A/N: not much changed except cleanup here and there.
Updated March 2020
Chapter 5: Military Structure and Organization
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 D: The specifics of infantry forces, including organization and structure. The specifics of armor forces, including organization and structure. The specifics of space forces, including organization and structure. Tactics and strategic concerns for space and ground forces.
"Marching thus at night, a battalion is doubly impressive. The silent monster is full of restrained power; resolute in its onward sweep, impervious to danger, it looks a menacing engine of destruction, steady to its goal, and certain of its mission." – Khalisah al-Jilani, field correspondence, 'Our Military at War, a day in the life of a Marine'
The Systems Alliance Organizational Concept
As with all historical military forces, there must be internal organization of a military to allow both proper coordination as well as provide support frameworks. The SA Military draws upon several tiers of divisional organization to ensure that we can break units down to a small size without disrupting force composition.
These organizational groups include infantry, armor, special forces, naval forces, fighter groups, and non-combat divisions.
Divisional Levels : Infantry
All marine units are built from the bottom up, as with any good structure.
The most basic marine unit is the squad. A squad consists of a six man team (two infantry, two grenadiers, one heavy weapons and one medic). The squad usually has one leading NCO, either a gunnery sergeant or a chief petty officer.
Two squads form a detachment, fourteen men plus a commanding officer, a 2nd or 1st Lieutenant.
Four detachments form a company, a total of ninety men, plus officers. Companies will usually consist of three pure infantry detachments and one special detachment, either squads with more heavy weapons or squads with combat engineers. A captain leads companies, with a 1LT or 2LT as his XO.
Ten companies form a regimental combat unit. The regiment consists of nine hundred combatants, but also roughly forty support personnel – ten clerks, ten medics, fifteen support rates, and five command staff. The commanding officer is usually a lieutenant colonel and his staff 1LT's. On occasion, two or three regiments will form a Regimental Combat Team, under the command of a major or colonel.
Ten regiments comprise a battalion, led by a colonel or a major. Battalions number roughly ten thousand personnel, the majority of them combatants. Most battalions specialize in one of four combat types: heavy weapons, assault (grenades), combat engineering, or infantry.
Five battalions form a brigade, which is usually commanded by a major of marines. Brigades are the largest 'divisional' subtype that is commonly used in the SA Military. These units are upwards of fifty thousand soldiers strong, and each one has a sizable command staff.
Brigades are grouped together in what is called an army group. An army group can consist of anywhere from four to fifteen brigades, depending on strength and location. Generals (usually with oversight from admirals) command all army groups and dispatch sub-forces as needed.
Divisional Levels : Armor
Being comprised of armor units rather than people, it should be no surprise that the armor branch of the Marines does things differently. The primary considerations armor groups function under is access to omni-gel for repairs and ammunition for their main weapons. Battlesuits and mechs, while grouped under the 'armor' category, are deployed on a case-by-case basis.
Five armored vehicles form a lance. A lance is commanded by the senior tanker, usually a 2LT.
Ten lances form an armored section. Sections are commanded by captains.
Ten sections form an armored regiment, roughly 500 tanks. These are commanded by LT Colonels or Colonels.
Finally, ten to fifteen regiments form an armored brigade, which is run by a major.
Divisional Levels : Special Forces
The four special forces branches (N-Series, AIS Troopers, Commissariat DRT, and the Drop-Assault Combat Teams) use both different names and different troop sizes when deploying.
The basic unit is the team. A team is a four or six man cell. One of the cell members is an officer, usually at least a captain.
Ten teams form a SpecForce Company. Companies are commanded by colonels in almost all instances. They also feature two hundred support personnel.
Ten SF companies form a SpecForce Brigade. This is almost five to six hundred special forces units, a staggering concentration of strength rarely deployed as a single unit. SF Brigades answer to N7 Majors or N7 Naval officers.
Divisional Levels: Space, Naval Vessels
There are two taskings in naval organization. The first is 'patrol groups', referring to in-system patrol ships. The second is 'fleet groups' which are free-range naval units.
The patrol group is organized into flights, consisting of three to five system patrol boats led by a frigate. Frigate commanders are usually lower ranking Lieutenant Commanders or Commanders.
Ten patrol groups form an escort, led by a single cruiser, a total of thirty to fifty SPBs and ten destroyers.
Naval fleet groups are organized more strictly.
The most basic group is the naval escort. An escort is three frigates and a destroyer, and can be led by commanders or captains. Naval escorts are usually attached to convoys or other objects of limited importance.
The first formal command structure for a group of ships is the battle group. A battle group consists of five frigates, three destroyers, and at least one cruiser, which is in command. These are led by captains.
Five battle groups form a flotilla. A flotilla can swap frigates and destroyers for cruisers and heavy cruisers at a two for one ratio. A flotilla that does so is called a strike flotilla, and consists of (usually) twenty or so frigates, ten destroyers, and over one hundred cruisers and heavy cruisers. Those that do not do so are called scout flotillas, and consist of one hundred frigates, sixty destroyers, and fifty cruisers or heavy cruisers. Both types are commanded by rear admirals (upper half) or vice admirals.
A squadron is one strike and two scout flotillas, along with a command group of a single battle carrier (rarely, a dreadnought) and an escort of five heavy cruisers. This is a total of two hundred and fifty frigates, over one hundred destroyers, and at least two hundred cruisers and fifty heavy cruisers. Squadron level command is always held by Admirals of the Red.
Each District Fleet consists of between two and six squadrons, and is commanded by a dreadnought or dreadnought-carrier. With the exception of First Fleet, which is technically commanded by the Fleet Master, each District Fleet is commanded by a Fleet Admiral.
Divisional Levels: Space, Fighters
Fighter organization is usually derived around how many can fit into a carrier type. As fighters are reliant on either bases or carriers for resupply, this is more organizational than traditional. Fighters are commanded from their home deck, not by a flight commander in the wing.
A patrol is four fighters. Light cruisers often carry a patrol of light fighters.
A squadron is five patrols. (20 fighters). A converted cruiser-carrier has this as its complement.
A wing is four squadrons. (80 fighters). A dedicated carrier usually fields a wing of fighters.
A group is four wings. (320 fighters). dreadnought carriers have a group.
A division is between four and six groups. This is for ground launch purposes only, a ship would have to be twice the length of a dreadnought to store , equip, launch and recover 1,800 + fighters.
Non-Fleet Divisions of the SA Military:
Alliance R&D: In charge of research and application of development projects. Commanded by Rear Admiral Synthia Vandefar.
Alliance Developmental Projects: INFORMATION REDACTED Commanded by INFORMATION REMOVED AS PER SAIS CHARTER SECTION 5, SUBSECTION 11.2b
Alliance Space Survey: Responsible for locating , exploring, tagging, and surveying new planets and systems. Commanded by Rear Admiral Dean Fosset.
Alliance Archaeological Survey: Oversees the Mars Archive, its defenses, and all Prothean related materials for the SA. Commanded by Doctor (Colonel) Uriel Hannah Sievar.
Alliance Ecological Studies Service: Scientists attempting to restore the damage done to Earth's ecology, particularly in the former Third World. Commanded by Vice Admiral Michell Manswell.
Alliance SKYWATCH Protocol: a small number of orbital defense platforms that watch Earth's skies for incoming asteroids. Commanded by Captain Jared Check, KoUE.
SYSTEMS ALLIANCE NAVAL STRATEGIC MISSIONS:
The SA classifies naval activities into different operations called dispatches (for small unit actions) or Operations (for large unit actions).
Activity names are two words, drawn from a list of operational directives. The first name of the activity is based on the operational tempo the fleet takes, and the second name is one of the four offensive or defensive postures the fleet takes.
For example, Dispatch Brilliant Sword is an offensive infowar campaign. Dispatch Iron Shield is a hold-the-line defensive action. The pre-designed names mean that , even in the event of complete leadership failure, even junior officers can refer to standardized operational guidelines and continue the activity as planned. Disrupting communications between ships or even destruction of the command vessel will cause some slight confusion, but the SA's focus on ensuring that even frigate commanders are aware of the highest levels of what an activity is designed to do means mass naval routs occur only due to heavy losses, not command disruptions.
OPERATIONAL TEMPOS AND FOCI:
Alpine: hostile environmental conditions
Bronze: orders to fall-back upon taking light to moderate losses.
Black: Commissariat Support operations
Brilliant: Infowar campaign. Focused on denial of communications to an enemy, jamming, and cyber-warfare.
Cold: Boarding and capture actions.
Ocean: deep space fleet to fleet combat
Prudent: Intelligence related , usually the insertion or retrieval of intelligence assets. The priority is the intel, not necessarily the operators who gathered it.
Midnight: N7 or Special Operations
Radiant: long range dreadnought bombardment
Iron: no retreat authorized. Can be any posture but units are to fight to the last ship and last man.
Sunset: planetary invasion or insertion
Fervent: fixed position assault , usually on a hardened ground target, or fortified space station. Different from boarding and capture in that the goal is destruction.
Gentle: PR or ceremonial patrol
Winter: covert operations (usually in enemy territory)
Cryptic: a general designation when the actual goal of the plan is classified so highly that distribution of the goal is restricted. Cryptic ops are usually very heavy special forces insertions into hostile territory, and the standing orders are , if command is killed, to withdraw at top speed.
Vengeful: rescue operations
Nightfall: fleet combat operations far from a star but still in system
Blazing: littoral combat operations close to the inner system of a star, where heat is an issue.
Broken: reaction to high level threats – WMD's near a colony, biological weapons,etc. The target is to be taken out at any costs, including kamikaze actions or mass core breaches.
FLEET POSTURES:
SWORD: Sword is an aggressive posture, taken for offensive assault operations where resistance is expected to be heavy. In Sword, frigates and destroyers act as flankers and scouts, while cruisers form a battle line, firing missiles and cannon. dreadnoughts, if present, engage at longest range with main guns, and fighters go for the heaviest strikes possible. Carriers launch all fighters and withdraw to safe distance.
SHIELD: Shield is a defense posture, used mostly in defensive battles. In Shield, frigates act as pressure units, denying penetration of the line of battle, while destroyers hunt and kill enemy frigates and fighters. Cruisers stagger their line of battle to cover one another with broadside weapons. dreadnoughts and carriers hold position at the center of the fleet, focusing fighter attacks and heavy fire on anything breaching the line of battle.
ARROW: Arrow is a deep-strike evolution – get in, hit the target, and get out. Frigates act as scouts, taking out any early warning systems, and a mixed force of destroyers and cruisers proceeds to the target with fighter escort. dreadnoughts and carriers, if present, hang back, carriers to remain safe, dreadnoughts to close in if support is required.
FIST: Fist is the counter-attack posture, used to shift from a full defensive deployment to limited assault. Frigates and destroyers form the line of battle, spraying missiles and causing as much disruption to the enemy line of battle as possible. dreadnoughts focus fire on disruptions in the enemy line of battle, and cruiser rush any breaches, pouring through to flank the rest of the enemy forces. Fighters focus on taking out enemy fighters and harassing cruisers to keep them off the lighter frigates and destroyers.
SPEAR: This is the punch-through posture , used to shift from a full offensive deployment to limited defense, disrupting the enemy line of battle to buy time for the bulk of the fleet to withdraw. Frigates and destroyers are the primary actors, throwing themselves into combat and firing off as many weapons as possible. A section of cruisers and fighters will augment this assault, while the rest of the fleet withdraws, the dreadnoughts covering the retreat with ranging shots.
NAVAL WEAPON CLASSIFICATIONS:
Mass Accelerators: the primary weapon of most fighters and ships, mass accelerators work on the principle of kinetic energy transfer, hurling a fleck or slug of metal at a significant portion of light-speed. Military grade weapons are sorted by the size of the slug they fire. Light weapons are flecks, usually fired in clouds, while dreadnought guns are slugs varying from 2mm to slugs almost a foot long.
2mm: smallest weapon size on fighters, roughly equivalent to LMG carried by some soldiers. Damage is light.
5mm: very large caliber machine gun. Half the power of a Cobra missile.
12 mm: small mass cannon, gunship. Roughly the power of several Cobra Missiles.
15 mm: large mass cannon, frigate. Roughly the power of 20 Cobra Missiles.
17 mm: heavy mass accelerator , destroyer. About twice the strength of a CAIN.
25 mm: large mass cannon, cruiser and upwards. About 10 CAIN's.
5 cm: secondary gun, dreadnought. About equivalent to a back-pack nuclear device.
12 cm: main gun, cruiser. About equivalent to a tactical nuke.
30 cm: main gun, dreadnought. Roughly Hiroshima strength blast.
Slugs come in one of three types.
Standard slugs are hardened steel, designed for standard kinetic impacts.
Pulsar slugs are larger, built around a barrier-disrupting pulsar, designed to allow the shot to partially penetrate kinetic barriers to strike the hull directly. This pulsar has to be activated after the shot but before the impact, a span of only nano-seconds, and sometimes the pulsar activates too late to be of any use. The pulsar slug is usually used at extreme long range to give it more time to activate.
Havoc slugs are 20 flecks of antimatter stuffed into a reinforced slug body fortified with magnetic bottles. The slug is fired at a slower speed, and the impact of the slug on any solid object or kinetic barrier releases the anti-matter core. This weapon is capable of breaking a dreadnought in half or searing most of a large island into a firestorm, and is heavily restricted within Citadel space.
Missiles: more simplified than main weapons, missiles come in three 'weights' , which has little to do with their actual physical weight and more the impact power of their payload. Missiles fire rapidly and move very quickly, but have no shielding or armor defenses against GARDIAN lasers. Designed to be cheaper and to pressure naval units, missiles have a fairly long range.
Light Missiles: packed with electronic detonation high explosives, these weapons have a large blast radius and some concussion damage. The cheapest and least damaging missiles, found in system patrol boats, frigates, and the occasional light cruiser.
Disruptor Missiles: Packed with counter-rotating mass pulsars and magnetic bottles of plasma, these heavier missiles don't explode so much as erupt. Plasma shorts kinetic barriers and melts armor, while pulsars wreak havoc on a ships mass effect core, sometimes shutting it down, rarely causing it to detonate. Heavy missile frigates, destroyers, cruisers, and carriers use these weapons.
ECM/Info War Missile: No offensive armament but it attacks the targeting systems of enemy GARDIAN defenses as well as coordinating flight paths of other missiles to either spread damage out or concentrate it at a single point of impact.
Fleck missiles: a magnetic bottle reinforced with kinetic barriers contains a single , tiny fleck of pure antimatter. Exposed to matter during impact, it detonates violently, spraying hard x-rays, anti-particles and high amounts of pure energy in all directions. Even a handful of fleck missiles can core a cruiser , and they are prohibitively expensive. Due to the damage they can cause, they are also considered WMD and are regulated by the Citadel. Currently, only a handful of specialist destroyers and scout frigates are issued these weapons, to slip behind enemy lines and damage critical enemy targets.
Torpedoes: the missile's big brother, a torpedo is a heavy armored casing with a laser-resistant mirror finish, integral kinetic shielding, EMP jamming, and chaff dispensers. Carrying between 3 and 9 flecks of anti-matter, these weapons are more than capable of one-shotting heavy cruisers. Their normal use is to take down dreadnoughts and space stations. Their defenses do not ensure their survival to the target, instead most commanders use them to tie up enemy defenses to let other attacks land home.
Phase Bombs: carried by bombers, along with torpedoes, phase bombs are packs of shifted pulsars, designed to nullify the mass effect field of an entire ship. The stress this places on the hull as the mass effect core tries to reassert gravity can cause shearing or explosive decompression, and the backlash can short out electrical systems all across the ship.
Space to Surface Saturation Missiles: STSSM's are ground bombardment weapons, cluster bombs packed into specialized missiles designed to survive atmospheric entry and destroy a target. Most use high explosives, but a few carry chemical suppressive agents (sleeping gas, tear gas, or other more lethal agents). Mostly found on frigates and destroyers to soften up a target before an assault.
SA SHIP ROLES:
Fighters: the role of fighters can be divided into three broad tasks. The primary task of non-bomber units is to take out other light craft – other fighters, bombers, system patrol boats, and gunships. The primary task of bomber units is to take down the shielding and GARDIAN defenses of larger capital ships. Finally, all fighter units are tasked with destroying frigates and destroyers where possible.
Most fighters are equipped with double (in some cases, triple) mass accelerators in the 2mm to 5mm range. They will also use light to moderate weight missiles, starting with high explosive and ending with antimatter fleck warheads. Fighter groups operate with four-unit teams , a flight leader, two wing men, and the drag. Flight leaders are in front of the formation, picking targets, and the wing men support the flight leader. The drag flies above and behind the formation, keeping an eye out for flanking units.
Fighters are found on almost every SA ship, even only one or two. They provide close in weapons support for lighter ships, distractions for mid-weight ships, and defend the blind spots of dreadnoughts. Fighter tactical roles range from providing covering fire for ground assault teams to deploying infowar beacons during communications denial ops.
The SA use of fighters is far beyond other races. Fighter squadrons are weapons in and of themselves for humans, who are the only race perfectly suited for their use. Salarians have much quicker reflexes and ability to target, but are too fragile to withstand high G forces and deal with shrapnel poorly. Turians have excellent hand-eye coordination, but their spatial coordination is tied up at close range, and they flock instinctively, which makes larger coordination difficult. Asari cannot field the vast numbers of pilots that would be lost to attrition with such strategies.
Asari and Salarian fighter units are rare , and turian claw fighters are held to be far inferior to most human models. Only hanar / drell fighters are considered on par with human fighters, and that's only in technology, not tactics. Humans have hundreds of years of fighter experience, dating from World War II, while other races only used them as upsized gunships.
Frigates: The battle tactics of frigates depend entirely on the theater they operate in. Single ship and small unit actions see frigates as the front line , using speed and maneuvering to bring their missile batteries and light cannons to bear. Lightly armored , frigates cannot take much damage, and as such most battle groups use them to pressure enemies out of the line of battle.
In larger fleets, frigates serve as scouts, carrier defense, and anti-destroyer units. Nimble enough and fast enough to keep up with fighters, frigates are also a fleets primary defense against bombers and heavy fighters. The occasional heavy missile frigate is used primarily as a stand-off multiplier, providing heavy cover for other frigates.
Frigate tactical options are almost endless. Frigates can serve as flankers, as scouts, force multipliers, distractions, screens, or more. The SA boasts a larger proportion of frigates than other races just for this reason. Frigate commanders are chosen for aggression, quick decision making, and the ability to be willing to sacrifice themselves to support larger , more important vessels. That being said, few frigate commanders graduate to anything beyond destroyers - even a few years in the role makes a CO too reckless for cruiser or dreadnought command.
Frigates are piloted by a single Flight Lieutenant, and are used in almost all sorts of operations. A frigate usually has a detachment-strength marine unit and about 20 to 30 additional personnel. Most frigates house either a MAKO or GRIZLI APV. There is little space on a frigate, so supplies and ammunition is sharply limited, and armor units – their endurance is limited to 40 days without supply.
Destroyers: Heavy enough to have some issues with lighter vessels, but far too light to go toe to toe with cruisers, destroyers are the light middleweights of the Systems Alliance fleet. Since most were built from the frames of light cruisers, they share basic structural toughness with that ship. Destroyers are the backbone of a battle group, providing the covering fire with heavier weapons to allow frigates to close.
Destroyer strategies are limited by the platform's design. A destroyer has a much harder time landing on planets, and will usually have poor airspace maneuverability. That means it's uses are limited mostly to space. Additionally, the destroyer has some of the heavier firepower of a cruiser, but neither the heat dissipation or power levels to maintain such heavy fire at length. They are good at oblique flanking and pressure tactics, and with 17mm guns they can inflict severe damage even on heavy cruisers. They retain some but not all of the flexibility of the frigate, being more useful in the direct line of battle and less so in smaller units where they must take the brunt of the fighting.
As a result, destroyer CO's tend to go for the alpha strike, firing off everything at once and hoping to cripple the opponent. The captains are chosen from the best of the frigate commanders, and given additional training in target management.
The main weak point of a destroyer is it's armor and damage mitigation. Unless vast sums of money are spent reinforcing the interior and armoring all possible spaces, destroyers are vulnerable to being crippled just enough so that frigates can finish them off.
Destroyers are much larger than frigates, but still are piloted by a single Flight Lieutenant. They carry heavier marine contingents, usually two full detachments, and boast a crew of 60 additional personnel. While capable of limited operations in atmosphere, they are not very nimble in it, and thus usually carry a pair of shuttles or a pair of fighters. Supplies, ammunition, and spare parts are not as tight as on frigates, and their endurance is rated at 200 to 250 days without supply.
Light and Line Cruisers: despite the difference in weight and size, cruisers are used for the same ubiquitous tasks as throughout history – forming the battle line, patrol , and direct assault. Too large to operate in atmosphere without severe aerodynamic issues, cruisers most often form the core of heavier fleet units such as flotillas and squadrons.
Cruisers heavier weapons , more durable armor, and more powerful and redundant frames, allow them to deliver and take much heavier blows than the lighter capital ships. As such, cruisers of this weight form the core of most fleet actions. Their tactics rarely vary – a spread of missiles, followed by ranging shots. Torpedoes as the range shortens, and additional missile spreads. A last flurry of cannon shots, then full broadside bombardment before closing to knife-fighting range with large GARDIAN laser batteries to chew through enemy armor.
Cruiser captains are chosen for their ability to manage multiple hostile targets while retaining caution enough to avoid engaging in knife-fighting until necessary. They are far more reserved and cautious than frigate or destroyer captains, and as a result tend to focus more on mitigating damage than engaging in the fight fully.
Cruisers boast full facilities for a larger crew. Piloted by a nav team, the crew of line and light cruisers is usually around 250, not including a company of marines. Cruisers are large enough to have onboard minifacturing capability, large store rooms, and VI-assisted algae air filtration systems. As such, their endurance is rated at 18 months without supply.
Cruisers operate very sluggishly in atmosphere, but are still capable of landing. They field at least 2 armored vehicles and usually 2 to 3 fighters.
Battle Cruiser, Heavy Cruiser, and Carrier Cruiser: Larger still than standard cruiser hulls, these three cruise classes are intended solely for deep space combat. They can enter the atmosphere, however, for ground bombardment purposes, but are sluggish in doing so. Boasting both heavy internal and external armor, as well as segregated weapons, life support and combat support systems, heavy cruisers are difficult to knock out with a single strike, except by direct hit from a dreadnought main gun.
These ships often form the core of medium sized units and are the primary striking power of any fleet. They have a full array of weapons, including a variety of mass accelerator or Thanix cannon sizes, broadside banks of GARDIAN lasers, and wide selections of missiles, torpedoes, and fighters. Despite this, almost all cruisers of this weight utilize very standardized tactics. On offense, these cruisers form a single line, presenting an unbroken front of direct, heavy missile and cannon fire. When the range closes, they present a broadside and begin opening up with fire of opportunity. Defensively, they use staggered positions to cover each other in their broadside arcs, and tend to use their shots to attempt to disable and slow enemy ships rather than kill.
Heavy cruiser captains are usually chosen from successful cruiser captains, or are trained in the academy after service on dreadnoughts. The hallmarks of the cruiser captain are more pronounced here - caution, long range engagement, use of supporting assets, and reluctance to close range until needed. The heavier armor and greater durability of these ships is offset by their threat . As such, heavy cruiser captains also take damage control courses and attempt to retain the services of experienced damage control officers when they can.
The Battle Cruisers extremely heavy armament does allow it further flexibility, in that it can place firepower downrange that can destroy other cruisers in two or three shots. It's greater threat, however, means it rarely gets the chance to do so, often having to maneuver to avoid counter-fire.
Carrier-Cruisers, more fragile than other carriers due to the large flight deck and amounts of fuel and explosive ammunition on board, have stronger shields and much stronger damage control systems. This does limit weapons load, and lower top speed.
Cruisers of this size have onboard minifacturing capability and stocks of omnigel to produce most needed items (including soap, medicines, basic hygienic supplies, etc) , limited ability to grow algae and flash-clone soybean paste, and carry tanks of water for supply and heat dissipation. The larger crew, usually around 500 or so (800 for carrier cruisers) is planned for with larger supply storage areas. This means cruisers effectively have nearly unlimited endurance, although fresh foods and other consumables will need periodic replenishment. In practice, the cruiser will start encountering supply issues in the 3 to 5 year range.
Cruisers maintain a single company of marines for onboard security, but no armored vehicles, as cruisers of this size cannot land on a planet. They carry 4 to 6 fighters, with the obvious exception of carrier cruisers, which carry a squadron of 20.
Carriers and Dreadnoughts: classed in the same range due to their size and sluggish nature, these behemoths have to be assembled in space and cannot land on any planet. They typically do not even think about entering an atmosphere, although it is theoretically possible, albeit with almost no real maneuverability.
The armor of dreadnoughts is honeycombed with damage channels and repair bots, in thick segmented bands supported by mass effect containment fields and internal kinetic barriers. Even the heaviest Reaper fire required multiple long blasts of their main weapons to destroy them, and in many cases crew were able to survive the destruction of the ship in survival pods built into the hull.
The armor of a dreadnought , and its staggering weapons load, mean that it's tactical options are both devastating and blunt. dreadnoughts act as the firepower, focusing their shots on points of enemy resistance, leveraging broadsides in close quarters battle that can tear down a cruiser's shields and riddle it's hull with holes in seconds. Capable of pumping out dozens of torpedoes and literally hundreds of missiles in multiple salvos, dreadnoughts also field a squadron of heavy bombers to add to their ridiculous firepower.
Dreadnought commanding officers are tapped from the very best humanity has to offer, having to pass grueling mental examinations, psych workups, and a six month DCO orientation. They are confident of the power of their ships, neither overly cautious nor reckless. They range the gamut from aggressive to defensive, but all share two aspects - the ability to command multiple units as augments to their ships firepower, and the ability to measure the flow of a battle and judge the correct moment to withdraw. A dreadnought is a huge investment for the SA and is never, ever risked unless no other options can be found.
Carriers field eighty fighters, while the rare dreadnought Carriers dock over 300 fighters. Minifacturing facilities allow modification and alteration of almost every aspect of fighters as well as (with appropriate resources) limited production of roughly 2 fighters every 3 weeks.
Of sufficient size to double as troop transports, dreadnoughts carry between 10 and 12 M-34 Blacktail SSTO ground assault transports. Capable of dropping from orbit to the ground and carrying 25 marines, the Blacktail allows orbital invasions.
The marine contingent is a regiment (800 marines). Some of these are pilots , others ground troops, still others tank drivers or on-ship security. Carriers have smaller marine units but more crew given over to fighters.
dreadnoughts have a crew of roughly 1,500 to 3,000, mostly manning the many guns and maintaining the ship's engineering and ops spaces. The ships boast a complete bar, onboard haptic entertainment facilities, hydroponic gardens for fresh fruit and vegetables, and a stock of fish in onboard H2O storage tanks, oxygenated with waste gasses from the H2/HE3 fuel systems. Barbers, a full size gym, and the ability to turn the hangar bay into a slightly small baseball field give the crew a wide set of amenities.
Endurance is not even remotely a factor of these large ships, and oftentimes dreadnoughts provide resupply to smaller ships in their fleet.