Pyekan Military Overview
Chiefly in reference to this thread (http://forums.jolt.co.uk/showthread.php?t=590103).
Richest State With Powerful Army
http://www.nationstates.net/images/flags/uploads/pyeki__0.jpg
Pyekan Kuogu Military Overview
The Pyekan military is extremely large, deeply indoctrinated with a religious fanaticism, and well trained by global standards. However, the opening of the nation to the wider world (and Pyeki's consequent industrialisation) is a relatively recent phenomenon. While this goes some way to explaining rampant nationalism and xenophobia gripping the military, and the state's continued ability to convince its people of the divinity of an emperor who has never even been seen or heard in public, it also means that the state's technology is of a standard best described as uneven and that grave doubts persist as to the true depth and capacity of the ostensibly impressive military industrial base that has risen almost from scratch only in living memory. Much of the army remains straight-leg, or non-mechanised, relying on beasts of burdon and sheer manpower for much of its mobility and logistical support.
Prior to the outbreak of war, the Pyekan Kuogu will have just over 450,000 men under arms with 1.4 million reserves from a population of approximately 47 million people, indicating a reasonably high state of militarisation in the years leading up to the conflict for which the empire has been preparing. The Pyekanma Doctrine (according to which the Emperor Pan Yoshimura has a divine mandate to rule over Asia) calls for enlistment to increase once the state is committed to total war until such time as fully four million men are enrolled in all branches of the military.
The army and navy are far senior to the air defence force, which is but a fraction of their size. Both the army and navy operate their own aviation forces for support and attack purposes, and the independent air forces have no bomber command. However, the Air Defence Force does operate some impressive machines, all be it in small numbers. Its piston-engined fighters are fast and nimble, and both rocket and turbojet fighters are also in service. It is much to the frustration of pilots and air commanders that both the army and navy unfailingly receive first refusal on the most promising recruits and always higher priority is given to shipbuilding and army supplies than to aviation fuel and additional airframes for home defence purposes: "The Emperor's will can neither be spread nor enforced by interceptors!" as Commander Ikio Sawamura has been repeatedly told during his efforts to highlight the dangers of a desperately weak air defence network.
Though Pyeki has land borders, the expansionist nature of the Pyekanma Doctrine means that the Empire's naval forces are particularly strong, being seen as the vector by which the Emperor's will shall be carried abroad.
Pyekan National Defence Force (PNDF)
-Pyekan National Army (PNA)
-Pyekan National Navy (PNN)
-Pyekan National Air Defence Force (PNADF)
-The Unwavering Regiment
Elite PNA formation most keenly marked-out by the jaw-dropping fanaticism, complete indoctrination, and absolute brutality of its personnel. The ranks are filled by the most extreme products of Pyeki's institutionalisation of political education and violence, young men, and sometimes women, capable of extreme acts and, as the name suggests, unwavering in their obedience.
-The Dogfish Unit
Independent special operations force. Dogfish are characterised by fierce intelligence along with their fighting skills, which are born of Pyeki's somewhat dishonourable equivalent to the Samurai of the nation's most admired cultural neighbour. The above-average smarts of the Dogfish might make them politically dangerous, but it appears that these mysterious warriors channel most of their cunning into the art of killing, being apparently selected from the nation's disproportionately deep pool of sociopaths.
Command Staff
Emperor Pan Yoshimura, commander-in-chief
Prime Minister Doctor Hisaya Ito, assistant to the commander-in-chief
State Captain Jun Tazaki, head of the PNDF
General Eisei Amamoto, chief of the PNA
Admiral Akihiko Hirata, chief of the PNN
Commander Ikio Sawamura, chief of the PNADF
Major Chotaro Togin, commander of the Dogfish Unit
The Pyekan Soldier
An interesting quirk of Pyeki's military society is that the average Pyekan soldier is not only relentlessly drilled during his three year term of service and deeply indoctrinated since school to believe in the divinity of his Emperor, but -like all Pyekan citizens- legally obliged to exercise regularly even in civilian life: men of service age believed to be out of shape are often physically chased and struck by constables and even employers in order to force them to increase their fitness! Further, though military training prior to conscription is totally voluntary, an impressive 75% of eventual conscripts will have chosen to participate in weekly drills since childhood, or else have been obliged by their parents to do so.
The ordinary Pyekan soldier is very unlikely to be more than five and a half feet tall, will be slim of build, and tends to be scruffily presented, causing many straight-laced foreigners especially in the west to believe that he is a weak Asian peasant. In fact he is encouraged to think little of the physical world and be prepared to witness, endure, and inflict great hardship in the pursuit of his Empire's divine spiritual goals. While the sight of ones comrades in such a shabby condition as may arise on a hard campaign could discourage some foreign soldiers, the Pyekan recruit will not regard it as anything unusual and his moral is less likely to suffer.
Strength
In the lead-up to war, the PNDF has 450,000 men under arms with 1.4 million reservists. The Pyekanma Doctrine plans expansion to 4 million men under arms under total war conditions.
Currently 250,000 men are in the PNA, but this is the service set to expand the most under the requirements of Pyekanma. Guns, armour, and logistics vehicles are available in lower proportion than in the strongest western militaries at this time.
In respect of aircraft, the PNADF and PNA have between them over 1,000 including almost 900 front line combat types (BAI-201, BAI-202, YAP-84 YAP-3, YAP-45), while the PNN has 1,170 front-line aircraft including 440 fighters (BAI-7), 220 carrier-based strike aircraft (YAP-3, YAP-5) and 160 land-based bombers (BAI-67), plus 350 seaplanes and flying boats of various sorts (primarily converted BAI-7 floatplanes and old biplanes), and over 120 trainers for a total of slightly above 2,400 Pyekan military aircraft.
In respect of warships, the PNN has:
-6 battleships (plus 2 building)
-4 fleet aircraft carriers (plus 2 building)
-3 light aircraft carriers (plus 2 building)
-12 heavy cruisers
-14 light cruisers (plus 6 building)
-71 destroyers (plus 30 building)
-23 fleet submarines
-16 midget submarines
-60 patrol ships, gunboats, submarine-chasers et cetera
-4 minelayers
-14 minesweepers
-18 auxiliary vessels
Additionally some 1,600 merchant ships totaling around four million tons are under PNN authority, some of them armed
Aircraft
Fighters/Attackers
-YAP-45 Buzzard long-range/heavy/night fighter (PNADF, PNA)
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v148/Chivtv/NS1/yap45buzzard.jpg
[Twin piston-engine two-seat long-range night fighter with centimetric radar used primarily for anti-bomber work and also as a ground and ship attacker;
336mph top speed, 2,000km/1,081nm/1,243mi range, 10,000m/32,800ft ceiling, 11.7m.s/2,300 ft.min climb rate;
1x37mm, 2x20mm, 1x7.7mm, 2x250kg bombs.
In practice not all airframes fitted with radar.]
-YAP-3 dive-bomber (PNN, PNA)
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v148/Chivtv/NS1/yap3divebomber.jpg
[Two-seat carrier-borne dive-bomber;
267mph top speed, range of 1,352km/730nm/840mi, ceiling of 10,500m/34,450 ft; rate-of-climb 8.62m.s/1,869ft.min;
3x 7.7mm machineguns, 1x250kg or 2x60kg bombs]
-YAP-5 Boejanana torpedo-bomber (PNN)
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v148/Chivtv/NS1/yap5boejanana.jpg
[3 seat carrier and land based torpedo-bomber;
235mph top speed, 1,992km/1,075nm/1,237mi range, 6.5m.s/1,283ft.min rate-of-climb;
3x 7.7mm machineguns, 1x800kg torpedo or 3x250kg bombs or 6x60kg bombs]
-BAI-7 carrier fighter (PNN)
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v148/Chivtv/NS1/bai7.jpg
[390mph top speed, 10,900m/35,760ft ceiling, 6min 7 sec climb to 6,000m/13,100ft, endurance for 2.5hr cruise + 30min combat;
2x20mm cannon, 2x13.2mm machineguns
Extremely agile aircraft]
-YAP-84(-II) Besra standard front-line fighter (PNADF, PNA)
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v148/Chivtv/NS1/yap84besra.jpg
[Approximately 430mph top speed, 2,155km/1,339mi range, 10,500m/34,450ft ceiling, 19.25m.s/3,790ft.min rate-of-climb;
4x20mm cannon, 2x250kg bombs
'II' version uses more wood in its construction]
-BAI-202 Sunbird elite interceptor (PNADF)
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v148/Chivtv/NS1/bai202sunbird.jpg
[Catapult-launched rocket-driven interceptor;
560mph top speed, endurance just above 3.5 minutes
2x20mm cannon]
-BAI-201 Fireback elite fighter-bomber (PNADF)
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v148/Chivtv/NS1/bai201fireback.jpg
[Twin-engine turbojet fighter-bomber;
512mph top speed, over 12,000m ceiling, over 774m.min/2,540ft.min rate-of-climb, over 978km/611mi range;
2x20mm cannon, 1x800kg bomb]
Bombers
-BAI-67 medium bomber (PNN)
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v148/Chivtv/NS1/bai67medbomber.jpg
[Twin-engine medium bomber, 6-8 crew;
334mph top speed, 9,470m/31,070ft ceiling, 3,800km/2,361mi range;
1x20mm cannon, 5x13.2mm machinegun, 1,070kg bombs;
Said to be capable of absorbing significant punishment and designed with the climb and turn characteristics of a heavy fighter]
Others
-IA-57 transport aircraft (PNA, PNN)
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v148/Chivtv/NS1/ia57.jpg
[Twin piston-engine transport capable of carrying eleven passengers in comfort plus crew of four;
292mph top speed at altitude, ceiling 8,000m, range 3,000km]
Ships
Battleships
-Yahlen Class Battleships
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v148/Chivtv/NS1/yahlen.jpg
[65,000t standard, 73,000t full; 263 x 38.9 x 10.4m;
150,000shp, 4 shafts; 27kt; 7,200nm at 16kt;
2,767 crew;
9x 18.1"/45 calibre primary battery (3x3), 6x 6.1" secondary, 24x 5", 162x 25mm AA;
7 aircraft, 2 catapults
armour 16.1" primary belt, 14" main bulkheads, 9" outer deck, 8" central deck, 25.6" primary turret faces]
Run: 3 (Yahlen complete, Pan Jaya and Mekong building)
-Nay Pyi Taw Class Battleships
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v148/Chivtv/NS1/naypyitawclass.jpg
[32,720t standard, 42,850 full; 221x34.6x9.5m;
80,000hp, 4 shafts; 27kt; 5,500nm at 16kt;
1,368 crew;
8x16", 8x5", 98x25mm;
3 aircraft;
armour 2.5+3" to 2.8+5+2" deck, 9 to 20" primary turrets, 8-14" 12-degree-inclined belt]
Run: 5
Carriers
Cruisers
Destroyers
In Progress...
Ground Equipment
Infantry Weapons
Type 26 Revolver
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v148/Chivtv/NS1/type26revolver.jpg
[Robust if otherwise unremarkable hammerless 6-round side-swinging cylinder revolver in 9x22mm]
Type 100 Submachine-Gun
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v148/Chivtv/NS1/type100smg.jpg
[One of the PNA's better weapons, this uses the slightly under-powered 8mm Nambu cartridge but is itself a lightweight weapon with low recoil and good accuracy. Rate of fire is 800rpm, and the weapon uses a curved 30-round side-mounted magazine and accepts a bayonet]
Type 38 Rifle
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v148/Chivtv/NS1/type38rifle.jpg
[6.5x50mm Arisaka bolt-action rifle loaded with a five-round charger, it is one of the longest service rifles in the world, which suits the bayonet-heavy emphasis of PNA training and tactics. Though the rifle has a very low recoil impulse it has been proven to have an exceptionally strong receiver and could easily handle a larger round.]
Type 97 Sniper Rifle
[Based on the Type 38 rifle but having a lighter stock, bent bolt, 2.5x telescopic sight, and capability to accept a monopod. With a very long barrel and relatively weak round, the rifle has limited stopping power but good accuracy and gives off little or no muzzle flare or smoke, making counter-sniper activity difficult]
Type 11 Light Machine-Gun
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v148/Chivtv/NS1/type65mg.jpg
[An unusual weapon chambered for 6.5x50mm as per the Type 38 rifle, the feed system accepts the same five-round clips, allowing any squad member to provide ammunition to machinegun crews, and stacks up to six of them on their sides for 30 rounds in total. Due to the odd and open nature of this system the weapon can become jammed if not well cared-for in dirty environments]
Type 3 Heavy Machine-Gun
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v148/Chivtv/NS1/type3mg.jpg
[Air-cooled 6.5x50mm weapon based upon the Hotchkiss M1914, fed by a 30-round ammunition strip. Its tripod can be used as an anti-aircraft mounting, though rate-of-fire is just 450 rounds per minute.]
Type 97 20mm Anti-Tank Rifle
[7 round magazine; penetration 30mm at 350m, 20mm at 700m]
Type 4 70mm Anti-Tank Rocket Launcher
[Unlike the fin-stabilised 'bazooka' this weapon uses spin stabilisation and is fired from a prone position with the aid of a bipod. It uses shaped-charge ammunition. Minimum range 50m, maximum 800m, effective ~100m; penetration 80mm]
Type 99 Grenade
[Able to be used as a hand grenade or a rifle grenade and lending itself especially well to use as a boobytrap]
Type 89 Grenade Discharger
[50mm grenade launcher or light mortar weighing 10lbs, throwing high-explosive, incendiary, smoke, and fragmentation round with a range up to 670m/732yd]
Artillery
The PNA's artillery forces are widely regarded as a weak-point in the modernisation effort. Extremely widespread issue of the Type-92 battalion-gun provides infantry forces with added firepower, but heavy artillery and counter-battery strength is more limited. The unsatisfactory performance of the Type-14 Cannon and the excessive complexity of the Type-90 Field Gun have necessitated unexpected changes to the industrial base, leaving production of all types behind scheduel.
Type 97 81mm Intantry Mortar
[Range 3,062yds, projectile weight 3.3kg/7.27lbs]
Type-92 70mm Battalion Gun
[10 rpm; 2,785m/3,060yd range; smoke, armour-piercing, high-explosive ammunition]
Type-94 75mm Mountain Gun
[15 rpm for 2 minutes, 4 rpm for 15 minutes, 2 rpm for continuous firing; 8,000m/8,700yd range; smoke, incendiary, illumination, chemical, shrapnel, armour-piercing, high-explosive ammunition; often used as a field-gun substitute due to a shortage of Type-90s]
Type-90 75mm Field Gun
[10-12 rpm; 14,960m/16,360yd range; often used as an anti-tank gun, this weapon's production has fallen consistently short of targets due to the complexity of its recoil system, which has proved taxing to Pyekan industry]
Type-14 10cm Cannon
[6-8 rpm; 13,265m/14,507yd; said to be inaccurate, some retained in service due to shortage of replacements]
Type-92 10cm Cannon
[6-8 rpm; 18,300m/20,000yd range; far superior to the Type-14 and a good counter-battery weapon, available only in small quantities]
Type-96 15cm Howitzer
[3-4 rpm; 11,900m/13,014yd range; high-explosive, armour-piercing, shrapnel, smoke, incendiary tracer ammunition; capable of elevation to 65 degrees with a sufficient pit, also of limited availability]
Type-1 47mm Anti-Tank Gun
[6,900m/7,546yd range; armour-piercing high-explosive tracer, high-explosive ammunition; penetration at 500yd = 2.75" at 0 degrees, 2" at 30 degrees, at 1,500yd = 1.6" and 1.2"]
Type 0 Chi-Pan 75mm Self-Propelled Gun
[Built on Type-0 chassis, open-topped fighting compartment with 75mm gun, also used as a field-gun, similar to Japanese Type-1 Ho-Ni Tank Destroyer]
Type 1 Ho-Ro 150mm Self-Propelled Gun
[Built on Type-0 chassis, open-topped fighting compartment with short-barrel 150mm howitzer]
Vehicles
Armoured vehicles are typically of Imperial Japanese Army origin by design, re-armed with guns available to the PNDF. Nomenclature of armour especially is hopelessly confusing thanks to a ramshackle mix of original Japanese and new Pyekan designations, even in reference to two totally unrelated calendars. Though designs incorporating long-barrel 75mm and even 90mm guns and sloped, cast and welded armour exist, most PNA tanks in service are limited in capability.
BMW R/75 746cc Motorcycle (and sidecar versions)
Pyekan Military Trike [746cc frieght carrier also used in civil duties and able to carry several hundred kilos]
Model 95 4x4 Scout Car Kurogane [Unarmed scout with 36hp gasoline engine, of Japanese design]
Type 2595 So-Ki Armoured Railroad Car
[Able to switch between running on narrow, standard, and broad gage rail on wheels or on/off road on tracks; fitted with five machine-gun stilts but not always armed]
Type 92 A-I-Go Amphibious Tankette
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v148/Chivtv/NS1/aigo.jpg
[Weighing 3.5 tons this is sometimes called a heavy armoured car, 13.2mm hull gun and 7.7mm turret gun]
Type 3 Ka-Chi Amphibious Tank
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v148/Chivtv/NS1/kachi.jpg
[28.25 tons with pontoons, 47mm anti-tank gun, crew of 5-7, 240hp diesel engine, 20mph, 200mile range, 10-50mm armour, can be deployed via submarine. This is supposed to mostly but not completely replace the far smaller A-I-Go but is yet to do so, only a few being active]
Type 97 Te-Ke Tankette
[4.5 ton machine, the PNDF version is armed with a 37mm based on the Pak 36, has a two man crew, 12mm of armour, a 24mph top speed, and 100 mile range; it is widely issued]
Type 5 Ke Ho Light Tank
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v148/Chivtv/NS1/keho.jpg
[10 tons, 47mm gun, 150hp diesel engine, 31mph, crew 4, 8-20mm armour, not yet in regular service but supposed to replace Te-Ke in future]
Type 1 Chi-He Medium Tank
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v148/Chivtv/NS1/chihe.jpg
[Weight 17 tons, 47mm gun, 240hp diesel engine, 27mph, crew 5, 8-50mm armour, development of Type 97 Chi-Ha medium tank]
Type 1 Chi-Pan Flame Tank
Type 2 Ho-I Gun Tank
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v148/Chivtv/NS1/hoi.jpg
[Infantry support tank developed from Type 1 Chi-He by mounting a 75mm short-barrel gun in the turret in place of the 47mm anti-tank gun, deployed in small numbers amongst Chi-Hes]
Type 1 Ta-ha 2x37mm Self-Propelled Anti-Aircraft Gun
Type 98 Half-Track 2x20mm Self-Propelled Anti-Aircraft Gun
Type 1 Ho-Ha Half-Track
[6.5 ton armoured personnel carrier, 3 machineguns, 8mm armour, up to 15 persons]
Model 94 TK Tankette
[TK indicates a 'special tractor': used to tow [amongst other things] trailers spraying toxic gas or counter-toxin bleaching powder]
Model 94 3/4-ton Tracked Trailer
[Towed behind various tankettes]
Type 1 Chi-He Armoured Recovery Vehicle
Type 1 Chi-He Armoured Vehicle-Launched Bridge
Type 1 Chi-He Armoured Flail Mine-Clearer
Type 1 Chi-He Armoured Engineer Vehicle
Type 98 So-Da Armoured Ammunition Carrier
[Based upon the Te-Ke tankette]
Type One 4x2 Truck
[Pyekan-manufacture of Japanese truck made by Toyota and Nissan, near copy of Chevrolet truck]
Pyekan Armoured Train
[None standard configuration, usually armed with 7.7 and 13.2mm machineguns and 20 and 37mm cannons]
[Might just save this one]