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Union Defence Force

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Union Defence Force
UDF Banner.png
Active:
  • 1508–1613
  • 1629–1653
  • 1672–1703
Motto Pax in Bello
In use by: Congress of Chryse
Allegiance: Benacian Union

Type: Defence Force
Size: 1,360,962 personnel (1699 AN):
  • General Officers – 381
  • Political Officers – 1,200
  • Staff Officers – 4,578
  • Field Officers – 5,835
  • Squadron Officers – 35,382
  • Non-Commissioned Officers – 167,287
  • 1st Line Servicemen – 1,146,299
Nicknames: The Ironsides
Commanders: Commissioner of Defence: General Adam al-Osman
Chief of Staff: General Abolfazl Shahzad Khoroushi

Allies
Opponents
Conflicts & Deployments

The Union Defence Force constitutes the armed and military forces of the Benacian Union raised in Elluenuueq with responsibility for the defence of that territory.

History

The UDF has been through various incarnations but traces its ancestry back to the feudal militias raised by Elwynn to fight in the War of Vengeance and the Elwynnbrigaden which fought in the War of Jeremy's Nose and the Kai Aphmyarkaiph before being re-established as the Elwwehr in the wake of the White Lily Revolt. The UDF expanded dramatically in size during the era of Elwynnese independence and emerged as a political power broker in the tumultuous years prior to the establishment of the Coordinated State. It was abolished after the Communist Revolution of 1613 and replaced by various ad hoc revolutionary groups and a People's Militia. Following the Kalirion Restoration the UDF was re-established by decree of the Steward of Elwynn, the Storjarl Hallbjörn Haraldsson, in 1629 AN.

The UDF essentially collapsed after three separate wars against the Imperial Forces, these being the River War (1635), the Year of the Four Kaisers (1644) and the Auspicious Occasion (1651). Although victorious in the first two encounters, both triggered by rogue anti-Elw factions within the Imperial Government, the final decisive battle which united Imperialists and Elwynnese dissidents against Monarchists loyal to the House of Ettlingar Freyu was an abrupt and decisive coup during in which the UDF hesitated, wavered and finally went over to the Imperial side, joining the cudgellers in turning against the Froyalanish FLG and VTG.

In spite of backing the winning side the UDF was now at the mercy of its longstanding rivals the Imperial Army whose tribunes, legates and magisters took great pleasure from humiliating the Elwynnese officer corps by having them wait upon them as servants and personal attendants. This both demoralised the UDF and undermined the officers in the eyes of their subordinates. A wave of resignations ensued and the command and control of the UDF progressively collapsed.

As officers resigned and troops abandoned the colours, the active strength of the UDF was reduced down to the Zjandarian Guards, the 12th Naval Division, the Elwkustbevakning and the Amokolian Highlanders and much of its equipment forfeited to their old rivals the Imperial Forces whilst the General Staff was replaced by an Imperial Liaison Mission intended to reintegrate the UDF into the wider scheme of the Imperial Republic's collective defence. It was replaced after 1653 by the Republican Guard, a state security service geared towards maintaining internal security.

The Republican Guard however would ultimately prove to be an inadequate force for the magnitude of the task it faced, confronted as it was by the decay of the Imperial Republic in the aftermath of the War of Lost Brothers, and would be swiftly overwhelmed by the Elwynnese Civil War.

The third restoration of the UDF occurred in 1672 with the unification of the two paramilitary forces which had supported the Elwynnese Republic during its first year of independence in the aftermath of the Kalirion Fracture: these being the Elwynnese Liberation Army (consisting of cudgellers of the Northern Reaches and Akordionyr, supported by the ESB and the Iron Company, and volunteers) and the Sāzmān-e Basij-e Niruha-yeh Entezami (Babkhi paramilitaris active in Alalehzamin and Utasia). The Northern Banner Group of Benacia Command has been instrumental in equipping and reorganising the nascent new UDF and has assisted with the integration of defecting Imperial personnel into its ranks.

Following the Leng Garrison abuse scandal of 1688 separate female-only formations and barracks were established in the following year for women undertaking national-service. These new formations, the Women's Auxiliary Air Service, the Women's Auxiliary Maritime Service, the Women's Auxiliary Nursing Service, and the Women's Auxiliary Territorial Service, whilst subject to the same military discipline of their male counterparts, focused on the fulfilment of specialist non-combat roles. Women continue to enjoy the legal right to join the territorial defence and combat arms of the UDF and, as of 1689, 14% of the total manpower establishment of contracted personnel (professional volunteers as opposed to conscripts), equating to 63,852 servicewomen are female.

On the eve of the Second Elwynnese Civil War, the UDF consisted of sixty-five wartime combined-arms territorial defence divisions, nine "jaeger" divisions, seven "pansar" divisions, two auxiliary service corps (fleet & air) and five non-combatant corps. The duration of the conflict would see the UDF maintain a two million strong force under arms, organised into two panzer armies and four field armies, supported by a tactical air force, the remnants of a maritime force, and a reserve force - the Elwynnese Landstorm - dedicated to maintaining security in the rear areas and along the vulnerable lines of communication. During the conflict the UDF and Landstorm suffered casualties equivalent to losing their entire mobilised force three times over in a continent-wide war of attrition and counterinsurgency that was only broken by the Scouring, a day of orbital bombardments and limited nuclear exchanges which destroyed seven cities in northern Benacia and precipitated the collapse of the remaining rebel forces, albeit at a terrible cost.

Doctrine

(withdrawn, pending re-write)

Organisation

Current Missions

Assignments & Allocations

Continental Theatre Command Material allocation (%) Lead Nation
Apollonia Command 1% Natopia Natopia
(Floria after 1700 AN)
Benacia Command 80% Unified Governorates Unified Governorates
Keltia Command 19% Nouvelle Alexandrie Nouvelle Alexandrie

Ongoing operational deployments

For overseas expeditions the UDF follows the operational doctrine of the Raspur Pact in creating situation specific and mission-orientated combined-arms corps and battlegroups as required, typically formed by grouping, mobility, fire support, and logistical detachments, around the command staff and administrative structure of a territorial division.

  • Allied Reconstruction Mission in Hurmu (1690 AN – )
    Forces Assigned:

    - 51st Territorial Division (defected to SDF, 1692)
    - 3rd Brigade, 81st Territorial Division (deployed, 1694)
    - Regimental and Squadron Detachments from the following:
    -- 7th Anti-Air Defence of the Nation Division
    -- 17th Logistic Division
    -- Union Signals Corps
    -- Elwmarine
    -- Corps of the Gentlemen-at-Cudgels (defected to SDF, 1692)
    -- Union Medical Corps
    -- Women's Auxiliary Air Service
    -- Women's Auxiliary Maritime Service
    -- Women's Auxiliary Nursing Service
    -- Women's Auxiliary Territorial Service

  • Operation Retribution (1692 AN – )

Equipment

Small Arms

Name Origin Type № in Service Image Notes
Clinger Bomb, Adhesive Anti-Tank Grenade Shireroth Shireroth Small Arms 34,986
CP 60 "Cherry Picker" 7.62 mm sniper rifle Shireroth Shireroth Small Arms 17,492
Cudgel Shireroth Shireroth Small Arms 885,949 Issued to Elwynnese Landstorm
Florian Cocktail (Tar, sulphur, petrol, sand, & wick) Shireroth Shireroth Small Arms 7,258,270 Issued to Elwynnese Landstorm
LTM 60 "Trouble Maker" 9 mm submachine gun Shireroth Shireroth Small Arms 46,649 Issued to Elwynnese Landstorm
M14 Fragmentation Hand Grenade Shireroth Shireroth Small Arms 233,245 M14 Grenade.png
M1486 Webb-Lee 11.6 mm Revolver Shireroth Shireroth Small Arms 3,358 M1486 Webb-Lee 11.6 mm Revolver.png Issued to Elwynnese Landstorm
M15 White Phosphorus Grenade Shireroth Shireroth Small Arms 116,622 M15 Grenade White.png
M1508 Martini-Rossi 11.56 mm Rifle Shireroth Shireroth Small Arms 34,986 M1508 Martini-Rossi 11.56 mm Rifle.png Issued to Elwynnese Landstorm
M1591(R) marksman rifle (7.62×67mmB) Shireroth Shireroth Small Arms 23,324 M1591 7.62 mm Rifle.png
M16 Mustard Gas Grenade Shireroth Shireroth Small Arms 116,622 M16 Grenade Mustard.png
M1610 7.9 mm Rifle (Semi-Automatic) Shireroth Shireroth Small Arms 1,443,015 M1610 7.9mm Rifle.png
M1656 9 mm SMG Shireroth Shireroth Small Arms 38,134 M1656 SMG.png
M1686 assault rifle (7.62×67mmB) Unified Governorates Mishalan Arsenal Small Arms 1,712,751 M1686 (7.62×67mmB).png
M1690 machine pistol (9x19mm) Unified Governorates Mishalan Arsenal Small Arms 24,300 M1690 machine pistol (9x19mm).png
M18 Red Smoke Grenade Shireroth Shireroth Small Arms 233,245 M18 Grenade Red.png
Pattern 1496 Sabre Shireroth Shireroth Small Arms 9,483
Tankgewehr 13.2 mm Rifle (Anti-Materiel) Shireroth Shireroth Inf Spt Wpn 114 M1642 Tankgewehr.png
Polybolos 12.7 mm HMG Shireroth Shireroth Machine Gun 7,090 Polybolos .50 HMG.png
Wren 7.62mm LMG Shireroth Shireroth Machine Gun 125,507 Wren 7.62mm LMG.png

Artillery

Name Origin Type № in Service Image Notes
Trump Radar Tracking Autocannon Shireroth Shireroth Anti-Air 51 Trump Autocannon.png
Waspsting Man-portable Air Defence System Shireroth Shireroth Anti-Air 48
Hornet 84 mm Recoilless Rifle (Anti-Tank) Shireroth Shireroth Anti-Tank 168
105 mm Light Gun Shireroth Shireroth Artillery 1,015
Katzenklavier Elwynn Elwynn Self-Propelled Rocket Artillery 63
80mm field gun Shireroth Shireroth Artillery 1,566
82 mm Mortar Shireroth Shireroth Artillery 14,357
Self-propelled guns
HK-IV 155 mm self-propelled howitzer Unified Governorates Mishalan Arsenal 155 mm self-propelled howitzer / field gun
  • 179
BK-IV Bastiat 155 mm SPH.png Evaluation piece received 1690 AN.
SAI MGW1 155 Sanama Sanama Arms Industries Mobile Gun Wheeled 155 mm 2,531‬ SAI MGW1 155.png

Land Vehicles

Name Origin Type № in Service Image Notes
BK-III Verteidiger Unified Governorates Unified Governorates Main Battle Tank 765 BK-3 Verteidiger.png
AFV4 Bastiat Unified Governorates Unified Governorates Armoured guided missile vehicle
  • Flankguard configuration: 409
  • Rangeguard configuration: 291
  • Skyguard configuration: 315
BK-IV Bastiat.png Delivered from Mishalan Arsenal (1693–1695)
GV(MCB)-7 Leviathan Sovereign Confederation Sovereign Confederation Mobile Command Base 3 GV-7 Leviathan.png
Horjin CV35 Shireroth Shireroth AFV - Electronic Warfare Vehicle 29
Horjin CV56 Shireroth Shireroth AFV - Infantry Fighting Vehicle 9,679 CV56.png
Pod Personnel Carrier Shireroth Shireroth Spt Vehicle 1,917 Pod APC.png
Snatch Land Rover Shireroth Shireroth Spt Vehicle 250,023 Snatch Land Rover.png
Truck, Light Shireroth Shireroth Spt Vehicle 105,814 Light Truck.png
Truck, Medium Shireroth Shireroth Spt Vehicle 235

Vessels

Name Origin Type № in Service Image Notes
Coastal Patrol Craft Shireroth Shireroth Patrol vessel 10
Elwynn-class Shireroth Shireroth Guided missile corvette 1 Elwynn Class Corvette.png
Florimell-class Unified Governorates Unified Governorates Troop landing ship 3
Logistic Support Vessel Shireroth Shireroth Logistic support vessel 1 Gravcarrier.png
Melusine-class Constancia Constancia Fast missile attack boat 7 Melusine-class fast attack missile boat.png
Merchant Vessel (Cargo & Passenger) Natopia Natopia Fleet logistics vessel 1
Merchant Vessel (Cargo) Natopia Natopia Fleet logistics vessel 3 SATCO merchant.png
Montran-class Sanama Sanama Destroyer 6 Montran-class destroyer.png
Seafox-class Sanama Sanama Corvette 12 Seafox-class corvette.png
Vista de Nada-class Natopia Natopia Frigate 1 Vista de Nada.PNG
1693 Procurement Programme (Fleet Resurrection Command)
Behaurnais-class amphibious assault ship Nouvelle Alexandrie Pontecorvo Firm Amphibious assault ship 4 ordered Beauharnais-class-amphibious-assault-ship.jpg
Type XXVI U-Boat Nouvelle Alexandrie Pontecorvo Firm Fleet submarine 6 ordered Franciscania-class-attack-submarine.jpg
Carrillo-class amphibious command ship Nouvelle Alexandrie Pontecorvo Firm Amphibious command ship 2 ordered Carrillo-class-amphibious-command-ship.jpg
Logistic Support Vessel Sathrati Amity Shipyards Fleet auxiliary 11 ordered Gravcarrier.png
Melusine II-class Unified Governorates Rothaven Boatyards Fast attack craft 60 ordered Melusine-class fast attack missile boat.png
Protector-class missile frigate Sanama Sanama State Maritime Industries Missile frigate 16 ordered Protector-class missile frigate.png
Rhodondra-class amphibious assault ship Sanama Sanama State Maritime Industries Amphibious assault ship 4 ordered Rhodondra-class.png

Aircraft

Name Origin Type № in Service Image Notes
A-5 Tejón de Miel Nouvelle Alexandrie Nouvelle Alexandrie Attack 40 Javelin T-5-A-5 Tejón de Miel.png
A-6 Pundarikam Shireroth Shireroth Attack 1 A-6 Pundarikam.png
A-10 Kambera Shireroth Shireroth Attack 1 A-10 Kambera.png
AH-75 Cobra Sanama Sanama Attack Helicopter 30 AH-75 Cobra.png
F-8 Shrike Elwynn Elwynn Multirole Strike 35 F-8M.png
F-9 Ashavan II Talenore Talenore Multirole Strike 111 F-9 Ashavan II.png
GAV-4(U) Jackalope Shireroth Shireroth Transport Utility 28
GAV(P)-5 Nereid Shireroth Shireroth Patrol 29 GAV-5 Nereid.png
GAV(P)-6 Zephyr Mark 1a Natopia Natopia Patrol 1 GAV-6 Zephyr.png
R-1 Whirdlebird Shireroth Shireroth Reconnaissance 190 R-1 Whirdlebird.png
T-2/A-2 Saeqeh Babkha Babkha Training/Light Attack 222 OAH Saeqeh.png
T-3 Akóntio Constancia Constancia Training/Light Attack 12 Vey Akintos.png
T-4/A-4 Flecha Nouvelle Alexandrie Nouvelle Alexandrie Training/Light Attack 120 T-4 Flecha.png
VT-UAV 1 Tadpole Talenore Talenore Unmanned Aerial Reconnaissance Vehicle 69 Tadpole.png

Missiles

Name Origin Type № in Service Image Notes
AAM-1 Sonderwang Unified Governorates Unified Governorates Missile – AAM 267 AAM-1 Sonderwang.png
S-2 Standard Missile Shireroth Shireroth Missile – GPM 323 S-2 Missile.png
SA-1 Red Mist Shireroth Shireroth Missile – SAM 7 SA-1.png

Specialist munitions and objects of interest

A quantity of fissile material was recovered from the wreckage of the nuclear attack submarine, the IFS Ingrid, and the site of the Vijayanagara contamination zone.