NationStates Jolt Archive

This thread will probably be mainly out of character. It is for members of the exclusive RP’ing group A Modern World, though I suppose outsiders can chip in with comments if they see cause.

OGRE is in long form the Organisation of Geletian Research Experts, an Igovian enterprise based at the Trivandrum Institute in Igovo, Kerala. The group has a branch dedicated to the collection of military data for civilian consumption, in keeping with the Igovian tradition of shared knowledge as part of the Beddgelen direct democracy.

What I am thinking to do, here, is to compile data on military equipment and perhaps on wider military matters such as numeric strengths, doctrine, tactics, leaders, and histories. I thought perhaps to create essentially a FAS or Globalsecurity-type site for AMW, but I’m far too lazy and computer-illiterate to come up with a whole site, and being a stubborn so and so inclined to see this as my project, am now thinking of using an off-site forum. It would, basically, just be easier. I realised that it is possible that not every AMW member who may wish to contribute will also be keen to sign up to yet another forum. So, my current thinking is that AMW members could submit information to this thread, and that I could create for each nation a thread on the off-site forum, where in submitted information would be organised.

Initially, I am after feedback. Is there any interest in this? I shan’t bother if it’s just BG equipment that’s going to be up there, of course. I didn’t really want to clutter up these forums with loads of military statistics threads for AMW. But by the same token think it only realistic that nations be able to see a little of what they’re potentially up against, so as to make our future doctrine and programmes more realistic. I mean, for a specific example, I wonder whether BG needs to maintain or replace its older model Hobgoblin interceptors with their long-range but arguably clumsy and easily detected radar to face bomber threats, or just scrap them in a world void of heavy bombers. Potentially, members can keep tabs on one another to catch potential godmodding before it turns an IC conflict into an OOC bitchfest or ignore-battle.

Of course this doesn’t involve any kind of obligation, nor the exclusion of real world tech. I know that some nations base their military directly on that which exists in their territory in reality, which is not a problem, so far as I can see. In BG’s case we’re trying to phase out everything that isn’t totally original, and have just a few British helicopters to go, I think.

So, what do you chumps think? :)

(At least the organisation has a cool name, right? Right? Hehe)

For a secodn there i was thinking you were wanting to start using OGRE's from the game of the same name, that would one way of finally settleing things in the asian theatre...


On the real meat of the post i would defiantly be up for it, I have a Strathdonia military thread kicking around but it would be nice to have soemthign on an external soruce, i might even get aroudn to rpoperly detailing my various "modifications" that most units have...

I'll get things started...not too much in the way of specifics just yet, but this'll give you an idea of what the Marimaian People's Army is like:

Total personnel: 900,000 (630,000 in army, 150,000 in air force, 120,000 in navy)

Marimaia's population: 95 million

Percentage of population in military: 0.94

Don't be misled by the numbers; over half of each military section's manpower goes into supply and logistics.

Marimaia is currently just above RL China in tech terms; the Marimaian government rates defence as a top priority, always allocating large sums to the military. The military buys a lot of hardware from Shin Fai Armaments Concern, a partly state-owned weapons corporation; for more 'delicate' hardware, the military uses its own facilities.

The MPA is currently deployed mainly to defend Marimaia (obviously; the vast majority of the MPA is dedicated to this task). There are also Marimaian forces deployed in Burma and Malaysia as 'stabilisation forces', but these forces are being reduced as native militaries assume jurisdiction.

I'll add specs on Marimaian-made hardware later...

Here's my entry, or the beginnings of such:

Numerical Strength

The Hindustani army is a relatively small force, with very large engineer and logistical departments. Hindustani divisions are generally very heavily armed, equipped with weaponry capable of dealing with almost any tactical situation. What the army, airforce, and navy lack in numbers, they try to make up for in technology, training, mobility, and firepower.

OCC: Regard divisional equipment and manpower numbers as highly subject to change. I don't quite know how to sort out my numbers...

IC:

Active troops: 200,000
Semi-active troops: 150,000
First-line reserves: 50,000

Armored Division (8):
220 T-72M2 (1,100 total, but there are about 150 Arjuns in service)
10 WZT-3 (160 in service total)
250 APC-3 (1,250 in the armored divisions, about 30 are engineer variants per division)
80 BM-21H MRLs (2,200 total in service)
30 Pinaka MRLs
40 assorted howitzers
About 400 assorted trucks (almost 10,000 total in service)

Motorized Infantry Division (27):
350 APC-3T (5,250 total in the MI divisions)
50 APC-3W (750 total in the army, mostly command and recon vehicles)
120 BM-21H MRLs
50 Pinaka MRLs
70 assorted howitzers
About 550 assorted trucks

Note: AAA and SAM units have been left out

The Hindustani airforce is a well-equipped, well-trained force that specializes in operating from dispersed, small bases all over the country. This dispersal makes the HAF extremely difficult to destroy in a first attack and very able to respond. A fighter force flying the FA. 5 light fighter as its primary type and the MiG-21 Bison as its second most numerous type comprises of some 350 airframes, and an attack force operating primarily SEPECAT Jaguar variants has around 400 front-line airframes. A transport wing flying around 100 Do-228s, An-32s, and Il-76s, and a tanker wing with 30 Il-78s provides support to dispersed fighter units, and 10 A-50 and Saab Argus AEW aircraft patrol Hindustani airspace for airborne threats.

A helicopter wing of around 500 machines, with the Mi-8 and Alouette III as the dominant types, provides SAR, combat support, and attack coverage for the airforce and army.

Active personnel: around 20,000
First-line reserve engineers: around 10,000 (would be employed largely in the maintainance of damaged aircraft and construction tasks)

200 FA. 5 (17 squadrons)
30 Su-30MKI (2 squadrons)
120 MiG-21 Bison (10 squadrons)

204 Jaguar GR3 (12.5 squadrons)
132 Jaguar AS1 (8.5 squadrons)
64 MiG-21 MF/F 2 (4 squadrons)

300 Mi-8 (29.5 squadrons)
62 Mi-17 (5 squadrons)
32 Mi-24 (4 squadrons)
100 HAL Chetak (Alouette III;10 squadrons)
24 HAL Dhruv (2 squadrons)

20 Il-78 (8 squadrons)
20 Il-18T (shared w/Il-78)
30 Il-76 (4 squadrons)
4 A-50 (2 squadrons)
6 Saab Argus (shared w/A-50)
30 An-32 (6 squadrons)
40 Do-228 (2.5 squadrons)

40 PZL Iskra (4 squadrons)
80 HJT-16 (8 squadrons)


The Hindustani Navy is a large force, equipped with many modern combat vessels, but with missile boats and coastal defense corvettes the most numerous vessels by far. The carrier INS Viraat supports an air wing of Sea Harrier fighter jets and Sea King ASW helicopters, and is the base of the seagoing task force, which encompasses the three Dehli class destroyers, four of five Rajput class destroyers, and a total of twelve frigates from the Talwar, Godavari, and Brahmaptura classes. The submarine force is currently in a major refit, replacing the twelve Kilo class vessels with domestic ships, based partially on the German U-212 AIP boats.

Active Personnel: 150,000 (?)
First-line reserve engineers: 20,000 (?)

1 Centuar class carrier

3 Delhi class destroyer (1 in construction)
5 Rajput (kashin) class destroyer

1 P-17 class frigate (2 in construction)
5 Godavari class frigate
4 Brahmaputra class frigate

8 Type 25 corvette
12 Bengal class corvette
24 Veer (Tarantul class) missile boat

4 Grisha class corvette
4 Abhay class corvette

4 Samar class OPV
9 Vikram class OPV

12 Trinkat class fast patrol boat
19 Super Dvora class fast patrol boat

2 Magar class LPD
12 Mk. 3 LST
8 Polnochny LST

3 Aditya class replenishment tanker

8 Mine countermeasures vessel

12 Pondicherry class minesweeper

2 Mahe class minesweeper

12 Sandhayak survey vessel

1 Sagardhwani Class research vessel

3 Matanga class ocean tug
20 Gaj class harbor tug

11 Kilo class D/E attack submarine (in the process of being replaced by indeginous AIP boats)
4 Shishumar class D/E attack submarine
2 Foxtrot D/E attack submarine

1 Ugra class submarine tender

40 Alouette III multirole helicopter
12 Kiran trainer
25 Sea Harrier VTOL fighter
36 Do-228 multirole aircraft
4 Tu-142 long-range radar aircraft
10 Il-38 ASW aircraft (will hopefully be replaced by MR. 3 ASW aircraft)
80 Sea King ASW/anti-ship helicopter
14 Sea King SAR helicopter


Percent of population in the military: .17%


Tactics

The Hindustani military has evolved over its history into what it believes is a relatively efficent defensive force. One of the army's most notable qualities is its wide distribution of anti-tank weapons, giving the army possibly the best anti-tank capabilities in the world. The Hindustani army is also well-furnished with rocket artillery systems, and these give the motor-infantry divisions especially very high firepower.

The airforce is very well dispersed, and difficult to make a major impression on in a first attack. Equipped with fast and manouverable fighters and backed up by an extensive SAM grid, the airforce believes that it can successfully engage all modern fighter aircraft, including stealth types, over Hindustani airspace. Numerous attack wings and helicopter wings have become an integral part of the overall defensive strategy, delivering anti-ship and anti-tank weaponry on target. S-200 and Akash SAMs constitute the airforce's primary missile systems, and the S-200 modifications provide ABM capability. Both systems can engage cruise missiles and stealth targets, but the Akash is a much more accurate, medium-range system and the S-200 is an aging, long-range system which has nontheless been kept operational for several decades.

The navy is also well-dispersed, operating its missile boats, corvettes, and submarines from a multitude of locations well-protected by the national SAM and ABM grid. Truck-mounted anti-ship missiles such as the BraMos and AS. 117 are also very difficult to locate and destroy in a first attack, and these provide a cushion against amphibious landings. Bengal-class multirole corvettes are probably the navy's most capable ships for their size, equipped with ASW, SAM, and AsSW weaponry in a low-cost, low-maintainance platform. They are supplemented by Grisha class, Abhay class, and Type 25 corvettes in the ASW role, and Veer (Tarantul) missile boats in the SAM and AsSW role. Samar and Vikram class cutters patrol the Hindustan EEZ and provide SAR, anti-smuggling, and fire fighting tasks for the HN. Shishumar and Foxtrot class D/E attack submarines constitute the submarine arm, along with a growing number of Bihar class AIP attack boats, expected to amount to 20 examples when construction is completed. A naval air wing flies Il-38 "May" patrol aircraft, as well as Sea King and Chetak helicopters, and a wing of 25 Sea Harriers is based off the carrier INS Viraat. The Viraat, along with its escorts, form the seagoing task force, the long, gangly arm of LRRN foreign policy. A feeble amphibious squadron consists of some 22 large assault vessels and numerous light landing craft.


The military overall is designed to respond to two types of attacks:

An invasion by Sino through nepal, or an amphibious landing on either the Bay of Bengal or the Arabian Sea.

With an extensive rail netork, the army should on paper have little trouble shuttling forces around to various locales, and the airforce, with its many dispersed bases, should have little trouble covering transport operations and providing the army with support. The navy, however, is the first line of defense against invasion by sea, since an invasion through other countries is considered unlikely. The army has developed a defensive strategy to deal with a Sinoese assault called "depth positioning." In this strategy, units dig in quite a distance behind the border, and this depth would force Sinoese units to cross kilometers of land before being able to engage Hindustani forces, all the while being pummeled by artillery and anti-tank missiles.

Otherwise, the army depends on its high mobility and adaptability to quickly engage enemy units inside Hindustani borders. This mobility is helped by the fact that Hindustani motor-infantry divisions can quickly transform from a vehicle-based, APC borne force into a rabble of infantry, allowing them to fight with equal ability in the jungle and in the more open areas. The long range and in-terrain characteristics of Hindustani army vehicles, especially the APC-3 armored carrier, allow the army to move quickly and efficently.

Teh full record of Strathdonian defnce developement can be found here:
http://forums2.jolt.co.uk/showthread.php?t=361557

but a much shorter summary:

Army:(numbers ares till in the works)
regular forces:
8 light cavalry battalions
2 mech inf divsions
1 armoured division
16 artillery regiments (mix of arty and Air defense)
2 Airborne/air assualt battalions
4 engineering battalions
12 light infantry battalions
3 medical abttalions
18 support/logistics battalions

the rest of the army cosnsits priamrily of training, territorial and reserve units

Navy (such as it is):
1 LST/supply ship/helo carrier
48 assorted light patrol boats (think veitnam swift boat/PBRs)

airforce:
66 fighters (mostly BAE hawks)
12 trainers (small number but Hawks are really just armed trainers)
41 light/tactical transports
22 heavy transport/airliners (belfasts/hercs/Saab340s/sunderlands)
14 patrol/observation aircraft
98 helicopters

special forces:
1 battalion (officially in realsity it is at msot 2 companies)
6 fixed wing aircraft
2 helicopters

In some areas Strathdonia is better equipped than it should probabaly be even with its economic miracle but certain foreign powers seem intent to throw money and equipment our way so i think i can just about get away with it seeing as outside of the airforce and artillery most of our stuff is getting on for being 3rd rate.

Looks like it'll be worth doing, then. I shall probably set up an off-site forum and have one post for each nation's overview as basically submitted by themselves*, then have another sub-forum with threads for aircraft, armour, blah blah and a post for each item, or something along those lines.

There's no rush, so folk can just submit information whenever the hey they feel like it, really.

*Depending on how things go, I may add commentary from some OGRE members, which will probably be bias as heck, or mayhap there will be discussion between members, which may be incorporated somehow.

http://s6.invisionfree.com/OGRE_Defence/index.php?act=idx

That's where the forum will be. As yet there's no info in it- when there is, I shall add it to the first post in this thread.

I think I'll add a section where in our Beddgelen researchers will ramble on about the state of militarism in each nation that submits enough information, then the existing threads will be used to give detailed specifications on equipment.

You don't need to join the forum, really. The link will continue to exist, here. You *may* see information with which you disagree, but you have to realise that this is a Beddgelen state project. I mean, you can imagine it like a website sponsored by the Soviet Union, really. If you don't like it, it is because my characters don't like you ;) It may not be because I don't like you, or even your equipment.

Technical specifications will be given matter-of-factly as you submit them- we won't out and out lie about you, I want this to be a useful resource, but the interpretation of data may not be precisely the same as you have imagined it. Just a heads up.

It'll be an on-going project that will probably last for as long as I'm on Nation States... and I've already been here since early April 200...3? Crap!

Presently I'm enjoying having a few BG armaments that seem to be way better than everyone else's, and a few huge holes that make up for it. Also I'm enjoying being really fricking wasted and listening to the Manic Street Preachers and Nick Cave on that annoying chap's show.

The British Army has returned, under PM John Bull, to levels initially promissed at the end of the Cold War. That is 116,000 regulars and 69,000 Territorials. Over-all spending has slowly increased, and is currently reckoned to be about at the maximum sustainable level without significantly hurting the over-all economy.

This has allowed restoration of many promised or suggested but later cancelled or declined programmes, but hasn't quite left room for all of the schemes that Bull's hawks initially hoped for.

Examples are the improvement of Warrior Section Vehicle with an incredibly effective 40mm cannon and proposed fire-control upgrades but no boost to the middling total of Britain's battle tanks as some desired to counter the newly hostile French.
Programmes have been initiated to replace Quinntonian MLRS and Phoenix UAV with domestic designs, but have as yet not received funding enough to see significant progress.
At long last, Britain's royal small arms arsenals have been moved back away from Nottingham's awkward, cheap production lines and to purpose built facilities in Enfield, resulting in production of SA-80A2 closer to how the weapon was originally intended. With high construction standards and dimensions revised to suit the NATO standard round instead of the utterly different British round in the minds of the original designers, SA-80A2 is again unquestionably the world's most accurate standard issue assault rifle, and one of the most reliable when properly maintained. On the other hand, the ancient GPMG L7 soldiers on in service.

At sea, the Royal Navy is finally looking itself once again in a world that requires it anew. Type 45 Daring Class Air Defence Destroyers are some of the world's finest, their torpedo tubes, sonar, and armour fitted where once they looked set to be cut, and -in all bar the first hull- 155mm guns replacing 114mm. Still, with costs soaring, the class retains only provision for VLS cruise missile capacity and anti-ship missiles, requiring the retention in service of the navy's frigates. The Daring Class is to be 12 strong, and is half way through its production run.

Returning Britain's carrier force to respectable levels is a major point of pride for BIDP, with three Queen Elizabeth II Class carriers being built and furnished with side and bulkhead armour previously to be deleted, as well as getting evolved Goalkeeper CIWS.

Astute and Vanguard Class nuclear submarines remain the order of business below the waves, with no D/E force being seriously proposed.

Importantly, Sea Harrier 4 (and Harrier IV) has replaced the JSF requirement abandoned early on by Bull's government.

The Courageous is to be the biggest warship ever built in Britain, giving back the navy's big-gun capability. She may be a counter to French capital ships, but is as yet the only one planned in her class.

In the skies, the RAF is getting a full 240 or so Eurofighters, the rich relation of her cross-channel rival's best fighter, as well as Harrier IV. The future of Jaguar remains uncertain, but it is probable that all sixty shall be withdrawn as planned by the previous government.

By and large, Bull's government has done what seemed obvious to most amature boffins, and has served the armed forces well. It remains to be seen whether these measures are enough, or in fact fall short of the demands of this much changed world.

((So, heres the military of Restoration France))

French Royal Army
This is the heart of the French Armed Forces. Made exclusivley of mercenary forces, who hold oaths and life-contracts solely to Louis XX. It is a disparate group, reflecting the finest warriors the world has to offer in service to the King. The Royal Army is, quite literally, why Louis is without a doubt secure on his throne.

[Note on uniforms, all soldiers wear tephlon plated steel tricorner hats, colors that match to their Regimental Uniform--each uniform being unique to suit the character of the unit--, as shown by [] ]
Swiss Bodyguards- 900
-The Kings bodyguards, the finest soldierly of Switzerland.
(3) Swiss Regiments- 7000 each [red, black, and gold]
-Swiss heavy infantry. Soul of the Royal Army.
Basque Brigade- 900 [black and green]
-Most ruthless unit in Royal Army, they are a showpiece.
Flanders Regiment- 2400 [blue]
-Functions as State Police in Northern France. Mixed Mercencery Unit.
(2) Sikh Corps- 3500 each [black and tan]
-Tough Sikhs, serve a versatile medium infantry, noted for their resilience.
Shirpa Corps- 2510 [black and red]
-Mountaineers, brutal and capable of winning a goal quickly.
(3) Korean Divisions- 12000 each [yellow and black]
-The spine of the Royal Army, incredible heavy infantry.
Czech Regiment- 1800 [butternut and blue]
-Tough Czechs, serve as fine urbal warfare experts, light infantry.
Turkish Division- 12000 [white]
- Turk heavy infantry, along with Korean Divisions spine of Royal Army.
Burgundy Regiment- 1700 [green and blue]
-Functions as State Police in Southern France. Mixed Mercenary Unit.
Strasbourg Guard- 1890 [red and green]
-Serve as kind of a pan-France motorized police force, based in The Aresenal at Strasbourg.
(4) Artillery Batallions- 700 each [black]
Field artillery. France has standard amounts of howitzers, missles batteries, mortars and about 15% overall higher than it does in IRL. The numbers forwarded by CIA, just dont have the site handy. By the way, France is a nuclear power, and a moderate one, just FYI.


[B]French Guards
The French Guards are Divisions made up of Frenchmen. The enlisted men are
mostly there on reward of the Kings Bounty (with service done, more than enough to live on), with a few being conscripted (roughy 70/30). They are reliable, if only because of their Prussian training (institued by M. de Saint-Germain, Minister of War). Each formation of company and above is commanded by an aristocratic officer, who has life and death power over his men, and whose orders are to be carried out without question. NCO's are on a better pay plan with more benefits (plus many are ex-cons, grizzled tough types) and generally carry out their duties of discipling the men and ensuring coordination admirably. Division breakdowns, as opposed to Royal Army, are standard. Advantageous because in case of emergency numbers can be brought up quickly by conscription.

[All uniforms are blue and white, standard helmets]

1st French Guard Division- 12000
-Heavy Infantry
2nd French Guard Division- 12000
-Heavy Infantry
3rd French Guard Division- 12000
-Heavy Infantry
4th French Guard Division- 12000
-Heavy Infantry
5th French Guard Division- 12000
-Medium Infantry
6th French Guard Division- 12000
-Medium Infantry
7th French Guard Division- 12000
-Medium Infantry
8th French Guard Division- 12000
-Light Infantry
9th French Guard Division- 12000
-Light Infantry
10th French Guard Division- 12000
-Light Infantry
11th French Guard Division- 12000
-Light Infantry
12th French Guard Division- 12000
-Field Artillery

*Note the Royal Dauphin Corps serving in Estenlands is made up of:
the 3rd, the 6th, and the 10th, with two companies of the 12th with artillery. As well as naval elements and elements of the OSE 3rd Wing)

**Notice there are not support posistions in the French Military. All support comes from the:

Royal Auxiliary
A cartel of noble run corporations that provide the King with engineers, cooks, mechanics, etc..., for the purpose of fulfilling those needs in the military. There numbers of course are in flux constantly, as per the Kings needs, but right now are around 40,000. All "Auxiliaries" are basically civilians placed into a military setting, although some are veterans. They are armed only with light arms, and are by no means soldiers. They have the advantage of giving the King yet more control of the functions of the military, as he could technically 'cut off' any unit that disobeys.


Ordu du Saint-Espirit (Royal Air Force)
This elite Order only takes sons of the highest nobility. They are 'Knights of the Sky' and have that mentality.

(6) Wings Mirage 2000 C-F Fighter Bombers
- 72 craft per Wing.
(3) Groups Dassualt Rafale-C Air Superiority Fighter
- 25 per Group.

340 Support Aircraft

Order of the Golden Fleece (Armored Cavalry)
Still an elite order, but for the sons of lower nobility.

(9) Brigades
Per Brigade:
35 Cheval Tanks (like mod. German Leopard)
70 Armored Vehicles
15 Support Vehicles

Royal Navy
(4) Cherbourg Class Battleships: ((Stats on Progressive Restoration))
<Perhaps the most potent class of ship ever to be found in the French Navy>
Mark II-
Louis-Auguste
Mark I-
Roi de Soleil
Strasbourg
Louis XIV
(9) Marseilles Class Light Cruisers
(17) Brest Class Frigates

200 Support Ships

*Note there are no submarines in the French fleet. As gentlemen, they would naturally object to the ethic of slithering away under the water. As well, Aircraft carriers would have been a huge expenditure. Rather, especially in the case of the Cherbourg Class, AA power and sub hunt/defense ability has been integrated into the surface ships. Jets will find them very responsive, and for subs they have one of the best seek/destroy processes in the world.

10,000 Royal Marines

((So, that is my military! Hope I didnt hog to much, but I though people should know how France stands.))

The Imperial Roycelandian Armed Forces are best explained by this Factbook I put together:

http://s3.invisionfree.com/nsafrica/index.php?showtopic=14

I'm more than happy to expand on the information there, if anyone's interested...

Incidentally, great idea, BG!

Oh man! My military stats are out of date already! I always do that.

I shall post more specifics later, but for now I'm sticking with current Russian military stats.
STATUS OF THE RUSSIAN MILITARY
Supreme Commander Of Russian Forces
"The Boss"
Leaders of Russia, I shall be frank. The collapse of the Soviet Union, and years of corruption and crime have squeezed the Russian military dry. Our forces in all branches of the service are demoralized, underpaid, and underequipped. Rumors persist of brutal hazings persist. Our only advantages remain the small legion of well equipped "elites" in our army and the overabundance of old Soviet hardware.
However, the situation is not hopeless. Recent capitalist reforms instituted by Russia's new President, Vladimir Putin (OOC: NOT THE ACTUAL PUTIN. COMPLETELY UNRELATED. For backstory, check the "Modern World Opening to New Members" thread), the crackdown on corruption, and the general revival of Russian nationalism has led to increased funds, decreased waste, and uplifted morale. The military still remains, like the entire nation, in poor state. However, there is a sense of general optimism, and my assesments indicate that we shall be able to field a decent army in a year, and an army worthy of a super power within two years. (OOC: Not RL, of course.)

TBF: you don't bessicarily need to increase your tank force as the challenger 2 is capable of ebign upgunned with either the german/royal ordinace 120/55cal gun or the royal ordinace 140mm gun...

of corus eis till don't know what exactly Elkazor ahs against the Leclerc...

((OOC: Keeping an ever so watchful eye over BG as usual for one day when "it all goes down"))

[tag]

(Heh, yes, erm, this is one of those things that will take forever and hardly move. Good job it's not vital to life in AMW, but I am still gradually chipping away at the task. Hurrah.)

Well, just for reference, here's a bit of the HDFs that will not likely change in the forseeable future:


The average Hindustani Army trooper wears a uniform that has changed little from Second World War english jungle patterns. Light green or khaki shorts and short-sleeve uniform jacket or cotton light shirt are most common, although the Denison smock is a popular piece of kit, especially during recent operations in Nepal. Insulated long pants and a variety of other cold weather items are also standard issue, although thet are rarely carried in Hindustan proper.

The wide-brimmed slouch hat is the most common piece of headgear, usually found in olive drab, although again wool caps are issued for colder climes.

The helmet is based on the British Mk. 6 combat helmet, although it is rarely worn in Hindustan proper, and the average soldier wears a pair of lightweight canvas and rubber jungle boots, which of course can be complimented with cold weather gear easily.


The SMG has almost entirely disappeared from the HDF arsenal. While Sterling s could at one point be found among almost any army unit, they have been replaced with VZ. 58s, Rk. 62s, and Galils, the last two firearms being the most common due to their rifle-grenade capabilities.

The average soldier usually has one of these rifles, all chambered for the standard 7.62mm ammunition, as well as several rifle grenades. British 1958-pattern webbing is standard. The L4A5 light MG is carried on the squad level.

In the average Hindustani Army infantry squad of ten, there are two or three RPG-7s as well as the rifle grenades, in addition to the L4A5. Four-squad platoons generally are in command of three to four ATGWs and perhaps a mortar or two, although a good deal more firepower can be expected when operating with armored vehicles or sappers.

The Kanendru military is low-tech, but a decidedly effective fighting force for the purpose it is meant to serve. The People's Liberation Army consists of 60,000 personnel and five divisions: East, West, Central, and two fully mechanized units called the First and Second Motor Rifles made to quickly respond to enemy threats at any point in Kanendru's border defenses if the main divisions falter. Each division features a complement of light, highly mobile mountain artillery, mortars, and a unique field-disassemblable MRL known as the RF-2, one of only a handful of domestically designed weapons systems. Tanks are rare because the heavily mountainous terrain make them virtually useless anywhere except the western border on the Terai plain, which is considered secure. When they do appear, they tend to be T-72 variants.

The People's Militia totals 200,000 part-time servicemen who are typically lightly armed and not designed for full-scale military engagement. Jeeps, rifles, SMGs and machine guns of Hindustani or Chinese manufacture are the norm. It consits of three main parts: Border Security, Internal Stability, and the red Brigades. The former two are relatively self explanatory, with Internal Security being the major police force which, unlike many national police forces, is subject to popular oversight and democratic control. The Red Brigades are a little shakier; about 6000 elite militiamen, many well-educated, they're not even officially acknowledged to exist. Their purpose is to train, arm, and aid revolutionary forces in other countries. Well-armed and equipped, these elite guerilla warriors are the closest thing Kanendru has to special forces units. To the chagrin of non-CPK political formations, the militia is personally loyal by and large to the Party.

The INSAS and Kalashnikov families of firearms form the standard for rifles, machine guns, and sidearms.

There is no navy for reasons a map should make readily apparent.

Air force:

Two squadrons of MIG-19PM interceptors for air defense, twelve fighters each.

1 squadron Nanchang Q-5 fighter bombers, twelve fighters each.

Kanendru is not known to field strategic bombers, and three Antonov An-12s provided by Russia decades ago provide the bulk of its heavy transport capabilities.

The armed forces, with the exception of the Red Brigades, are designed mostly for self defense since there isn't really anybody nearby Kanendru could or would want to attack. Its effectiveness was demonstrated when a few hundred thousand lightly armed soldiers and militiamen conducted a highly effective defensive operation against the much more heavily armed Xiaguo armed forces. The typical strategy was one of constant harassment and guerilla warfare, combined with conventional, overwhelming strikes at enemy weakpoints (easily isolated due to the terrain) and continuous pounding by mobile artillery units to demoralize and whittle down invading forces. T

The army is also unique in that it is not only encouraged to be a politicized force, it is EXPECTED to be, charged with propagating the Maoist ideology and correcting ideological errors within the party and dealing with dissent from without. The Party is very strict and adamant that this is never to be done with guns or force; a unique formation in the army is the unarmed, ten man and/or woman propaganda team which often visit schools and villages to give presentations, investigate allegations of abuse or corruption by Party officials and cadre, and counter anti-communist or reactionary political viewpoints with propaganda of their own. Soldiers are encouraged to participate in the political process and make their views known, even if they disagree with their government or commanding officers.

(OOC: In order for this to be more detailed, it would be nice to get an accounting of all the military-related crap that LRR and BG have provided Kanendru over the course of the war and what have you, cause I kind of forget. Not a huge list with numbers and everything, just systems.)

[OOC: Whee, go political army! One of the few concepts shared between Maoism and Spyr's own branch of socialist thought.

*tries to gather up and compile military notes*]

Sorry about that, Kanendru.

The Kanendru military has probably recieved a good deal of automatic mortars, very similar to the Russian 2B9 Vasilik, and the surplus Kvardat SAMs, with an impressive 20+km range.

While I gather that you don't have much use for armored vehicles, there's probably a lot of ATGWs included in weapons shipments. The AT. 25 (similar to the Milan) and AT. 36 (similar to the TOW 2B) are the most numerous export types. Some Grad MRLs and other artillery systems are also included.

The firearms of the Roycelandian Empire are many and varied, but as a general rule:

Imperial Guard will be armed with a Short Magazine Lee-Enfield or Self-Loading Lee-Enfield Rifle and a brace of pistols (usually a Webley Mk VI .455 revolver or Tiger .357/12g- basically a modern Le Mat).

Some of the Imperial Guard, especially on Jungle Duties, will be carrying a No 5 Mk I Jungle Carbine or a SMG- invariably the Thompson M1928A1 or the PPSh-41, with 72-round drum magazine.

The Imperial Foreign Legion (who do a lot of Roycelandia's "Dirty Work") tend to carry whatever is most appropriate for the situation, but that's usually FN-FALs, AK-74s, M-14s, or captured enemy weapons.

Machine Guns are almost always the Lewis LMG, Bren LMG, or the Vickers MMG. There are Browning .50 cal HMGs, as well as Hotchkiss 20mm Gatling Cannons, amongst other things.

Uniform wise, the Imperial Guard wear a Red Combat Jacket (made of rating IV Kevlar), Blue Cargo Pants, Black Combat Boots, have Leather webbing (WWI British Pattern '08), and wear either a white or khaki kevlar-coated Pith Helmet (Zulu War style, not the type you see in 1930s films set in The Congo).

The Colonial Guard wear a Khaki version of exactly the same uniform, whilst the Arab Guard (of The Sudan) wear traditional dress, usually without a helmet.

The Imperial Foreign Legion wear Camouflage BDUs, have Kevlar helmets much like most other militaries, and wear whatever webbing they like.

It's worth noting that the Imperial Guard and Colonial guard still employ volley fire tactics on massed enemies, often with surprisingly succesful results. IG and CG troops can and will fight as individuals, however.

The Imperial Air Force and Imperial Navy could fill posts on their own, so I'll save them for another day...

taggith!

Hey Kanendru, want some 75mm anti-tank guns?

Strainist Revolutionary Army

The SRA is most easily understood as the military of Spyr, but it would be more accurate to describe it as the armed wing of the Strainist Party. The Army and the Party were born together in the fires of Revolution, and sometimes it is difficult to distinguish between the two: both are dedicated to the propagation and preservation of socialist ideology, and both work as political entities to accomplish revolutionary goals. A key part of SRA operations consists of uniting with local populations, assisting in their labours and educating them in the tasks of revolution. The Army and the Revolution are united, and the Army and the People are united (according to what many might identify as Maoist principles), making the Army the practical link between the peasants/proletariat and Strainist ideology. The SRA appears as a national military only because for many years, Spyr stood alone as a Strainist state, and the SRA operated in its defence. Spyr remains the source of the vast majority of funding and recruits for the SRA. However, the military command structures act according to Party interests, spanning across Strainist states, rather than limiting themselves to Spyr. The military ensign of the SRA remains the unadorned red flag of revolution [something which might cause confusion between them and units bearing Igovian markings ^_^].

The SRA is not segmented into Army, Navy, and Air Force… ‘branches’ exist based upon common training and equipment, but operational units are far more important than divisions based upon labour classification.
Ex: An SRA carrier would not be associated with the Naval branch… rather, its crew would be made up of members of Naval branch, combined with members of the Supply, Technical, and Administrative branches. Pilots and air crew for the carrier’s planes come from Air branch, marines from Infantry branch, and ideological leadership from Political branch. This intermingling is meant to encourage cooperation and prevent rivalry between different arms of the military… all are interconnected parts of the SRA whole.

SRA equipment is generally modern... application of high technology is common, though it has limits: it lacks strategic bombers, significant power-projection assets such as transport aircraft and amphibious warfare vessels, land-mines, cluster or incendiary munitions, NBC weaponry (with the exception of non-lethal tear gases), and intercontinental ballistic missiles. It is also criticized for retaining melee ‘archaisms’: the officer’s sword and bayonet are still commonly put to use. Training includes a great deal of general and ideological education, sacrificing perfection of drills. An SRA parade will not win any contests for orderliness, contrasted with a military such as that of the Sinoese. Of course this is to be expected from a military where comradeship with the populace outweighs distance and mindless obedience. This approach is often seen as the most fatal flaw of the SRA, that split second of hesitation which sometimes emerges as a soldier thinks about his actions. However, knowing why and what they are fighting for gives SRA soldiers high morale.
The SRA consists of some 600,000 staff divided between its thirteen branches.

People’s Levy of Spyr

Where the SRA is the military of the Party, the Levy is the military of Spyr. However, its role often causes it to be simply thought of as a civil organization. It is a conscript force, drawn from the general population to undergo training and serve shifts performing important duties. In wartime, Levy forces swell with conscripts trained as basic infantry, to supplement their local defences. People may volunteer for levy service, and after two years of service will not be conscripted later for peacetime service. It is always the goal to fill all positions with volunteers, though any additional need is satisfied through conscription. In addition to militia duty, the Levy serves as law enforcement, fire suppression, border and coastal watch, and public medical services.
The total Levy number is difficult to determine, given part-time service and conscription-to-fill-needs, but it could be safely estimated at well over a million personnel.

Strainist Youth Guard

The Youth Guard is the youth wing of the Strainist Party, similar in operation to the Boy Scouts, with members from ages six to eighteen. It stresses loyalty, discipline, and dedication to revolutionary goals. Veteran’s Watch and regular SRA volunteers lead the young people in activities from parades to cleaning up litter to helping farmers in their fields. Youth Guard are also often trained to supplement Levy units, and in the event of conflict, can be armed for defence. Participation in the Guard often leads to state scholarships or increased chance of promotion after enlistment in the SRA proper, as well as regular opportunities to travel and participate in a variety of experiences. The ultimate goal is to teach young people how to become moral members of Revolutionary society. The Youth Guard has never seen combat, though the existence of an Armoured Corps of the YG, operating old T-55 battle tanks, has caused some foreign interests to decry the organization as one of ‘child soldiers’. Across Spyr, North Yaman, Tord, and Sujava, the Guard claims over a half-million members.

(I'm currently in the process of making a defence chart for Taiwan in similar manner to the GlobalSecurity section on the ROC. I know a bit about naval and air force organisation, but close to nothing about army organisation, so please bear with me. This is a very brief overview)

http://forums.jolt.co.uk/showthread.php?t=405862

Now onto another topic : Taiwan has nuclear weapons! (secretly). Although the world doesn't know yet, I'm planning to have Chen whistleblow at the conference. That is of course, if like Spyr said, his minders get drunk.

I'm still working on my navy, which is modelled on RL Taiwan + Sinoese money and little bits of my own doctrine. Expect it soon.

Hm! Interesting.
I hope that nobody minds that this isn't a lightening project or anything :) It'll get somewhere before NS dies, I'm sure, heh.

just a bump pending linking to offsite factbooks...