Sarzonia
19-12-2005, 23:04
Incorporated Sarzonian Military White Paper
Abstract
Army
Following the army reforms implemented after Sarzonia’s disaster in Inkana, the Incorporated Sarzonian Army has undergone a reconstruction of its standard combat doctrine and increasing the focus on major areas of specialisation. The main tenet of the reforms have been centered on establishing an overarching doctrine, improving basic and focused training methods, and examining central motivations for the army to perform its duties. A detailed audit of the Sarzonian army’s equipment and operational needs in the wake of recent and historical combat experiences has pointed to the foundations of a mobile combat force capable of launching quick strikes at enemy infantry and combat sites. New tank designs such as the Z-30 ‘Cheetah’ scout tank and the Z-41 Regus air drop capable tank give the Incorporated Sarzonian Army unrivaled quick strike ability with fast armoured combatants that pack enough ordnance to damage armoured personnel carriers or infantry fighting vehicles and harass mechanised and standard infantry. The recent development of the Z-42 ‘Calder’ medium tank provides the ISA with an optimal tank for both homeland defence against heavily armoured combatants and a fast strike capable of attacking armoured units.
One potential challenge this focus on increased mobility of Sarzonian ground assets presents is the need to deal effectively with anti-personnel mines and improvised explosive devices (IEDs), not to mention the inherent difficulties of rooting out insurgencies with motorised patrols. The development of the new Z-29 ‘Hunley’ mine detection and clearance vehicle gives the ISA an unmatched deterrent against the implementation of conventional and improvised explosives. Dovetailing with foot patrols by regular infantry forces and a focus on psychological and other aspects of warfare, the ISA can develop itself into a combat unit that can deal effectively with counterinsurgent warfare.
A tertiary concern, but one that merits attention as it has bedeviled our military in previous conflicts, is the need for standardisation of military equipment. From the adoption of standard side arms to battle rifles, the decision to adopt certain weapons as standards for their intended purpose is intended to improve logistics of supplying ammunition, replacing defective units, and performing standard maintenance while improving coordination among all combat units.
Besides the focus on new combat units such as main battle tanks, including the Z-34 ‘Bonham’ main battle tank, and our self-propelled artillery, the ISA has had to undergo a major overhaul of its training methods. The standard six-week boot camp for all new recruits into the ISA has been replaced by a much more stringent 12-week programme of basic training followed by 14 weeks in direct combat training with each soldier’s assigned unit. The combined 26-week training regimen more than quadruples our previous training of new soldiers, but that isn’t the only aspect of the reforms. The 14 weeks of additional training is designed to promote cohesion among the members of the unit, which will serve each soldier well in combat.
Another programme of the Incorporated Military that has come about following the Sarzonian war against Pantera has been the establishment of a Home Guard comprised of three sub branches. The Ready Reserve is expected to draw from applicants including the best of state militia units and other combatant forces to serve as a homeland defence force to allow the Incorporated Sarzonian Army to serve as an offensive force. The Ready Reserve is expected to recruit a total of 10 million soldiers while the Army is slated to comprise 5 million men and women in combat and logistics personnel. In the event of a declaration of war, the Ready Reserve is expected to immediately be included within the Army to increase the number under Army command to 15 million without causing undue strain on the state militia units.
Finally, one key point made by Colonel Dusan Alvarado, formerly of the Imperial Generian Army, was the fact that our combat soldiers often were fighting for ill-defined objectives. In Inkana, that lack of a specific, unified goal was a recipe for disaster. The biggest difference between Sarzonia’s disgrace in Inkana and our vastly different result against Pantera was the motivation for fighting against the Panterans. It was no secret that our forces were fighting for a much more tangible goal. They were fighting to protect their homes, their way of life, and their freedom. However, they were also fighting for their nation’s honour and they were fighting under a unified command. The result of that war, while it was a tactical and strategic draw at best, has been viewed by many in the global community as an outright Sarzonian victory.
While we may not know with complete certainty the ultimate effect the army reforms will have had, our performance against Panterans stands as a testament to the potential of the Sarzonian military if it demonstrates that it has learned and will consistently apply the lessons of Inkana.
Air Force
The Incorporated Sarzonian Air Force has long been an excellent defensive arm of the military and its naval air wings have been the traditional method for aerial power projection. However, the recent military review of the Incorporated military has determined that the Air Force needs to be expanded to serve an expanded role. The recent establishment of the Home Guard has allowed Sarzonian military command to establish a separate Air Guard to serve as a defensive air arm. Among the most critical aspects of this expansion of the Air Force to serve in its new offensive capacity is the addition of several new aircraft with increased speed and agility for use in combat against highly advanced foes such as Doomingsland.
A similar evaluation of Sarzonian air assets including aircraft, personnel, and training has determined that our pilots are very well trained and are among the best in the world tactically. However, the disparity between Doomies and Sarzonians in aerial combat was largely attributed to superior aircraft with greater maneuverability than our own. Analyses of Sarzonian air combat tactics in several conflicts including Inkana have concluded that Sarzonian pilots have borne out our excellence in comparison to all of our previous enemies. Thus, it became imperative for the Incorporated Sarzonian Air Force to adopt new aircraft.
However, simply throwing money or new technology at an Air Force will not necessarily solve the problems evident in Inkana. We have made an effort to be intelligent about the designs we adopted, focusing on establishing new classes of aircraft that can perform with any aircraft currently in service with the world’s air forces. The SZ-19 Predator directly applied the lessons of Inkana when several squadrons of Sarzonian aircraft became mission kills against a single Doomie squadron. When the Democratic Imperium of Praetonia unveiled its first-ever indigenous aircraft design, the excellent L-82 Hussar advanced strike fighter, the rise of new competition from a nation that previously hadn’t designed aircraft forced the Avalon Aerospace Corporation to accelerate its next-generation programme. Just three years after the Hussar began to take hold in Praetonia, AAC adopted the SZ-20 Valkyrie advanced strike fighter, which experts also asserted could match the F-78 Sokol in the latter’s dedicated air superiority role.
Following the adoption of the Valkyrie, new designs for an advanced air superiority fighter (the SZ-21 Coronet), and an advanced long range bomber (SZ-22 Olympic), the ISAF felt it was in good stead for modern aircraft capable of matching the most advanced aircraft in the world. However, outgoing Air Force Chief Bill Lighton, with an eye toward his new responsibilities as the Vice President for the Home Guard, directed the Avalon Aerospace Corporation to adopt a single engine aircraft to serve as a scout craft and potential light fighter. That request resulted in the design and implementation of the SZ-23 Aurora scout jet. New Air Force Chief Greg Rodgers asked Avalon Aerospace to consider the 5,000 DAS-2E Wraith electronic warfare jets and 5,000 DAS-2R Banshee air defence suppression birds and consider a design to combine their functions into one aircraft to ease logistics. The result of the research was the SZ-24 Tyr electronics combat surveillance jets and the new Rapid Anti Radar (RAR) missile.
The result of the expansion programme has been the establishment of many new classes of aircraft and the establishment of a new offensive mission for the ISAF and the naval air combat wings of the Incorporated Sarzonian Navy. The establishment of the new homeland defence branches including the Air Guard has allowed the ISAF to shift priorities from its original defensive role to serve as a second offensive power projection tool. Continued focus on training and tactical awareness of current enemies should only improve Sarzonian combat performance in the future and can potentially turn Sarzonian air power into a second military branch that can turn the tide of combat in our favour.
Navy
As years of receiving a budget that dwarfed the other branches of the military, the Incorporated Sarzonian Navy has been instructed to pursue its mission profile with a less is more approach. Toward this end, the ISN has evaluated its mission profile and has chosen to consolidate its holdings to ensure that key interests remain preserved and that it maintains its priorities.
The primary mission of the Incorporated Sarzonian Navy is to project Sarzonian maritime power anywhere in the world in the interest of defending national interests, supporting our allies, and showing the flag wherever our requirements take us. To ensure the ISN's ability to conduct this mission without previous numbers of warships and ship classes, Vice President Kathy Bunhall instituted a programme of concentrating on our most capable combat classes and specialised warships to fill the various fleet roles required to ensure that Sarzonian interests remain served.
During peacetime operations, the Navy has been reorganised into four geographically-based Fleets, with the First Fleet being based in East Nicksia Harbour on the Sarzonian West Coast. Each Fleet is based either in Sarzonia proper or in a key port city of a Sarzonian colonial holding. In addition to the numbered Fleets, the ISN deploys Carrier Action Groups based around several Union-class trimaran fleet carriers of RSIN manufacture. Each Carrier Action Group consists of roughly 30 surface and subsurface units with our soon-to-be retired Brandywine-class light dreadnoughts serving as flagships until we can commission sufficient numbers of the new Chippewa-class. While the ISN consists of nearly 3,000 combatant vessels, operational deployment traditionally has numbered between 500 and 600 warships at any one time. The reduction in numbers has resulted in a branchwide focus on quality rather than quantity, though we have both in abundance.
However, when the diplomatic or military situation dictates it, the remainder of surface assets may be activated and additional numbered Fleets are available to deploy with all due speed. An additional fleet of 1,500 warships is available for implementation of the ISN's Accelerated Refit Programme and can be activated within six weeks of the start of hostilities. In the event of prolonged hostilities, various ships may be reacquired and incorporated into the Extensive Refit Programme for activation. During the Sarz-Panteran War, and during other similar emergencies, the Portland Iron Works can be closed to all but domestic production.
The secondary mission profile of the ISN is to defend Sarzonian and colonial coastlines from the prospect of attack by her stated or implied enemies. Working in concert with the Defence Cutter Force, the ISN accomplishes this task by conducting regular surface and subsurface patrols of her waters, in concert with maritime aircraft and early warning craft. While the ISN's strongest asset is its ability to project power, it effectively patrols Sarzonian waters in close cooperation with the Defence Cutter Force.
Even with increased budgetary parity among the armed services, the ISN has always been and likely always will be the pride of the Sarzonian nation. With careful attention to training regimens and consistent professionalism, we are confident this will remain the case for the foreseeable future.
Abstract
Army
Following the army reforms implemented after Sarzonia’s disaster in Inkana, the Incorporated Sarzonian Army has undergone a reconstruction of its standard combat doctrine and increasing the focus on major areas of specialisation. The main tenet of the reforms have been centered on establishing an overarching doctrine, improving basic and focused training methods, and examining central motivations for the army to perform its duties. A detailed audit of the Sarzonian army’s equipment and operational needs in the wake of recent and historical combat experiences has pointed to the foundations of a mobile combat force capable of launching quick strikes at enemy infantry and combat sites. New tank designs such as the Z-30 ‘Cheetah’ scout tank and the Z-41 Regus air drop capable tank give the Incorporated Sarzonian Army unrivaled quick strike ability with fast armoured combatants that pack enough ordnance to damage armoured personnel carriers or infantry fighting vehicles and harass mechanised and standard infantry. The recent development of the Z-42 ‘Calder’ medium tank provides the ISA with an optimal tank for both homeland defence against heavily armoured combatants and a fast strike capable of attacking armoured units.
One potential challenge this focus on increased mobility of Sarzonian ground assets presents is the need to deal effectively with anti-personnel mines and improvised explosive devices (IEDs), not to mention the inherent difficulties of rooting out insurgencies with motorised patrols. The development of the new Z-29 ‘Hunley’ mine detection and clearance vehicle gives the ISA an unmatched deterrent against the implementation of conventional and improvised explosives. Dovetailing with foot patrols by regular infantry forces and a focus on psychological and other aspects of warfare, the ISA can develop itself into a combat unit that can deal effectively with counterinsurgent warfare.
A tertiary concern, but one that merits attention as it has bedeviled our military in previous conflicts, is the need for standardisation of military equipment. From the adoption of standard side arms to battle rifles, the decision to adopt certain weapons as standards for their intended purpose is intended to improve logistics of supplying ammunition, replacing defective units, and performing standard maintenance while improving coordination among all combat units.
Besides the focus on new combat units such as main battle tanks, including the Z-34 ‘Bonham’ main battle tank, and our self-propelled artillery, the ISA has had to undergo a major overhaul of its training methods. The standard six-week boot camp for all new recruits into the ISA has been replaced by a much more stringent 12-week programme of basic training followed by 14 weeks in direct combat training with each soldier’s assigned unit. The combined 26-week training regimen more than quadruples our previous training of new soldiers, but that isn’t the only aspect of the reforms. The 14 weeks of additional training is designed to promote cohesion among the members of the unit, which will serve each soldier well in combat.
Another programme of the Incorporated Military that has come about following the Sarzonian war against Pantera has been the establishment of a Home Guard comprised of three sub branches. The Ready Reserve is expected to draw from applicants including the best of state militia units and other combatant forces to serve as a homeland defence force to allow the Incorporated Sarzonian Army to serve as an offensive force. The Ready Reserve is expected to recruit a total of 10 million soldiers while the Army is slated to comprise 5 million men and women in combat and logistics personnel. In the event of a declaration of war, the Ready Reserve is expected to immediately be included within the Army to increase the number under Army command to 15 million without causing undue strain on the state militia units.
Finally, one key point made by Colonel Dusan Alvarado, formerly of the Imperial Generian Army, was the fact that our combat soldiers often were fighting for ill-defined objectives. In Inkana, that lack of a specific, unified goal was a recipe for disaster. The biggest difference between Sarzonia’s disgrace in Inkana and our vastly different result against Pantera was the motivation for fighting against the Panterans. It was no secret that our forces were fighting for a much more tangible goal. They were fighting to protect their homes, their way of life, and their freedom. However, they were also fighting for their nation’s honour and they were fighting under a unified command. The result of that war, while it was a tactical and strategic draw at best, has been viewed by many in the global community as an outright Sarzonian victory.
While we may not know with complete certainty the ultimate effect the army reforms will have had, our performance against Panterans stands as a testament to the potential of the Sarzonian military if it demonstrates that it has learned and will consistently apply the lessons of Inkana.
Air Force
The Incorporated Sarzonian Air Force has long been an excellent defensive arm of the military and its naval air wings have been the traditional method for aerial power projection. However, the recent military review of the Incorporated military has determined that the Air Force needs to be expanded to serve an expanded role. The recent establishment of the Home Guard has allowed Sarzonian military command to establish a separate Air Guard to serve as a defensive air arm. Among the most critical aspects of this expansion of the Air Force to serve in its new offensive capacity is the addition of several new aircraft with increased speed and agility for use in combat against highly advanced foes such as Doomingsland.
A similar evaluation of Sarzonian air assets including aircraft, personnel, and training has determined that our pilots are very well trained and are among the best in the world tactically. However, the disparity between Doomies and Sarzonians in aerial combat was largely attributed to superior aircraft with greater maneuverability than our own. Analyses of Sarzonian air combat tactics in several conflicts including Inkana have concluded that Sarzonian pilots have borne out our excellence in comparison to all of our previous enemies. Thus, it became imperative for the Incorporated Sarzonian Air Force to adopt new aircraft.
However, simply throwing money or new technology at an Air Force will not necessarily solve the problems evident in Inkana. We have made an effort to be intelligent about the designs we adopted, focusing on establishing new classes of aircraft that can perform with any aircraft currently in service with the world’s air forces. The SZ-19 Predator directly applied the lessons of Inkana when several squadrons of Sarzonian aircraft became mission kills against a single Doomie squadron. When the Democratic Imperium of Praetonia unveiled its first-ever indigenous aircraft design, the excellent L-82 Hussar advanced strike fighter, the rise of new competition from a nation that previously hadn’t designed aircraft forced the Avalon Aerospace Corporation to accelerate its next-generation programme. Just three years after the Hussar began to take hold in Praetonia, AAC adopted the SZ-20 Valkyrie advanced strike fighter, which experts also asserted could match the F-78 Sokol in the latter’s dedicated air superiority role.
Following the adoption of the Valkyrie, new designs for an advanced air superiority fighter (the SZ-21 Coronet), and an advanced long range bomber (SZ-22 Olympic), the ISAF felt it was in good stead for modern aircraft capable of matching the most advanced aircraft in the world. However, outgoing Air Force Chief Bill Lighton, with an eye toward his new responsibilities as the Vice President for the Home Guard, directed the Avalon Aerospace Corporation to adopt a single engine aircraft to serve as a scout craft and potential light fighter. That request resulted in the design and implementation of the SZ-23 Aurora scout jet. New Air Force Chief Greg Rodgers asked Avalon Aerospace to consider the 5,000 DAS-2E Wraith electronic warfare jets and 5,000 DAS-2R Banshee air defence suppression birds and consider a design to combine their functions into one aircraft to ease logistics. The result of the research was the SZ-24 Tyr electronics combat surveillance jets and the new Rapid Anti Radar (RAR) missile.
The result of the expansion programme has been the establishment of many new classes of aircraft and the establishment of a new offensive mission for the ISAF and the naval air combat wings of the Incorporated Sarzonian Navy. The establishment of the new homeland defence branches including the Air Guard has allowed the ISAF to shift priorities from its original defensive role to serve as a second offensive power projection tool. Continued focus on training and tactical awareness of current enemies should only improve Sarzonian combat performance in the future and can potentially turn Sarzonian air power into a second military branch that can turn the tide of combat in our favour.
Navy
As years of receiving a budget that dwarfed the other branches of the military, the Incorporated Sarzonian Navy has been instructed to pursue its mission profile with a less is more approach. Toward this end, the ISN has evaluated its mission profile and has chosen to consolidate its holdings to ensure that key interests remain preserved and that it maintains its priorities.
The primary mission of the Incorporated Sarzonian Navy is to project Sarzonian maritime power anywhere in the world in the interest of defending national interests, supporting our allies, and showing the flag wherever our requirements take us. To ensure the ISN's ability to conduct this mission without previous numbers of warships and ship classes, Vice President Kathy Bunhall instituted a programme of concentrating on our most capable combat classes and specialised warships to fill the various fleet roles required to ensure that Sarzonian interests remain served.
During peacetime operations, the Navy has been reorganised into four geographically-based Fleets, with the First Fleet being based in East Nicksia Harbour on the Sarzonian West Coast. Each Fleet is based either in Sarzonia proper or in a key port city of a Sarzonian colonial holding. In addition to the numbered Fleets, the ISN deploys Carrier Action Groups based around several Union-class trimaran fleet carriers of RSIN manufacture. Each Carrier Action Group consists of roughly 30 surface and subsurface units with our soon-to-be retired Brandywine-class light dreadnoughts serving as flagships until we can commission sufficient numbers of the new Chippewa-class. While the ISN consists of nearly 3,000 combatant vessels, operational deployment traditionally has numbered between 500 and 600 warships at any one time. The reduction in numbers has resulted in a branchwide focus on quality rather than quantity, though we have both in abundance.
However, when the diplomatic or military situation dictates it, the remainder of surface assets may be activated and additional numbered Fleets are available to deploy with all due speed. An additional fleet of 1,500 warships is available for implementation of the ISN's Accelerated Refit Programme and can be activated within six weeks of the start of hostilities. In the event of prolonged hostilities, various ships may be reacquired and incorporated into the Extensive Refit Programme for activation. During the Sarz-Panteran War, and during other similar emergencies, the Portland Iron Works can be closed to all but domestic production.
The secondary mission profile of the ISN is to defend Sarzonian and colonial coastlines from the prospect of attack by her stated or implied enemies. Working in concert with the Defence Cutter Force, the ISN accomplishes this task by conducting regular surface and subsurface patrols of her waters, in concert with maritime aircraft and early warning craft. While the ISN's strongest asset is its ability to project power, it effectively patrols Sarzonian waters in close cooperation with the Defence Cutter Force.
Even with increased budgetary parity among the armed services, the ISN has always been and likely always will be the pride of the Sarzonian nation. With careful attention to training regimens and consistent professionalism, we are confident this will remain the case for the foreseeable future.