Delta Naval Forces
Naval Branch
Attention all ships. Yellow alert. Another Solus fleet has entered the Valley of Death. Show them the might of our navy.
Descending from the original Federal Arshan Navy, Delta fields a large array of combat and military logistical fleets for the entirety of the Federation's military. Anyone wearing an orange-accented Delta uniform is guaranteed to be a ship's or station's crewman, working a variety of fields from command to medical, engineering, security, and whatever other tasks may be required by a ship underway.
Structure
Following a similar structure as all other Arshan military branches, Delta's chain of command consists of an upper and lower level commands. Like all other branches, the upper level includes the Delta Command Group and their associated staff. However, unlike other branches that have dedicated divisions, Delta's lower command consists of the Orange Shield Command Group and a number of additional personnel responsible for delegating information between the upper command and the fleet commanders they've been assigned to.
Structure within the fleets themselves follows a Fleet > Ship > Division/Deck > Shift structure, as detailed to the right. This system allows orders and reports to be delegated between the fleet and ship commanders and the individual teams working in various sections of each ship. Orange Shield's structure is designed to follow a similar pattern, with a Ship > Platoon > Squad structure.
Chain of Command
Tier 5 Admiral
- Delta Command Group
Tier 4 Colonel
- Orange Shield Command Group
- Fleet Command Groups
Tier 3 Major
- Ship Command Groups
- Station Command Groups
Tier 2 Lieutenant
- Division Command Groups
- Deck Commanders
- Shield Platoon Commanders
Tier 1 Sergeant
- Shift Commanders
- Shield Squad Commanders
Command
Delta Command, as it's commonly referred to, is currently lead by Vice Admiral Vanya Traviss. Beneath him are his sub-commander, senior advisor, and command aides in the upper level. Filling the lower level is the current Orange Shield Commander and designated command personnel placed in charge of groups of fleets to aid in delegation and filtering of inbound reports.
Districts
Delta's districts are primarily fleet based, though the branch does have on specialist infantry division dedicated to internal ship security: Orange Shield.
Divisions
Outside of Orange Shield, the branch's internal ship security units, Delta fields no infantry or strike wings divisions of its own. Boarding and landing parties are filled by Fokstrot Ground Forces, while all strike and transport wings are fielded by Tango Aerostar Forces.
INF-DEF "ORANGE SHIELD" Internal Vessel Defense Forces
Main article: Orange Shield Division
Fleets
As the Federation's primary navy, Delta fields more star fleets than Zulusskiy, Ekho, and Alfa forces combined. Many Arshans feel that Delta's fleets represent the true power of the Federation's military prowess. Delta fleets handle a variety of objectives ranging from border patrol and defense, front line combat, and long-range transportation of infantry, armor, and aero-star craft.
Some of Delta's more notable fleets are listed below:
FLT-BPT "CARDIGAN" Border Patrol Fleet
Main article: Cardigan Fleet
FLT-BPT "GERALD HART" Border Patrol Fleet
Main article: Gerald Hart Fleet
Regions
Regional districts do not exist for Delta. In the event a fleet needs to operate in tandem with a regional command, the fleet is provided as an asset available to the existing region.
Alright, as a military buff, this article looks solid. However, I do have some questions about the size of the Orange Shield's size. You say it's about the size of an infantry division. A Division is usually subdivided Brigades --> Regiment --> Battalion --> Company --> Platoon --> Squad. Also, even if you're pushing it, a Division's 10,000 men. A platoon tends to be at maximum thirty, and a squad perhaps eight. What is the mid-level command of the Orange Shield? How does a Major manage like 30 platoons in his regiment? Or is the division different? Is a platoon greater in size, or a division less? Great article overall though, I know I'm being nitpicky. Leaving a like!
If it were up to me, I'd organize divisions into 10,000 men, regiments/brigades of 1,000, companies of 100, and platoons/squads of 10. Strict decimal organization is always inspiring. But of course its your decision :)
Ah, see, there's no actual relation between modern day brigades/battalions/divisions/etc. and how the Arshans organize their militaries. A 'Division' can have any number of personnel and sub-divisions - The name is only division because that's precisely what they are. A division of personnel under the squadron. There can be any number of varyingly sized sub-divisions depending on the requirements set forth by that division's commander and doctrine. Orange Shield in particular doesn't have a 'mid-level command' - There's the divisional command group that determines doctrine and assignments for all individual Orange Shield units, and then the units (Platoons) themselves. These platoons are under the direct chain of command of whatever ship, facility, or station they're assigned to. I.e., say Orange Shield 42 is assigned to the ASV Terrier - They're under the direct command of the Terrier's ship commander and his direct superiors. All Shield divisions operate in a similar manner, as their sole purpose is to protect whatever facility/ship/etc they're assigned to. For a better example of a generalized division.. Foxtrot Squadron, the army branch, has various divisions that have different tactical and strategic goals and doctrines - I.e. an aggressive combat oriented armor division that fields a multitude of armor platoons (Tiger Division), or a specially trained reconnaissance infantry division (Relic Division). Like the Shield divisions, these divisions also lack a mid-level command - They're assigned to regions, bases, operations, etc as needed and placed under those regions' chain of command. And finally, individual units (Platoons) can also vary in size depending on doctrine and specialization but a standard combat infantry platoon would run about 4 squads of 8-12 men with a 5th 'squad' containing the platoon command and other infantry assets attached to the platoon such as radio operators, medics, engineers, observers, JTACs, and typically a pair of combat infantry known as 'Platoon Shields' whose sole job is to protect the platoon element. I'm hoping that helps explain how the unit structure works within the Federation.
Okay, so they're like space marines, in the original "defend against piracy" sense? Sounds legit. Nice article!