Armed Forces of Arvor
The Armed Forces of Arvor (Arvorian: Вооружённые силы Арвора, ВсА or VsA) are the military of Arvor. It consists of four service branches: the Air Force, Ground Forces, Marines, and Navy. These branches are supported by a range of rear services and supplemented by an internal national guard force.
Central command for the armed forces is headquartered at the Arsenal in Cherenovsk.
Leadership
At its pinnacle, the Armed Forces are led by the President in their capacity as Supreme Commander-in-Chief. Day-to-day operational control of the military, however, falls to the Premier, who works in conjunction with the Minister of Defence and the Defence Council to co-ordinate policy and set objectives. Civilian oversight of the Armed Forces is the responsibility of the Ministry of Defence, while daily operational management of the forces falls to the General Staff of the Armed Forces, which consists of the chiefs of the service staffs of the branches.
The armed forces are forbidden by the Common Charter and a series of laws passed during the premiership of Aleksandr Belikov from engaging in domestic law enforcement except under very specific circumstances and with the explicit approval of the Congress of People's Deputies. Should the circumstances permit, such authorisation is granted for a maximum of thirty days, must be renewed a minimum of five days prior to the expiration of that period, and cannot be applied retroactively to a different situation.
- President and Supreme Commander-in-Chief - Ekaterina Vladimirovna Popova
- Premier - Mikhail Grigorievich Larionov
- Minister of Defence - Nikolai Fyodorovich Ustinov
- Chief of the General Staff - Admiral Yevgeny Ivanovich Rodin
- Commander-in-Chief, Air Forces - Colonel General Igor Nikolayevich Petrov
- Commander-in-Chief, Ground Forces - Colonel General Semyon Mikhailovich Golovkin
- Commandant General of the Marines - Colonel General Andrei Ivanovich Vasnetsov
- Commander-in-Chief, Naval Forces - Admiral Vasily Grigorievich Lazarev
- Commander-in-Chief, Rear Services - Colonel General Vladimir Khristoforovich Arkhipov
- Commander-in-Chief, National Guard - Colonel General Viktor Vasilyevich Zolotov
- Minister of Defence - Nikolai Fyodorovich Ustinov
- Premier - Mikhail Grigorievich Larionov
Combat Services
Air Force
The Arvorian Air Force (Арворианские ВВС) is the aerial defence and warfare branch of the armed forces.
Mission
The Air Force is responsible for the defence of Arvorian airspace, and the prosecution of aerial warfare against any foreign entity or power against which the republic may stand opposed. It accomplishes this through a combination of air superiority, ground strike, and interdiction missions designed to maintain control of the skies and deny that same control to the opposition. It is a high-technology force that employs some of the most advanced systems available. Its fleet is a combination of fighters, bombers, and support craft filling a variety of roles. Its aircraft can cover the length and breadth of D'Runia in defence of the nation and its neighbours, and regular patrols of its fighters can be seen flying over various parts of the republic.
Ranks
The rank structure of the air force is divided between general officers, flight officers, non-commissioned officers, and enlisted personnel. The ranks are (highest to lowest): general of the air force, colonel general, lieutenant general, major general, brigadier, colonel, lieutenant colonel, major, captain lieutenant, senior lieutenant, lieutenant, warrant officer, sergeant major, chief sergeant, senior sergeant, sergeant, junior sergeant, corporal, and trooper. (Note - the rank of general of the air force is one that is currently only honourary or granted in wartime.)
Aircraft
Current aircraft in service include:
- Andronov An-20 "Flanker" all-weather interceptor
- Andronov An-24c "Reyder" multirole fighter (Raider)
- Andronov An-26 "Brodyaga" multirole fighter (Prowler)
- Lastovka La-15d "Sablya" ground-attack fighter (Sabre)
- Teplov Te-40 "Dukh" high-altitude supersonic medium bomber (Spirit)
- Teplov Te-43 "Viktor" high-altitude supersonic strategic bomber
- Bunin Bu-15 helicopter gunship
- Bunin Bu-18 attack helicopter
Weapons
Current weapons in service include:
- ELEMASH Blackbird (Блэкберд) medium-range semi-active radar homing air-to-air missile (jet-mounted, 40kg HE blast-fragmentation warhead)
- Kalibr-A (Калибр-A) long-range, all-weather, jet-powered, subsonic cruise missile (500kg HE warhead)
- 9K34 Lightning (Молния) medium-range precision-guided surface-to-air subsonic missile (rack-mounted 40kg HE warhead)
- ELEMASH Whistler (Уистлер) short-range air-to-air missile (point defence and helicopter-mounted, 5kg HE blast-fragmentation warhead)
Ground Forces
The Arvorian Ground Forces (Арворианские сухопутные войска) are the ground defence and warfare branch of the armed forces.
Mission
The Ground Forces are charged with the protection of the nation's borders, the prosecution of land warfare against hostile ground forces, and the security and control of occupied territories during wartime, and the defeat of enemy troops.
The special operations arm (Спецназ, Spetsnaz) of the Ground Forces is the VYMPEL (ВЫМПЕЛ) Group.
Ranks
The rank structure of the ground forces is divided between general officers, field officers, non-commissioned officers, and enlisted personnel. The ranks are (highest to lowest): general of the army, colonel general, lieutenant general, major general, brigadier, colonel, lieutenant colonel, major, captain lieutenant, senior lieutenant, lieutenant, warrant officer, sergeant major, chief sergeant, senior sergeant, sergeant, junior sergeant, corporal, and trooper. (Note - the rank of general of the army is one that is currently only honourary or granted in wartime.)
Equipment
Current vehicles and equipment in service include:
- T-65 main battle tank
- TD-22 tank destroyer
- BTR-40 tracked armoured vehicle
- BMP-3 armoured personnel carrier
- BMP-9 armoured multipurpose vehicle
- VPK-Tigr infantry mobility vehicle
- ZSU-37 motorised AA vehicle
- MG-20 155mm motorised howitzer
- BG-74 155mm towed howitzer
- BG-53 105mm towed howitzer
- PZ-229 Olusha 9mm semi-automatic pistol
- AG-44 Alebarda 5.56mm automatic carbine
Note - "Пмз" stands for PMZ, which is short for "Пистолет машинного завода" or "Machine plant, pistol". "Кмз" stands for KMZ, which is short for "Карабин машиностроительного завода" or "Machine plant, carbine". "Мзв" stands for MZV, which is short for "Машиностроительный завод винтовки" or "Machine plant, rifle". "АГ" stands for AG, which is short for "Автомат Герасимова" or "Automatic Gerasimov". "ПЗ" stands for PZ, which is short for "Пистолет Золотова" or "Zolotov pistol".
Marines
The Arvorian Marines (Арворианские морские пехотинцы, Arvorianskiye morskiye pekhotintsy) are the naval infantry arm of the Arvorian Navy.
Mission
The Marines serve as the light infantry and amphibious warfare force of the Arvorian military. They are responsible for conducting expeditionary and amphibious operations through combined arms, implementing its own infantry, artillery, and special operations forces. They have built a solid reputation for conducting quick, hard-hitting assaults on enemy targets and paving the way for heavier forces pushing towards major objectives while simultaneously serving as a fast, mobile force that can provide critical defence for friendly installations and critical areas.
The special operations force (Спецназ, Spetsnaz) of the Marines is known as ARGENTUM (АРГЕНТУМ). It is divided into eight operations groups of 120 personnel each. Of the four spetsnaz forces within the AFA, it is the smallest and known for being the most selective in how it qualifies those personnel it selects from to join its ranks. As of 1.1.7690, the eight operations groups are Alfa (Альфа), Beta (Бета), Gamma (Гамма), Delta (Дельта), Theta (Тета), Lambda (Лямбда), Sigma (Сигма), and Omega (Омега). The best-known of these groups are Alfa, Gamma, and Sigma, which operated in Ephesus during the Second Coalition War. Sigma was the team also responsible for the escort of the Molotok-1 and Molotok-2 atomic bombs to the forward air base from which they were deployed in the final days of the conflict, and for guarding the bombers they were loaded onto prior to the start of their missions. Frequently upon leaving active military service, ARGENTUM veterans will spend a tour with the Red Guard.
Ranks
The rank structure of the marines is divided between general officers, field officers, non-commissioned officers, and enlisted personnel. The ranks are (highest to lowest): colonel general, lieutenant general, major general, brigadier, colonel, lieutenant colonel, major, captain lieutenant, senior lieutenant, lieutenant, warrant officer, sergeant major, chief sergeant, senior sergeant, sergeant, junior sergeant, corporal, and trooper. (Note - the Marines do not have a five-star rank.)
Equipment
Current vehicles, weapons, and other equipment in service include:
- BTR-40 tracked armoured vehicle
- BMP-3 armoured personnel carrier
- BMP-9 armoured multipurpose vehicle
- VPK-Tigr infantry mobility vehicle
- ZSU-37 motorised AA vehicle
- MG-20 155mm motorised howitzer
- BG-53 105mm towed howitzer
- PZ-229 Olusha 9mm semi-automatic pistol
- AG-44 Alebarda 5.56mm automatic carbine
Note - "Пмз" stands for PMZ, which is short for "Пистолет машинного завода" or "Machine plant, pistol". "Кмз" stands for KMZ, which is short for "Карабин машиностроительного завода" or "Machine plant, carbine". "Мзв" stands for MZV, which is short for "Машиностроительный завод винтовки" or "Machine plant, rifle". "АГ" stands for AG, which is short for "Автомат Герасимова" or "Automatic Gerasimov". "ПЗ" stands for PZ, which is short for "Пистолет Золотова" or "Zolotov pistol".
The Arvorian Navy (Арворианский флот, Arvorianskiy flot) is the maritime defence and warfare branch of the armed forces. It is one of the largest navies in the world.
Mission
The Navy serves to patrol and defend the territorial waters and coasts of the republic, and to project the nation's power abroad. In wartime, its primary functions are sea control and interdiction, denying hostile forces sea access, destroying their lines of supply and preventing their forces from operating freely in critical waters. The Navy is likewise responsible for ensuring the safety of the sealanes around the ADR and its territorial waters and deterring piracy and rendering assistance to ships in distress.
This service is considered the "centrepiece" of the Arvorian military and is one of the largest and finest such forces in the world. It consists of a wide array of advanced warship designs, capable of operating for extended periods away from home waters if necessary and able to project Arvorian military strength worldwide. A typical unit within the force is the squadron, which consists of nine ships centred on either an aviation cruiser or a guided missile battle cruiser. These formations regularly sail the open seas and pay visits upon friendly states.
All vessels of the navy, both combatants and support ships, are powered by nuclear reactors. As of 7690 RH, the Navy maintains its record of zero reactor accidents (defined as the uncontrolled release of fission products to the environment resulting from damage to a reactor core) since the first nuclear-powered ship entered service in 7671 RH.
Vessels of the Arvorian Navy use the prefix КАф, which stands for "Vessel of the Arvorian Navy" (Корабль Арворийского флота).
Ranks
The rank structure of the navy is divided between flag officers, line officers, non-commissioned officers, and enlisted personnel. The ranks are (highest to lowest): admiral of the fleet, admiral, squadron admiral, division admiral, counter admiral, captain 1st rank, captain 2nd rank, captain 3rd rank, captain lieutenant, senior lieutenant, lieutenant, warrant officer, chief petty officer, senior petty officer, petty officer, leading rate, senior rate, able rate, and junior rate. (Note - the rank of admiral of the fleet is one that is currently only honourary or granted in wartime.)
Ships
Current ship classes in service include:
- Slavnyy-class aviation cruiser (Glorious)
- Belikov-class battle cruiser
- Tomsk-class cruiser
- Gelevgrad-class cruiser
- Provornyy-class destroyer (Agile)
- Bezuderzhnyy-class destroyer (Tenacious)
- Storozhevoy-class frigate (Vigilant)
- Otvazhny-class frigate (Courageous)
- Neustrashimy-class frigate (Fearless)
- Yali-class ballistic missile submarine (Molir-Yali, war god of the ancient Dakhani pantheon)
- Akatsiya-class cruise missile submarine (Acacia tree)
- Krylatka-class attack submarine (Lionfish)
Reserve and support services
National Guard
The National Guard of Arvor (НгА or NGA) are the standing military reserve forces of the ADR. Local units assemble one weekend a month and one week a year for drills and practise. They are maintained to provide additional forces in the event of a national military emergency and can also act in support of oblast and raion authorities and support services during natural disasters and other emergencies. They are divided between air force and army guard units. In accordance with the law "On the national reserve", all citizens who serve at least one term of service in the Armed Forces are required to remain in the National Guard for five years thereafter. The Guard forces in each oblast are under the authority of the people's committee during peacetime, but in wartime they will be transferred to the Ministry of Defence.
As of 1.1.7690 RH, the National Guard has a strength of approximately 643,541 personnel.
Rear Services
The Rear Services of the Armed Forces of Arvor (Тыловые службы Вооружённых Сил Арвора, TSVSA) are those agencies within the AFA concerned with military logistics and support. They supply the combat services with ammunition, fuel, spare parts, food, clothing, and other materials. Within the Ministry of Defence, a deputy minister oversees the Rear Services, and sits in conference with the deputy ministers overseeing the combat services. This arm of the AFA is also responsible for maintaining and operating the leisure facilities and other support services offered to Arvorian troops.
The branches of the TSVSA are:
- Main Military Medical Directorate (Главное военно-медицинское управление, GVMU), responsible for all medical, dental and optical care received by active duty military personnel.
- Main Military Transport Directorate (Главное военно-транспортное управление, GVTU), responsible for all general transport logistics.
- Central Department of Food and Supply (Центральный департамент продовольствия и снабжения, TsDPS), responsible for all food and non-ordnance supply fulfillment.
- Central Department of Fuel and Ordnance (Центральное управление топлива и боеприпасов, TsUTB), responsible for all fuel, ammunition, and ordnance supply fulfillment.
- Main Department of Leisure and Recreation (Главное управление досуга и отдыха, GUDO), responsible for entertainment and recreational services to troops.
- Main Department of the Military Police (Главное управление военной полиции, GUVP), responsible for providing the service police function within the Armed Forces.
- Veterinary and Sanitary Service (Ветеринарно-санитарная служба, VSS), responsible for care of military animals, cleanliness and sanitation enforcement, and disease and epidemic control, especially abroad.
Nuclear weapons
The ADR has one of the largest nuclear arsenals in the world, was the first nation to develop nuclear weaponry and is to date the only state to deploy them in wartime. Its weaponry is divided between the three legs of the "nuclear triad" - guided air-to-surface missiles and gravity bombs carried by Te-40 and Te-43 supersonic bombers; guided short-range ballistic missiles and low-yield nuclear artillery shells able to be fired by both towed and mobile artillery units; and submarine-launched ballistic missiles (SLBMs) carried aboard Yali-class ballistic missile submarines. The ADR does not communicate details on the full strength of its arsenal internationally but does confirm a "loose count" of bombs and missiles in its current stockpile and those in "standby" readiness that can be prepared for deployment on short notice. Continued research, development, and testing of nuclear weaponry and technologies is done by the Centre for Nuclear Science and Engineering (TsINK-YNT) of the Central Institutes of Science and Technology.
Current weapons in the Arvorian arsenal include the Garpun (Гарпун, Harpoon) SLBM with a 1-megatonne Вт-83 warhead, the Molotok-Й gravity bomb with a 75-kilotonne Вт-66 warhead, the Kalibr-H-3 (Kalibr-N-3) cruise missile with a 35-kilotonne Вт-58 warhead, the Yero short-range ballistic missile with a 25-kilotonne Вт-49 warhead, and the Такс (Taks, Tack) nuclear artillery shell, equipped with a 15-kilotonne Вт-42 warhead.
In accordance with the law, only the president can order nuclear deployment, on the advice and in consultation with the premier and minister of defence. The three officials must agree before a launch order can be given. If for any reason the three are not in agreement, a launch cannot be ordered. The president and premier alone carry a Black Card (Черная карта) which has on it the authorisation codes necessary to initiate nuclear deployment. This precedent was established in 7664, when Premier Galina Talanova sought the advice of Minister of Defence Yuri Malinovsky when asking President Semyon Luzkhov for approval to deploy the Molotok-1 and Molotok-2 atomic bombs against the Wolgos during the Second Coalition War. As Supreme Commander-in-Chief, Luzhkov took responsibility for the decision, and ordered the deployment of the bombs. The bombings happened one and four days later, respectively.
In the event such an order was ever issued, voice code confirmation must be given and affirmed through a special, highly secure military communications protocol (MAGENTA, ПУРПУРНЫЙ) that is a subset of the CRPYTON (КРИПТОН) system transmitted via the ELEKTRON (ЭЛЕКТРОН) satellite network. The MAGENTA system has specific access points only known to the top executive leadership. Once this is complete, appropriate orders would be transmitted to the individual combatant commands responsible for launch activity. The nation maintains a portfolio of strike plans known respectively as Major Attack Options (Основные варианты атаки) and Minor Attack Options (Малые варианты атаки), tailored to respond to specific situations.
In the event either the President or Premier were compromised in some way (i.e. taken prisoner, killed, etc) their access codes are immediately invalidated to prevent their usage and immediately switched to an alternate code sequence, in spite of the two-part procedure used to order deployment.
One facet of the strategic command and control system maintained by the AFA are the Strategic Command Mobile Operations (Стратегическое командование мобильных операций) planes, known by the acronym CKMO (SKMO).
Personnel and protocol
Training
Initial training of all military recruits in the ADR is known as Basic Military Training (Базовая военная подготовка). Regardless of which branch of service a recruit joins, this training consists of a 70-day programme. All recruits in all four services learn a variety of general military skills including: basic marksmanship, navigation, drill and ceremony, standard combat formation and assault tactics, communications and use of the radio, combat lifesaving skills, reporting intelligence, and other important skills. Many of these are regularly and consistently covered throughout training, alongside the more specific skill sets unique to each service.
Following basic training, all new soldiers, sailors, and airmen go on to specialised training based on their occupational specialty. Different specialties are trained at various bases throughout the ADR.
Entry into the special operations force (Спецназ, Spetsnaz) of each armed service is exceedingly difficult and the expectations on all who qualify for this training are exceptionally high. On average, between 70% and 85% of every training class annually do not successfully complete the course, though this inability to do so is in no way held against them when they return to their regular duties. Of particular reputation in this regard is ARGENTUM (АРГЕНТУМ), the spetsnaz of the Arvorian Marines, which sees a 90% dropout rate. Each combat branch of the Armed Forces maintains its own highly elite special operations unit, which provides specific strategic and tactical capabilities to the nation's defensive and offensive operations.
Decorations
The Armed Forces maintain a limited array of decorations intended to recognise various situations or performance, the highest of which are hard-won and only sparingly presented. They come in four types - ribbons, badges, medals, and orders. Ribbons are given to military personnel for different accomplishments, such as those recognising length of service; badges represent qualification with various weapons or systems, such as marksmanship, missile systems, airbourne operations, etc; medals are given for service during campaigns or conflicts; and orders are the highest tier presented to those who achieve exceptional things. The highest honours the nation presents are the Order of Valour, presented to those who demonstrate "exceptionally conspicuous gallantry at the risk of their own lives far above and beyond the call of duty," and the nation's rarest honour, the title of Hero of Arvor, established in 7575 RH and given only fifteen times in the century since. Portraits of these individuals are hung in the Hall of Honour in the Arsenal in Cherenovsk.
On the civilian side, the nation can present the Order of Merit for distinguished service in a range of fields; the Order of the Friendship of Peoples in recognition of services specifically in diplomatic, cultural, and civil engagement; and, for exceptional individuals within specific fields, the title of People's (Doctor/Artist/Musician/Teacher/Engineer/Scientist).
Phonetic alphabet
The Armed Forces phonetic alphabet is as follows:
- А - Анна - Anna
- Б - Борис - Boris
- В - Василий - Vasily
- Г - Григорий - Gregory
- Д - Дмитрий - Dmitri
- Е - Елена - Yelena
- Ё - Елена - Yelena
- Ж - Женя - Zhenya
- З - Зинаида - Zinaida
- И - Иван - Ivan
- Й - Иван краткий - Ivan kratkiy
- К - Константин - Konstantin
- Л - Леонид - Leonid
- М - Михаил - Mikhail
- Н - Николай - Nikolai
- О - Ольга - Olga
- П - Павел - Pavel
- Р - Родион - Rodion
- С - Семён - Semyon
- Т - Татьяна - Tatyana
- У - Ульяна - Ulyana
- Ф - Фёдор - Fyodor
- Х - Харитон - Khariton
- Ц - цапля - tsaplya (heron)
- Ч - человек - chelovek (human)
- Ш - Шура - Shura
- Щ - щука - shchuka (pike)
- Ъ - твёрдый знак - tvyordiy znak (hard sign)
- Ы - еры - yery (old name for Ы)
- Ь - мягкий знак - myagkiy znak (soft sign)
- Э - эхо - ekho (echo)
- Ю - Юрий - Yuri
- Я - Яков - Yakov
Suppliers
The Armed Forces have several suppliers. These firms are certified defence contractors who provide various weapons, vehicles, and other equipment under strictly regulated arrangements. Technologies and equipment developed for and used by the Armed Forces are influenced by the research conducted by TsINK. These suppliers include:
- Northern Machine-Building Enterprise (ПК СЕВМАШ or PK SEVMASH)
- United Shipbuilding Association (ПК Оса or PK OSA)
- Arvorian Aircraft Co-Operative Andronov (ААК Андронов or AAK Andronov)
- Arvorian Aircraft Co-Operative Lastovka (ААК Ластовка or AAK Lastovka)
- Arvorian Aircraft Co-Operative Teplov (ААК Теплов or AAK Teplov)
- Elektrograd Machine-Building Combine (ПК ЭЛЕМАШ or PK ELEMASH)
- Kirivo Electrical Components Production Association (ПК Кпоэ or PK KPOE)
- Lirino Mechanical Plant (ПК ЛИРМЕХ or PK LIRMEKH)
- Beryortsy Instrument-Making Combine (ПК Бпк or PK BPK)
- Military-Industrial Co-Operative (ПК Впк or PK VPK)
- Arvorian Machines (ПК АРВОМАШ or PK ARVOMASH)