Union Defence Force

Union Defence Force
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	Black Legions Drak-Modani Defense Force Natopian Defense Force Grand Army of Ransenar Riverine Forces of Ransenar Sanaman Armed Forces
Opponents
Conflicts & Deployments	War of Jeremy's Nose Amokolian War River War Angularis Sxiro-Jingdaoese Confrontation The Year of the Four Kaisers Auspicious Occasion Kalirion Fracture Fälttåget Norrsken Second Amokolian War Battle of Chryse (1690) Second Elwynnese Civil War

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)

Current Missions

Assignments & Allocations

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

  - 51^st Territorial Division (defected to SDF, 1692)
  - 3^rd Brigade, 81^st Territorial Division (deployed, 1694)
  - Regimental and Squadron Detachments from the following:
  -- 7^th Anti-Air Defence of the Nation Division
  -- 17^th 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	Small Arms	34,986
CP 60 "Cherry Picker" 7.62 mm sniper rifle	Shireroth	Small Arms	17,492
Cudgel	Shireroth	Small Arms	885,949		Issued to Elwynnese Landstorm
Florian Cocktail (Tar, sulphur, petrol, sand, & wick)	Shireroth	Small Arms	7,258,270		Issued to Elwynnese Landstorm
LTM 60 "Trouble Maker" 9 mm submachine gun	Shireroth	Small Arms	46,649		Issued to Elwynnese Landstorm
M14 Fragmentation Hand Grenade	Shireroth	Small Arms	233,245
M1486 Webb-Lee 11.6 mm Revolver	Shireroth	Small Arms	3,358		Issued to Elwynnese Landstorm
M15 White Phosphorus Grenade	Shireroth	Small Arms	116,622
M1508 Martini-Rossi 11.56 mm Rifle	Shireroth	Small Arms	34,986		Issued to Elwynnese Landstorm
M1591(R) marksman rifle (7.62×67mmB)	Shireroth	Small Arms	23,324
M16 Mustard Gas Grenade	Shireroth	Small Arms	116,622
M1610 7.9 mm Rifle (Semi-Automatic)	Shireroth	Small Arms	1,443,015
M1656 9 mm SMG	Shireroth	Small Arms	38,134
M1686 assault rifle (7.62×67mmB)	Mishalan Arsenal	Small Arms	1,712,751
M1690 machine pistol (9x19mm)	Mishalan Arsenal	Small Arms	24,300
M18 Red Smoke Grenade	Shireroth	Small Arms	233,245
Pattern 1496 Sabre	Shireroth	Small Arms	9,483
Tankgewehr 13.2 mm Rifle (Anti-Materiel)	Shireroth	Inf Spt Wpn	114
Polybolos 12.7 mm HMG	Shireroth	Machine Gun	7,090
Wren 7.62mm LMG	Shireroth	Machine Gun	125,507

Artillery

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

Land Vehicles

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

Vessels

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

Aircraft

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

Missiles

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

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.