Imperial Navy (Belhavia)

The Imperial Navy is the naval branch of the Imperial Armed Forces of Belhavia and is one of the larger navies in Pardes.

The naval force's predecessor was the Royal Navy, which was formed in 1650 after the creation of the Kingdom of Belhavia from the Grand Duchy of Provisum. Following the Great Southern War and emergence of the Empire, the Navy was retitled to its current name. During the 1946 post-Galarian military reforms, the Navy entered its contemporary form.

The Imperial Navy's predecessor, the Belhavian Royal Navy, first saw substantial action in the Great Southern War. From 1715 until the early 1800s, the Imperial Fleet went from a few man-o-wars to a significant force of ships of the line. By the mid-19th century, the Navy was composed of a fleet of dozens of steamships and ironclads. Later, the Navy transitioned to dreadnoughts and battleships by the early 20th century. As the Empire of Belhavia entered its period of expansion after 1715, the Navy followed colonial settlement and merchants to lucrative trade routes throughout the southern Central Ocean, the Pardesi Far East, and beyond.

From the 1950s through to the 1970s, with the development of guided missile technology, the Imperial Navy largely decommissioned its fleet of "gunship" warships in favor of a model of guided missile- and aircraft-centric vessels.

In 1981, the passage of the Military Modernization and Reform Act devoted substantially increased funds to the Navy, funding a large expansion for much of the next 35 years. This enlargement of both ships in service, and newer warship classes, was continued in the Naval Expansion Act of 2006. Under the Goldman Administration, the Imperial Navy has received increased funding for all but one year. In 2013, the Strategic Naval Initiative Act passed the Imperial Senate, funding so-called "NextGen warship designs" and providing appropriation for more aircraft carriers and larger capital ships.

In the aftermath of the Great Southern War and the acquisition of imperial territories across South-West Pardes, the Imperial Navy became a blue water navy. As of August 2015, the Navy operates 229 active surface, submarine, and support vessels, with an additional naval reserve of 47 ships (both combat and non-combat).

Equipment and Vehicles

Active Vessels

Template:Standard table ! style="text-align: left; background: #aacccc;"|Vessel Class ! style="text-align: left; background: #aacccc;"|Origin ! style="text-align: left; background: #aacccc;"|Role ! style="text-align: left; background: #aacccc;"|Number in service ! style="text-align: left; background: #aacccc;"|Notes |----- ! style="align: right; background: lavender;" colspan="7" | Aircraft Carriers |----- | Abramson-class | Belhavia | Super-Aircraft Carrier | 3 | 1 under construction, 4 planned by 2025 - 2032. Replacement for the Feingold-class. Part of the Strategic Naval Initiative Act's emphasis on power projection. |- | Feingold-class | Belhavia | Super-Aircraft Carrier | 4 | The oldest carrier class still in service; being phrased out and replaced by the Abramson-class by the late 2020s or early 2030s. |----- ! style="align: center; background: lavender;" colspan="7" | Capital Ships & Cruisers |----- | Provisa-class | Belhavia | Guided Missile Battlecruiser | 2 | Primarily fire support, general purpose escort, patrol/station guardship, and command ship roles. |- | Arctic Storm-class | Belfras | Guided Missile Cruiser | 4 | Primarily offensive surface combatant with anti-ship and anti-aircraft roles. |- | Interdictor-class | Tarsas | Guided Missile Light Cruiser | 5 | Similar to its Arctic Storm-class 'older cousin', the Interdictor-class is a primarily offensive surface combatant with anti-ship and anti-aircraft roles. It was procured to fill the role of a heavy escort for cruisers and aircraft carriers, and to serve as head of fleet task forces when battlecruisers or cruisers were unavailable. |----- ! style="align: center; background: lavender;" colspan="7" | Destroyers |----- | Valiant-class | Belfras, Belhavia | Guided Missile Destroyer | 45 | Air defense, ASW, anti-ship roles - the Navy's principle surface combatant. |----- ! style="align: center; background: lavender;" colspan="7" | Frigates |----- | South Dakos-class | Belfras | Guided Missile Frigate | 3 | Multi-role Frigate used extensively for littoral combat. Originally planned to replace the Warrior class by the 2030s, the Naval Staff reversed policy in late 2014 and cancelled the planned future South Dakos purchases in favor of cheaper Warrior ships instead. |----- | Warrior-class | Belhavia | Guided Missile Frigate | 43 | Multi-role Frigate. 2 under construction. |----- ! style="align: center; background: lavender;" colspan="7" | Corvettes |----- | Bulwark-class | Belhavia | Corvette | 21 | Primarily convoy support, ASW, littoral combat, and sea denial/control roles. 1 under construction. |----- | Interceptor-class | Arthurista | Corvette | 3 | Territorial waters guardship , littoral combat, and ASW roles. 1 under construction. 2 planned by 2024. |----- ! style="align: center; background: lavender;" colspan="7" | Submarines |----- | Gallant-class | Belhavia | Fast Attack Submarine | 30 | Long-range attack submarines suited to colonial support, station guardship, and worldwide roles. 4 planned by 2026. |----- | Eviscerator-class | Belhavia | Fast Attack Submarine | 8 | Multirole attack submarine designed for short-, medium-, and long-range duties. Best equipped for home waters and regional patrol roles. Acquired to complement Gallant-class. |----- | Bastion-class | Belfras | Ballistic Missile Submarine | 4 | SLBM role. 1 planned for 2018 but cancelled in the Strategic Naval Initiative Act in 2013. |----- | Commander-class | Belhavia | Guided Missile Submarine | 4 | Shore Bombardment/Naval Gunfire Support role. |----- ! style="align: center; background: lavender;" colspan="7" | Amphibious Warfare Ships, Landing Ships, Auxiliary Combat Ships |- | Vanguard-class | Belhavia | Landing Ship/Amphibious Assault Ship | 4 | Marine amphibious assault deployment role. |----- | Typhoon-class | Belhavia | Dock Landing Ship | 3 | Amphibious landing role. |----- | Fast Transit-class | Belhavia | Amphibious Transport Dock | 3 | Amphibious landing role. 1 under construction. 2 planned for the 2018 - 2022 timeframe. |----- | Predator-class | Arthurista | Universal Combat Ship | 3 | Multirole littoral, amphibious, anti-air, and light carrier/helicopter support roles. Used mainly as a drone carrier. 2 planned by 2017. |----- | Icecap-class | Belhavia | Armed Icebreaker Cutter | 4 | Auxiliary combat ship used for exclusively arctic warfare and polar warfare roles. 2 planned by 2020. |----- | Diligence-class | Belhavia | Armed Mine Countermeasures Ship | 5 | Mine countermeasure role. Being phrased out and role replaced by the Bulwalk- and Interceptor-class corvettes. 3 to be retired in 2015 and transferred to the Reserve Fleet, while the remaining 2 are expected to last into the early 2020s. |----- ! style="align: center; background: lavender;" colspan="7" | Auxiliary Ships, Support Ships, Non-Combat Ships |----- | King's Pride-class | Belhavia | Fleet Replenishment Vessel/Oiler/Dry Cargo Ship | 15 | Oiler, supply ship, and dry cargo transport roles. Replaced the aging Lake Negriv-class. 1 planned by 2018 - 2020. |----- | Fast Envoy-class | Belhavia | Fleet Replenishment Vessel/Oiler | 12 | Oiler and supply ship roles. 1 under construction. |----- | Mensch-class | Belhavia | Hospital Ship | 1 | Hospital ship and medical aid roles. Armed with only defensive weaponry. Attacking a hospital ship is considered a war crime and legally initiates retributive military operation against enemy forces. |----- |}

Reserve Vessels

Template:Standard table ! style="text-align: left; background: #aacccc;"|Vessel Class ! style="text-align: left; background: #aacccc;"|Role ! style="text-align: left; background: #aacccc;"|Number in Fleet ! style="text-align: left; background: #aacccc;"|Location ! style="text-align: left; background: #aacccc;"|Notes |----- | Feingold-class | Super-Aircraft Carrier | 2 | 1 in Dakos, Belhavia; 1 in Tel Nafesh, Belhavia. | |- | Provisa-class | Guided Missile Battlecruiser | 2 | 1 in Freeport City, Belhavia; 1 in Port David, Belhavia. | Moved to Reserve Fleet as part of a cost-cutting measure in the 2013 SNIA. |- | Warrior-class | Guided Missile Frigate | 3 | 2 in Dakos, Belhavia; 1 in Tel Nafesh, Belhavia. | Oldest and original ships of their class decommissioned after entry of the first three South Dakos-class frigates. |- | Valiant-class | Guided Missile Destroyer | 5 | 5 in Dakos, Belhavia. | 5 oldest destroyers that had reached their maximum active service limits. |- | Crest-class | Landing Ship/Amphibious Assault Ship | 2 | 1 in Freeport City, Belhavia; 1 in Port David, Belhavia. | Oldest class of marine amphibious assault ships retired as a cost-cutting measure. |- | Fury-class | Fast Attack Submarine | 6 | 3 in Dakos, Belhavia; 2 in Port Harold, Belhavia; 1 in Port Solomon, Belhavia. | Obsolete class of attack submarines replaced by the Gallant- and Eviscerator-classes. |- | Lake Negriv-class | Fleet Replenishment Vessel/Oiler | 2 | Port Solomon, Belhavia | Recently re-assigned to the Reserve Fleet. Replaced by the King's Pride-class. |- | Assorted Classes | Auxiliary Supply, Transport Ships | 25 | Various locations. | |----- |}

Fleet Organization and Doctrine

Doctrine

The Imperial Naval Staff, since the mid-20th century, has fleet doctrine based on Decisive Battle, Joint Warfare, Combined Operations, and Sea Control.

The continued reliance on larger capital ships to "missile spam" the enemy force illustrates the use of Decisive Battle and Sea Control; the first, to operationally devastate the enemy's naval capabilities, and the second, to command control of the naval battlespace to conduct further aerial and ground operations against the enemy.

The doctrine of Joint Warfare emerged in the late 1940s, after contemporary conflicts such as the Great Fascist War, which revealed the deficiencies of older, outmoded strategies and the rise of the airplane in naval warfare. Since then, codified in the 1946 military reforms, the Navy has incorporated aircraft carriers, combat air patrols (CAPs), airborne early warning & control (AWACs), among other joint aerial-naval units, structures, and operational tactics.

The Naval Staff relies on Combined Operations as a practical reality; of the four doctrines, this one is the most disposable, as the Imperial Navy has the power projection and technology to engage in a war unilaterally. However, most military conflicts the Empire enters are fought alongside allies, usually peer powers, and thus the Navy has the standing expectation that it will (mostly) fight alongside allied forces in operational theaters.

Organization

The Belhavian Imperial Navy looked towards Arthuro-Belfrasian organizational structure in the late 17th and 18th centuries as it developed over time. Later, in the post-Galarian era, the Navy looked towards the Emmerian naval model in an effort to modernize and adapt to changing times in the wake of the Twenty-Years' Wars.

While the Belhavian Naval General Staff adopted some Emmerian organizations such as modified forms of the battlegroup, strike force, and task force, the Belhavian navy retained its much of its early 20th-century structure, to the approval of naval traditionalists but the consternation of military reformers.

Fleet Assignments

Template:Standard table ! style="text-align: left; background: #aacccc;"|Fleet ! style="text-align: left; background: #aacccc;"|Flagship ! style="text-align: left; background: #aacccc;"|Commander ! style="text-align: left; background: #aacccc;"|Command Base ! style="text-align: left; background: #aacccc;"|Other Bases
in Command ! style="text-align: left; background: #aacccc;"|Notes |----- |Home Fleet
(Southern Command) | |Fleet Admiral Hillel Goldstein |Dakos, Belhavia |Freeport City, Belhavia;
Weisstown, Belhavia;
Port Farfroyren, Belhavia
|The largest Belhavian naval formation. |----- |1st Fleet
(Central Command) | |Fleet Admiral Yaakov Mandelbaum |Tel Nafesh, Belhavia
(King's Island) | |The primary Battle Fleet of the Navy with a large concentration of expeditionary support ships. |----- |2nd Fleet
(Eastern Command) | |Admiral Uzriel Perlman |Port David, Belhavia
(New Shelvoy) |Tobia, Belhavia;
Greater Centurion, Westonaria;
Lion's Rock, Lion's Rock | |----- |3rd Fleet
(Akkadiya Command) | |Admiral Sender Nadel |Port Solomon, Belhavia
(Ross Archipelagos) |???, Jedalah;
???, Rashidi;
Dar'aiyah, Ariyadh | |----- |4th Fleet
(Western Command) | |Vice-Admiral Yehuda Shapiro |Laesico, Belfras
(through CDI) |Courant, Merritt, Emmeria;
St John's Fort, Arthurista;
???, Eagleland | |----- |5th Fleet
(Northern Command) | |Rear-Admiral Daniel Silverstein | ???, Edwardia (Arthurista) |New Cyprus, Eagleland | |----- |6th Fleet
(Arctic/Polar Command) | |Rear-Admiral Moshe Ariyeh ben Teitel |Thule, Belhavia |Merrina, Belhavia |The smallest combat-equipped force in the Navy. |----- |8th Fleet
(Independent Command) | |Rear-Admiral Berel Weinstein |???, Belhavia |Various |A legal fiction, the 8th Fleet exists on paper but is an assortment of independent units and formations that are not assigned to other commands. |----- |}

Fleet Air Service

Aircraft Inventory

Template:Standard table ! style="text-align: left; background: #aacccc;"|Aircraft ! style="text-align: left; background: #aacccc;"|Origin ! style="text-align: left; background: #aacccc;"|Role ! style="text-align: left; background: #aacccc;"|In service |----- ! style="align: center; background: lavender;" colspan="7" | Fighter Aircraft |----- |F-8E |Belhavia |Carrier-based multirole, interceptor, air-superiority fighter aircraft |114 |----- |F-12E/F |Template:Country data Emmeria |Carrier-based multirole fighter-bomber aircraft |421 |----- |F-29C |Template:Country data Emmeria |Carrier-based stealth multirole fighter aircraft |102 |----- |S3 |Belhavia |Carrier-based multirole anti-submarine and aerial refueling aircraft |45 |----- ! style="align: center; background: lavender;" colspan="7" | Strike Aircraft |----- |FGR5 Trident |Template:Country data Tippercommon |Multirole maritime interdictor and strike aircraft |30 |----- |A-6 |Belhavia |Carrier-based all-weather medium attack aircraft |68 |----- ! style="align: center; background: lavender;" colspan="7" | Transport Aircraft |----- |C-132N |Belhavia |Military transport aircraft |89 |----- ! style="align: center; background: lavender;" colspan="7" | Transport/Utility Helicopters |----- |Sea King |Belhavia |Anti-submarine warfare, search and rescue, medium transport/utility helicopter |396 |----- |CH-55 |Belhavia |Heavy-lift and utility helicopter |213 |----- ! style="align: center; background: lavender;" colspan="7" | Trainer |----- |T-6 Mark II |Belhavia |Trainer aircraft |102 |----- ! style="align: center; background: lavender;" colspan="7" | Reconnaissance, Reconnaissance UAV, and Electronic Warfare |----- |RQ-3 |Belhavia |Surveillance UAV |119 |----- |EP-9 |Belhavia |Signals intelligence aircraft |14 |----- | E-8F | Belhavia |AEW&C aircraft |21 |----- |EA-18G |Belhavia |Electronic-warfare aircraft |110 |----- |GR-5 Apollo |Template:Country data Tippercommon |Electronic-warfare aircraft |4 |----- |P-3 Orion |Belhavia |Surveillance aircraft |122 |----- |HS-3 Nimrod |Belhavia |Land-based maritime patrol and ELINT |35 |----- |}