1st Solent Rifles (The Royal Black Jackets) is a three battalion, light infantry regiment. Founded in 2980 as part of the experimental Colony Corps system, the regiment was one of the 15 or so new regiments raised to replace operational losses incurred over the last 20 years of war against Tarquin. This colony corps system was the idea in which a subsector, in this case the three planet system of the Solent, raised its own small combined arms corps, including light and heavy infantry, armour and artillery.
The original plan was for the regiment to join the 9th Combined Arms Army, to replace the losses involved against the Tarquin in that army.
However, the training of the enlisted personnel, which was performed at the Pirbright training colony, was forced to be rush completed in 2981, due to the escalation of the Falklands war. The HMS Victoria Regina's task group shuttled them to the Falklands Subsector to begin active service with the 12th Combined Arms Army, whilst the task group stayed on station giving an extreme boost in capablity for the fleet.
The regiment's company grade and higher officers are, almost axiomatically, former officers from the Queen's Own Anti-Revolutionary Company. Brought forward with the Commanding Officer Colonel Alastair Macgregor, who was named the Regiment's commander in the summer of 2980, these represent the experienced backbone of the regiment. Unusually, the Platoon leaders are not 1st Lieutenants, but are in fact Colour Sergeants, with Staff Sergeants being an appointment.
The three battalions are structured the same, with ten platoons per company, and three companies per battalion, making their average size about 850 Officers and Enlisted Personnel. However, as independant fighting units of the Regiment, the battalions have very different roles and can be used in completely different theatres of operations, on a planet, colony, or even sectors, to each other.
Composition
Manpower
Regiment Fighting Strength:
2677 Riflemen and Junior NCOs, Medics, Senior NCOs, Command and Staff Officers.Regimental Organization:
Platoon:
27 men+1 Colour Sergeant and 1 Combat Medical Technician; 1 Command Section + 3 Troop Sections.Command Section:
1 Combat Medical Technician: PFC-Staff Sergeant armed with @RIfl 1 Signaller: PFC/Specialist armed with EM-9 and Mk-9A2 Platoon radio;1 Designated Marksman: PFC armed EM-5D;
1 Platoon Sergeant: Sergeant armed EM-9 plus 40mm UGL;
Officer Commanding: Colour Sergeant armed with EM-9
Troop Section:
2 Fire teams of 4 riflemen.Charlie team:
Charlie Fireteam leader: Corporal armed with EM-9+40mm UGL;
2 Rifleman: Pvt armed with EM-9;
1 Designated Marksman: PFC armed with EM-5D
Delta:
Delta Fireteam leader: Lance Corporal armed with EM-9+40mm UGL;
2 Rifleman: Pvt armed with EM-9;
1 Automatic Weapons Rifleman: PFC armed with L-530 LMG
Company:
285 Riflemen, NCOs and Officers: 10 Infantry Platoons, 1 Command section attached to 1st platoonCompany Command section:
Commanding Officer: Captain/Major;1 Signaller (Adjutant): Specialist armed with EM-9, and Mk-10 Radio Set
Company Sergeant Major: Warrant Officer II;
1 Rifleman: Pvt with EM-9 + 60mm light mortar;
1 sniper: PFC armed with L-1812 Sniper Rifle
Battalion:
863 Riflemen, NCOs and Officers: 3 Companies+Battalion CommandBattalion Command Section:
Commanding Officer: Colonel/Lieutenant-Colonel2iC: Major;
Adjutant (B-1): Specialist with Mk 12 Radio Set
Battalion Sergeant Major: Warrant Officer I;
Intelligence Officer (B-2): Major;
Operations Officer (B-3): Major;
Logistics Officer (B-4): Captain;
Forward Air Controller: Flight Lieutenant with Mk-6A5 Radio
Regiment:
2587 Riflemen, NCOs and Officers: 3 Battalions+Regimental CommandRegimental Command Section:
Commanding Officer: Colonel;2i/C: Lieutenant-Colonel;
Adjutant (R-1): Specialist;
Regimental Sergeant Major: Warrant Officer I;
Intelligence Officer (R-2): Major;
Operations Officer (R-3): Major; (Unfilled)
Logistics Officer (R-4): Major; (Unfilled)
Senior Forward Air Controller: Squadron Leader
Regiment Support Strength:
268 attached support units115 RAMC: 4 full Doctors, 5 nurse practioners, 16 nurses, 90 Combat Medical Technicians;
75 REME: 70 Craftsmen and NCOs, 5 Officers;
30 RE: 28 sappers and NCOs, 2 officers;
45 RLC Cooks, Drivers and Pioneers, 4 officers.
3 MoGE officers
Equipment
Broadhead entrenching tool;
Dali Reactive Contacts;
Crystal Dynamics Mk-6A5, Mk-9A2, and Mk-12 Radio Sets;
Crystal Dynamics Mk-7 Combat Micro-radio;
Laztech Mk-45 IR/Vis Laser Ranging and Designation module;
BAE Systems Type 8 Combat Information System module;
BAE Systems Battalion Combat Information Centre unit;
SUSAT Mk 35;
4-60x KELLER scopes;
Uniform
Dali Reactive Contacts;
Crystal Dynamics Mk-6A5, Mk-9A2, and Mk-12 Radio Sets;
Crystal Dynamics Mk-7 Combat Micro-radio;
Laztech Mk-45 IR/Vis Laser Ranging and Designation module;
BAE Systems Type 8 Combat Information System module;
BAE Systems Battalion Combat Information Centre unit;
SUSAT Mk 35;
4-60x KELLER scopes;
Uniform
Weaponry
EM-5 Variants;
EM-9 Variants;
DT-94 40mm Underbarrel Grenade Launcher;
KM-X Rifles and Pistols (9, 18, 35 and 90
L-1812 Sniper Rifle;
L-1934 Anti-material Railrifle;
L-530 Light Machine Gun;
L-65A7 Heavy Machine Gun;
L-100 60mm Mortar;
RT-75 Guided DC Rocket Launcher;
Mark 78 fighting knife
DT-94 40mm Underbarrel Grenade Launcher;
KM-X Rifles and Pistols (9, 18, 35 and 90
L-1812 Sniper Rifle;
L-1934 Anti-material Railrifle;
L-530 Light Machine Gun;
L-65A7 Heavy Machine Gun;
L-100 60mm Mortar;
RT-75 Guided DC Rocket Launcher;
Mark 78 fighting knife
Vehicles
HMS Victoria Regina as part of an ongoing association with Colonel Macgregor.
Battalion 2 and 3 use Argos Pattern (Transport), Jason Pattern (Reconnaissance), Odysseus (Command) and Orpheus (Recovery) Light Combat Vehicles.
Battalion 2 and 3 use Argos Pattern (Transport), Jason Pattern (Reconnaissance), Odysseus (Command) and Orpheus (Recovery) Light Combat Vehicles.
Structure
Regimental Structure by Personnel:
Regimental Headquarters:
Commanding Officer: Colonel Alastair Macgregor;Regimental Sergeant Major: Warrant Officer I Patrick Ironsides;
2i/C: Lieutenant-Colonel Richard Bartlett;
Adjutant(R-1): Specialist Jack Anderson;
Intelligence Officer(R-2): Major Martin Maclaren, Lord Darnley;
Operations Officer(R-3): Unfilled;
Logistics Officer(R-4): Unfilled;
Regimental Forward Air Controller: Squadron Leader Laura Heywood-Floyd
Battalion 1:
Headquarters:
Commanding Officer: Colonel Alastair Macgregor;2i/C: Major John Michaels
Battalion Sergeant Major: WOI William Constantine
B-1: Specialist Jack Anderson;
B-2: Major Martin Maclaren, Lord Darnley;
B-3: Unfilled;
B-4: Unfilled;
Battalion Forward Air Controller: Squadron Leader Laura Heywood-Floyd;
Company Officers:
Company 1 Officer Commanding: Captain Toby Brandon;Company 2 OC: Captain Aneurin Williams;
Company 3 OC: Captain Shreya Johar
Battalion 2:
Headquarters:
Commanding Officer: Lieutenant-Colonel Richard Bartlett;2i/C: Major Thomas Johnson
Battalion Sergeant Major: Warrant Officer I Alice Locke
B-1: Specialist Colm Lightmore;
B-2: Major Christopher Smith;
B-3: Major Fiona Bolton;
B-4: Captain Cheoung Dewei Zhong;
Battalion Forward Air Controller: Flight Lieutenant Marissa Gallagher
Company Officers:
Company 1 OC: Captain Paul Evans;Company 2 OC: Captain Francesca Francis;
Company 3 OC: Captain Dawson Leads
Battalion 3:
Headquarters:
Commanding Officer: Lieutenant Colonel Kerry Pieterson;2i/C: Major Lily Reed;
Battalion Sergeant Major: Warrant Officer I Edward Rush
B-1: Specialist Harriet Bergström;
B-2: Major Miles Dickens;
B-3: Major Stephen Dent;
B-4: Captain Gina Kelly;
Battalion Forward Air Controller: Flight Lieutenant Neil Campbell
Company Officers:
Company 1 OC: Captain Awen Thomas;Company 2 OC: Captain Roshan Patel;
Company 3 OC: Captain Jasper Scholfield
Tactics
1st Battalion uses parachute drops and shuttle insertions to get behind enemy lines and perform interdiction missions, usually found in one location at less than Company strength.
2nd battalion supplies reconnaissance for Heavy Infantry and Tank Regiments, both mounted in Jason LCV (Reconnaissance) and on foot, usually only at Company strength.
3rd battalion supplies light infantry for assaults and urban warfare, never found less than Battalion strength. Can be mounted in Argos LCV (Transport).
This is only a guide, all three battalions can do the others roles.
2nd battalion supplies reconnaissance for Heavy Infantry and Tank Regiments, both mounted in Jason LCV (Reconnaissance) and on foot, usually only at Company strength.
3rd battalion supplies light infantry for assaults and urban warfare, never found less than Battalion strength. Can be mounted in Argos LCV (Transport).
This is only a guide, all three battalions can do the others roles.
Training
All members of the Rifles underwent basic training, followed by AIT.
Logistics
Logistical Support
As a rapidly moving unit, the regiment requires resupply of ammunition, water and food. As such they have a small contingent of Royal logisitic Corpsmen.
Auxilia
3 RAF officers in the role of Forward Air Controllers, who can call strikes, medevacs and general transport at battalion level.
Artillery strikes called in by platoon radio operators.
Recruitment
Any person between the age of 18 and 35 from the Solent Colonies. Preferably 1.75 metres in height or more but this is rather lax.
History
Historical loyalties
Her Majesty, the Queen.
Her Majesty's Government.
Type
Infantry
Founding
2980
Overall training Level
Professional
Assumed Veterancy
Trained
Parent Formation
Ranks & Titles
Comments