Ghantish Army

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Ghantish Army
Active1939 (as reconstituted in its current form)
CountryGhant
AllegianceMonarch(s) of Ghant
BranchArmy
Size111,519 (active), 300,000+ (reserve)

The Ghantish Army is the land component of the Ghantish Imperial Forces. Reconstituted in its current form in 1939, subsequent to the Ghantish Revolution, it is a force constituted by 111,519 active personnel and more than 300,000 reserve troops. It is composed of three component: the professional Imperial Army, and the Provincial Forces, and the Imperial Legion.

Given Ghant's sub-arctic climate, as well as varied and inhospitable landscape featuring mountains, forests, bogs and tundra, the Ghantish Army is adapted and developed to operate in this hostile environment. In the event of an invasion by a hostile army, Ghantish doctrine envisages the use of Provincial units to bog down the enemy advance, using a mixture of both conventional warfare and insurgent tactics, taking maximum advantage of the defenders' knowledge of local conditions and terrain. Once the enemy is exhausted and the battlefield 'shaped' to the Ghantish commander's satisfaction, the mobile units of the regular army would be utilised to overwhelm the invaders in a concerted counterattack.

Regular Army

The regular Imperial Army is a professional force, capable of both deployment overseas in an expeditionary posture, or else assist the Provincial Forces in a home defense scenario. The Army primary combat formation of the Army is the combined arms brigade group, which is the largest permanently-established manoeuvre unit in peace-time.

Four division headquarters, together with skeletal divisional staff, also exist in peacetime, to command groupings of combat brigades and supporting elements in major conflicts.

Primary combat units

The core maneuver elements of the Imperial Army consists of eleven combat brigades:

5x Armored Brigades:

  • HQ
  • 3x Armored Battalions (41x Tusker Main Battle Tanks)
  • 1x Mechanized Infantry Battalion (56x CV90 Infantry fighting vehicles)
  • 1x Artillery Battalion (18x 155mm Self-propelled howitzers)
  • 1x Armored Reconnaissance Company (13x CV90120 light tank)
  • 1x Engineer Company (BvS-10)
  • 1x Signal Company (BvS-10)
  • 1x Air Defense Company (12x ASRAD-R launcher vehicles based on the BvS-10 chassis)
  • 1x Logistics Battalion

An Armored Brigade contains roughly 5,000 personnel in total.

5x Mechanized Brigades:

  • HQ
  • 1x Armored Battalion (41x Tusker Main Battle Tanks)
  • 3x Mechanized infantry Battalion (56x CV90 infantry fighting vehicles)
  • 1x Artillery Battalion (18x Archer Artillery System)
  • 1x Armored Reconnaissance Company (13x CV90120 light tank light tank)
  • 1x Engineer Company (BvS-10)
  • 1x Signal Company (BvS-10)
  • 1x Air Defense Company (12x ASRAD-R launcher vehicles on BVS-10 chassis)
  • 1x Logistics Battalion

A Mechanized Brigade contains roughly 5,500 personnel in total.

1x Ehiztari brigade

  • HQ
  • 1x Airborne Infantry Battalion
  • 3x Mountain Warfare Battalion (BvS-10)
  • 1x Artillery Battalion (18x M777 howitzer)
  • 1x Light Reconnaissance Company (14x Apollo Motors Battleaxe)
  • 1x Engineer Company
  • 1x Signal company
  • 1x Air Defense Company (15x RBS-70 teams)
  • 1x Logistics Battalion

The Ehiztari (‘hunters’) Brigade is a highly-trained light infantry rapid reaction force. The first battalion is capable of undertaking parachute operations, whereas the second, third and fourth battalions are trained and equipped for mountain and deep arctic operations. All are air assault capable. The Brigade contains roughly 4,000 personnel.

Support units

The above primary maneuver forces are supported by eight other brigades:

6x Artillery Brigade

  • 1x 155mm self-propelled artillery battalion (18x self-propelled guns)
  • 1x MLRS Battalion (12x M270 MLRS)

2x Engineer Brigade

  • 3x Engineer Battalions

3x SAM Brigade

2x Aviation Brigades

1x Coastal Defense Brigade

  • 24x Coastal defense missile batteries (4x quadruple RBS-15 mobile launchers)

NOTE: This is a purely administrative grouping of coastal defense assets. In actual operations, individual batteries would be assigned to provide support for local forces.

Imperial Army Special Forces Command

  • 6x Special Forces Battalion

NOTE: The Imperial Army’s special forces are trained and equipped for special reconnaissance, unconventional warfare, direct action, counter-terrorism and other related tasks.

Imperial Reserves

The Imperial Reserves are formed by civilian volunteers who elect to serve part-time with the regular Imperial Army, rather than the Provincial Forces, who commit to training one weekend per month, plus two weeks per year, as well as potential deployment overseas at short notice upon mobilisation. Demobilised personnel from the regular Imperial Army are also obligated to serve in the Reserves for a period of six years. Their role is to augment the regular army's order of battle in wartime.

Altogether, the Imperial Reserves are constituted by some 40,000 personnel, spread across six Mechanised Infantry Brigades, as well as a number of combat support and sustainment units.

Imperial Legion

The Imperial Legion functions as the Emperor’s private army. It is organised as a motorized infantry brigade of about 4,000 personnel.

  • HQ
  • 3x Infantry Battalion (XA-185 APC)
  • 1x Cavalry Battalion (Equipped with horses, as well as ceremonial sabers and lances in addition to normal small arms. This unit is specialises in rough-terrain reconnaissance)
  • 1x Artillery Battalion (FH77)
  • 1x Engineer Company
  • 1x Signal Company
  • 1x Air Defense Compnay (12x ASRAD-R launcher vehicles on XA-185 chassis)
  • 1x Logistics Battalion

Provincial Forces

Provincial Forces do not belong to the Imperial Army’s peacetime chain of command. Rather, they are the forces of the regional aristocracy and in many cases constitute their household troops. As may be expected given the Ghantish climate and terrain, these forces are typically optimized and trained for combat in mountainous and subarctic environments. A significant proportion of Provincial Forces infantry units are ski-trained. They are also restricted by Imperial Law from possessing certain categories of weapons systems. For instance, they are prohibited from operating main battle tanks, artillery with a calibre greater than 120mm, or guided missiles with range exceeding 8km.

There is no uniform organization for these units. However, an ‘average’ Provincial Forces motorized infantry brigade of about 4,000 would generally consist of the following:

  • HQ
  • 3x Infantry Battalions (XA-185 APC, BVS-10, LAG-302 or trucks)
  • 1x Artillery Battalion (18x M119 howitzer or FH77)
  • 1x Light Reconnaissance Company (Apollo Motors Battleaxe) or Cavalry Squadron (horses, lances, sabers, small arms)
  • 1x Engineer Company
  • 1x Signal Company
  • 1x Air Defense Battery (12x RBS-70 teams or 12x 40 mm L/70 towed AA guns)
  • 1x Logistics Battalion

Small unit organisation

A battalion of six to eight hundred personnel is the basic building block of the Ghantish Army.

A tank battalion consists of four companies, each of ten tanks, divided into three platoons of three vehicles plus one command post tank.

A Regular Army mechanised infantry battalion consists of the battalion headquarters, three mechanised infantry companies of three platoons each, and a combat support company. The latter consists of a mortar battery of six 120mm self-propelled mortars, a reconnaissance platoon (including a sniper team), and an anti-tank platoon with eighteen ATGM teams. The mechanised infantry companies are equipped with infantry fighting vehicles, whereas combat support elements are mostly mobilised using band-tracks.

Brigade commanders would routinely cross-attach sub-units under his command in order to construct combined arms, free-standing battalion-sized formations which can fight effectively on its own as a tactical unit, known as 'battlegroups'. For example, a battlegroup fighting in a defensive position on the 'main line of resistance' may be based on a mechanised infantry battalion, with one of its three infantry companies substituted by a tank company, attached with an engineer platoon and provided with an artillery battery of six self-propelled guns firing in direct support.

An Regular Army mechanised infantry platoon is mobilised in four infantry fighting vehicles. It is commanded by a headquarters team of three: a second lieutenant and a master sergeant, assisted by a communications specialist. Subordinated to them are twelve vehicle crewmen and three rifle squads of nine personnel. Each rifle squad is commanded by a sergeant or a corporal and aside from the squad commander himself is divided into two fireteams of eight, each consisting of a light machine gunner, two riflemen, and a grenadier armed with a rifle with a 40mm underbarrel grenade launcher attached. Light infantry platoons have no vehicle crew, but possess a weapons squad of six men, divided into two three-men medium machine gun teams.

Equipment

Name Origin Type Ammunition Notes
M90 (camouflage)  Ghant Camouflage uniform N/A
Pattern 90  Ghant Combat helmet
Pattern 37  Ghant Combat helmet Mostly used by Provincial Forces
Scalable Plate Carrier  Belfras Body armour
Small Arms Protective Insert  Belfras Trauma plate
MOLLE  Belfras Individual load-bearing equipment
General Service Respirator  Arthurista Gas mask

Small arms

Name Origin Type Ammunition Notes
K51 "Balang" machete  Arthurista Machete N/A
K4 Bayonet  Arthurista Bayonet N/A
Model 1740 Cavalry Sword  Ghant Cavalry sword
L109A1  Arthurista Fragmentation grenade N/A
P99  Ghant Pistol 9x19 parabellum
L-35  Ghant Pistol 9x19 parabellum Common among Provincial Forces units
Redhawk  Belfras Revolver .44 Magnum Issued to wilderness patrol units for self-defence against wildlife
K45  Ghant Sub-machine gun 9x19 parabellum Common among Provincial Forces units and second line formations
CBJ-MS  Ghant Sub-machine gun 9x19, 6.5×25mm CBJ
Model 870  Belfras Shotgun 12 gauge
FA-5  Ghant Assault rifle 5.56x45 Main service rifle
FA-4  Ghant Battle rifle 6.5x55 Reserve use
FU-42  Ghant Battle rifle 6.5x55 Mostly used by low-tiered Provincial Forces
FU-6  Ghant Bolt-action rifle 6.5×55mm Standard infantry weapon in the early-mid 20th century, still issued to wilderness patrol units for self-defence against wildlife.
TRG-42  Ghant Sniper rifle 6.5x55mm and .338 LM
Ultimax  Lion's Rock Light machine gun 5.56x45
L6A2 General Purpose Machine Gun  Arthurista General purpose machine gun 6.5x55
CIL 50MG  Lion's Rock Heavy machine gun 12.7x99
M203 grenade launcher  Belfras underbarrel grenade launcher 40mm grenade
CIL 40 AGL  Lion's Rock Automatic grenade launcher 40mm grenade
GL05 Universal Support Weapon  Arthurista Automatic grenade launcher/heavy machine gun 25mm grenade, 12.7x99
GL09 Advanced Airburst Weapon  Arthurista Handheld automatic grenade launcher 25mm grenade

Anti-tank weapons

Name Origin Type Ammunition Notes
BO-1110  Ghant Heavy crew-served recoilless rifle Mainly used by low-tiered Provincial Forces
AT4  Ghant Disposable AT launcher
FBK-48  Ghant Reloadable AT launcher
MBT LAW  Ghant Light man-portable ATGM
BILL 1 Anti-tank guided weapon  Ghant ATGM Mostly in reserve
BILL 2 Anti-tank guided weapon  Ghant ATGM Current main infantry anti-tank weapon
Scorpion missile  Belfras Helicopter-launched ATGM
Vantage missile  Arthurista NLOS missile

Anti-air systems

Name Origin Type Ammunition Notes
MS-70  Ghant SHORAD missile This is the main brigade-level anti-air weapon among regular units. Mostly mounted on band-tracks or wheeled armoured vehicles.
AD-16 Adder  Arthurista Medium-range SAM
AD-12 Area Defence Missile  Arthurista Long range anti-aircraft, ballistic missile and cruise missile system
40mm L/70  Ghant Anti-aircraft gun Widely used by Provincial Forces for static defence
KK43  Ghant Anti-aircraft gun Widely used by Provincial Force

Artillery

Name Origin Type Ammunition Notes
M6 mortar  Arthurista Commando mortar 60mm
L16 81mm mortar  Arthurista Medium mortar 81mm
K6  Yisrael Heavy infantry mortar 120mm
AMOS  Ghant Self-propelled mortar 120mm Mounted on CV90 chassis
M119 howitzer  Arthurista Towed gun 105mm
FH77  Ghant Towed gun 155mm Mostly in reserve or employed by Provincial Forces
Archer Artillery System  Ghant Self-propelled gun 155mm
KM-68  Ghant Self-propelled gun 155mm Mostly in reserve
TDI Ares  Belfras Self-propelled MLRS 227mm rockets, ACM-6 Vassago

Armoured fighting vehicles

Name Origin Type Variants Notes
Apollo Motors Battleaxe  Arthurista Light general purpose vehicle
CV90  Ghant Infantry fighting vehicle
LAG-302  Ghant Armoured personnel carrier Reserves
XA-185  Ghant Armoured personnel carrier Employed mainly by the Imperial Legion or Provincial Forces
CV90120  Ghant Light tank
Ikv 91  Ghant Light tank/armoured reconnaissance vehicle Mainly in reserve
Tusker Main Battle Tank  Ghant Main battle tank Over 1,000 produced including engineering, bridge-laying and recovery variants
'S-Tank'  Ghant Main battle tank Mainly in reserve
Cavalier Main Battle Tank  Arthurista Main battle tank Mk3 Mainly in reserve. Updated with Belfrasian diesel engines. Some Engineering/ARV/ABL variants remain in service
BvS-10  Ghant All Terrain Band-track Widely used by both the Regular Army and Provincial Forces
M3 Amphibious Rig  Arthurista Bridging vehicle
Bushmaster Protected Mobility Vehicle  Arthurista MRAP

Army aviation

Name Origin Type Variants Notes
Arthuristan Dynamics Raven  Arthurista Attack helicopter
Clios Peregrine  Belfras Medium-lift helicopter
Chinook  Belfras Heavy lift helicopter
Gazelle  Vannois Light helicopter
Arthuristan Dynamics Phoenix  Arthurista UAV
MQ-1C Gray Eagle  Belfras UAV
Arthuristan Dynamics Lancer  Arthurista UAV
RQ-11 Raven  Belfras Mini-UAV
Black Hornet Nano  Arthurista Micro-UAV

Surface-to-surface missiles

Name Origin Type Variants Notes
ACM-6 Vassago  Arthurista Tactical ballistic missile Unitary warhead, submunitions, BAT

Battlefield surveillance systems

Name Origin Type Variants Notes
Mobile Artillery Monitoring Battlefield Radar  Arthurista Counter-battery radar
MSTAR  Arthurista Battlefield surveillance radar
Giraffe radar  Ghant Air surveillance radar