Vestan Maritime Defense Force

Have I ever been on a battlefield? I mean, you tell me, would hunting hexadon sharks with torpedoes count?

— Anonymous sailor, 361

The Vestan Maritime Defense Force, abbreviated VMDF or MDF and commonly known as the Vestan Wet Navy, is the maritime service branch of the Vestan Defense Forces. It is the only dedicated maritime military force in Elysium, with 361 527 active personnel and 100 311 in reserve as of 382. It is also the smallest service branch of the VDF, using around 4% of the Vestan Federation's defense budget.

Founded in 221 along with the VDF, the MDF is responsible for the safety of the Federation's few oceans, initially against pirates and now against hostile wildlife. Due to its nature, the MDF is only present the planets of Vesta and Asteria, which have enough water coverage to justify naval operations. Despite its small size and budget, the MDF is well appreciated from both civilians and soldiers alike, due to the relaxing lifestyle of sailors and the safe waters and trade routes of coastal cities all over the Federation. During the Asterian Insurrection, the MDF only played a minor role supporting ground forces, preventing the rebel forces from seizing any coastal city.

History

Origins

The MDF was formed with the ratification of the Vestan Security Act on September 5^th, 221. It effectively placed all military naval assets of Astrel, Navara and Yushan into a single entity, but their role had greatly diminished since the Colonial War. The MDF maintained its presence on Vesta's oceans and modernized its arsenal at its own pace, slowly standardizing its equipment and trainings.

Sigil of the MDF by Jonathan M.K. Dornell

Founded
October, 15^th, 158
Nation
Vestan Federation
Size
384 070 active personnel
119 430 reserve personnel
617 ships
4 365 aircrafts
Part of
Vestan Defense Forces
Headquarters
The Citadel
Motto(s)
Non progredi est regredi
To not go forward is to go backward

As the Federation expanded again to the Ceryx System, the MDF established its own bases and fleets on Asteria's ocean. This branch was created as a completely independent force, as naval vessels cannot be redeployed across star systems without significant efforts. Due to the unique geography of both Vesta and Asteria, both branch have their own tactics and equipment that are most suited to their deployment.

Recent history

In more recent years, the MDF is seen as a legacy of the Colonial Era and now mostly performs routine patrols and rescue operations for ships lost at sea. While it remains capable of supporting ground and even orbital troops, its main combat duties are the various wildlife population control operations that are required to maintain the safety of the Federation's naval trade routes. This is especially the case on Vesta, where some larger species can be a significant threat to civilian vessels.

Organization

The MDF is a decentralized organization comprised of two independent Fleets, one for each planet under its responsibility, that are led by an Admiral. Each Fleet is a completely autonomous organization, handling its own bases and logistics, and is further divided into several battlegroups patrolling every ocean. These battlegroups are primarily based on carrier operations, with submarines and multi-role destroyers as auxiliary elements. They also employ numerous corvettes for coastal operations.

Personnel

Commissioned officers

Officers of the MDF, like in the rest of the Vestan military, are divided into command officers, who retain leadership roles, and specialty officers, who serve as experts in various fields. Most officers of the MDF find themselves assigned due to their lower scores on the Strategic Command program, but some deliberately choose this branch for the lower risks and somewhat stable deployments.

Enlisted personnel

The MDF's enlisted troops are often those who achieved better academic results than most in the Operational Command program, but not enough to join the ADF. As with the ADF, physical labor is much less present than in the GDF, leading to a common misconception that MDF sailors are pushovers. This is further accentuated by the MDF's lack of apparent combat experience, as it mostly fights against dangerous sea creatures. Still, MDF service members do not mind, as they enjoy the safest and easiest careers in the Vestan military.

Equipment

Ships

Besides their names, ships of the MDF are also identified by their hull classification code, starting with three letters and ending with six digits. All Vestan military naval ships are either nuclear-powered or fuel-cell powered, giving them nearly unlimited range. the MDF currently maintains a total of 617 ships throughout Vesta and Hestia.

Aircraft carriers

Aircraft carriers form the heart of any MDF battlegroup, as they serve as mobile bases for a variety of aircrafts that extend the capabilities of any fleet. The MDF currently maintains 62 nuclear-powered carriers that constantly patrol the Federation's oceans. These carriers are regularly resupplied by logistic convoys, and rarely return to their homeport. Crews are also rotated at sea through the same supply convoys, and even most of their maintenance is performed at sea or in shallow waters.

Destroyers

The Vestan naval destroyers are rather large vessels equipped with a multitude of weapons. They serve as multi-purpose weapon platforms and are capable of engaging almost any threat, including orbital targets. Their primary armament are hypersonic missiles and railguns, but they are also equipped with several torpedo bays as well as drones. The MDF currently maintains 217 nuclear-powered destroyers, most of which are constantly escorting their carriers.

Submarines

In addition to destroyers, the MDF also uses submarines as multi-purpose vessels. These nuclear powered submarines are used both as escorts to carriers and as regular patrols and scouts. The MDF currently maintains 107 nuclear-powered submarines, whose primary armament are torpedoes and cruise missiles. Some of them are also equipped with ICBMs that can be used against orbital targets and can carry nuclear weapons.

Corvettes

The MDF currently maintains a vast fleet of 231 fuel-cell powered corvettes to regularly patrol the Vestan shores and largest rivers. These typically serve as coastal guard ships and are lightly armed, instead relying on drones to carry out their missions. Vestan corvettes are equipped with electrolysis facilities, making them capable of generating their own fuel and thus theorically having an unlimited range as well.

Aircrafts

The MDF employs numerous aircrafts and drones to extend the capabilities of its fleets. As with the ADF, the two most prominently used aircrafts are the Gale Rider stratospheric strike fighter and the Raven assault craft. These are complemented by numerous UAVs to recover supplies, perform recon and deploy heavier weapons.

Weapons

The MDF primarily uses missiles and super-cavitating torpedoes. Some ships are also equipped with railguns to provide fire support beyond the horizon, something Oström weapons are unable to do. The MDF mainly focuses on anti-ship combat, relying on the ADF for air and space supremacy, but remains capable of engaging air and orbital targets.