A/N: This OOB is for the START of the series in Of Sheep and Battle Chicken. There will be two more OOB's after the appendix, one for the SA Military at the start of TWCD and one for the ME3 book.
Updated March 2020.
Chapter 3: Military Order of Battle
THE SYSTEMS ALLIANCE ORDER OF BATTLE
With Addenda Regarding Citizenship Tiers and Your Government
Prepared by the Systems Alliance Commissariat
Distribution limited by the Manswell State Security Act
OFFICER EDITION : DO NOT DISTRIBUTE TO NON-COMMISSIONED OFFICERS OR ENLISTED PERSONNEL
Section B: The Military : The Naval Marine Corps, the Planetary Militia Marine Corps, the Navy, the Reactionary Forces, the Special Forces, and the Penal Legions. The Enforcement : The Commissariat Legions, the Commissars, the Alliance Intelligence Service, and the Guard of Iron.
"Are you worms, to hide crying in your trenches while that man yonder laughs at blazing death to save those who are helpless? Are you that weak, to kneel before the spiked bastards as they ravage our world? I am no mere man! I am a Marine! I will die today, but I will die standing, die fighting, and I will die for Humanity and the Corps! Are you with me? CHARGE! Semper Fidelis, and Repensum Est Canicula!" -Warcry of General Henri Girard, Battle of Therum, at the sight of Preston Kyle's charge.
The Systems Alliance maintains her strength and security through the vigilance, sacrifice, and commitment of her brave men and women in uniform. The Systems Alliance Unified Armed Forces represent almost eight percent of humanity under arms, and are responsible for twenty eight percent of our GDP spending and thirteen percent of the economy.
The military is split into two distinct sides, one to guard our bodies, the other to guard our minds and souls. The Military Defense branch of the Armed Forces consists of ground, space, and special forces, as well as the Penal Legions, to allow those who have turned their back on the SA to serve her in death if they refuse to do so in life.
The enforcement branch is focused on those organs that ensure the military does not overreach or rebel, that the government does not become corrupt, and that alien influence on our society does not become endemic.
Understanding the Order of Battle and the Enumerated Count
The Order of Battle lists the highest command groupings in each theater of the SA. Each grouping is followed by two ratings.
The first is the PRIDE rating (Political Reliability Index for Direct Evaluation). This is the evaluation of the political reliability of the unit as determined by the Commissariat. The rating is digital from 1 to 5, where a 1.0 is rebellious and a 5.0 will obey even illegal orders. The PRIDE rating of a unit is best when it is high, but not too high.
The second rating is the CORE score (Combat Operations Readiness Evaluation). The CORE is an alphanumeric rating of battle experience and battle readiness. It goes from A to E, and is graduated in steps of I, II, and III. E-I is a completely green unit with zero experience, while A-III is hardened special forces with fanatic morale. Units are followed by their unit moniker, a short phrase.
Occasionally, units will exceed measurement values. This is indicated by a "+" symbol.
Total force rankings and the Command Officer is listed with each Command-level unit, along with it's Systems Alliance Military Command (SAMILCOM) abbreviated name.
The enumerated count goes into totals and breaks down details about each unit, vehicle, or ship type.
The Naval Marine Corps and the Planetary Marine Corps : Two jobs, one tough marine
The most basic element of our military has been the Marine Corps. Historically, the United States and Chinese armed forces were the last to be destroyed in the aftermath of the Days of Iron. The US Army and the Chinese PLA fell to internal rebellions and strongmen, but the US Marine Corps continued it's proud traditions and defended American soil and citizens until the arrival of Manswell's own Guard of Iron.
The battle of Arlington, where four hundred seventeen Marines defied sixty thousand Iron Guardsmen and refused to surrender the last members of the US government, was a bitterly proud day for the Corps. Dying nearly to the last man, they made such an impression on Victor Manswell that he is said to have wept bitterly after the battle, sinking to his knees in the ruins of Arlington National Memorial Cemetery at the madness that had caused fine upstanding soldiers to die for their flag.
In honor of those Marines and their undying fidelity to the Corps Motto of Semper Fidelis, the SA has modeled its ground forces off of the United States Marine Corps. Marines are trained at Quantico, just as US Marines were, although they also train in a host of other forts and locations. The rank structure is slightly different, as are the uniforms, but the motto has not changed. The spirit has not changed.
As a Marine, you are expected to die. But when you do so, you will not die alone, and you will never be forgotten. The proud traditions of the United States Marine Corps is carried on today by the Systems Alliance Marine Corps, and you must never forget that honor, that duty, and above all that sacrifice.
Marines enter the service with a Marine Vocational Code of "B", or Basic Marine Soldier. (See the MVC Rating Detail Sheet later in this booklet.) These serve in the Planetary Marine Corps, defending our homes and families from dangers foreign and domestic. Marines who serve with great diligence and show the appropriate faculty in zero-G combat are eventually given the "A" rating of Advanced Marine Soldier, and are the Naval Marine Corps.
As an officer, you must of course pass all requirements of both "B" and "A" training before your commission is put into effect.
B marines do not serve aboard naval vessels, space stations, or on non-Systems Alliance worlds. B marines are given no alien acclimatization training and do not possess skills in xenoempathy, zero-g combat, alien environment survival. These are skill-sets that "A" marines do possess.
Functionally, both Marine types are issued identical gear, weapons, and armor. The only difference is that officers commanding primarily ground forces use the "Marine" rather than "Naval" rank structure.
The entirety of the Corps is sublimated to the command structure of the Navy, similar to how the US Navy was partially superior to the US Marine Corps command structure. Any position past that of Naval Captain or Marine Major requires an officer to have command experience with both Marines and Naval Forces.
Armor Units are included in this tally, but Special Forces, the Penal Legions, Reactionary Forces, and the Enforcement Corps are not. This count does not include marine forces assigned to naval vessels or the Five Fleets, nor the support fleets.
The Current Order of Battle for the Marines is as follows:
Solguard Command (SOLGUARD): The Solguard protects Earth and is the primary force of the Systems Alliance military deployed within the Sol/Arcturus district. The Solguard has the most up-to-date equipment and highest training of any unit in the SA Military. It's focus is on defensive combat.
Total force – 750,000 Marines, 10,000 armored vehicles. CO Lord General of the SA Manfred von Khar.
First Solguard Army Group (4.5 / A-III+) : Manswell's Sword aka the Big Red One
Second Solguard Army Group (4.0 / A-II) : Semper Laurifer
First Solguard Armor Brigade (4.0 / A-II) : Tank You Very Much
Second Solguard Armor Brigade (4.0 / B-III) : Drive It Like You Stole It
Security Force ALPHA : SecForce Alpha is a secondary security group dedicated to protecting the rest of the solar system, and Priority Alpha assets.
Total Force: 100,000 Marines. CO Major of Marines Melanie Dachman, KoUE
Secforce Prime Brigade (Luna / Mars) (3.7 / A-II) : Martian Dreams
Secforce Beta Brigade (Jovian Satellites) (4.4 / B-III) : By Jove
Arcturus Command (ARCMILCMD) : Arcturus Command is where marines are deployed after initial training, as a ready reserve in case of invasion, and as the last line of defense before Earth. The Arcturus First Army Group is famous for its battles during the First Contact War. The Third AG is specifically designated for training new recruits. As might be expected, it's focus is on training.
Total Force: 600,000 Marines. 5,000 armored vehicles. CO General Richard James Collins, KoUE.
First Arcturus Army Group (3.5 / A-I) : The Unbroken Bloody Line
Second Arcturus Army Group (3.5 / B-II) : Top of the Arc
Third Arcturus Army Group (4.5 / E-I) : New Blue but True
First Arcturus Armor Brigade (2.1 / C-I) : Get Out Da Way
Terra Nova Command (TVNMILCMD) : The Terra Novan District is protected by the TVN Corps, operating out of Ciudad Venesco. It focuses on combined arms tactics.
Total Force: 58,000 Marines. 2,000 Armored vehicles. CO Major of Marines Kasen de la Camara.
First Terra Novan Army Group (2.9 / B-II) : Super Nova
First Terra Novan Armor Brigade (2.8 / C-I) : Rolling Thunder
Watson Command (WATFLTCMD) : Overseen by multiple long-range missile bases and the Watson Repair Docks, the marines of Watson are all highly trained veterans. They often perform combined operations with the asari, making them specialists at fighting biotic enemies. Unfortunately, the unit's high number of soldiers with asari liaisons and the fact that almost 2% of the force is actually comprised of asari, while raising it's combat power and prowess, also lowers it's PRIDE rating.
Total Force: 65,000 Marines. 2,000 armored vehicles. CO General Todd Dominzi, KoUE.
First Watson Army Group (1.9 / A-III) : Blue in War and Love
First Watson Armor Brigade (1.4 / B-I) : Elementary, my dear Watson
Mindoir Command (FSTMNDCMD) : The marines of Mindoir will never forget the First Raid, or the bravery of the Lion of Mindoir, Major Kyle. They are the fiercest soldiers the SA has to offer, with PRIDE ratings that make some nervous as they will follow orders that violate even the SA Core Charter if they can kill batarians. Few aliens, even asari, are comfortable on Mindoir. They specialize in anti-pirate, anti-slaver and small unit tactics.
The Fist of Kyle is a special militia unit put together by retired Marines that answer to the military as an emergency response unit of some 25,000 volunteers.
Total Force: 225,000 Marines, 2,500 armored vehicles. CO is Lord General Kirsten Dularis
First Mindoir Army Group (5.0+ / A-III+) : The Lion's Roar
Second Mindoir Army Group (5.0+ / A-III+) : Fist of Mindoir
First Mindor Armor Brigade (4.8 / A-III) : Never Forget
Fist of Kyle Secforce Regimental Combat Unit (5.0 / C-II) : Indestructible
Citadel Command (CITDLCOM) : Assigned to Bekenstein, the Citadel District also has a small honor company present on the Citadel itself. Given the overwhelming troops nearby from both the Turian Hierarchy and the Asari Republic, the command group is lightly trained and overexposed to alien culture. As such it is commanded by a Commissar, rather than a military general.
Total Force: 55,000 Marines, 1,500 Armored Vehicles. CO Commandant-Major Havopek Huerta, KoUE
First Bekenstein Army Group (1.8 / C-I) : Always Bet on Bek
First Bekenstein Armor Brigade (1.9 / D-III) : Got 'em by the neck
First Citadel Honor Guard Company (4.5 / B-III) : Humanity's Own
EPSILON Reaction Force : The reaction force for all territories in Priority Epsilon areas.
Total Force : 2,000 Marines, 500 tanks. CO is Colonel Fresia Milani-Branson, KoUE
Epsilon Regimental Combat Unit Alpha (3.5 / C-II)
Epsilon Regimental Combat Unit Beta (3.5 / C-II)
Epsilon Armored Regiment (3.5 / B-II)
GAMMA Reaction Force : The reaction force for all territories in Priority Gamma areas.
Total Force: 30,000 Marines, 500 tanks. CO is Colonel Brian Snipes, KoUE
Gamma Marine Battalion Alpha (3.5 / B-II)
Gamma Marine Battalion Beta (3.5 / A-I)
Gamma Marine Battalion Delta (3.2 / D-II)
Gamma Armored Regiment (3.5 / C-II)
BETA Reaction Force: The reaction force for all territories in Priority Beta.
Total Force: 55,000 Marines, 2,000 Armored Vehicles. CO Major of Marines Julio Espinoza
Beta Army Group (4.1 / B-III)
Beta Armor Brigade (3.4 / A-I)
Battlegroup Omega : [REDACTED]
Enumerated Count Totals:
Marines:
1,192,400 Class B Planetary Marines
394,500 Class A Naval Marines
643,400 Advanced MCV Marines (MCV Combat Rates other than A or B).
619,500 Support MCV Marines (MCV Non-Combat Rates)
274,500 Officers
179 Generals and Majors of Marines
Marine Designations include:
Infantryman: equipped with Onyx Armor, Avenger Battle Rifles, Perseus Combat Shotguns, and a belt of grenades. Infantrymen are the basic building block of the Corps.
Scout-Sniper: equipped with Onyx Armor, Harpoon Sniper Rifle, Predator Pistol, light combat drone/spotter, temporary cloaking field. Trained in some limited info-war techniques, especially hacking , decryption and a few omni-tool dirty tricks, Scout-Snipers are not front-line soldiers and work in two-man teams when not deployed in a unit, one acting as the shooter, the other the spotter.
Combat Engineer: equipped with Crisis Suit, combat omni-tool, omni-blade, Incisor Battle Rifle, Predator Pistol or Perseus Combat Shotgun, grenades, high explosives. Engineers are trained in omni-tool deployments of extruded armaments, such as inferno missiles, incineration fields, cryogenic blasts, electrical overload charges, and the like. All SA engineers are trained in the creation and operation of both combat drones and light fixed guns.
Heavy Weapon Trooper: equipped with Devastator Articulated Armor, Revenant Machine Gun, Nova Missile Launcher, or Perdition Plasma Flamethrower, Predator Pistol. Dedicated to the use of heavy weapons, the HW Trooper is trained to react to threats and protect the squad.
Grenadier: Equipped with Crisis Suit, resupply drone, omni-generator, Perseus Combat Shotgun, Predator Pistol, several belts of grenades. Grenadiers are close-range combatants that use grenades and pressure tactics to break enemy lines.
Biotic Infantry: Equipped with Onyx Armor, Avenger Battle Rifle, Predator Pistol, L3-P biotic amp. The C-rank personnel who don't qualify for Vanguard or Sentinel training programs are organized into four man teams called (in a theatrical touch of the macabre) covens. Jokes about witches aside, biotic covens focus on synergy of biotic skills in the creation and detonation of a wide array of biotic fields and effects. Most focus either on providing team support (barriers, shockwaves, lift for carrying wounded teammates) or firepower (warp , singularity, biotic storm, etc) to bolster the squad's offensive rating.
Biotic Specialist: Equipped with Cobalt Assault Armor, Crossfire Battle Rifle, Eagle Pistol, L3-X biotic amp, belt of grenades. Combat at close range is unnerving for most soldiers, but not the Vanguards. Put through an exhausting regimen of training, the Vanguard has mastered the asari method of kanquess, or "moving through the all". Creating a short ranged mass effect tunnel, the vanguard is able to hurtle into a mass of enemy soldiers with a shocking impact, the excess mass effect energies blasting all those around him or her. A human innovation has been to modify the warp field upon exit into a blast that humans call a nova. Vanguards cannot use regular kinetic shields, since that interferes with biotics, but can hold their own biotic barriers for protection.
Marine Armor Combatant: Equipped with light survival suit, Predator Pistol, combat omni-tool. Marines who drive tanks rarely are prepared for ground combat outside of their vehicles. But they are hardly defenseless!
The Enumerated Forces for the Marine Armored Division in terms of vehicles is as follows:
Enumerated Count Totals:
26,000 Armored Vehicles
135,000 Mechs
11,200 Battlesuits
Mechs: Mechs are currently used as support for human forces, and as fire support when assaulting fixed positions when casualties are likely to be high.
AESIR Patrol Mech: 50,000 :The AutomatEd Search, Infiltration and Rescue mech was designed to operate in spaces hostile to human life, to perform high-risk patrol or S&R operations, and to function without direct oversight. Unless wearing external armor they are fragile and rather slow.
JOTUN Combat Mech: 2,500 : the JOTUN is the prototype for a future fully VI-driven warform. The JOTUN uses a coaxial minigun on one arm, with a rapid-pattern grenade launcher on the other. It is large, heavily armored, well shielded, and designed to act as a bulwark and pressure unit for other infantry to advance behind.
SLEPNIR Repair Mech: 75,000 : a VI driven unit loaded with repair schematics and welding equipment, these are derisively nicknamed "3CPO" by SA marines, who were not impressed with their abilities. Capable of building field fortifications, repairing armored units, and fixing weapons or armor, the main drawback of the M-883 is it's lack of battle endurance and slow rate of repair.
Battlesuits: After the First Contact War, one of the first developments of human manufacturers was the imitation of the mobile battlesuits used by asari and salarian infantry units. While our suits are not as advanced as those of our alien neighbors, we can produce them far more cheaply, providing combat leverage and advanced war-fighting capability in all combat arenas.
SLINGSHOT Hostile Space Boarding Battlesuits: 2,500 : The SLINGSHOT is an adaptation to DACT assault armor, used only when conducting boarding operations. Equipped mostly with life support and shielding elements, only the presence of light hydraulics to assist in using heavy cutting equipment qualifies this as a battlesuit.
AGAMEMNON Light Combat Battlesuits: 7,500 : This suit stands eight feet tall, and is worn like armor. It features multiple shielding systems and a built-in plasma thrower, along with light sensor arrays. Boasting two inches of armor and light hydraulics, the suit is outdated currently, slated to be replaced by the THERMOPYLAE suits if the new suit meets all requirements.
THERMOPYLAE Assault Battlesuits: 1,200 : The pinnacle of human battlesuit development, the THERMOPYLAE suit harkens back to the legendary Spartans who fought at the Hot Gates. Equipped with dual shielding suites, segmented reactive armor backstopped with omni-gel and self-repair compounds, and a full sensor suite, the biggest changes are in it's armaments. It carries a fully automatic mass accelerated kinetic minigun, firing explosive 'spears' at two hundred rounds a minute, with a range of two kilometers. Below this is a plasma flamethrower and an integral omnispear rated at 440 TEV. Improving its defenses, the TPY boasts a powerful omnishield generator, two racks of light GTS 'fleck' missiles, six light gun drones, and two foldout mini-missile racks for antipersonnel work. Standing twelve feet tall, it features hydraulics under myomer 'muscles', along with an onboard VI to handle ECM and cyberwarfare needs.
Armor Vehicles: Note some names are abbreviated due to ensuring easy identification with stencil kits.
M-202 DOGFISH Armored Carrier: 6,000 : the most basic armored vehicle of the Corps, the DOGFISH has good defenses, including layered armor, flares, and a VI with ECM and ECCM capability. Carries up to thirty marines or six battlesuits.
M-35 MAKO Fighting APC: 8,000 The replacement to the older GRIZLI APC, the MAKO is a cross between a tank, an APC, a delivery vehicle, and a forward operations post. Completely environmentally sealed, the MAKO has dual coaxial mass accelerated machine-guns and a main 20mm railgun. Sixteen inches of laser steel armor is backed up with an integrated omni-gel repair system that can literally rebuild damaged armor on the spot. The MAKO has a full communications and sensor suite, onboard medical support facilities, and can withstand full vacuum as well as water pressure up to sixty feet. It can be deployed orbitally with it's onboard mass effect core, and is a SSTO launch capable vehicle (although it can't fly. Yet.)
M-44 GRIZLI APC (Discontinued) : 3,800 : The predecessor vehicle to the MAKO, the GRIZLI's drive train issues, lighter armor, and lack of dedicated comms or medical facilities doomed it to poor performance. Mocked as a deathtrap by most marines, GRIZLI APC are being converted for civilian use or as medical support wagons with a retrofit.
M-20 HAMRHEAD Light Battle Tank: 3,100 : the HAMRHEAD is a hover-tank, using twin engines to achieve limited flight and unmatched maneuverability. Equipped with paired VI-targeted missile racks and a rotary turreted 15mm railgun, it uses the same self-repair and sensor package as the MAKO.
M-90 GREAT WHITE Main Battle Tank: 4,400 : the primary fighting armor unit of the Systems Alliance, the GREAT WHITE is built from the same lines as the older MERKAVA IX MBT used for the past thirty years. Mass-dampened treads and omni-gel backed self-repairing armor protects the drive-train. It's main guns – twin 40mm railguns and two racks of ATG missiles – are backed up with full VI ECM suites, a secondary pair of steerable turrets with rotary 11mm mass accelerators, a nine-pack GTS missile strip, magnetic mine detonation drones, and a microwave based antipersonnel weapon. Two deployable GARDIAN turrets round out it's formidable power.
M-606 TIGR GTS Vehicle: 2,250 : a modified MAKO with the passenger compartment removed, this fearsome tank mounts sixteen two-slot GTS missile tubes along with a curved array of fourteen GARDIAN lasers with VI tracking. Six wide-band scanning drones and a full ECM / ECCM suite complete the package. Newly deployed, the Marines are still field testing this unit.
The Systems Alliance Special and Enforcement Forces: Excellence, elan, and elusive by nature
N-Series Combat Team (NCT): A four-man or six-man special forces cell, NCT's are used in heavy strike evolutions or to (very rarely) bolster other units. NCT's are entirely composed of N-rate soldiers, the very best of the human military. Even the most inexperienced NCT soldier is a graduate of the most difficult space combat school in the known galaxy, usually with 10+ years experience.
NCT soldiers have such a wide range of possible talents (biotics, including alien styled biotics such as singularities, combat drones, warp fields, heavy weapons, engineering info-war assets) that a single description of tactics would be by definition incomplete. NCT are sent after specific objectives. These range from hostile asset recovery , uplinks to spy drones or comm equipment, escorting information drones or recovering wounded prisoners, and the like. As a result, most teams focus on striking as hard and as fast as possible and getting out quickly. Given their small numbers they prefer to avoid straight up fights. Their skill-sets ensure that they will almost always have snipers capable of taking down sentries and allowing them to move in stealth
S-Series Intel Strike Team (IST): A six man cell, IST's are used to obtain or deny intelligence assets to hostile parties. Whereas NCT's are sent after military objectives, ISTs can be deployed to conduct more subtle acts. Much like the NCT's, ISTs heavily cross-train in a wide variety of combat schools, as well as dedicated info-war and sniping practice. They practice stealth constantly, utilizing cloaking screens and traditional methods of camouflage to reach their targets. IST snipers are particularly deadly. The motto of the IST is that they are "The worst thing you never see coming".
Combined Arms N-S Strike Team (NTST or Netset): A Netset is a very rare occurrence, a combination of N and S personnel to achieve extremely dangerous or daunting tasks. Netsets are usually done in teams, and only two teams have ever been used: the "Legacy" team of Tradius Ahern, Preston Kyle, Rachel Florez, Yonis Chu, and Michael Saracino, and the "Dauntless" team of David Anderson, Kahlee Sanders, Jeremy Richards, Kai Leng, and Theodore Pellham.
Drop-Assault Combat Team (DACT): Widely considered certifiably insane even by N7 units, DACT units, sometimes called jump marines, pride themselves on fearlessness, bravado, and the chaotic terror they inspire in their targets. Jumping from shuttles or even low orbit, these super-heavy infantry soldiers rely on their battlesuits for support in combat. Equipped with auto-targeting missile launchers, smoke grenades, auto-kinetic emergency barriers, and the heaviest weapons this side of vehicle armaments, they do not shy from any force in their way. Most DACT teams have two gunners equipped with coaxial mass accelerator miniguns, which can mow down an enemy squad in about half a second of sustained fire and take out light armored tanks in a few seconds.
Penal Legions: The Penal Legions are widely feared, rarely deployed, and almost never talked about. Comprised of hardened criminals evaluated as redeemable, 85% of the Legions are comprised of hardened mercenaries captured in battle, former pirates, gang members, drug dealers, and war criminals. Kept in line through special snipers, surgically implanted explosive charges, and overseen by commissars with the authority to execute deserters and disobedient soldiers on the spot, they are wild and undisciplined. Issued only partial body armor and the single-shot Mattock rifle, they are trained in 20th century style infantry fighting – covering lanes of fire, support through numbers, and attrition warfare.
Penal Legions have decimated forces three times their size. Every member is technically already dead – if they fail to fight they are executed – and thus members swiftly lose all fear of death. Motivated by the promise of a cleaned criminal record and employment in the military, and given decent rations and education, the average Penal Legion soldier has every reason to fight hard and never surrender or flee. The wide range of skills in the Penal Legions defies easy summary. Some have backgrounds as snipers, saboteurs, or infiltrators. Almost 25% of the Legions are biotic criminals, some with powers rivaling C6 rated military biotics. Another 20% has at least military-grade (usually illegal) cybernetic modification. Penal Legions are never deployed as garrison forces and are kept on their own ships. Legionaries wear a modified all-black SA uniform, while their handlers wear white.
Commissariat Legions: The Commissars cannot be everywhere, and when they do find corruption or problems, they are not invincible. That is where the Legions come in. Usually former marines, the Legions are basically shock troops designed to deploy alongside the Commissars.
The Legions have the same law enforcement powers as the Commissars do, but rarely chose to use them, preferring to merely support the Commissar they answer to. The Legions are also drawn upon for personnel to be stationed in and observe other units, naval vessels, or civilian communities.
Legionary duties will be assigned to outgoing Marines based on recommendations from your commanding officer. Any additional questions should be addressed with your local Commissar.
Commissars: At this time, the Commissariat is not recruiting directly from the military. Please see your local Commissar for additional details.
The Current Order of Battle for the Special Forces is as follows:
First N Combat Brigade (4.2 / A-III+) : Attached to the Solguard, consisting of roughly twelve NCT. 400+ N troopers. CO Captain Richard Branson.
Second N Combat Brigade (4.0 / A-III+) : Attached to Arcturus Command. Ten NCT units. 350 + N Troopers. CO Major Valerie Kyle
DACT Brigade Alpha : the primary DACT force. (4.0 / A-III). 2,500 personnel.
DACT Brigade Beta: trainee DACT forces. (4.1 / B-II). 2,500 personnel.
AIS Strike One : Information is classified at this time. 2,500 Personnel.
AIS Strike Two : Information is classified at this time. 700 Personnel.
Legio I: The Commissar Unit assigned to oversee the government and most businesses. [REDACTED]
Legio II: The Commissar Unit assigned to the Navy and Marines. [REDACTED]
Legio III: The Commissar Unit assigned to the general population.[REDACTED]
First Military Penal Legion: [REDACTED]
Second Military Penal Legion: [REDACTED]
Third Military Penal Legion : [REDACTED]
Spectre Support (SR1 Normandy) : The SR1 Normandy has (at time of printing) been established as the SA's Spectre contribution. This is not a conventional posting and requires a separate Special Forces command structure.
[REDACTED]
For organizational purposes and due to command limitations per the Spectre Code, the ship's Marine Detachment is considered its own command (NORSPCOPS).
Commanding Officer is Commander Sara Shepard.
(4.9 / A-III+).
Force consists of 1 detachment.
Retired Unit Designations:
NTST TWO (4.2 / A-III+) : Retired. Consisting of "Dauntless". The battle team of Captain David Anderson.
NTST ONE (3.7 / A-III+) : Retired. Consisting of "Legacy". The battle team of Commodore Tradius Ahern.
NCT TWO (5.0+ / A-III+) : Dissolved after the Battle of Torfan. The NCT of Commander Shepard.
NCT FIVE (3.3 / A-II) : Dissolved after the Battle of Gravalax. The NCT of Captain Vanshir, KIA.
NCT ELEVEN (4.0 / A-III+): Dissolved after the Battle of Elysium. Captain Branson's NCT.
NCT SEVENTEEN (3.9 / A-III): Discommendation after the Battle of Tyrtha. The NCT of Major Kaplak, MIA.
The Enumerated Count for the Special Forces and Enforcement Forces is as follows.
Please note that N, S, and DACT troops, as well as Commissariat personnel, are often split off into other units.
DACT Troopers: 6,000
N1 – N3: 2,100
N4 – N6: 850
N7: 147
S-Rate Troopers: 3,500
S-Rate Operatives: 1,400
Penal Legionaries: 64,000
Commissariat Troopers: 120,000
Commissars, Junior (Non-biotic) : [REDACTED]
Commissars, Senior (Biotic) : [REDACTED]
Commissariat Majors and Commandants: [REDACTED]
The Systems Alliance Reactive Forces: Protection as we can manage
RRU: Rapid Response Unit, a special forces unit comprised solely of C, N, S, and a handful of D ratings. Rapid Response Units are stationed on fast transports and used in conjunction with other strike teams to take out direct threats to the Systems Alliance. The RRU's respond to pirates, marauders, geth incursions, terrorist attacks, and are proud to be "the first in and the first to kill". The most famous unit of this type was the 2nd RRU, commanded by Major Kyle and having no less than 9 different N7 teams, including Shepard's. The 2 RRU was almost utterly destroyed on Torfan and it's banners were retired shortly thereafter.
Rapid Response Units are deployed when multiple alerts have been called and incoming hostile forces are far in excess of what local units can reliably handle. As a result, RRU's tend towards flashy tactics to raise allied morale and take pressure off of wavering front-line units. RRU's are led by strongly charismatic figures who can not only lead but inspire confidence and devotion.
RRU tactics are simplistic , and based on the strength of the unit's members. Rather than carefully laid plans, RRU's are trained to quickly assess a battlefield, find enemy weak spots and allied zones of fatigue, and either disrupt the enemy attack or shore up defenses. Disrupting and breaking enemy assaults allows beleaguered allied units to catch their breath and reorganize, while if an allied unit is about to crack, RRU's can stiffen their resolve. Having fifty or more N5+ soldiers suddenly support your position, screaming battle cries and blasting away with heavy weapons has turned more than one near rout of our forces into heroic last stands.
RRU's have a fatalistic outlook, often playing the turian anthem "Die for the Cause" in an ironic subtext. Fully expected to sacrifice themselves to protect civilians, weaker military units, or to prevent routs, RRU's have some of the highest casualty rates in the SA military. Over 16 RRU units have been completely obliterated to the last man, and nine more were basically reduced to non-effective strength, in SA history.
RIU: Rapid Intervention Unit. Patterned off STG teams , RIU's are detachment-level units comprised of N and A ratings that strike forward objectives before the main body of an army group moves in. Mobile and technologically agile, they incorporate stealth suits, omni-minifacturing systems, battle engineers and nanotech detonation agents in their work. RIU's hit very hard , but do not have the firepower or numbers to get into a slugging contest with larger units and use their mobility to strike and fade.
The first line of defense when something has gone wrong, RIU units are disproportionately intelligence officers, snipers, sentinels and combat engineers. Given their small size, RIU's have to learn to "fight big" in order to gain an understanding of the issue, make snap judgments on reinforcement calls, and respond to events on the fly. As a result, there is almost no standard book on how RIU's fight, as each one is handcrafted by it's commanding officer.
Some RIU's are merely skirmish and scout units, deployed to get a handle on a situation and call for backup. Others are hot-drop assault units, flung into the line to steady existing forces as if they were a mini-RRU. Still others are saboteur-snipers, working to dismantle enemy assaults and slow attacks to give reinforcements time to arrive. '
Not nearly as tough as NCT's, nor with the numbers of an RRU, RIU's end up being martyrs more often than not. It was the RIU's that prevented Mindoir from being wiped completely off the map. It was the RIU's that held off the initial assaults on Shanxi and turned back the Primarch's Fist assassins sent to take out General Williams. RIU's are gritty, tough fighters who focus on individual survival tactics and asymmetric guerrilla warfare.
The Current Order of Battle and Enumerated Forces for the Reactionary Forces is as follows:
Please note that all RRU and RIU are considered to have PRIDE/CORE ratings far in excess of 5.0 / A-III
Rapid Response Units: 34 Regimental Combat Teams (roughly 30,000 soldiers)
RRU Special Forces Soldiers: 650 N1 through N7
Rapid Intervention Units: 113 detachments (roughly 10,000 soldiers)
RRU Support Armor: 220 vehicles (All MAKO)
RRU Support Fighters: 1,000 vehicles (all light fighters)
The Systems Alliance Navy : braving the black ocean beyond the starry night
The Systems Alliance Navy is composed of both our civil defense networks and police forces as well as our formal military naval units. Drawing more upon the naval traditions of the British Navy, the SA Navy is both our first and last line of defense against alien aggression, pirates, and the occasional stellar disaster.
Composed of five fleets, each one associated with a District of the Alliance, the Navy boasts a combined fleet count of just over 2,000 ships. This does not include transports, support ships, medical ships, etc, which come to an additional 1,700 ships. It also does not include the 3,400 ships of the Merchant Marine.
A note on the COB for the Navy : Additional information is present.
Commanding Officer: The CO of the entire fleet, not a given ship. The Fleet CO determines the assignment given to the fleet's squadrons, who operate independently. The CO usually only maintains direct oversight of his command group (a couple of battle groups and his command vessel).
Political Officer: A Commissariat officer who has undergone specialist loyalty training on Earth, the political officer serves two purposes. First, they act to ensure none of the Fleet Admirals let the power that answers to them go to their head. A product of the early days of colonization, the commissars ensure the fleets never turn against Earth's governments or the Systems Alliance. The political officer also ensures that the various deployable weapons of mass destruction (targetable FTL plotters, nuclear devices, chemical or viral warfare platforms, and black nano) are only deployed with proper SA authorization.
Master of Marines: Lead officer of all assigned marine groups in a fleet, he coordinates between the various marine units on the ground.
The Current Order of Battle for the Navy is as follows:
First Fleet : Semper Exitosus (SOLFLTCMD) : The defenders of the Sol system, the First Fleet is the largest and most powerful of all of the Systems Alliance fleets. Each of its three squadrons are led by a dreadnought, and the Fleet has high percentages of heavy cruisers, frigates , and the like. Almost entirely crewed by officers and enlisted from Earth or Sol itself, the few exceptions tend to be from the oldest colonies. The only real weakness of the fleet is that it has literally never been in a real fight. While almost all of its officers and enlisted have some battle experience, the fleet has not been called to battle duty since the First Contact War. The command dreadnought is the SDC1 John Grissom.
Commanding Officer: Fleet Master Ivan Dragunov
Political Officer: Commandant-General Theresa Slate
Master of Marines: Lord General William Dando-Collins
(4.5 / C-I)
Force consists of a total of 511 ships.
Second Fleet: Gaze of Arcturus (ARCFLTCMD): Operating out of the Fleet Station, the Second Fleet does a lot of inter-fleet drills, rapid response and patrol duties for the systems near Earth. The Second Fleet has the most stock cruisers and the most experience in long and wide-ranging patrols, boring but effective at cutting down piracy. It's infantry units are more green than other fleets, however. The command dreadnought is the SD8 Orizaba.
Commanding Officer: Admiral Mario Thanenzi
Political Officer: Commandant Jason Frost
Master of Marines: Major Sara Armstrong, KoUE
(3.7 / B-I)
Force consists of a total of 245 ships.
Third Fleet: Mindoir's Tears (MINFLTCMD) :
The primary fleet defending the frontier, this is a severely battle hardened fleet, mostly spread among various colonies. Stationed at Mindoir, the fleet still blames itself for not being able to respond in time to the attack there. Perhaps as a result, it specializes in RIU and RRUs, with larger proportions of destroyers as well. The command dreadnought is the SDC2 Kastanie Drescher.
Commanding Officer: Fleet Admiral Hales Okuda
Political Officer: Commissar-Captain Jeremy Sloan
Master of Marines: General Francis Collier
(4.1 / A-I)
Force consists of a total of 284 ships.
Fourth Fleet: Shield of Elysium (ELYFLTCMD): A worn-down fleet, the Fourth is deployed to cover the Skyllian Verge. Exhausted from years of fighting, and with little resupply, the loyalty of the fleet is in question, it's supply lines are weak, and it's morale is questionable. John Tyrson is rumored to be considering retirement to Elysium, and recently the SA High Commandant himself took the position of political officer to "reform the weak". The fleets specialization is it's many carriers and heavy cruisers. The command dreadnought is the SD1 Everest.
Commanding Officer: Admiral of the Red John Tyrson
Political Officer: High Commandant Jaquin de la Muerte
Master of Marines: Major of Marines Sir Richard Ross, KoUE
(2.1 / D-III)
Force consists of a total of 219 ships.
Fifth Fleet: Final Frontier (CITFLTCMD) : Considered the most balanced and possibly the best of the fleets the Alliance has to offer, the Fifth Fleet is stationed at the Citadel as humanity's contribution to the Citadel Military. The fifth fleet's specialty is frigates, and it is 'lighter' on heavy ships than the other fleets, but makes up for it with slightly more fighters and a much heavier infantry component. The command dreadnought is the SD4 Kilimanjaro.
Commanding Officer: Fleet Admiral Stephen Hackett
Political Officer: Commissar-Captain Marut Nishief
Master of Marines: Lord General Jason von Grath
(3.5 / A-I)
Force consists of a total of 280 ships.
Commissariat Reaction Force (COMFLTGRP) : The military force commanded and staffed by the Commissariat, the ships of this force are a stopgap against rogue military officers seizing control of SA ships or stations. The command dreadnought is the SD15 Manswell's Wrath.
[REDACTED] [REDACTED]
Commanding Officer: Commissar-Major Dravus Chisholm, KoUE
Legio Commander: Commandant Leslie Bruk, KoUE
Force consists of [REDACTED] ships.
([REDACTED] / D-II)
AIS Reaction Force (AISFLTGRP) : The ships of the AIS RF are used to escort and protect AIS assets, strike deep into enemy lines in info-war operations, and provide support to AIS Troopers. Much like the commissariat fleet, this fleet is manned solely by AIS operators.
[REDACTED]
Commanding Officer: Admiral Yonis Chu, Deputy Director, AIS
Political Officer: Commissar-Captain Sid Ghusu
Master of Troopers: General Kherlred Vassingi
Force consists of [REDACTED] ships.
([REDACTED] / E-III)
Guard of Iron Honor Escort (GOISQDCOM): A very small fleet of mostly frigates for ceremonial escorts and burial duty. While not intended as a combat unit, positions on the ships are limited and only the best personnel get to serve.
Commanding Officer: Admiral Claris Harper
(4.2 / A-III+)
Force consists of 9 ships.
Spectre Support (SR1 Normandy) : [REDACTED]
[REDACTED]
For organizational purposes and due to command limitations per the Spectre Code, the ship is considered its own fleet command (NORFLTCOM).
Commanding Officer is Commander Sara Shepard.
(4.9 / A-III+).
Force consists of 1 ship.
The Enumerated Count for the Navy is as follows.
718,000 Naval Enlisted Personnel
319,000 Naval Officers
32,000 Naval Pilots
1,234,500 Naval Support Personnel
Fighters: roughly 18,000 (Ten Divisions) : Includes all fighters, bombers, and light patrol boats. Fighters are named after birds, with the exception of System Patrol Boats.
F-51 Cardinal Light Fighter: 6,000 (plus 200 – 300 deployed forward on independent ops): The Cardinal is designed specifically for two roles: atmospheric combat support and deployment from lighter ships for taking down drone swarms, armed shuttles or gunships. The smallest of the fighters, it is unshielded and relies entirely on centerline mass effect repeaters and a single pair of missiles.
F-120 Eagle Strike Fighter: 4,500: THe Eagle is the primary 'strike' fighter the SA fields, designed solely for space and planetary littoral combat. Equipped with more missiles than the Cardinal, its primary duty is taking down enemy bombers, gunships, or fighters.
F-110 Condor Heavy Fighter: 2,500 : The Condor is in the process of slowly being phased out, as it was the precursor to the Falcon and has been in use since the first iteration of the fighter program. Shielded and equipped with a turreted mass effect cannon and missile pods, the Condor boasts heavy armor and dedicated backups but is not maneuverable enough to match turian fighters or drone systems.
F-75 Falcon Space Superiority Fighter: 4,000 : The newest fighter, the Falcon SSF is designed specifically to combat any enemy fighter, drone swarm, gunship, or frigates (en masse). Carrying a single torpedo, missile pods, and both centerline and turreted weapons systems, it is also shielded better than the Condor.
B-81 Sparrow Hawk Torpedo Bomber: 650 : The B-81 is a simple bomber designed primarily to deliver torpedo attacks to heavy enemy capital ships. It is lightly armored, only has a pair of light turrets, and while it is shielded it is not maneuverable. But it carries eight torpedoes and a saturation missile launcher, so it is the best at the job when escorted.
B-84 Vulture Heavy Bomber: 450 : The Vulture is a built-up Falcon with additional hardpoints for torpedoes and the removal of some armor plating to allow for two more defense turrets.
S-4 Garrison-class System Patrol Boats: 850 : Basically a larger, built up gunship, with a crew of six. A police and system interdiction ship, mostly used near stations and colony transfer stations, or HE3 mining stations. Bigger and tougher than any fighter, even a couple of SPB's can spell problems for a frigate.
Frigates: A total of 561. Frigate-class ships include Heavy System Patrol Boats, Scout Frigates, Battle Frigates, Heavy Missile Frigates, Stealth Frigates, and Destroyers. Named after locations.
S-7 Brig-class Heavy System Patrol Boats: 100 : Similar to but larger than the Garrison-class SPB, the heavy version is the smallest line of ship that includes gravity plates and a mass effect core. Used to combat heavier pirate ships or enact isolation blockades against merchant traffic.
Scout Frigate (SV): 160 : the lightest class of frigate, with a focus on active sensors and fuel range. Scout frigates are the extreme forward pickets of a fleet, the first lookouts to pick up incoming blue shifted enemies. Scout frigates are named for battles in Chinese history: Yangping, Xaxi, Lucheng
Battle Frigate (SB): 245 : Battle Frigate: a heavier, more well armed and armored frigate, used in the line of battle as a skirmisher. Battle frigates are mostly named for famous battles throughout history: Normandy, Cannae, Valley Forge, Waterloo
Heavy Missile Frigate (SM) : 55 : A frigate with extra engines and armor plating, and the cargo deck torn away to provide enhanced room for racks of rapid-fire missiles and guided torpedoes. An idea borrowed from the Volus Defense Force. Heavy Missile Frigates are named for last stands in human history: Thermopylae, Roark's Drift, Little Bighorn
Stealth Frigate (SR) : 1 : [REDACTED] [REDACTED] [SECURITY RESTRICTION]
Destroyers (SDD): a total of 255: A super-heavy frigate, built up to roughly 75% of a cruiser's size and mass. Destroyers were far more capable in the line of battle, having the mass and armor to actually take direct hits and keep fighting. Destroyers were an adaptation to the need for heavier ships to escort carriers, and were mostly built on salvaged light cruiser hulls. Destroyers are named after battles in the modern era: São Paulo, Hudson, Mindoir
Cruisers: a total of 282: The Cruiser is at least twice the size of the largest destroyer, and this is the class that makes up the bulk of our hitting power. Cruisers are named after cities.
Light Cruiser (SCL) : 86 : the demarcation line between cruisers and frigates is the addition of broadside mass accelerators along with GARDIAN lasers. Light cruisers are the weakest but easier to build and more mobile than other cruiser types, and usually act as flanking defenders for heavier vessels. Light Cruisers are named after African cities: Cairo, Nairobi, Accra.
Line Cruiser (SCA): 106 : the line cruiser is the most common heavy ship in any military naval force, and the SA is no exception. Line cruisers are middle of the road: lighter armored and armed than dreadnoughts, but not as mobile and agile as frigates. They fill the role of battle group command ships. Line cruisers are named for cities in North America: Detroit, Miami, Fort Worth.
Heavy Cruiser (SCH) : 83 : the only functional difference between line and heavy cruisers is the addition of two light center-line heavy mass accelerator's to the latter. These heavy guns allow the ships to provide longer ranged fire support and to act as a serious threat to other cruiser variants. Heavy Cruisers are named for European cities: Caen, Genoa, Bonn.
Battle Cruiser (SCB) : 7 :the official SA designation for these ships is "battle cruiser", but they have a variety of names. Basically a cut-down dreadnought hull with the main guns removed, battle cruisers instead mount extremely heavy banks of light mass accelerator broadside guns, multiple decks of GARDIAN lasers under VI targeting assistance, and huge amounts of torpedo tubes. Clad in armor that rivals dreadnoughts, the ships are still light enough to move in and out of the line of battle. They are heavy directed strike units, mostly used to spearhead thrusts across the enemy line of battle to strike at the rear of dreadnoughts. Battle Cruisers are named for human capital cities: London, Madrid, Tokyo.
Carriers: 47: Carrier class ships deliver our fighter and bomber payloads to their targets. Carriers are named after people.
Cruiser-Carrier (SC) : 27 : a bulked up heavy cruiser with half it's decks changed to flight spaces, the carrier-cruiser is often called a light carrier or patrol carrier. Carrying a squadron of heavy fighters, the carrier-Cruiser has enough remaining firepower and armor to follow them into battle. Much less expensive than a full carrier, the carrier-cruiser also does not make such an easy target if the lines of battle are penetrated. Carrier-Cruisers are named after artists in human history: Da Vinci, Michelangelo, Pollack.
Battle Carrier (SF) : 20 : the so-called "full" carrier is a custom-fitted hull, somewhere between the size of a dreadnought and a battle cruiser. Carriers have multiple flight decks and heavy banks of GARDIAN lasers, and engines tucked center-line to the ship behind heavy armor. Unlike other ships, carriers have no real weapons aside from the wing of fighters assigned to it. Most carriers have 1 heavy squadron, 2 light squadrons, and 1 bomber squadron of fighters, each assigned different tasks. Due to their size and the space required to launch, retrieve and store fighters, carriers are slow and do not take damage well, resulting in them launching their fighters and retreating from the line of battle. Carriers are named after famous intellectuals in history : Einstein, Copernicus, Newton.
Dreadnoughts: 11: Dreadnaughts are the heaviest ships in the SA at this time, and are named after famous people or locations.
Dreadnought Battleships (SD) : 9 : the SA dreadnought is a massive ship, built around three huge mass accelerator cannons well over 800 feet long. Crewed by thousands, the dreadnoughts are the battleships of the current naval era, capable of bombarding entire planets to dust, or blowing apart dozens ships with a single shot. Covered in the thickest armor, overlapping defensive barriers, and hundreds of GARDIAN laser turrets, each one of these ships is a fleet in it's own right. dreadnoughts command squadrons, and are the backbones of fleets. They are named after famous mountains on Earth: Everest, Kilimanjaro, Orizaba.
Dreadnought Carriers (SDC) : 2 : only two of these massive beasts exist. Basically an oversized dreadnought with heavy armor, it's massive size is due to being built around a huge launch bay. Capable of launching over three hundred fighters, these massive ships also have double-center-line mass accelerators, entire decks of GARDIAN lasers and anti-frigate missiles, and banks of heavy torpedoes. The cost of these ships is ruinous, each one worth almost .2% of the entire SA economy, and no more are planned to be built. The two ships are named after the most famous figures in recent human history: Jon Grissom and Kastanie Drescher (the admiral who drove off the Turians in the First Contact War).