity of Aldia's first few colonies. Tensions between colonial separatists and independent national governments who were not members of the Aldian Cooperative rose exponentially, prompting the creation of the Multinational Task Forces, a military organization that loosely integrated the military forces of the member states of the Aldian Cooperative. The Multinational Task Forces were ultimately successful in defeating rebel colonies and insurgent governments on Aldia.
The Multinational Task Forces were demobilized after the Treaty of Noel was signed in 1598 and nominal control of its armies were returned to individual member states of the Aldian Cooperative. However almost two decades later, the United Colonies would be formed and with it, the Multinational Task Forces were reorganized as the Colonial Self-Defense Forces which was comprised of the Colonial Navy, Colonial Army and the Colonial Air Force. During this time the Marine Corps were still a component of the Navy. It was not until the creation of the Shaw-Fujikawa Translight Engine which allowed Aldia to colonize interstellar space did the Marine Corps become a separate component from the Navy. It could be said that the Interplanetary War helped modernize and prepare the CSDF to face external threats. It was due to this war that the CSDF perfected the art of modern space warfare. The Magnetic Accelerator Cannon (MAC), the primary weapon of all ships in the Colonial Navy, was invented as a necessity from the war. Large-scale amphibious assaults launched by the Marine Corps highlighted the importance of an independent Marine Corps, hence the separation of the Marine Corps from the Colonial Navy.
The Unsung War
The Unsung War was the first major conflict that involved the full deployment of the CSDF, it should be noted that during this period of time the President of the United Colonies was still the commander-in-chief of the armed forces and in that in the event that the President becomes incapacitated that responsibility would be delegated to the Vice-President. The position of Political & Morale Commander did not exist yet during this period of time. The Unsung War could be described as a period of undeclared civil war in Aldia. Separatist sentiment caused by no representation in the Aldian parliament and economic stagnation prompted the outer colonies to form the Independent Systems Alliance (ISA), a loose coalition and military alliance of various outer colonies to attempt to secede from the United Colonies. On December 1872 the ISA attempted to neutralize the CSDF, the ISA launched full-scale attacks against key CSDF shipyard and military staging areas throughout the inner colonies. Although the ISA achieved in destroying a large number of ships of the Colonial Navy and occupied two inner-colony worlds, the ISA had failed to destroy key production facilities and the large capital warships of the Colonial Navy.
In response to the attack, the CSDF mobilized their forces and launched a counter-attack to retake the occupied colonies. The bulk of the ISA invasion force was destroyed in this counter-attack severely crippling the ISA's capability to launch further attacks. The President of the United Colonies then offered to initiate peace talks with the ISA, however before any fruitful progress could be made the President had disappeared. Because of this the Vice-President and a series of pro-war members of Aldia's parliament took control of the government and pushed for military occupation of the outer colonies. The President of the United Colonies was eventually rescued by CSDF Special Forces soldiers, who had also rescued the Prime Minister of the ISA. It would then be discovered that the entire war had been engineered by private Megacorporations from the inner colonies in an attempt to use the military occupation of the outer colonies to forcefully strip-mine their worlds for resources and turn the outer-colonies into Megacorporation enclaves, free from government regulations. The Vice-President and key members of parliament were secretly shareholders of these Megacorporations.
The President of the United Colonies, along with the Prime Minister of the ISA would begin to consolidate their forces together and eventually returned to Aldia. It was there where the loyalty of the Colonial Self-Defense Forces were shown. Upon the return of the President and release of evidence that incriminated the Vice-President and his allies, the CSDF immediately arrested them and any pro-war military officials. The war was ended with a simple hand-shake between the President of the United Colonies and the Prime Minister of the ISA. The "Jindabyne Declaration" is an Executive Order signed by the then-President that granted all colonies in the United Colonies representation in the Colonial Parliament. With their grievances addressed, ISA-aligned colonies peacefully rejoined the United Colonies-fold.
Contemporary Era
Command Structure
The Colonial Self-Defense Forces is subordinate to the government of the United Colonies of Aldia. As a result the Colonial Military Administration (CMA) a civilian government department, was created to oversee all military and paramilitary deployments and activities of the United Colonies. It is the parent organization of the Colonial Self-Defense Forces and is the dejure governing body of the Colonial Self-Defense Forces and all of its branches. Ultimately however all military decisions taken by the CSDF are decided by the Political & Morale Commander along with CSDF High Command (HIGHCOM). CSDF High Command is the highest governing & decision making body of the Colonial Self Defense Forces. During times of total war however, and with the approval of both the Colonial Parliament & Senate, the Political & Morale Commander and the Colonial Self-Defense Forces would become the emergency war time government of the United Colonies.
With HIGHCOM is a series of administrative bodies such as the Medical Corps, CSDF Astrophysics, Signal Corps (SIGCORP) and Signals Intelligence (SIGNIT). The CSDF Judge Advocate General Corps is responsible for all legal matters related to the CSDF, investigate crimes that involve military personnel, commands the CSDF Military Police and is involved in the drafting, publishing and enforcement of military laws, policies and protocols. The CSDF Symphony Orchestra is the official ceremonial musical organization of the Colonial Self-Defense Forces. Within the Orchestra are a number of smaller registered musical bands formed by CSDF personnel. Among the popular ones are the Marine Corps Jazz Band, Navy & Maritime Blues, the Ten Tenors of the Army, and the Air Force Choral Ensamble. Command for the defense of the territories of the United Colonies is administratively divided into regional Central Commands (CENTCOM). There are currently six CENTCOMs.
Military Doctrine
The Colonial Self-Defense Forces primarily relies on a combination of powerful, rugged yet mobile technology. This has led to the "shock and awe" warfare strategy that CSDF HIGHCOM members has used since the CSDF was founded. The purpose of this warfare strategy is to unleash devastating yet efficient strikes against targets using a combination of aerial, land, sea and space-based assets in hopes ending conflicts as quickly and efficiently as possible. During military conflicts the CSDF would target objects of importance such as military bases, power plants, mass-transit systems, communication relays to cripple the enemy's infrastructure. Military commanders of failed rebellions against the United Colonies commented that the CSDF was a 'sleeping giant' who would awaken with terrible resolve should it be awakened.
The Titan-class land battleships and Orbital Defense Platforms are a testament to this philosophy. Titan-class land battleships are capable of laying seige to an entire city by itself, using its three, dual barreled 300mm cannon. Orbital Defense Platforms fire a 10,000 ton tungsten/depleted uranium slug at a speed of around 330,000 km/ph which is more than capable of puncturing through both the energy shield and hull of most known naval ships and still have enough energy to puncture through a second or third ship and inflict severe damage on a fourth ship.This strategy is implemented not only in offensive campaigns but also in defense strategies. The CSDF has a variety of base defenses, each dedicated to counter certain type of enemy units. An example would be the 20mm auto cannon turret which can mow down advancing infantry with ease, the 50mm point-defense guns which can swiss cheese out from most if not all aerial units.
Preferring firepower over subtlety, stealth units of the CSDF are often looked down upon by other belligerents, however this does not mean that the CSDF's stealth units are inferior in anyway to their conventional counter parts. Stealth units notably the Prowlers used by both the Navy and the Office of Naval Intelligence, the CSDF's primary intelligence agency, have been used extensively by CSDF commanders in the battlefield to provide critical support. Despite the fact that Prowlers are not armed with a MAC, they can still inflict devastating damage against enemy forces. There are many examples of Prowlers that took down entire fleets by laying down fields of HORNET stealth nuclear mines. Unwitting hostile fleets plough through the field, detonating the mines as they do so. Rapid response is provided by the Marine Corps and Navy who provides rapid-response force in readiness. CSDF military doctrine also calls for all branches to be able to carry out independent operations for extended periods of time without support from other CSDF branches. A prime example of this doctrine would be the Marine Corps and Navy. Both branches are capable of operating away from CSDF controlled space for a period of 60 days without any external support. The CSDF also places strong emphasis in individual initiatives.
Service Branches
The CSDF consists of six branches: the Colonial Navy, Colonial Marine Corps, Colonial Maritime Forces, Colonial Army, Colonial Air Force and the Colonial Guard.
The Colonial Navy is the non-terrestrial naval warfare and largest branch of the Colonial Self-Defense Forces. It is a technologically sophisticated naval force and operates thousands of commissioned ships. The Colonial Navy is capable of operating in both interplanetary and interstellar space, enabling it effectively and efficiently project force over the large territories of the United Colonies. Its primary capital warships include assault carriers, carriers, battleships, cruisers and amphibious warfare ships of various types. Light capital warships include destroyers, frigates, corvettes, patrol vessels and stealth prowlers. A large variety of smaller ships such as Starfighters, Dropships, Gunships and Troop Transports are also operated by the Navy. The recently build Vesuvius-class heavy cruiser and Olympus-class assault carrier are two of the most technologically advanced ships operated by the Colonial Navy. They are expected to replace older cruiser and assault carrier models within the next five years.
The Colonial Navy traced its origins to the Interplanetary Wars of the 16th century. It was here when the first spaceships were used as weapon platforms to transport troops to and from different theaters of warfare across the Aldian Star System. The Colonial Navy does not maintain nor operate the traditional terrestrial blue-water navy, those functions have been transferred entirely to the Colonial Maritime Forces. Access to Faster-Than-Light travel is enabled by the Shaw-Fujikawa Translight Engine which is generally installed in most ships operated by the Colonial Navy. Starfighters are currently equipped with sublight engines although there has been development in installing FTL-drives on them. The Colonial Navy works closely with the Colonial Marine Corps to provide protection to naval assets & installations, as well as ensuring that Marines are transported safely to their destination. The Colonial Navy also operates fleets of largely automated terrestrial warships that patrol the oceans of territories within the United Colonies.
Colonial Marine Corps
The Colonial Marine Corps is a branch of the Colonial Self-Defense Forces responsible for amphibious operations with the Colonial Navy and Colonial Maritime Forces. It consists of several hundred brigades and specialized combat units. The Colonial Marine Corps operates its own aviation unit (Marine Aviation Corps) which are usually embedded in Navy & Maritime Forces Air Wings and operates a variety of terrestrial and non-terrestrial aviation assets. The Marine Corps fulfills a critical role in the Colonial Self-Defense Forces as they are capable of operating under a variety of roles. It is an amphibious warfare force and is capable of asymmetric warfare with conventional, irregular and hybrid forces. The Colonial Marine Corps make up the primary component of most planetary invasions conducted by the Colonial Self-Defense Forces. This has prompted the Colonial Marine Corps to be capable of conducting a variety of operations independently without the need to rely on other branches of the Colonial Self-Defense Forces.
The Colonial Marine Corps works very closely with the Colonial Navy & Colonial Maritime Forces, while the Marines are responsible for planet-side terrestrial warfare, the Colonial Navy & Colonial Maritime Forces supports the Marines from space by ensuring air superiority over the theaters of operations and providing heavy fire support in the form of tactical planetary bombardments and various other means. Most if not all Marine Corps deployments are centered around the Marine-Air-Ground Doctrine which emphasizes a balanced air-ground combined-arms deployment between Marine ground units and Marine Aviation assets in theaters of war. A quick-reaction force known as Marine Expeditionary Units are considered as the first responder and is capable of responding to any natural disasters or combat theaters anywhere within the United Colonies within 24 hours for a maximum period of 30 days without replenishment.
Colonial Maritime Protection Forces
The Colonial Maritime Protection Forces (CMPF) is a unique branch of the Colonial Self-Defense Forces and is one of the country's uniformed armed services. It is primarily responsible for maritime law enforcement throughout known space within the United Colonies as well as customs & border protection of both space and planet-based borders of the United Colonies. During peacetime the Colonial Maritime Protection Forces operates under the auspices of the Colonial Administration Authority, in times of war however, control of the Colonial Maritime Protection Forces can be transferred to the Colonial Military Administration by either the President or Political & Morale Commander of the United Colonies, or by order of the Colonial Parliament.
Unlike the Colonial Navy, ships operated by the Colonial Maritime Protection Forces are referred to as "Cutters" due to the nature of their mostly non-military related functions. The Colonial Maritime Protection Forces operate fleets of ships ranging from capital & light capital cutters, starfighters, dropships and drones to enforce maritime law throughout CSDF-controlled interstellar & interplanetary space. Only several points of entry exists throughout the borders of the United Colonies, these points of entry are controlled and operated the CMPF. Any ship or object that attempts to enter CSDF-controlled space by by-passing these points of entry will received an automated warning message, warning it to not proceed any further and directing towards the nearest legal entry point. Should these unknown objects continue to approach the border, a fleet of combat drones, strategically stationed at various positions throughout the frontier border would be dispatched to escort, and if necessary, engage the trespassers should they enter the border. At the same time, the border surveillance system would notify CMPF central command to dispatch Cutters if necessary.
Colonial Army
The Colonial Army is the land component of the Colonial Self-Defense Forces and is comprised of several key components: the Infantry Regiment, Armored Corps, Artillery Corps, Army Aviation, Walker Brigade, and Army Reserves (excluding the Colonial Guard). The army's primary headquarters is located at The Round Table on Aldia. The Colonial Army fulfills several roles such as but is not limited to; armored infantry, air assault, mechanized warfare and combined arms warfare. Like the Marines, the Colonial Army operates its own air wing known as "Army Aviation" and operates mostly transport/utility helicopters and gunships. The Colonial Army makes use of both conventional tanks and walkers, both ranging in size from as small as a jeep to as tall as entire buildings. Army units are exclusively used for planetary defense purposes and rarely see space warfare, however in times of war they can be deployed alongside marine units. The Colonial Army, alongside the Colonial Guard, forms the first line of defense of most planets under the hegemony of the United Colonies. While Colonial Guard units are stationed on every world, the Colonial Army is garrisoned on strategic worlds. From these designated strategic worlds the Army is able to send reinforcements to any besieged planet within its vicinity in less than six hours.
Colonial Air Force
The Colonial Air Force is the aerial component of the Colonial Self-Defense Forces, it operates a large fleet of both fixed wing and rotary aircraft. The Air Force is structured around three major components: Alpha Group (Air Combat), Bravo Group (Air Support) and Gamma Group (training aircraft & ground facilities). Additionally numerous sub-components support the functions of all three groups. Like the Colonial Army, the Colonial Air Force depends upon the Colonial Navy for transportation between planets. The Air Force is often deployed alongside the Army during times of war as the Army does not operated fixed-wing or rotary aircraft. The Air Force makes use of the COFFIN technology (COnnection For Flight INterface). COFFIN is a weapon system that allows its user to operate and interface with a weapon or vessel and control it subconsciously, increasing the weapons' capabilities and effectiveness ten fold. The Air Force is currently the only branch of the Colonial Self-Defense Forces that utilizes the COFFIN system. The use of the COFFIN renders the use of the old 'glass' cockpits of aircraft useless as pilots are given a perfect 360 degree view of their surroundings as pilots are sealed inside their aircraft and neurally connected to their aircraft.
Colonial Guard
The Colonial Guard is the organized militia force and reserve component of the Colonial Self-Defense Forces. Its personnel are part-time professional soldiers who also hold full time civilian jobs, they are generally citizens who wish to serve their country in a military capacity but do not intend to pursue a full-career in the military. Members of the Colonial Guard are required to be on duty for 30-day deployment roster, followed by a 180-day stand-down period. This stand-down period is when personnel return to their full-time civilian jobs. Furthermore members must be ready to be called for duty during times of emergencies. Colonial Guard units are funded by each colony, giving all of Aldia's colony an independent capacity to defend itself although the central government does allocate each colony a "minimum threshold" budget so that each Colonial Guard units fulfill the minimum requirements as a force-in-readiness. Training is provided by the CSDF. During times of war however or at the Politcal & Morale Commander's discretion, the Colonial Guard would be placed under the direct command of the CSDF. Currently more than five hundred million citizens are registered as members of the Colonial Guard.
