Recent history
Despite its role as the "safety net" of the ADF, the GDF has continued to invest heavily on research and development. Making the best of its limited budget, it has pioneered the use of a universal infantry weapon with the adoption of the Jotunnleif, as well as a universal vehicle with the Warden. This eventually impacted the entire defense industry and the entirety of the VDF, who are now looking into similar projects of their own.
The rivalry with the Imperial Valiant Wing has also led to the creation of new equipment, such as the adoption of powered armor in 379 with the Armored Powered Exoskeleton. In an attempt to match the Enodian Sagittarii Combat Shell, the newly trained APE operators were to have a significantly higher survivability and lethality than conventional infantry units. While they do achieve their goal, they also quickly earned the nickname of "gorillas" due to the suit's sub-par dexterity, bulky size and impressive destructive potential.
Organization
The GDF is a partially decentralized organization that consists of two main components: the Regular Army and the Regional Guard. The Regular Army is a centralized organization built around the Army General Staff, which is itself composed of civilians and military officers. Under the responsibility of the Director of Ground Operations, the Regular Army is tasked with defending the Federation's interests on a global scale. On the contrary, the Regional Guard is a decentralized organization that consist of nine individual military forces, one for each member state of the Federation. These state defense forces are under the authority of their respective state governors and act independently of the Regular Army's operations. To render these Guard forces entirely autonomous, procurement and recruitment is performed entirely within their home state, allowing the Guard to defend their territory until the Regular Army intervenes.
As a globally reaching organization, the Regular Army is divided into several smaller Theater Commands to manage its operations within each of the Federation's planetary systems. These regional commands, under the leaderships of the GDF's Marshals, perform their duties independently most of the time, collaborating with other branches of the Regular Army when required. These other branches include the Aerospace Operations Command, the Special Operations Command and the Ranger Task Force, among others. For the entirety of the Regular Army, recruitment and procurement are handled on a global scale to promote inter-state and inter-cultural exchange as well as redistribute resources and equipment effectively.
On an operational level, both components of the GDF are divided into combined arms divisions, regrouping roughly 13 000 troops and forming a dozen regiments. Each regiment forms an independent fighting unit, with its own air, artillery and armored support. Still, regiments typically inherit some specialization, shifting their focus and composition accordingly. Examples range from simple armored regiments to missile defense or air cavalry regiments, leading those units to follow their own specialized training and exercises, fine-tuning their own tactics and strategies. As a results, regiments are usually deployed in groups, capitalizing on their individual strengths and compensating their weaknesses in a single fighting force.
The GDF's traditional monolithic organization isn't the most suited to cover the vast territories of the Federation. Instead, and although this may change if the Federation goes to war, the GDF's current doctrines is based around dispersed and highly mobile units. That is why the largest units currently employed in combat operations are companies of roughly 150 men led by captains and their command staff. These companies typically operates with their mechanized infantry squads and armored vehicles organized into platoons, therefore covering a wide area and spreading their firepower on a larger front. This is particularly useful against herds of wild predators and criminal groups, where encirclement or containment are the most effective way to neutralize them permanently.
Finally, some branches of the Regular Army deviate from these general rules and follow their own organization, such as the Special Operations Command or the Ranger Task Force, that are not assigned to any territory and instead support regular units on demand or even take part in their own operations. These branches have their organization tailored to their specialized role and, despite being organized into divisions and regiments like regular units, use these as an administrative division rather than an operational one.
Personnel
Commissioned officers
Most officers of the GDF were candidates of the Strategic Command program, a very selective recruitment process. Other roads to the ranks of commissioned officers are field promotions, followed by some additional training in Officer Training Schools, or through expertise and mid-course integration. Some professions such as engineers, doctors and architects, who are meant to lead teams, are performed by such "mid-coursers".
Promotions are primarily awarded by skills, with anonymous reviews of a candidate's subordinates potentially leading to delayed promotions. This is to ensure a fair and effective chain of command, removing unqualified elements from the roots. A drawback to this approach is that replacing competent officers is no trivial matter, a concern that most remain worried for any large-scale conflict.
Enlisted personnel
Enlisted troops of the GDF were candidates of the much more lenient Operational Command program, starting their career at the rank of private. From the ranks of corporal to adjudant, they are referred to as NCOs, or Non-Commissioned Officers. Most enlisted members of the GDF spend 3-4 years in the ranks of private or private first class, simply earning pay raises, as the rank of corporal starts to have leadership responsibilities.
Due to this, many young soldiers leave the military after reaching the rank of sergeant, either in favor of higher pay in the private sector or simply avoiding the additional responsibilities. Those that continue to serve after their first five years end up becoming highly experienced and reliable leaders, giving valuable advice to junior officers and earning a respected position among most units.
Equipment
Infantry
Armor and equipment
The Regular Army primarily uses the Paladin Exosuit as the main body armor of frontline units. Its electronic suite enables any soldier to quickly interface with nearby devices such as their weapon, drones and even vehicles. The suit's extensive sensors and networked capabilities also allows for highly accurate modelling of the battlefield, which is useful for both officers and soldiers alike. Support units and the Regional Guard instead use the Advanced Body Armor, a simpler body armor that is lighter and simpler to use, but offers less protection and utility.
Vestan troops are also complemented by aerial and ground drones to assist in a variety of roles, such as infiltration, reconnaissance and electronic warfare. These can also be used to carry equipment and heavy weapons where vehicles cannot be employed and serve as mobile cover.
Individual weapons
The GDF as a whole relies heavily on one family of Oström weapons, the Jotunnleif. The Jotunnleif is issued in several variants as a service rifle, designated marksman rifle, general-purpose machine gun and a sniper rifle, allowing for streamlined training and logistics. The GDF's service pistol, issued to every service member with the rank of corporal and upward, is the Indra, another Oström weapon. Vestan soldiers are also issued with a variety of handheld smart grenades, such as anti-personnel grenades and smoke grenades. Many units are also supplemented with a variety of specialized weapons, such as shotguns for close quarters and breaching, anti-material rifles or flamethrowers, to name a few.
Crew-served weapons
The GDF also employs heavier weapons to be used against armored or aerial targets, the most common ones being the Lance ATGMs and MANPADS. Smart launchers are also employed to supplement infantry units with indirect fire capabilities, accommodating a wide variety of 60mm warheads in a portable package.
Additionally, while these weapons are currently being phased out, the GDF employs 13.6mm chainguns and 37mm autocannons, which can be found mounted on tripods and old vehicles. Modernized versions have also been issued to the newly formed APE operators. These operators also have access to new weapons that were previously not considered portable, such as railguns and microwave cannons.
Vehicles
While its infantry is not to be underestimated, the GDF's strength lies in its highly mechanized forces. With a heavy emphasis on mechanized warfare, all combat units are deployed with armored vehicles. The most common of these is the Warden, adopted in a wide array of variants to cover a multitude of roles such as an armored personnel carrier, a missile launch platform, a self propelled gun or even a medical vehicle. The second most common vehicle employed by the GDF is the Stallion Heavy Logistic Vehicle, a 10x10 wheeled vehicle used to transport supplies and equipment. The Ocelot High Mobility Vehicle is also often used as a reconnaissance and a fast escort vehicle.
The GDF's main battle tank is the Ravager, which also has an infantry carrier variant. The GDF's last bipedal platform is the Cavalier, used as a long-range fire support vehicle that is more adequate for harsh terrain and low gravity environments. A recent addition to the GDF's arsenal is the Monarch, which is often used as a command tank and an armor-killer.
The GDF's primary artillery weapon is the Warden FSV and the Warden MLV, with both wheeled platforms being assigned to nearly every combat unit. Another artillery vehicle in service is the Scorpion Super Heavy Gun System, a six-legged vehicle equipped with a powerful railgun.
Aircrafts
While the GDF mainly comprises ground units, it also has a variety of aircrafts deployed at air bases all over the Federation. Most of these are not designed to be carried by ADF vessels and as such do not overlap with the ADF's jurisdiction. The most commonly used aircraft is the AC-56G Raven, a versatile assault craft used to ferry troops and support them. The Raven is followed by multi-purpose UAVs and dedicated gunships that provides close air support.
Finally, the GDF is also in charge of ground based strategic assets, such as ICBMs and orbital defense facilities.
Comments