ADVENT | Organizations
The ADVENT Air Force
"The only thing more dangerous than being a soldier on the front lines is a pilot in the sky."
- Wing Pilot Amy Gideon
Proposal 0016
Latest Revision: 1/15/2017
Designation: The ADVENT Air Force Division
Program Type: Air Force; Military
Author: The Commander of XCOM; Saudia Vyandar, Chancellor of ADVENT; Elizabeth Falka, Director of ADVENT Intelligence; Kyong Suk-Chul, Minister of ADVENT Public Relations; Keith Watkins, Chief Overseer of the Oversight Division; Laura Christiaens, Commander of the ADVENT Military; Elliot Nicholson, Wing Commander of the ADVENT Air Force
INITIAL PROPOSAL: Despite air combat being the newest form of warfare in our species' long history, it has quickly become the theatre of battle which makes the difference between victory and defeat. The dawn of air combat allowed for projection of power the likes of which had been unimaginable before, and controlling the skies has become necessary for any conventional victory.
This truth has not faded in light of the war with the Ethereal Collective, though the theatre has become muddled in light of the stark differences between us and the Collective. The Collective maintains a space-bound naval force – one which is not especially suited for atmospheric combat. Their craft are optimized and oriented for operation in a vacuum, and this makes them less optimal in atmospheric engagements.
The Collective can field more advanced and more powerful aircraft, but they are not necessarily ideal for battle in the skies of Earth. We are capable of holding our own against, and even challenging, the Collective in this crucial theatre of war, but to do so properly requires a centralized and coordinated air force, one which draws upon the equipment, skills, and resources of our entire species.
UNIT COMPOSITION AND INTEGRATION: The ultimate goal is the standardization of a singular ADVENT Air Force, one which uses the same equipment universally, adheres to the same training, and shares a common strategy and understanding of our enemies and objectives. Practically, no one should claim to be able to bring this about during the conflict – not immediately.
There are many countries in the world, and there are many, many different varieties of aircraft which perform the same or similar roles. Factories are optimized to create parts for them, and, while it might be logistically ideal to shift production to a singular design, it may not be worth it for a minuscule or non-existent advantage.
At the moment, there is only one true ADVENT aircraft which is universally superior to its peers – the XCOM-Designed Raven, which will be the standard ADVENT Fighter. That, however, is only one model. For recon, bomber, interceptor, and other, more specialized craft, there are currently no available designs. ADVENT is working on dedicated next-generation models to fulfill these roles, but until they are finished, we will be forced to use technology already in use.
This does not mean we will be stagnant – we will work to incorporate the latest weaponry and equipment into existing models where possible, but we cannot stop production until there is a viable replacement. The ADVENT Air Force will not be unified, from an equipment standpoint, for some time – and it falls on us to ensure this does not become a weakness.
We will be taking the same direction as the ADVENT Army, in that we will be mixing Wings with a mixture of national and non-national pilots to break down national tensions and increase species unity. These will be determined based on regional proximity, language, equipment used, and necessity. This goal should only be pursued if it does not hinder Air Force operations or deployment.
AIR COMBAT ROLES: There are a number of roles that the Air Force will be required to fill, and it must be properly supplied to carry them out, which are as follows. Please note that this list may be expanded or modified as new opportunities and information are presented.
RECON: Recon is crucial for providing our ground, naval, and air forces information regarding potential targets, enemy movements, and geographical information worth noting. Recon aircraft are, ideally, fast, maneuverable, small, and capable of acquiring highly detailed data on targets. Please note that not all recon craft are necessarily stealth craft.
FIGHTER: The role of fighter craft is one that is universal across species and nations, and is primarily for engaging other enemy fighters. Beyond fighters, engagement against other air targets is possible, as well as supporting ground units through airstrikes. The fighter is an incredibly versatile platform, and, though it lacks the focused effectiveness of more specialised variants, it is more broadly useful, as a result.
INTERCEPTOR: Interceptors can be classified as 'specialized' fighters, in that their role primarily involves either the targeting of enemy bombers or support craft or deterring strikes against allied units or positions. Interceptors are capable of engaging with other enemy fighters, but their armament is best suited for slower and larger targets. Interceptors should be highly mobile and faster than enemy fighters. Engagement with enemy interceptors should also be possible.
BOMBER: Primarily intended to provide ground support and to remove entrenched enemy positions and infrastructure, the bomber is critical to supporting our ground and naval operations. Carrying missiles or bombs, a well-protected and equipped bomber Wing can be the difference between a successful ground assault and a failed one. Bombers should be well-protected, as the weight of the ordinance they carry limits their mobility. Augmentation with stealth designs is optimal for deployment.
CYBER SUPPORT: An emerging theatre of warfare, which is, nevertheless, becoming incredibly important, is cyberwarfare, or digital "combat" between computers. Communication is critical to the Air Force, and we must be prepared for the possibility of disruption, which, all too often, comes in the form of cyberattacks, which have only grown more prominent. All air, land, and sea operations should be augmented by cyber support aircraft, which need not, necessarily, be particularly mobile, as long as they can stay connected to the units they are attached to, and should be well-protected and defended.
PSIONIC: Humanity has an inherent advantage that the Collective does not – our psions. While it is true that the Sectoids are a universally psionic species, this is not often utilized in combat, for reasons that likely have to do with the limitations of Sectoid Pilots, and perhaps political limitations by the Ethereals on the Greater Hive Commanders. We do not have this limitation.
Psionic aircraft should exist to primarily support telepaths, telekines, and aegii psions, all of which can be feasibly utilized in air combat. Dynamo psions are best suited to acting as bomber-analogues, unleashing large-scale psionic storms on ground-based targets. We expect that this will be best accomplished by utilizing multi-person aircraft, to allow for a pilot to maneuver and a psion to act as the passenger. Debate is ongoing on how best to implement psions into air combat, but initial results are highly promising.
SUPERCARRIER: To date, this is a role that has only ever been fulfilled by large naval vessels, and is the theoretical role fulfilled by a massive airborne aircraft or drone carrier, which would be a long-term or self-sustaining unit, effectively acting as the aerial equivalent of existing naval carriers. There is currently one Supercarrier-class unit being designed. Please refer to the THUNDERBIRD Project for more information.
AIR FORCE UNIT HIERARCHY: The unit composition and organization of the ADVENT Air Force is as follows:
WING: The building block of the ADVENT Air Force is the Wing, which is composed of seven same-role aircraft. It should be noted that specialized wings, particularly concerning specialized roles, are possible, and are smaller in number. For instance, there can be four Fighters and one Psionic unit in a single wing. These are not standard, however, due to the limited number of specialized aircraft in production.
BATTLE WING: These make up the collection of Wings that are assigned to a single operation, battle, or area. These consist of various Fighter, Bomber, Interceptor, and other designated Wings. Battle Wing sizes are flexible, and are as large or small as the operation demands. Battle Wings are disbanded and reorganized after the completion of the mission or operation.
COORDINATION CELL: This is the on-ground support, which works to update and coordinate ongoing conflicts with the Battle Wing. The Coordination Cell is critical for ensuring that the Battle Wing is acting optimally and is being leveraged to its fullest extent.
REGION WING: The Region Wing refers to the Wings which are assigned to protect or operate in a specified area. Within this, they can be assigned to Battle Wings in this region, and undertake relevant operations.
NATIONAL WING: Similar in function to the previous group, the National Wing is composed of all Region Wings for a specific nation. These will be of varying sizes, and are capable of pulling Wings from it to join Battle Wings as necessary. National Wings can also support other National Wings, though are required to leave enough Wings to protect the nation they are assigned to.
WING MISSION ROLES: The general overview of what overall missions that will be undertaken by the ADVENT Air Force is as follows:
AIR ENGAGEMENT: It is imperative that any enemies which are threatening our air superiority be engaged and destroyed. This mission's goal is to engage enemy aircraft, target bombers and heavy aircraft which pose a direct threat to our ground forces, and to neutralize any enemy air advantage.
GROUND SUPPORT: This is the supporting of ADVENT Army and Naval operations, which includes, but is not limited to, targeted airstrikes, carpet bombing, fire support, and other offensive combat operations that degrade the enemy capability to repel or engage our own forces successfully.
INFRASTRUCTURE TARGETING: Infrastructure is a critical part of any offensive or defensive engagement, and, should it be targeted, it will be significantly easier for other ADVENT forces to fulfil their intended objectives. Infrastructure includes, but is not limited to, anti-aircraft emplacements, forts and barriers, factories, settlements, airfields, military bases, farms, power plants, necessary supplies warehouses, educational facilities and hospitals.
AIR FORCE RANKING HIERARCHY: There are not many ranks within the ADVENT Air Force. There is the possibility that these ranks will be expanded in the future, but, in the interest of streamlining the chain of command and the realities of combat engagement, this has been determined to be viable.
PILOT: The Pilot is the basic rank within the ADVENT Air Force. Each pilot handles a single aircraft, and works to fulfil their designated role. Each Pilot is part of a Wing, and answers to a Wing Captain.
WING CAPTAIN: Wing Captains are responsible for managing a single Wing of the ADVENT Air Force. They must effectively manage their Pilots, and achieve ADVENT's stated objectives within the Battle Wing. Each Captain ultimately answers to the Wing Colonel of the Battle Wing.
WING COLONEL: A role that only exists for managing a Battle Wing, the Colonel is responsible not only for the Wings within the Battle Wing, but also the planning, coordination, and synchronization of the conflict itself. Wing Colonels are primarily drawn from Coordination Cells, but can also include outstanding Wing Captains. All Wing Colonels are approved by, and answer to, their Wing Majors.
WING MAJOR: Primarily managers drawn from the Coordination Cells, the Wing Majors command the Regional Wings, coordinate with Battle Wings, and their immediate staff is made up of Wing Colonels. They are responsible for managing the regional strategy of their assigned position, and answer to the respective Wing Director.
WING DIRECTOR: Senior Wing Majors, who are selected and promoted upon recommendation of the Wing Commander themselves, the Wing Directors are responsible for managing each National Wing, and are charged with determining an overall grand strategy to support the war effort in a particular country, or nearby theatres. They are primarily managers, and exclusively drawn from Wing Majors, and comprise ADVENT Aerial Command, which is headed by the Wing Commander.
WING COMMANDER: The Wing Commander of the ADVENT Air Force is the individual who commands, manages, and directs the entirety of the ADVENT Air Force. They are appointed upon the recommendation of the Commander of the ADVENT Military, as well as a majority of serving Wing Colonels. The Wing Commander can only be drawn from the Colonel pool of candidates.
COMMUNICATION AND COHESION
COORDINATION CELL: The most important part of Air Force communication is the Coordination Cell, which manages the Battle Wings in the heat of combat, and is instrumental to any victory or defeat. This team will be responsible for communicating with the various Wing Captains, under the strategy determined by the Wing Colonel who commands the cell in question. Coordination Cells, unlike Battle Wings, do not disband after usage, but they can be moved throughout ADVENT and are not tied to Regional or National Wings.
BATTLE WING GRAND STRATEGY: Prior to the engagement of an enemy, or execution of an operation, the Battle Wing Grand Strategy (BWGS) group is formed, which is composed of the Wing Colonel, and the most senior or crucial Wing Captains to effectively determine the objectives, risks, opportunities, and contingencies of the Battle Wing that is to be created. The BWGS is a necessity before any planned air engagement.
AIR FORCE COMMAND: Composed of senior staff from Coordination Cells, Wing Colonels, and the Wing Command, Air Force Command plots the deployment, administration, grand strategy, and operations of the ADVENT Air Force as a whole. They also manage oversight and reporting of various applicable projects, and maintain attachés to the ADVENT Navy and ADVENT Army.
COMMENDATIONS AND AWARDS: There are a small number of commendations which are exclusive to those who serve in the ADVENT Air Force, and are listed below. Please note that this list may be expanded in the future.
ACE: The Ace Commendation and Title is given to pilots who have attained twenty-five confirmed kills of enemy aircraft.
SURVIVOR: The Survivor medal is given to Pilots who were forced to eject from their aircraft and survived. Injury is not necessary for this award to be given.
RECRUITMENT AND TRAINING: Due to the specialized nature of the Air Force, it is recommended that pilot training schools be heavily targeted, as well as individuals involved in existing civilian flight industries. Pilot training is not something which should be rushed, and having a pool of experienced or familiar pilots will be the determining factors in the war until we can create a steady rotation of piloting recruits.
It is recommended that ADVENT heavily invest in civilian pilot program recruitment and advertising to spur interest and manpower. Additionally, prompting internal interest from within the ADVENT Military is another method that should be pursued for soldiers who are interested in it.
AUTHORITY AND LIMITATIONS: The ADVENT Air Force has primary authority on all air operations within and beyond ADVENT territory, barring the overriding of authority from the Oversight Division or ADVENT High Command. The ADVENT Air Force is only authorized to execute combat and military operations, and they are not permitted to perform law enforcement, fulfil political roles, or have direct authority over a citizen or occupied civilian population.
The ADVENT Air Force is subordinate to ADVENT High Command, and operations must be approved in conjunction with respective peer branches, including the ADVENT Army and ADVENT Navy. Just as the peer branches do not have overriding authority over aerial operations, the Air Force can only provide input on operations which are primarily ground, sea, or space-based.
CONCLUSION: We are in a challenging position in this war, and one of the most important. We are facing a more advanced, powerful, and numerically superior enemy, one we will not be able to achieve any sort of parity with for months, if not longer. Yet, we understand that this is a theatre that cannot be lost, and we must do everything possible to ensure that we provide ADVENT with the capabilities to hold out on the ground, as if we do not, the war will be lost.
"What's it like? That's a benign and generic question if I've ever heard one. It's…difficult to describe unless you've actually piloted or flown a fighter. Or a bomber. Or any actual military aircraft. Have you?"
"Didn't think so. Well, I guess the short version is that it's terrifying. In a good way, kind of, but still terrifying. There's only a few centimeters between you and the outside world while you're going at Mach 4. That's something you get used to, obviously, but when looking at it from that perspective, what we do is kind of insane."
"It's a bit odd to think about, actually. You know the most common enemy we fight? Sectoids. And their craft are strange; it's never just one drone, but always at least a few. They're big, pretty bulky, and that threw us off at first. Figured out quickly that those ships could turn on a dime and good luck taking them down in one hit."
"Yeah, they're a lot more durable than ours. Strap as many gauss cannons onto a Raven as you want, and you're at best going to get some penetration. Missiles are the most effective, when they hit, at least. That's the problem with the Sectoids – they have superior directional control. They can stop, we overshoot, then they resume. Doesn't matter that we're faster than they are, or smaller and harder to hit. Position is everything in the sky."
"Terrifying, maybe you can understand a bit better now. We've got the Ravens, and that's the major aerial innovation ADVENT nicked from XCOM. Sometimes wished that they took the Firestorm, but no way could they mass produce them. So what do we have? We've got an air force which is inferior in most ways to what we're up against. The Legions? They have some kind of parity, thanks to gene modding and tech. The Collective doesn't really have a navy. Us? We're still using first-gen ADVENT fighters, old-gen bombers, and whatever else we can come up with."
"Yeah, we're holding our own despite that. We're having to get creative, and what we're using works – when it works, at least. It's a bit odd – the models are staying the same, but the weapons are being improved, the missiles are being changed. I say we're using old-gen models, but in reality, we're now at some kind of self-improving hybrid. Still inferior, and ADVENT should start realizing just how important the air battle is. There's not always going to be Flak Towers to augment us and prevent a full rout."
"But man…there's nothing like the feeling of bringing a Sectoid Bomber down. Or any Collective aircraft, for that matter. Those ships are meant for space, and genuinely every single one we bring down is an accomplishment. Every victory we achieve is earned, and even when we don't win, we make them pay for every loss. They have us outgunned, outmatched, and outnumbered in every engagement, but we are better in one crucial area – piloting. I'll take a dozen pilots with inferior equipment over a drone-minded team with a superior fighter. Simple as that."
"The funny thing is, ironically, that the longer we survive, the less likely it seems we're going to die. The Collective has the technological advantage, true, but they lack any kind of creativity and that is what allows us to win. See, you pick up what they're going to do pretty quickly; they're predictable, especially the Sectoids. It makes it easier to plan around them, bait them, or lose them. They also don't seem to target us if we eject."
"I know, it's odd. I don't know if they actually realize that the pilots are still alive. They prioritize the plane so much that the ejected pilot doesn't matter. To a Sectoid, maybe it makes sense. For them, the equipment is the most important. If they lose a drone? Doesn't matter, they can grow a new one. They may apply that to us as well. Their mistake."
"No, I've not experienced that yet. I've had a lot of close calls, and had to make some emergency landings…but I've not had to eject yet. Not planning to, either, I don't really want to risk me being the exception for when the Sectoids wise up and start shooting the parachutes. Not even my mods will protect me at terminal velocity."
"Yeah, most of us are gene-modded at this point. Eyes, muscles, breathing. We can breathe with less oxygen, are resistant to explosions and shrapnel, and a relatively short fall won't kill us. Even the holdouts eventually gave in. We're already in a very vulnerable position up there, and when it comes down to it, ADVENT can produce more planes. It can't replace pilots so easily. You can slap a gun in a random person's hand and send them to the front lines; you can't do that with pilots unless you want to put everyone in danger."
"People are being trained every day. Not saying that it can't be done, it's just something that takes time and you can't really rush it like you can with infantry. I'm not an instructor, so I can't really say how that's going. We keep getting a steady supply of reinforcements, so I assume it's going well enough."
"What I really hope? That ADVENT gives us something to give us parity. Real parity, not another tool that we jury-rig to make sure we don't die a bit longer. If they're working on that, I've not heard it. I hope they are, but if they aren't…well, we just have to keep doing what we're doing, and hope our luck lasts a little longer."
Interview between Fighter Wing Captain Jonathan Xi and Journalist Jessica Wong
To the Battlemaster,
With the deployment of the new ADVENT drone carrier (Designated as the 'Thunderbird'), it is prudent to briefly recap what we know of the capabilities and usage of what is known as the ADVENT Air Force. While ADVENT has primarily been focusing on developing their ground forces, they have put resources towards atmospheric and naval forces to a lesser extent.
ADVENT has identified that it is primarily the ground theatre which is the most critical to secure, and has deployed its vast resources towards that. This is not to say that the Air Force has not received attention, but it is notably secondary to ADVENT's stated and unstated focuses. At the same time, this has not degraded the Air Force like some had anticipated earlier in the conflict, even if ADVENT is far from achieving parity.
ADVENT AIR FORCE STRENGTH: ADVENT has a deep corps of pilots to draw from, taking into account every nation that now makes up ADVENT. With them comes their equipment, factories, and machinery to field a powerful air force. Numerically, their numbers are sufficient, though they will face a likely shortage of pilots as the conflict drags on.
The more pilots are killed, the less powerful the Air Force will become. This is not stating the obvious – unlike soldiers, ADVENT cannot just pull any recruit and put them in the pilot's seat – not without training. The ADVENT Air Force has a reinforcement issue, one which will not be relevant until later in the conflict.
ADVENT has the facilities, resources, and manpower to field a numerically sufficient air force for the foreseeable future, and will only run into severe issues upon the loss of a majority of pilots. At the risk of stating the obvious, the removal of the pilots will hasten the degraded effectiveness of the Air Force in a way killing soldiers of the ADVENT Army will not.
AIR FORCE CAPABILITIES: The ADVENT Air Force has received several upgrades as the technological capabilities of ADVENT has progressed. Air Force aircraft typically maintain gauss and laser weapons, and, more recently, have begun employing plasma turrets. Missiles have been augmented with nanite and plasma warheads and bombs.
For the most part, ADVENT has maintained using pre-conflict aircraft models, with the exception of Fighters, which have been replaced with the Raven platform. This effectively means that most aircraft are unusually weak by ADVENT standards, and easier to destroy than ADVENT-produced models.
This does allow them to effectively engage our aircraft, and, in some respects, they have an advantage, as they are optimized for Earth's atmosphere, whereas Collective aircraft are optimized for space. Technologically, we are far superior to them, but they have better optimized aircraft, better pilots, and better measures in place to keep their pilots alive.
With the deployment of the Thunderbird, ADVENT appears to be dedicating a significant amount of resources to augmenting their aerial capabilities and bringing them in line with modern specifications, and the Thunderbird may signal a shift to unmanned and drone focus.
SUSPECTED PROJECTS: We suspected that the project that eventually turned out to be the Thunderbird was a prototype spacecraft. This turned out to not be the case, and calls into question other assessments that may have been made. Despite this, we feel confident in several other suspected projects relating to the Air Force.
We believe that ADVENT is producing a number of next-generation aircraft to fulfill specific aerial roles, from bombers to scouts, similar in advanced capabilities to the Raven. ADVENT is not looking to create an XCOM Firestorm, but they are going to move beyond pre-war models into the next generation.
There is evidence that they are looking to augment the Air Force with a psionic-capable aircraft. In practice, this appears to mean a multi-person aircraft which would hold a psion, who could act without piloting concerns. ADVENT has also heavily invested in autonomous systems and drones, culminating in their deployment of the Thunderbird, though they almost certainly have developed next-generation standalone drone fighters.
CURRENT USAGE: ADVENT appears to be using the Air Force in an augmentation aspect – it isn't engaging aerially unless there is an operation which it can augment. This can be naval or ground-based, but it needs a component to be attached to. ADVENT also heavily favors engagements which have ground support in some form, usually in the form of anti-air defenses.
ADVENT is well aware that they have an inferior force to our own, and need to augment it as much as possible. ADVENT will generally seek to have equivalent or superior numbers, and will not field more vulnerable craft like bombers unless there is sufficient aerial support. They are extremely conservative and careful with their forces, and are not easy to bait into positions which are risky for them.
TRANSITION TO SPACE FORCE: There is an obvious question of whether ADVENT intends for the Air Force to eventually transition to a space force. We have not seen evidence that ADVENT is intending to do this, and, if they are preparing for a space force, it is likely a completely separate division, not tied to the existing Air Force.
POTENTIAL FUTURE AUGMENTATIONS: The most likely augmentations will be the standardization of units, with ADVENT developing new aircraft models to fulfill specific roles. This will fully modernize the Air Force, and is likely their long-term mission. There will likely be the deployment of a psionic-carrier aircraft, and it remains unknown what form this will take.
We do not believe there will be similar additions on the scale of the Thunderbird, though it is possible that smaller drone carriers will be developed to more easily support ADVENT Battle Wings. There may be an expansion of automated and unmanned aircraft, though it is unknown how much ADVENT is looking to devote to that specific role.
In short, the ADVENT Air Force has room to improve, but all of it is expected, anticipated, and unsurprising. The Thunderbird was their one unknown, and now we can work to counter it. It is unlikely they will be able to surprise us further.
- Zar'Chon'ravarian'vitiary