Difference between revisions of "Laiatanese Defense Forces"

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Laiatanese Defense Forces Лаиатанский Силы Обороны Laiatanskiy Sily Oborony
Banner of the Laiatanese Defense Forces.
Founded	April 17, 1888
Service branches	Army Navy Air Force
Headquarters	National Defense Headquarters, Volkgoroda, Volkgoroda Capital Territory
Leadership
Commander- in-Chief	President Yuliya Surkova
Minister of National Defense	Ludmila Kravchuk
Chief of the General Staff	General of the Air Force Alyosha Lagunova
Manpower
Military age	18; 17 with parental permission
Conscription	Volunteer; draft can be instituted through Emergency Draft System
Active personnel	277,965
Reserve personnel	203,789
Expenditures
Budget	$46.97 billion (FY 2015)
Percent of GDP	1.5% (FY 2015)

The Laiatanese Defense Forces (Laiatanese: Лаиатанский Силы Обороны, tr. Laiatanskiy Sily Oborony) are the military service of Laiatan, established after the ratification of the Laiatanese Constitution. The Constitution was ratified on April 17, 1888 and created the Laiatanese Defense Forces, which now fell under the jurisdiction of the newly formed Ministry of National Defense. The Laiatanese Defense Forces are the direct successor to the Imperial Laiatanese Armed Forces. Although the Laiatanese Defense Forces were reformed in 1888, it traces its roots back to the times of the Grand Principality of Volkgoroda.

History

The Laiatanese Defense Forces trace their roots from the Imperial Laiatanese Armed Forces, and the structure remained practically the same. From almost the very beginning of the Defense Forces' history, they were required to defend the fledgling Laiatanese Federation from a foreign aggressor.

First Laiatanese-Vulshainian War

Main article: First Laiatanese-Vulshainian War

June 8, 1889 was the first time the Laiatanese Federation came under attack by a foreign aggressor. The newly reformed defense forces struggled at first to fight against the superior-trained and well-equipped Vulshainian armed forces. The defense forces struggled until winter came, and the cold weather, mud, and snow bogged down the advancing Vulshainian troops.

Forces in the north saw greater successes after General Vadik Derzhavin was tapped as the chief commander of the Saphir sector, who utilized the terrain far more successfully than previous commanders. Derzhavin would have soldiers draw Vulshainian troops into salients and use pincer movements to isolate and destroy soldiers. After seeing the successes of Derzhavin's units, the president at the time, Aleksy Zukov, appointed him to be the chief commander of all defense units in the north. His tactics were also exported to other commanders.

The tide of the war turned in February 1890, as Laiatanese Defense Forces began pushing Vulshainian troops out of Laiatanese territory. By April 1890, Laiatan had reclaimed 78% of all territory captured by Vulshain. December 19, 1890 saw all Vulshainian soldiers pushed out of Laiatan. Laiatanese troops pushed into Vulshain, seizing territory much slower than their Vulshainian counterparts did. Laiatanese defense forces were bogged down as winter hit, and dug in. A final push was attempted April 9, 1891, which was stopped by Vulshainian defenders. Skirmishes continued until the war ended January 10, 1892. with the signing of the Treaty of Volkgoroda.

Vulshainian Monarchical Revolution

The Vulshainian monarchy was removed in the 1980s before by a rebel group, and the Vulshainian monarchy fled to Laiatan. It ruled in exile for several years until the people of Vulshain began rising up. The Laiatanese Defense Forces, at the urging of the Vulshainian monarchy to intervene, proceeded to invade on behalf of the monarchy. The LDF supported the pro-monarchy rebels, and after weeks of fighting returned the Vulshainian monarchy to the throne.

This was the LDF's first experience launching an invasion on another nation, and the second time LDF troops experienced territory other than Laiatan's in a combat situation.

Vulshainian Civil War

Roughly 20 years after the Monarchical Revolution, Vulshain descended into a civil war between pro-government and pro-rebel groups. The rebel forces supported the dictatorship that ruled Vulshain during the 1980s, and again the LDF were requested to intervene by the Vulshainian monarchy. Supplies and aid were first provided to the government forces until attacks on civilians by rebel troops became commonplace. The LDF invaded Vulshain again in support of the government, and helped squash the rebels.

Recent history

The Laiatanese Defense Forces invaded the Armed Republic of Rygard with the Confederacy of Vulshain after threats and an eventual declaration of war from Rygard. The LDF and Vulshainian troops landed in combined landing forces, and seized control of the island after a few weeks of fighting with Rygadi combat forces. The dictatorship was removed, and the island voted to become part of Vulshain. Outraged by these turn of events, the Laiatanese government ordered all troops out of Rygard, leaving only the Vulshainians.

The Laiatanese Defense Forces also participated in a large scale invasion of Dveria in early 2014, following an invasion of Tano by Dveria, with the assistance of Vekaiyu, SHACOG, and BGP, and is currently occupying the northern half of the country in accordance with the Kerilo Accord.

Structure

All branches of the LDF answer to a single General Staff. The General Staff is headed by the Chief of the General Staff, who is the highest ranking military officer of the LDF by law. The Chief of the General Staff is the principle military adviser to the President of Laiatan. Though the Chief of the General Staff outranks all other commissioned officers, he is prohibited by law from having operational command authority over the Defense Forces. Chiefs of the General Staff are nominated by the President and are approved by the Federal Council, serving for up to two two year terms. The current Chief of the General Staff is Lukyan Zhzhyonov.

General Staff

The current General Staff makeup is as follows:

• General of the Air Force Alyosha Lagunova (Chief of Staff)
• General of the Army Lukyan Zhzhyonov
• Admiral of the Navy Pavel Sharapov

Military branches

The Laiatanese Defense Forces are divided into three different branches of operation, headed by the General Staff. The General Staff answers to the Ministry of National Defense.

Laiatanese Army

The Laiatanese Army is Laiatan's military land force. It is principally a mechanized infantry force, allowing the Army to quickly deploy troops in the Laiatanese frontier and keep up with armor units during an advance.

The Laiatanese Army is made up of three components: the active component, the Regular Army; and two reserve components, the Army National Guard and the Army Reserve. Both reserve components are primarily composed of part-time soldiers who train once a month, known as battle assemblies or unit training assemblies, and conduct two to three weeks of annual training each year. The Laiatanese Army's main combat forces are grouped in brigades which are further grouped into divisions. Each division falls under a geographically based unified defensive commands. The Army's main tactical formations are combined arms task forces made up of elements drawn from different units.

Laiatanese Navy

The Laiatanese Navy is the naval branch of the Laiatanese Defense Forces. The Laiatanese Navy operates just over 150 commissioned warships. Primary assets include 3 aircraft carriers, 8 amphibious assault ships, 6 air-defense destroyers, 9 anti-submarine destroyers, 16 fleet submarines, 11 ballistic missiles submarines, 13 multi-role frigates, and 16 light surveillance frigates. The Navy also maintains a number of non-commissioned vessels. In addition, the Navy maintains a force of combat, logistics and training helicopters.

There are two parts to the Navy's structure. One is an operational command, Fleet Command, and the other is a support command, Navy Strategic Command. The Navy's assets are administered by four 'forces' which report to the Admiral of the Navy. These are the Fleet Air Arm, the Mine Warfare, Clearance Diving, Hydrographic, Meteorological and Patrol Force, Submarine Force and Surface Force. All naval bases across Laiatan also report to the Admiral of the Navy.

Laiatanese Air Force

The Laiatanese Air Force (LAF) is the air force branch of the LDF. The LAF has modern combat and transport aircraft and a network of bases in strategic locations across Laiatan.

The LAF has a single operational command, Air Command. Air Command is the operational arm of the LAF and consists of Air Combat Group, Air Mobility Group, Surveillance and Response Group, Combat Support Group, Aerospace Operational Support Group and Air Force Training Group. Each group consists of several wings.

The LAF has 50 flying squadrons; eighteen combat squadrons, three maritime patrol squadrons, twenty transport squadrons, six training squadrons, as well as two Airborne Early Warning & Control squadron and a Joint Terminal Attack Controller squadron. The Air Force also includes two independent flights of reconnaissance and armed unmanned aerial vehicles.

The Air Force also maintains Laiatan's nuclear weapon stockpiles, air defense systems, and anti-ICBM capability.

Military units

• Eight armies
• Four maritime districts
• Five air defense districts

Personnel

The Laiatanese military has been an all-volunteer force since the abolition of conscription in 1950. Both men and women can enlist in the LDF, and there are no restrictions on the positions that women may fill. Because of this, women can also serve in combat roles. Generally only Laiatanese citizens can enlist in the LDF though permanent residents are accepted in "exceptional circumstances." The minimum age for recruits is 18, though 17 year olds can enlist with parental permission. The retirement age is 60 for active personnel and 65 for reservists. Discipline of defense personnel is guided by the Defense Forces Discipline Act (1990).

Personnel numbers

Over the 2014-15 financial year the LDF had an average strength of 277,965 active and 203,789 reserve personnel. The Army is the largest service, followed by the Air Force and Navy. The average distribution between the services and categories of service over the 2014-15 financial year was as follows:

Reserves

Each of the branches of the LDF has a reserve component. These forces are the Laiatanese Naval Reserve, Laiatanese Army Reserve and Laiatanese Air Force Reserve. The main role of the reserves is to supplement the active elements of the LDF during deployments and crises, including natural disasters. This can include attaching individual reservists to regular units or deploying units composed entirely of reserve personnel. As reservists serve on a part-time basis, they are less costly to the government than active members of the LDF, but the nature of their service can mean that reservists have a lower level of readiness than regular personnel and require further training before they can be deployed. It has historically proven difficult to set a level of training requirements which allows reservists to be rapidly deployable yet does not act as a disincentive to recruitment and continued participation.

Training

Individual training of Laiatanese servicemen and women is generally provided by the services in their own training institutions. Each service has its own training organization to manage this individual training. Where possible, however, individual training is increasingly being provided through tri-service schools.

Military academies include the Laiatanese Naval Academy, Volkgoroda Military College for the Army, and the Laiatanese Air Force Academy.

Women in the LDF

Women first served in the Laiatanese Defense Forces during the First Laiatanese-Vulshainian War as nurses that worked in field hospitals, though women were involved in similar roles in the Imperial military as early as 1856. The first female branches of the military were established for each service in 1900, with the female branches being integrated with their male counterparts in 1965. The LDF initially struggled to fully integrate women due to the male dominance of the military, though changing social values and legislation helped push for integration.

At first, servicewomen were barred from combat positions and other "dangerous" jobs. In 1984 these restrictions began to be lifted, and by late 1985 all positions in the Laiatanese Defense Forces were available to women. Critics of this policy voice worry over positions that could involve women engaging in hand to hand combat with men, though it has been found in recent conflicts that women are just as effective in hand to hand combat as men.

Despite this open policy, women still only make up 38% of active, reserve, and national guard positions. In comparison, women make up nearly 52% of the Laiatanese population as a whole. Even though this number is not totally representative, the LDF today currently has more female members than any point in its history.

There are still concerns over incidents of gender-based discrimination and sexual abuse in the LDF. In 2013 the Defense Abuse Response Task Force estimated that around 2,200 currently-serving personnel had abused other members of the military, and recommended that a presidential commission be conducted to investigate long-running allegations of sexual abuse and assault of servicewomen at the Volkgoroda Military College. In 2014 General of the Army Erik Balashov warned against sexual abuse and gender discrimination, stating that he would dismiss any member of the Army that engaged in such activity. Both sexual abuse and gender discrimination are grounds for being dishonorably discharged from the LDF, and the former often results in criminal prosecution.

Sexuality

Laiatan allows gay men and lesbians to serve openly. Openly gay and lesbian personnel were banned from the LDF until July 1987 when the Laiatanese Government decided to remove this prohibition following the legalization of gay marriage. The heads of the services and most military personnel opposed this change at the time, and it caused considerable public debate. Opponents of lifting the ban on gay and lesbian personnel argued that doing so would greatly harm the LDF's cohesiveness and cause large numbers of resignations. This did not eventuate, and the reform caused relatively few problems. A 1997 study found that lifting the ban on gay service did not have any negative effects on the LDF's morale, effectiveness or recruitment and retention, and may have led to increased productivity and improved working environments.

Since then, same-sex couples have had the same access to military retirement pensions and superannuation as opposite-sex couples. Transgender personnel are also permitted to serve in the LDF, and are provided with support when necessary.

Equipment

Main article: Equipment of the Laiatanese Defense Forces

Uniforms and ranks

Uniforms

Ranks

See also: Ranks and insignia of the Laiatanese Defense Forces

The newly founded Laiatanese Federation inherited the ranks of the Laiatanese Empire, although the insignia and uniforms were altered a little. The following is a table of ranks of the Laiatanese Defense Forces.

The Laiatanese Defense Forces have two styles of ranks: deck ranks (navy style ranks) and troop ranks (army and other forces style ranks). The following table of Ranks is based on those of the Laiatanese Federation.

Troop ranks are used by:

• Ministry of National Defense
  • Army
  • Air Force
  • Naval Infantry
  • Airborne Troops
• Ministry of Internal Affairs
  • Border Guard Service
  • Federal Security Service

Deck ranks are used by:

• Ministry of National Defense
  • Navy
• Ministry of Internal Affairs
  • Coast Guard

The highest 'troop' rank is General of the Army/General of the Air Force, dependent upon the branch of the military. The highest Navy 'deck' rank is Admiral of the Navy.

Ranks can have additional descriptors according to assignment or status. For example, the rank of a serviceman of a "Guards" unit, formation or ship may be followed by the word "Guards" ("Sergeant of Guards"); the rank of a serviceman of the legal, medical or veterinary professions is followed by "of Justice", "of the Medical service", or "of the Veterinary service" ("Captain of the Medical Service"); and the rank of a reserve or retired serviceman is followed by the words “Reserve” or “Retired,” respectively ("Major of Reserve").

Doctrine

Laiatan's current military doctrine currently defines itself as defensive. This means that all sectors of the government and economy are involved in the defense planning. In principle, each ministry has the responsibility for planning its operations during a crisis. The Ministry of Emergency Situations assists in emergency planning of all sorts for the ministries, including war, terrorist attacks, and disasters. Each authority regularly trains for crises and has been allocated a combination of normal and emergency powers it needs to keep functioning in any conceivable situation. In a war, all resources of society may be diverted to ensure the survival of the nation.

The main objective of the doctrine is to establish and maintain a military force capable of deterring any potential aggressor from using Laiatanese territory or applying military pressure against Laiatan. To accomplish this, the defense is organised on the doctrine of territorial defense. The stated main principles of this doctrine are:

• territorial defense,
• dispersed mobilization, and
• flexible readiness in responding to military threats of various degree.

The defense planning is organised to counteract three threat situations:

• A regional crisis that may have effects on Laiatan. (For example, the 2014 Dverian War in which the LDF intervened in.)
• Political, economic and military pressure, which may include a threat of using military force and its restricted use.
• Use of military force in the form of a strategic strike or an attack beginning with a strategic strike aimed at seizing territory.

In all cases, the national objective is to keep the vital areas, especially the capital area in Laiatanese possession. In other areas, the size of the country is used to delay and wear down the invader, until the enemy may be defeated in an area of Laiatanese choosing. The Army carries most of the responsibility for this task.

The role of the Navy is to repel all attacks carried out against the long Laiatanese coasts or island possessions, and to safeguard the territorial integrity during peacetime and the "gray" phase of the conflict. The maritime defense relies on combined use of coastal artillery, missile systems, and naval mines to wear down the attacker. The Air Force is used to deny the invader the air superiority and to protect most important troops and objects of national importance in conjunction with the ground-based air defense.

Weapons of mass destruction

Laiatan currently maintains a classified amount of nuclear, biological, and chemical weapons to be used for homeland defense. The current doctrine has stated that Laiatan will not use these weapons first against an enemy, unless the country's survival is at stake. Officials have declined to define when the country's survival is at stake, though scholars generally believe this refers to the military being overwhelmed and vital areas fall.

	Laiatanese Federation
Main article: Laiatan
Important Topics: Culture ♦ Lupine ♦ Laiatanese language ♦ Mahitou ♦ Laiatanese korona ♦ Defense Forces
Government: Cabinet ♦ Federation Assembly ♦ Federal Council ♦ People's Council ♦ President ♦ Supreme Federal Court ♦ Political Parties
History: Pre-Mahigan Laiatan ♦ Kingdom of Laiatan ♦ Laiatanese Empire ♦ Laiatanese Junta ♦ Laiatanese Federation
Important Figures (Past and Present): Yuliya Surkova ♦ Zakhar Kreskov ♦ Aleksey Zukov ♦ Yuri IV ♦ Katerina I ♦ Nika Alkaev ♦ Yura Lainov