Self-Propelled Pinecone/Spergscale

Combined Arms Company (Light Mechanized)

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During the Alarian War, the traditional field army-based structure of the Gallan Army, broadly unchanged since the advent of the nuclear weapon in the 1950's, was found to be lacking in support elements and ability to be reduced to adequate levels of dispersion to reduce losses from mass precision guided weapon attacks. Although ultimately successful, the ponderous formations required many days to mobilize for attacks and counter-attacks, while mechanized troops of the Frisian Lanmacht were able to nip at the edges of these formations, and subsequently blunt several major offensives during the 14th Army's march from its beaches to Frjentsjer.

Pushing down support elements, such as tanks or mortars, was no particular novelty, but there was a paucity of field feeding and mechanical support below brigade levels, with battalion-level feeding being an attached unit. Bulk fuel and feeding issues plagued the Army led offensive, leading to troops occupying defensive positions being unable to start sufficient numbers of vehicles or foraging for food. In contrast, the Royal Marine Corps (RMC) and Royal Navy, with fully integrated combat service support and combat support down to company level at this point, were far better positioned to support small scale infiltrating attacks and independent movements by platoons, companies, and battalions. Smaller units like these could easily attack between defensive positions, or overwhelm platoon or section-level defensive fighting positions, without attracting the attention of massive quantities of firepower, unlike the 14th Army's relatively wasteful use of battalions.

In the aftermath of the war, and with a looming internal security crisis, the Royal Army looked at its Hussar formations, light cavalry reconnaissance troops built around wheeled vehicles, and identified a need for a light mechanized force which could provide an all-arms capability in company size packets. Hussar formations, lacking infantry, could not adequately police the contested peninsular, metropolitan, and continental holdings of the Gallic state by themselves, while the Royal Marines were simply too small. Light mechanized infantry formations, composed of two platoons of motor riflemen, a robotic combat vehicle and sniper team reconnaissance platoon, a pair of heavy mortars, C-RAM air defense, and sizeable trains, could provide a brigade the ability to control several thousand square kilometers with sufficiently mobile medium armored vehicles.

The Pbv 2570, an electric drive armored car, was designed in the 2060's and subsequently put into production in 2069 for the initial light mechanized brigades. The Type 72 Armed Robotic Vehicle (ARV) entered service in 2073, and while the Patgb 4011 2.5-ton truck and Tgb 4013/15 5-ton and 7.5-ton trucks were first deployed in the closing stages of the Alarian War, they did not see widespread adoption by the Royal Army until the early 2060's. Supporting armaments include the Ptrbs 52, a copy of the Zovlol KUB Aero "Product 52" assault drone and the Gallan Motors MC750 dicycle carrying a Ksp 95D .60" caliber machine gun. The Patgb 1.25-ton truck, looking similar to the Tgb 1156 series from the 2010's, rounds out the complement of motorization. These vehicles form the nucleus of the Light Mechanized Combined Arms Company, a unique combination of internal security and light infantry, with adequate firepower comparable to the pre-Alarian War Hussar units. Against most insurgent elements, the Combined Arms Company represents a difficult challenge, both in its operating base garrison and in the field. SATCOM, provided by the mobile command post carrier, and connected to either a private data network such as StjaerFoerb AB or Tienwang, Inc. or government-owned GEO SATCOM (some of which date to immediately before the Alarian War).

Combined Arms Companies are organized into Light Mechanized Battalions or Light Armored Regiments, depending on if they are descended from Motor Infantry or Hussar regiments, of which there are three in a brigade, along with a light mechanized artillery regiment, light air defense regiment, robotic vanguard squadron, headquarters squadron/company, and trains battalion. There are six Light Mechanized Brigades, organized into a southern and northern pair of Light Mechanized Divisions, and these divisions provide what passes for law enforcement north of Blaahuslan within the Free Territories of Peninsular Gallia. The need for heavily armed mechanized troops, due to the difficult political-economic situation, has also not diminished the need for strong border troops presence. The 3rd Army Headquarters provides at least two light infantry divisions (motorized in 2.5-ton Tgb 1078 and 5-ton Tgb 1083-series trucks), several cavalry regiments both horsed and mechanized, and an armored brigade, along with an artillery division, tactical fighter wing (JAS.16VX and JAS.15XX strike fighters), and two dozen railroad operating battalions utilizing armored trains, freeing the Light Mechanized Divisions to perform the job of internal security.

In the event of a Socialist invasion, the Light Mechanized Divisions would be expected to provide a screening force for Southern Area Army of Peninsular Gallia, and immediate reinforcement of the 3rd Army, as a prelude to delivery of the Southern Area Army's two mechanized divisions, single cavalry regiment, and single armored division, various tactical aviation units, Royal Marines' 40 and 42 Commando, and three Field Ranger regiments. Both the Peninsular and Sapmi Home Guards would be mobilized as well, but would not be expected to face immediate combat.

Frisian Swierslachienheid (SSI; yng. 'Heavy Battle Unit')

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SSI graphical table of organization, A.D. 2049.

Established as part of a raft of military reforms ushering in the restored monarchy in the late 2020's, the Heavy Battle Unit is the basic formation of the Frisian Legion's Lânmacht for the XXI century, based on observations of Oumeian and Haudenausoneese military developments, with the unique characteristics of the Frisian Empire in mind. The intention behind the SSI was a "clean break" from 15th century adaptations of ground forces, itself endemic the world over, and ultimately originating from the Gallic king Sigismund II Karolus and his successful Great Northern Wars against the Hsingnu Khagans, to a new formation designed purely for 21st century requirements leveraging the last great revolution in military affairs, the internal combustion engine, to its fullest extent. High mobility, shock action, dispersion, independent operation, and adaptation to the latest 3-meter broad gauge railroads of the Frisian Empire's land connections.

The Heavy Battle Unit was complemented by the correspondingly named Light Battle Unit (Ljochtslachienheid; LSI), a battalion-sized force of motorized infantrymen and robotic combat systems primarily moved by road marches or cargo helicopters; and the Medium Battle Unit (Middelgewichtslachienheid; MSI), a formation primarily moved by Boxer WAFVs, thus able to be road marched, but possessing greater firepower and protection than the LSI; and the Cruiserweight Battle Unit (Krusergewichtslachienheid; KSI), a less radical and more austere version of the Heavy Battle Unit, using Finn main battle tanks, Gerhard tank support vehicles, Pugilist IFVs, Fencer armored load carriers, and relatively ordinarily equipped mechanized infantrymen.

These "units", of any stripe, would replace the old fashioned "battalion" of the Late Medieval/Gallic paradigm, containing sufficient firepower and equipment to fight and engage along the lines of a late 20th century division. There was particularly high amount of promise held for the Heavy Battle Units, which were considered to be a suitably capable response, given Frisia's tremendous demographic disadvantage, to the traditional Gallic penchant for massive nuclear firepower concentrated in large, cumbersome field formations. The program was intended to produce three LSIs, a dozen MSIs, nine KSIs, and six SSIs at the end of the 2040's. Each Operational Action Unit, comprising three Battle Units (ground forces), a Support Unit (logistics), an Aviation Unit (fighters and UARs), and in non-SSI Action Units, a Fire Unit (artillery), would replace the Legion's corps and their archaic organizations. Support troops, in the form of combat engineers and railroad troops, would act in concert with the OAU, providing mobility over obstacles and end-point connections between the Guild War economy and the field forces. Each SSI would be supported by 36 Barrage fighters, a next-generation combat aircraft, intended to replace the ~950 Hurricane fighters in service with the Loftmacht then in 2028, generating a requirement of 360 combat aircraft, 120 training aircraft, and 54 spare/backup airframes for supporting the ground troops. The requirements for the Frisian Navy, 240 combat aircraft, 158 training aircraft, and 48 backup aircraft, made a total requirement of 980 airframes of both varieties. Ground support and "colonial tasks" would be carried out by the Fokke Fusillade light strike jet/advanced trainer, of which nearly 650 of a requisite 1,280 had been procured by 2049.

This ambitious military modernization, like all others of its kind, mostly failed to materialize. Although the Frisian military-defense industry was relatively advanced its industrial output lagged behind its neighbors in the UZR and Galla, with the bulk of equipment being essentially fitted out by hand in limited throughput ateliers. By 2048, approximately 128 Autonomous Armored Units, the centerpiece of the SSI, had been produced, giving sufficient equipment for three SSIs and the entire metropolitan Milysje. Equipment of one LSI, three MSIs, and two KSIs was also procured. The remainder of the Frisian Lânmacht, approximately 400,000 personnel, were organized into divisions, brigades, and battalions of relatively conventionally organized, albeit decently equipped, and never fully transitioned. The requisite air forces, nearly a thousand 9th generation Barrage fighters, barely amounted to a quarter of this number in practice, and only after squeezing every last airframe to frontline forces. Although adequate for emergency combat use, the aviation elements of most Battle Units were more often 7th generation Hurricanes instead, or the Fokke light attack trainers.

Putting the modernization into context, by 2028 the median age of Frisia had risen to 48, and by 2050 it would top 54 years, joining the ranks of other greying nations. The populations of the two countries in 2020 was also substantially different, with Frisia's metropole topping 60 million and its colonies adding another 35 million of militarily viable population, for a total of approximately 95 million citizens to draw on. Serfs and levies (non-voting populations with few civic responsibilities) were not counted in this number. Against this, the population of Galla, subject to conscription in its entirety, broached 155 million in 2020, and expected to brush between 180 and 190 million by 2050; with a median age of 30 in 2022 and this was expected to climb to 35 by 2050. Mobilization estimates by the Frisian General Staff had placed the total manpower of the active Gallan Army as a hair over 1 million men, with approximately 20 field divisions and a dozen independent regiments and brigades, and this was unlikely to change over the coming decades. The Frisian Lânmacht, in 2025, possessed a mere 8 field divisions, with three organized along the lines of deployable brigades, intended to be rapidly moved around its imperial periphary. A pair of corps of five field divisions, organized as heavy armor formations, were earmarked for defense of the metropole, including Southern Frisia. A handful of separate brigades, typically special purpose, rounded out the deployable formations. A total number of 450,000 ground troops, with another ~150,000 in reserve troops, opposed nearly a million ground troops. More concerningly, however, was the reserve formations of the Gallan Army which were organized into three major rungs, based on age of equipment and age of personnel, with the most conservative estimates placing a lower bound of 90 deployable field divisions and approximately 4-5 million ground troops in the Gallan Army, and the most alarming ones suggesting as many as double this, with temporal expectations varying between first divisions reaching formation within three months and rounding out by nine months, to twelve months and twenty four months respectively. Similar disparities, although not as extreme, were witnessed in air power and naval power. Thus, a way to mitigate the threat posed by the Gallan Army would be formations which could inflict loss:exchange ratios of between ten to twenty, with an idealized number of approximately 15 in open terrain, against the initial formations of 20 divisions. General Staff estimates expected that as time went on, the capabilities of the Gallan Army would be degraded faster than Frisian units, allowing them to attain even higher LERs against less capable formations of the reserve ("ersaettning") formations, and eventually grind the Gallan Army to nothing, even in the event of a strategic nuclear attack.

All the SIs, with the exception of the SSI, used existing equipment such as armored vehicle hulls or utility trucks. These existing units were provided with improved communications gear and occasional addition of long-range weapons at lower levels (battalions receiving a battery of field guns, platoons having multi-kilometer range missiles, etc.), intended to give the SI the ability to operate at frontages of 60-90 kilometers vice the 20-30 kilometers of latter half XX century formations. This would give the SI a similar "envelope" as a "brigade", and the OAU "brigade equivalent" a comparable footprint to a field division. The intent being to drop the requirement of personnel by an order of magnitude, while maintaining their existing killng power and reducing their vulnerability to nuclear attack. Although the SSI was always going to be the "end-state" of the modernization, this was unlikely to be achieved before 2070 at minimum.

The performance of the SSI shouldn't be underestimated, as even in its less-than-ideal state a triplet of SSIs supporting 9.OAU of the Frisian Sajaric, supported by a tactical fighter wing (48 airframes) of Army land-based Barrages and 80 Navy Barrages, a force barely numbering over 8,000 troops, managed to bring a mobile, modern field army of ten times its own size into combat, avoided a decisive engagement even in the face of tactical nuclear weapons, and eventually forced the field army into retreat, despite limited support in theater from the industrial base, with relatively few losses, collectively amounting to a single SSI, and the near total destruction of the field army's materiel. The embarrassing rout of the Gallan 1st Field Army, replete with stolen sedans, pickup trucks, and buses carrying scores of injured and wounded armored vehicle and aviation crewmen, now unhorsed, was saved from becoming a Frisian propaganda coup due to the state of telecommunications across Alaria and North Sajarica.

Organizationally, the SSI is extremely lean, with the bulk of support elements in the OAU. As it is intended to operate at extreme frontages, with 500 meters or more between the individual frontline soldiers (in practice, closer, as troops operated in pairs for safety, with robotic recce systems filling in the gaps), the firepower of each individual system is extensive. Further, so is the mobility of both troops and ground vehicles. Within the Sajaric Plains, the frontages of the 9.OAU often approached 300 kilometers in the attack, and 600 kilometers in depth. SSIs A, B, and C of the 9.OAU were involved in Operation Boefbatsjend, opposing the crack 1st Field Army's three divisions, the Royal Marines' 40th Commando Division, 1st "Karolus Magnus" and 7th "Roland" armored divisions, approximately 90 tactical fighters (JAS.15EX Ornen fighter-bombers; Eagle), and the 173rd Paraglider Brigade, approximating its opponent. SSI-A and -C successfully managed to avoid getting pinned down as the 1st Army attempted to chase them across the desert for nearly three months. Supported by their Atenist allies, soldiers of the 1st Mechanized Division overran a staging area of the Tactical Subunit of SSI-B, somehow capturing a Z.Hw.Sp.13504/220 Autonomous Armor Unit and destroying a second vehicle, with these units and their two-dozen battlesuit riders the only major Frisian Lânmacht casualties of the 9.OAU.

Amazing chart, love the battle armor. I assume the OAUs have large logi formations to support each element of the SSI? Each of these vehicles must be very ammo hungry.

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they drinke they thirmsty

they have about as much logistical burden as a conventional armored btn

maybe more, because they have radars and MRLs and stuff, but so do CABs (in rossiya)

in practice theyre probably somewhere between an attack helicopter company and a tank battalion

apache companies have 9-13 ships with twin turbine engines and these "SSI" are 9-13 tanx with twin turbine engines

otoh they have about as much "bayonet strength" as a rifle company

it would be "bad" in close combat (cities) but it's made for fighting in open country (steppes) so it's not a big problem

but theyre also dudes in power armor

so i dont think it would actually be bad

canonically the best way to defeat the "infantry" with normal weapons is a satchel charge suicide vest

alternatively a GMG setup in the right place can work but arming distances on most 40mms makes this hard

dumbla makes a 20mm carbon fiber grenade to kill them but it barely shows up and almost misses the war ):

otoh the cops in frisia get power armor and big azz shotguns made from 35mm oerlikon barrels

just obliterate like 10 guys with one blast and the truck they rode in on very strong heaters

Various troops from Royal Army and Royal Navy Ranger units. From L-R: Sd50 "Fullback" powered armor infantryman from A Platoon, 1st Company, 2nd Battalion, 507th Field Ranger Regiment (Armorized), Operation DROP KICK (2052); Spaningsdykare (reconnaissance frogman) of RN SOG, 2nd Squadron, 3rd Platoon in wetsuit and cammies, Operation TUNGSTEN (2051); CAPT S.D. Raivis Plysksen, RN SOG, Coastal Ranger Regiment, Q Squadron, Assault Team Inoka, Operation THUNDERBOLT (2051); Field Ranger Section, B Platoon, 3rd Company, 2nd Battalion, Kyrksten Guards' Regiment, 7th Guards' Airmobile Regiment (Separate), 3rd Shock Corps, 14th Field Army, Operation BULLDOZER (2052); Warrant Officer, 2nd Company, 3rd Battalion, 82nd Infantry Regiment (Line), 77th ID (Replacement), 3rd Shock Corps, 14th Field Army, Operation COBALT.

Special service units in Gallia have a history dating back to the Third Northern War (1910-1914), where specialized assault troops were formed to break Socialist trench lines, prior to the development of the battlewagon/combat car. Pulled from various foot rifle, ranger, and hussar regiments of the Royal Army, and from the Royal Marines, these units formed the nucleus of later airborne, amphibious, and other special operations forces of the XX century. Like their 18th and 19th century antecedents, modern ranger units are expected to perform dangerous roles such as scouting. However, they also have the capacity to conduct assaults, and are generally allowed to have more autonomy than their line infantrymen counterparts, and given significantly more dangerous missions involving rotorcraft or fixed-wing insertion. Sabotage, airfield seizure, raids, and special reconnaissance/destruction of tactical nuclear weapons are all part of the purview of Gallic ranger units.

The Sd50 Fullback, the first production battlesuit in Gallia, entered service in 2047 with the 502d, 503d, and 507th Ranger Regiments. These units were redesignated "armorized" to denote their special capabilities. Each composes four battalions with four companies, and approximately 600 battlesuits per regiment. Armored against 12.7mm armor piercing on the thorax and 7.5mm AP on the limbs, and providing all around vision, carrying multiple anti-tank missiles, and employing heavy machine guns and grenade launchers as easily as an infantryman uses a rifle, the Fullback gives dangerous long- and close-range firepower against conventional combat troops.

The reconnaissance frogmen of the Royal Navy are trained to conduct hydrographic and beach obstacle reconnaissance, landing force identification, and limited raids. This commando frogman, shown in wetsuit and dry land uniform, is part of the 2nd Squadron of the S-Dyk unit of the RN SOG. He is equipped with a silenced automatic rifle and underwater pistol, bubbleless rebreather, and several explosive charges and a light anti armor weapon. S-Dyk troops like this identified landing zones and provided beach reconnaissance during Operation SCALPEL, neutralized radar sites and AAA batteries during Op. TUNGSTEN, and designated for airstrikes by the Royal Army Air Corps' Tactical Air Command during Op. SLEDGEHAMMER, which was the main assault landing in Northern Frisia by the Royal Army's ground force divisions.

CAPT S.D. Raivis "Orm" Plysksen was part of the Royal Navy's Coastal Rangers, the RN SOG's counterpart to the Royal Army's Field Ranger regiments. Although much smaller than the Army's ranger forces, the Coastal Rangers are trained to a more extensive standard, and possess greater firepower than the S-Dyk commandos. The Assault Teams of the Coastal Rangers are built for raids, high value target destruction or extraction, and direct action. Man-packing 81mm and 127mm mortars, 12.7mm and 25mm heavy machine guns, and Ksp60 light machine guns, assault teams often plan for attacks in 16-man platoons. Assault Team Inoka was one of the more accomplished RN KJ units, tapped for the rescue of the Pope and several Hanza officials from the Castle Berum prison-fortress during Operation THUNDERBOLT, and the destruction of Frisia's underground cyborg supersoldier factory during Operation SUPERKICK.

The Kyrksten Guards' Regiment has served the monarchy since the 15th century, when the Principality of Gallia was established. In its current form, it provides battalions of infantry, including armored infantry (1st, 3rd), airmobile rangers (2nd, 4th), and two reserve battalions assigned to the Home Guard (5th, 6th). It is recruited solely from the areas around Kyrksten, a large city in southern Continental Gallia. The depicted airmobile troops participated in the action around Frjenstjer, securing an airport of the Fokke Aviation Group, and producing an encirlement around the outskirts of the Frisian capital. Airmobile rangers like this are typically employed as a so-called "fire brigade", skirmishers, or a raiding force, as needed, by Army corps.

Because of the lack of training faculties for rangers during the Alarian War, these having been converted to basic training battalions in accordance with the War Emergency Program, Ranger units which had taken significant casualties were often recycled into regiments or battalions of ordinary infantry. Depicted is a typical warrant officer or other NCO, armed with a light machine gun, of the 77th Infantry Division. The 77th ID was a replacement division, raised from conscripts in Southern Gallia, and hastily thrown into action during Operation SLEDGEHAMMER. Rangers, because of their superior training and fortitude, were often placed into leadership positions for replacement troops whenever possible.
Although almost all replacements had finished National Service, they were often in their 30's or 40's, and their lack of practice and experience was only weakly abated by refresher training. Prior to the actions of the 77th ID, the 212th Ranger Regiment's surviving battalions had been dissolved, and their troops distributed into several "assault" battalions of the brigades of the division, providing low level leadership to the newly formed 82nd Infantry Regiment which composed these brigades. Unlike its sister regiments, the 80th and 81st, the 82nd Infantry Regiment had received valuable combat experience and leadership from the 212th Ranger Regiment, mainly due to the casualties of the 82nd Infantry Regiment's cadre troops during the initial nuclear exchange of the Alarian War.

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