Organization and Equipment of the Florencian Military

Disposition of Forces

Commands Subordinate to the Stavka

• Stavka Strategic Reserve Command

• General Headquarters Scarlet Guards

— Trans Northern Training Area

— Midwest Training Area

— Maritime Training Area

— Greater Southern Training Area

— Eastern Training Area

• Office of Strategic Services to the Stavka

Service Commands

• Union Strategic Weapons Command
• Union Stellar Forces Command
• General Headquarters Union Army
• Republican Navy Main Staff
• Air Defense Strategic Command

Joint Combatant Strategic Directions

• North Allonian Fleet Joint Strategic Command
• Upper Northern Strategic Command
• South Western Strategic Direction
• Heartland Strategic Direction

Unit Organization

Army and National Militia Units

Operational Group

An Operational Group is the highest tactical operating unit in the ground forces that, while not quite as standardized as a division, it still has a clearly delineated structure for a specific mission in different geographical areas and under various operational constraints. Operational groups typically feature subordinate divisions between the Union Army, National Militia, and territorial brigades of the Scarlet Guards; though the highest readiness units will be almost exclusively professional troops from the army. The command and control of an operational group is typically granted to a Lieutenant General.

• All-Arms Operational Group

An all-arms operational group (though it is rarely referred to as one) is the basic field army component within the military ground forces. Such operational groups consist of two to four rifle divisions and one or two armored divisions, plus artillery, anti-air artillery, engineer, chemical defense, signal, intelligence, reconnaissance, armored, rotary, and rear echelon support units. The alteration of the number of rifle and tank divisions along with tube artillery and rocketry artillery support units determines if a group can operate in defensive or offensive roles.

• Armored Group

Like the all-arms group, the armored operational group is a basic and essential component to any army group. And like the all-arms unit, the size and composition of an armored group differs depending on operational constraints and the geographical area. Typically an armored group deploys with two to four armored divisions with one or two infantry divisions, plus artillery, anti-air artillery, engineer, chemical defense, signal, intelligence, reconnaissance, rotary, and rear echelon support units. An armored army is slightly smaller than an all-arms group but features greater cross-country performance, maneuverability, and striking power in order to exploit operations deep into an enemy's rear.

Division

Divisions within the Union Army are for the most part standardized and simplified to maximize battlefield efficiency. The division is generally speaking the smallest organic arms unit and would be tactically subordinated to an army. A Major General will take charge of the formation and every division subscribes to the triangular combat maneuver regimental structure. Furthermore most every division retains a headquarters staff, artillery regiment, communications battalion, cavalry reconnaissance battalion, pioneer battalion, service battalion, aviation company, and an artillery anti-air battalion. National Militia divisions typically are organized identically to the TOE as the Union Army, but not always.

• Rifle Division

The backbone of the Union ground forces is the rifle division. The Florencian rifle division is 13,000 soldiers arrayed into three maneuver regiments, one armored rifled (mechanized) and two motorized rifle. The main striking power of the armored rifle regiment lays in it's organic tank battalion, with the two mechanized battalions acting in support. Likewise the motorized regiments feature a mechanized battalion supported by two motorized battalions. The rifle division is the unsung hero, bearing the brunt of most fighting. Honorary epithets such as "Grenadier" or "Storm" may replace or supplement "rifle" as a morale-building honorific. Within militia rifle divisions the table of organization is always the same as that of the Union Army.

Eight Rifle Divisions are in service with the Union Army and the National Militia organizes four of them.

• Light Division

The light divisions of the Union ground forces forgo the mechanized regiment organic to rifle divisions, instead opting for a third motor rifle maneuver regiment. Union Army light divisions also forgo the the mechanized battalion organic in a motorized regiment for another battalion transported via wheeled armored personal carriers. However some National Militia divisions retain the mechanized rifle battalion for all three maneuver regiments.

The light division is purposed to tackle vertical mountain warfare, high intensity urban missions, dense jungles, or water clogged marshes. Light infantrymen relay more so on marching through impassible ravines, skiing down alpine slopes, or fording through swamps as opposed to motorized transport. The Union's finest soldiers for any extreme or specialized environment. A battalion of light armored wheeled tank destroyers is tacked on for added firepower. National Militia light division table of organization typically forgo the tank destroyer battalion for a proper armored battalion All light divisions are given an environment specific designation, "Mountain" or "Jungle" for instance.

One light division is in service with the Union Army; the 19th Mountain Division. The Army National Militia reserve operates a further eight light divisions.

• Armored Division

The armored divisions are the deep cutting sabers that emulate the cavalry of old. Meant to overwhelm the enemy with overwhelming firepower or simply race on past him, the armor is structured as two combat regiments of tanks and one of mechanized rifles. Armored regiments featuring two battalion of tanks supported by a mechanized battalion.

Armored divisions feature a leaner line up of 12,000 soldiers, which is of course offset by the greater concentration of armor, plus the addition of a motorized rocket artillery company. A commonality with the rifle division is that such honorifics as "Cavalry", "Dragoon", or "Hussar" can likewise be adopted. Militia armored division templates are typically the same, though an armored or armored rifle regiment can be forgone for just two combat maneuver regiments.

Currently the Union Army operates three of these divisions and the National Militia two.

• Airborne Divisions

An airborne division is a much leaner formation as opposed to the rest of it's peers. With a strength of only 8,500 men, it has two maneuver regiments of parachutists, supplemented by an air deployable tank destroyer (or tank) battalion, and support units trimmed of excess. The Airborne Division is geared towards being a deep-penetration, almost guerrilla style fighting unit.

Whereas the airborne assault divisions of the Union Army are purposed towards being rapidly deployable and actually capturing and holding an objective. They are unique for their total mechanization utilizing light combat vehicles, leading to much greater combat mobility when compared to foreign counterparts. Given the nature of modern warfare a massed combat airdrop will not be completed, but mechanization and the extreme air mobility of the airborne assault forces ensures that they remain relevant as the Union Army's quick reaction force.

The Union Army currently has two airborne and two air assault divisions.

Regimental Combat Teams

Regimental Combat Teams are the smallest independent combat maneuver unit of the Union Army. These independent regiment are essentially reinforced combat regiments, with support, reconnaissance, and artillery elements. Regimental combat teams combine the unit cohesion of the standard regiment with accompanying reinforcements to provide greater firepower or flexibility to an army group. Independent regiments stand at an authorized strength of 4,000 soldiers and fall under the leadership of a Colonel.

• Rifle Regimental Combat Team

A motorized infantry regiment reinforced by a wheeled or mechanized anti-tank battalion, along with all other typical reinforcements. Three of these regiments are organized under the Union Army and two by the National Militia. The independent rifle regiment typically act as environment specific units and are forward deployed by their respective strategic directions.

• Armored Calvary Regimental Combat Team

The armored cavalry combat team is the Union Army's secondary armored force and is designed around a combined arms maneuver regiment supplemented by an additional reconnaissance cavalry group, armored rifle battalion, and artillery units. The Union army fields three of these regiments and the National Militia an additional one to augment operational group commanders with an independent reserve of heavy hitting armor.

• Air Calvary Regimental Combat Team

The air assault component of the Union Army that deploy almost exclusively from aviation assets, quite smaller than most other separate regiments. The organic artillery battalion itself is omitted, so that motorized or towed howitzers can be replaced by dedicated helicopter gunships from the combat aviation group. The battlefield mobility of a reinforced regiment that is almost entirely transportable by way of rotary or VTOL assets is near endless. Air Calvary regiments are meant to act as an air mobile striking force for strategic direction commanders to seize strategic points such as bridges, airports, or industrial zones. There are currently six of these air assault regiments in the Union Army.

• Combat Aviation Regimental Combat Team

Mobilization

Class A

Class A divisions are active duty formations at peak authorized strength and feature fully equipped volunteers with up-to-date equipment. In the event of mobilization such formations can be readily made available, deployment time reliant only on orders received and the mobility of the division.

Class B

Class B divisions are National Militia formations that feature a full compliment of officers and cadre of enlisted. There strength in numbers and quality of equipment nominally equal to that of a Class A. The only caveat being manned by reservist personal. In the event of war, the National Militia will be mobilized to bring the division to an active footing after additional training.

Class C

Class C divisions are bare bone formations featuring active duty officers only and a small cadre of support personal. Peace time operations of these Union Army divisions is aiding in the training and schooling of Scarlet Guard recruits. During times of war it will take some time for a Class C division to intake mobilized conscripts from the Scarlet Guards and receive additional arms, yet time is cut down significantly with a divisional command structure. Of course additional arms and equipment need to be procured for the division before it can be deployed or conduct meaningful training exercises.

Invisible Divisions

In the spirit of the well ingrained doctrine of maskirovka, a number of "invisible divisions" exist within the Union Army. In peacetime several select formations feature a divisional staff that has duplicates for such position as divisional deputy commander, as well as the regimental ones. One of these deputies performs his responsibilities and assigned tasks on the daily accordingly. The duplicate performs his deputy commander positions to the best of his ability but rarely, because he has other responsibilities. For instance, the second divisional commander deputy has the hushed role of "Divisional Commander—Second Formation". A similar arrangement exists with the chief of staff and regimental commanders, and every battalion commander's own deputy has the additional task of performing his superior's job.

In the event of war, the division will receive its orders from the higher ups, mobilize, and head towards the front. However the duplicate junior officers have remained in camp and the battalion commander deputies have been replaced by a company commander (for there are not two junior battalion commanders), and he by a platoon commander. The division would then advance towards the front, with a full complement of soldiers, officers, and equipment. The inconsequential shuffling of officers does not reduce the combat efficiency of the division in any major way.

With this cadre of officers having remained behind, an entire divisional command staff stands at the ready. A new formation would soon be created by the arrival of 13,000 conscripts to complement a full division. To note the fighting capabilities of such a hastily formed formation are inferior to that of the average combat maneuver unit. But a conscripted mass of citizen-soldiers are built around a professional core of officers who have years of active duty experience as commanders or understudies to them. The issue of equipment and arms procurement is soon rectified by the arrival of semi-modern equipment. Everything of military value that ends up being replaced or superseded by a newer model is passed down and eventually mothballed, but still kept in working condition. In theory, a quick sprint of refreshing training, an entirely new division is ready to be sent to the front.

The existence of such formations being readily available is kept hush by military intelligence. The OSS has gone to great lengths to ensure the secrecy of such divisions remains very minimal to foreign governments. The purpose of these invisible divisions is two fold; the rapid procurement of a reasonable combat effective unit, and to always keep the enemy guessing. These phantom formations ensure that enemy intelligence will never be able to properly gauge the troop strength of Florencia nor even what units are being meet in combat.