Gassasinian Defence Force

Gassasinian Defence Force
Service branches	Gassasinian Royal Army Royal Gassasinian Air Force Royal Gassasinian Navy
Leadership
Commander-in-Chief	Prime Minister Ahmed al-Rashid
Minister of Defence	George Aoun
Chief of Defence Staff	GEN Mohammed Adib
Personnel
Military age	16 with parental consent, 18 without parental consent and for combat roles.
Fit for military service	3,450,000 males, age 15–49, 3,150,000 females, age 15–49
Active personnel	125,000
Reserve personnel	50,000
Expenditure
Budget	~$24 billion
Percent of GDP	3.24%
Industry
Domestic suppliers	Gassasinian Defence Systems Zhayed Heavy Industries Hacohen Microsystems George and Sons Textiles Company SARACEN Industries Al-Haddad Business Computers
Foreign suppliers	Bakyern Vescarium Kentalis Qazhshava

The Gassasinian Defence Force is the unified armed forces of Gassasinia, being responsible for defending Gassasinia and its' people from external threats, along with supporting international peacekeeping efforts and humanitarian aid. The current Gassasinian Defence Force was formed in 1980 from the previous Gassasinian Royal Armed Forces, and drew its' commanders, officers and soldiers from a diverse range of backgrounds to ensure that the Gassasinian Defence Force not just represented upper-class Christian interests, but the interests of the people as a whole.

Based on a similar doctrine to [BRITISH]'s armed forces, the the Gassasinian Defence Force is a well-equipped, well-organised and well-trained - albeit small force - relying on effective organisation and technological advantage over more numerous enemies. Officers have much more freedom to act on their own initiative, allowing for greater flexibility on the field compared to other Arab armies who are often constrained out of fear of a military coup. It is well-equipped with a variety of modern armoured armoured fighting vehicles and aircraft developed in Bakyern and Kentalis and often modified to meet Gassasinian needs. The Gassasinian Defence Force mainly consists of a professional force of volunteer soldiers, with conscription being abolished in 1977 by the Defence Force Act.

The Gassasinian Defence Force is known its' contributions to world-wide peacekeeping operations, having been present in some capacity in a diverse variety of internationally-lead peacekeeping operations since the 1980's. The Gassasinian Defence Force is also important in ensuring internal security in Gassasinia, in particular helping the Gassasinian National Police to patrol the nation's borders and co-ordinate counter-terrorist operations.

History

The Royal Gassasinian Armed Forces, the predecessor of the modern day Gassasinian Defence Force, was formed after 1949 from the Royal King's [ARAB]n Rifles Regiment after the fall of imperial rule in Gassasinia. Throughout its' early years, the Royal Gassasinian Armed Forces came to be known as corrupt and elitist - being primarily intended to protect the interests of the [CHRISTIAN] elite - but also fiercely efficient and brutally repressive against those who threatened the Christian order.

In the lead-up to the 1970's, various far-right paramilitary groups who were not officially part of the Gassasinian Royal Armed Forces but often attached to the Royal Gassasinian Police Service were formed, which often worked alongside the army and were responsible for a variety of atrocities before and during the Insurgency in Western Gassasinia. Throughout the insurgency, the army proved to be highly effective, using a combination of air and ground mobility, and good organisation to effectively push the main paramilitary groups from their hideouts in major cities to the mountains. Although most officers were Christians or Jews, at least half of the basic infantrymen were Muslims who had enlisted for benefits and pay.

It was the very Gassasinian Royal Armed Forces that deposed King Hashim II when in 1975, soldiers of the Gassasinian Army entered parliament and arrested the Prime Minister on orders of the Supreme Court.

The Gassasinian Defence Force was formed in 1977 by the Defence Force Act of 1977, with the Prime Minister as its' commander-in-chief. From the start, the Gassasinian Defence Force was designed to incorporate not just the dominantly Christian officers of the old army, but officers from a variety of ethno-religious and economic backgrounds, with selection being based on merit rather than status. Although most the soldiers were taken from the old Gassasinian Royal Armed Forces, the army also integrated some former soldiers and officers of more moderate opposition paramilitary groups which had disarmed themselves following the end of the insurgency. With [British] help, the Gassasinian Defence Force was retrained and reorganised, and a diverse selection of officers was introduced. While the branches retained their royal title, the Gassasinian Defence Force's name was chosen to represent the people of Gassasinia rather than the Christian monarch, and also to emphasise the defensive nature of the armed forces as a protective precaution of a peaceful nation.

The Gassasinian Air Force is an operator of both MkF16 and MkF18 high-tech stealth fighter aircraft, along with the advanced MkF99 multirole fighter jet.

Domestic Suppliers

The principle domestic suppliers for the Gassasinian Defence Force are Gassasinian Defence Systems, Zhayed Heavy Industries and Hacohen Microsystems. Rather than designing its' own arms, the Gassasinian defence industry generally tends to modify and upgrade foreign bought and licensed arms for its' own needs. Although not considered a major arms exporter, Gassasinian does have some arms exports, mainly in the area of electronic suites for electronic suites and modification and upgrades for pre-existing armoured fighting vehicles.

Gassasinian Defence Systems

Gassasinian Defence Systems is a partially government-owned corporation, responsible for servicing aircraft of the Royal Gassasinian Air Force, along with providing some upgrades to foreign equipment, and manufacturing indigenous arms for the Armed Forces. Furthermore, Gassasinian Defence Systems is contracted to service and maintain Mehravan Air Force aircraft, especially Bakyern MkF3 and Kentalian E-40 fighters that Gassasinia sold second-hand to Mehrava.

As of recent, Gassasinian Defence Systems has picked up manufacturing of spare parts for the IAC-120/BT main battle tank, owing to difficulties in acquiring spare parts since the outbreak of the Vescarium Civil War.

MkF18-GA

The MkF18-GA is a specially designed variant of the Bak MkF18 multi-role fifth generation stealth fighter jet. Having been one of the original financial contributors to the MkF18's development, Gassasinia has special considerations for maintenance, along with their own special variant of the fighter designed for Gassasinian specifications. Having contributed significantly to the electronics, sensors and computer systems of the MkF18, the MkF18-GA was designed as a joint project between the Bak company Asdern, Hacohen Microsystems and Gassasinian Defence Systems as a modification of the MkF18A model, which introduces a plug-and-play system allowing Gassasinian electronics and jamming systems to be easily integrated into the aircraft.

Gassasinia became one of the earliest operators of the MkF18 fighter in 2017 after the first delivery of 12 fighter aircraft, Since then, Gassasinia has acquired 13 more aircraft and plans to acquire as many as sixty more.

Challenger-2GA

The Challenger-2GA is a Gassasinian-specialised variant of the Vescarium-designed IAC-120/BT2 main battle tank, which has been upgraded with Gassasinian features to create the most advanced variation of the IAC-120/BT2 battle tank to date. In particular, its' upgrades include:

• Trophy Active Protection System
• LAHAT anti-tank missiles, which are designed to be able to be fired from the 120mm cannon.
• Advanced computer systems, including fire-control and gun processing systems.
• Advanced sensor and camera systems, including an advanced 3rd Generation thermal imaging.

These upgrades are argued to make the Challenger-2GA one of the most advanced and best protected tanks in current use.

Structure

• Gassasinian Defence Force
  • Gassasinian Royal Army - 80,000 Active, 45,000 Reserve
    • Regular Army
      • Royal Artillery Corps
      • Royal Armoured Corps
      • Royal Army Aviation Corps
        • 9th Regiment RAAC
          • 818 Squadron RAAC
        • 4th Regiment RAAC
          • 844 Squadron RAAC
      • Royal Corps of Air Defence
      • Royal Corps of Engineers
        • 3rd Engineer Brigade
        • 8th Engineer Brigade
      • Royal Corps of Signals
      • Royal Army Medical Corps
        • 943 Medical Reserve Regiment
        • 919 Medical Reserve Regiment
        • 342 Medical Regiment
        • 884 Medical Reserve Regiment
        • 439 Medical Evacuation Regiment
      • Infantry
        • Parachute Regiment
          • 1st Brigade
        • 3rd Mechanised Infantry Division
          • 5th Brigade
          • 8th Brigade
          • 9th Brigade
          • 2nd Brigade
  • Gassasinian Royal Air Force - 33,000 Active, 2,500 Reserve
    • No. 1 Fighter Group
      • 475 Fighter Squadron - Typhoon
      • 882 Fighter Squadron - Tornado
      • 932 Fighter Squadron - F35
    • No. 2 Ground Attack Group
    • No. 3 Air Combat Support Group
      • 2nd Airlift Squadron
      • 1st Troop Transport Unit
      • 9th Logistical Support Wing
  • Gassasinian Royal Navy - 12,000 Active, 2,500 Reserve
  • Joint-Branch Services
    • Royal Military Intelligence Service
    • Royal Military Medical Service
    • Joint Military Police Service

Notable Units

Long-Range Patrol Regiment

The Long-Range Patrol Regiment is a notable unit of the Gassasinian Army. Consisting of four battalions, Long-Range Patrol Regiment is a lightly-equipped force, generally travelling in reconnaissance vehicles or on-foot.

The Long-Range Patrol Regiment was formed in 1962, and its' ranks were drawn from northern Bedouin tribes. During the Insurgency in Western Gassasinia, the Long Range Patrol Regiment flourished as many Bedouins strongly disliked the left-wing groups as they viewed them as a threat to their predominantly tribal and nomadic lifestyle, and weren't subject to the same conditions as the heavily exploited working class.

The Long-Range Patrol Regiment during the Insurgency gained a strong reputation for the hardiness of its' troops, who could stealthily track insurgents on-foot through mountainous terrain for weeks. Even to this day, the Long-Range Patrol Regiment retains its' reputation as an elite unit of the Gassasinian Defence Force, and although the unit is home to many urban Arabs, Mehravans and Jews, the regiment remains predominantly Bedouin.

Women, LGBT+ and Vegans in the Defence Force

Women

As of the Defence Force Act of 1977, women are allowed to serve in combat-positions in the Gassasinian Armed Forces. However - very few women serve within front-line combat roles, instead more often serving in rear-echelon support roles. Studies conducted by the Ministry of Defence in 2005 suggested that women often display greater discipline, motivation and marksmanship, but suffer in physical strength. Despite being legally equal to men in terms of opportunity, women are under-represented in the upper-ranks of the Gassasinian Defence Force. However, despite this disparity, in 2016 Wafiya Nawra al-Hashim became the first female general in the Defence Force.

Under the Equality Act of 2003, the Gassasinian Defence Force not only has the responsibility to subject women to the same treatment as men, but also to actively tackle sex-based discrimination.

LGBT+

Since 1983, homosexuals and bisexuals have been allowed to serve in the Gassasinian Defence Force under a policy of Don't ask, don't tell. However, since 2003 openly gay and bisexual soldiers have been allowed to serve in the Defence Force, with the Equality Act of 2003 introducing sexual orientation and gender identity to the list of protected categories and giving the Defence Force the responsibility of tackling orientation and gender identity-based discrimination. However, in spite of legislation, reports of homophobic and transphobic abuse are still common, albeit have been significantly declining since the early 2000's.

In 2013, the Defence Force admitted its' first transgender male-to-female recruit as a woman.

Vegans

As with the last categories, vegans are required to be given proper accommodation to their needs based on the Equality Act of 2003. Vegans are issued jumpers and berets which are made of synthetic wool as opposed to sheep wool. Furthermore, vegans and vegetarians have access to animal product-free rations and catering.

Royal Military Intelligence Service

The Royal Military Intelligence Service - often referred to as the "Mukhabarat" - is the main foreign intelligence service of Gassasinia, responsible for collecting and analysing HUMINT abroad and overseas. In particular, the RMIS' interests lie in tracking potential threats to national security from foreign sources, such as rogue states, military movements, terrorist groups and Weapons of Mass Destruction. The Royal Military Intelligence Service is restricted by legislation in its' ability to spy on individuals and groups within Gassasinia's border, relying instead on its' partners within the National Police, the Counter-Terrorist Command, Internal Security Department and Constitutional Protection Department, who make up the National Security Council.

Cyberwarfare Unit

The Cyberwarfare Unit of the Royal Military Intelligence Service is the main military cyberwarfare unit of the Royal Military Intelligence Service. The Cyberwarfare Unit's activities are classified, but they are suspected to be behind many cyber-attacks against identified threats to Gassasinian security, and even espionage.

Military Police

Within the Gassasinian Defence Force, there are three military police forces: the Royal Naval Police, the Royal Army Military Police and the Royal Air Force Police. The Military Police of Gassasinia is responsible for enforcing military law amongst service personnel.

Military Policemen do not have constable powers, and can only arrest military personnel - rather, Military Policemen can detain civilians, but they must be handed over to a civilian constable for arrest. The exception to this rule is when dealing with civilians subject to service discipline and civilians on Ministry of Defence property.

Military Aid to Civil Authorities

In extraneous circumstances, the Gassasinian Defence Force can be deployed with the authorisation of the Gassasinian Parliament to assist with the civilian authorities and the community as a whole. Natural disasters, major accidents and strikes have seen the military deployed in non-combative missions to protect and save lives. The Gassasinian Defence Force has been deployed in the past to assist civil authorities, in particular providing rescue, fire-fighting and ambulance services during major incidents or strikes.

Along with assistance to emergency services, another major Military Aid to Civil Authorities role is bomb defusal. During the 1960's and 1970's, tends of thousands of improvised bombs, grenades and mines were abandoned across the country which often necessitate response by the Gassasinian Royal Army's bomb disposal unit.

Uniform

Soldiers of the [BRITISH] Army. While the L85A2 is not in use with the Gassasinian Defence Force, this image provides a pretty accurate estimation as to the visual appearance of Gassasinian Royal Army soldiers.

Standard uniform for the Gassasinian Defence Force consists of Multi Terrain Pattern fatigues, acquired through a mix of licensed production and foreign purchase, which are worn either with a field cap or boonie hat for work-purposes, or a beret coloured in correspondence with one's unit when on ceremonial and parade duties. When wearing the field-shirt for non-combat work duties, the left shoulder of the uniform bears the soldier's unit patch, whereas the right shoulder bears an IR patch of the national flag in tan and olive green colours. Additionally, on the left breast of the field-shirt is a name-tape reading the soldier's surname along with a tape on the right breast reading "GASSASINIA." Tankists and vehicle crews are issued jumpsuit coveralls and an olive green [AMERICAN] tank helmet.

Often soldiers on office work and non-combat work in colder temperatures will wear a green Commonwealth-type Woolly Pully.

Often when wearing combats, instead of wearing a field shirt soldiers will wear a half-zip combat shirt. Along with this, for protection soldiers are issued [BRITISH] Mark 4 Osprey Body Armour and a Mark 7 helmet. Alternatively for less-intensive roles or other cases where full load isn't needed, troops are issued with an MTP [BRITISH]-styled harness.

Multi-terrain Pattern was adopted in 2010, replacing the tropical DPM pattern fatigues used previously. Multicam was previously adopted in 2005 in limited numbers for testing, and then in larger numbers as a stop-gap measure until MTP fatigues could be issued. To this day, Multicam is still used by certain auxillary, armed police and cadet units which aren't directly part of the Gassasinian Defence Force.

Equipment

Small-arms

Name	Country	Image	Notes
Handguns
Gassasinian Defence Systems P-17	Gassasinia		Standard sidearm since 1982, replacing the Browning Hi Power.
Pistole 93	Bakyern		Standard sidearm for certain special forces and armed police units.
Zhayed Heavy Industries M-75	Gassasinia		Handgun chambered for 9mm, more often seen in use by police and civilians, but also in limited military use. Unlicensed derivative of a Communist-made pistol which is no longer in production.
Submachine Guns and Carbines
Maschinengewehr M68	Bakyern		Standard submachine gun of the Gassasinian Defence Force, being phased out in favour of the new GDS MPX. Locally produced under license by Zhayed Heavy Industries until 2015, when it was decided that it would be replaced due to it being considered outdated.
Gassasinian Defence Systems MPX	Gassasinia		Newly adopted standard submachine gun of Gassasinian Defence Force and Police. Adopted to phase out the MP5 due to greater modularity. Limited licensed production by Gassasinian Defence Systems.
Maschinengewehr M3P	Bakyern		The MP M03 is used in tandem with the MPX and MP M68. The MP M03 is well-liked thanks to its' PDW cartridge that can penetrate soft body armour.
Shotguns
Gassasinia Defence Systems SG-3	Gassasinia		Standard shotgun of the Gassasinian Defence Force and Police. Preferred thanks to its' dual semi-automatic or pump action mode.
Assault and Battle Rifles
Zhayed Heavy Industries MARS-L	Gassasinia	File:LMT R20 Rahe.jpg	Standard rifle of the Gassasinian Defence Force, replacing the EKR23 in 1995. Built upon the AR15 platform, featuring a variety of barrel lengths and the ability to fit a variety of modular attachments.
Gassainian Defence Systems MCX	Gassasinia		Used by certain units of the Gassainian Armed Forces, particularly armoured and air units, along with some special forces units. Gas-piston based derivative of the AR15.
Feldgewehr M13/Feldgewehr M13A1	Bakyern		The FG M13 assault rifle and its' battle rifle counterpart, the FG M13A1, are both used by certain special forces and police units.
Machine Guns
Feldgewehr M13A2	Bakyern		Supplementary Infantry Automatic Rifle to be used at the discretion of company leaders.
WTS 44	Kentalis		Standard infantry support weapon for the Gassasinian Royal Army.
WTS 82	Kentalis		The WTS 82 is the main general-purpose machine gun of the Gassasinian Defence Force. As of the 1990's, it has been mostly phased out in the Squad Automatic Weapon role but still sees significant use in other roles.
Maschinengewehr M76	Bakyern		The MG76 is used in limited roles, specifically as a dedicated anti-infantry mounted machine gun for fortifications.
Sniper and Marksman Rifles
Zhayed Heavy Industry 308 MWS	Gassasinia		Sharpshooter rifle based upon the AR10 platform.
Accuracy International AWM/Accuracy International	Kentalis	File:Accuracy International AW.png	Sniper rifle, 7.62 or .338 Lapua.
ELK-43	Kentalis	File:M82A1 barrett.jpeg	Heavy anti-material rifle.

Name	Country	Image	Notes
Panzerraketenwerfer M78	Bakyern		Standard AT weapon of infantry units.
RPAW T98	Bakyern
Spike	Gassasinia

Ground Vehicles

Name	Country	Image	Quantity	Notes
Tanks
IAC-120/BT2	Vescarium		400	Updated to "Challenger-2GA" standard using locally produced electronics and sensors by Gassasinian Defence Industries and Hacohen Microsystems. Fitted with modern chobham armour and rifled 120mm gun, along with a locally-designed high-tech active protection system, electronics and anti-tank missiles. Challenger-GA2 variant in development, which is to feature a Bakyern made 130mm cannon.
IAC-120/BT1	Vescarium		150	Updated to the "Challenger-1GA3" standard, which converts the tank to a missile-carrier tank destroyer utilising a set of 12 LAHAT anti-tank missiles.
Infantry Fighting Vehicles
UTR XII	Kentalis		269	Modified to use a suite of Gassasinian-designed electronics systems and sensors.
Schutzenpanzer M20	Bakyern		269	Modified to use a suite of Gassasinian-designed electronics systems and sensors.
UTR XVI	Kentalis		500	Modified to use a suite of Gassasinian-designed electronics systems and sensors.
Armoured Personnel Carriers
Kampffahrzeug SA32	Bakyern		164	Modified to use a suite of Gassasinian-designed electronics systems and sensors.
Assault Amphibious Vehicle	Kentalis		170	Amphibious APC
Schutzenpanzer M79	Bakyern		1050	Modified to utilise indigenously designed and produced sensors, electronics and modular armour systems.
Artillery
Haubitzepanzer FH700	Bakyern		190
M270 Multiple Launch Rocket System	Kentalis		102	GPS-guided artillery rocket.
Mine-Resistant Ambush Protected Vehicles
Dessig UDS XX	Kentalis		262
Utility Vehicles
vuwx M98	Qazhshava
Dessig UDS XII	Kentalis
HMTV	Bakyern
Benfer Z-Class	Bakyern

Aircraft

Name	Country	Image	Quantity	Notes
Combat Aircraft
MkF99	Bakyern		120	Multi-role fighter, local modifications to utilise locally-produced armaments, electronic warfare suites and sensors produced by Hacohen Microsystems and Gassasinian Defence Systems.
MkP98 IDS/ECR	Bakyern		75	Multirole Strike / interceptor aircraft, modernised with Gassasinian avionics and electronical warfare systems.
MkF18-GA	Bakyern | Gassasinia		25, 60 on order	Multi-role stealth fighter, specialised variant designed for Gassasinia to utilise locally-produced armaments, electronic warfare suites and sensors produced by Hacohen Microsystems and Gassasinian Defence Systems.
MkF16	Bakyern		36	Air-superiority stealth fighter, local modifications to utilise locally-produced armaments, electronic warfare suites and sensors produced by Hacohen Microsystems and Gassasinian Defence Systems.
AC-130	Kentalis		2	Heavy gunship, locally modified from C-130 transport aircraft. Based on Bakyern B-90 gunship.
AEW&C
HM-2075 707 AEW&C	Kentalis		3	Modified Morek FA-164 fitted with Gassasinian electronics, sensors and radar.
Reconnaissance
Morek ES-83	Kentalis		6	Surveillance, SIGINT and ELINT
Morek TES-22	Kentalis		3	Equipped with surveillance and ELINT equipment.
Tanker
Morek FA-164	Kentalis		9	Morek FA-164 modified for aerial refuelling.
M12	Kentalis		4	M-12 modified for aerial refuelling.
Transport
M-12 Inquisitor	Kentalis		25	Transport and SAR
M-12A	Kentalis		15	Tactical Airlift
Morek ME-23	Kentalis		6	Strategic Airlift, mainly used for international humanitarian and peacekeeping operations.
M-33	Kentalis		15	Strategic and tactical airlift.
Morek FA-164	Kentalis		20	Troop and VIP transport.
Morek TES-22	Kentalis		44	Utility, transport and maritime patrol
Trainer
BAE Systems Hawk	flag/core|name=[BRITISH]|variant=|size=}}		25	Advanced jet trainer
Nasser X209	Bakyern		44	Basic propeller trainer
Morek TP-3	Kentalis		40	Intermediate propeller trainer
UAV
RV-18 Heretic	Kentalis		24	Reconnaissance and air-strike

Helicopters

Name	Country	Image	Quantity	Notes
Transport Helicopter
Morek-Dessing TH-43	Kentalis		350
Morek-Dessing HTH-22	Kentalis		25	Heavy lift and transport
S-61 Moġze Martax	Qazhshava		40	Medium-lift, transport, ASW, AEW and SAR
Scout Helicopter
Morek TH-44	Kentalis		70
Attack Helicopter
BH-777 Exterminator	Kentalis		50

Navy

Name	Country	Image	In Commission	Notes
Destroyer
Type 45 Destroyer	N/A		2
Frigate
Type 23 Frigate	N/A		3x
Hayil-Class	Sofrezia | Gassasinia		6x	Stealth frigate
Corvette
Dire-Class	Sofrezia | Gassasinia		18x	High-speed stealth missile attack craft.
Fawz-Class	Sofrezia | Gassasinia		12x	Multi-purpose missile corvette
Landing Craft
Baqa-Class Landing Platform Dock	Sofrezia | Gassasinia		5x
Landing Craft Utility	Kentalis		25x
Landing Craft Air Cushion	Kentalis		3x
Patrol Ships
Aistiqlal-Class Littoral Mission Vessel	Sofrezia | Gassasinia		10x
Support Ship
Shahir-Class Hospital Ship	Sofrezia | Gassasinia		2x HGMS Shahir	Gassasinian-built hospital ship, featuring 300 beds, advanced medical facilities and several helipads. Named after Jewish doctor who formed Gassasinia's first paramedic services.
Submarine
River Ghassan-Class	Sofrezia | Gassasinia		6x	Diesel-powered stealth submarine
Minesweeper
Jebel Maktoum Class	Sofrezia | Gassasinia		10x
SIGINT ship