Syaran National Army

Syaran National Army
Insignia of the Syaran National Army
Founded	1988 - Present
Country	Syara
Type	Army
Size	650,000 active duty 2,000,000 reservists
Garrison/HQ	Zovahr
Motto(s)	To the strongest
Engagements	Imerti Conflict Zemplen War
Commanders
Commander-in-Chief	Anita Beleska

The Syaran National Army is the land component of the Syaran Commonality Armed Forces. Founded in 1988 with the rest of the SCAF, the Syaran National Army is the largest branch of the Syaran military and most funded. Counting both regular and reserve personnel it is the largest army in all of Tyran. The Syaran National Army inherited much of it's organizational culture, doctrine, and equipment from the Army of the Syaran Republic.

History

Founded in 1988 aong with the rest of the SCAF, the Syaran National Army inherited much of it's equipment and organizational aspects from the defunct Army of the Syaran Republic. Under the leadership of SNA Central Command, the Syaran Army began the long process of reconstituting itself in the aftermath of the Refusal War.

The SNA in the early 1990s faced the daunting prospect of scaveging what remained of the pre-war Syaran Army arsenal. While much of it was in tatters and dissarray, the SNA Central Command deduced that Syara's domesticly designed equipment would suffice for it's purposes and set about rekindling Syaran arms manufacturing. Between 1990-1994 the SNA identifed production and modernization of small arms, artillery, and air defense systems to be highest priority, followed by armored fighting vehicles and utility vehicles.

Some programs were relatively minor in scope. Uprgades to Syara's P-series of assault rifles were largely cost effective measures and manufacturing decisions, switching from stainless steel to polymers and composite materials to save space and money. The P-91 sidearm, the P-20 combat shotgun, and P-95 assault rifles were essential makeovers of older models. Production of the PH-250 general purpose machine gun and hte PH-14 sniper rifle focused more on modernized practices in light of Syaran experience in the Refusal War. The biggest changes came to more powerful weaponry, namely the Xyston shoulder fired rocket launcher, the Icarus man portable air defense system, and the Falx anti-tank guided missile. These three weapon systems were the most significant alterations to Syaran infantry, upgraded from the Republic's reliance on rocket-propelled grenades.

Artillery had been the cornerstone of the Republic's Army, and the Syaran National Army retained that mindset as it developed through the 90s. Just as the Republic had paved the way for the standardization of heavy artillery during the Divide War, the SNA sought to continue that with the prioritization of a few types of rounds. Taking note of the value of mobile fire support, the SNA began development of a family of self-proppelled artillery pieces that would replace Syara's reliance on towed guns. In order to simplify logistics, 122mm and 155mm calibers were selected as the standardized shells for Syaran fire support, to be fired from the 122mm Polcycotes and the 155 Pallas. Both build on the backs of Syara's DCA utility trucks, mass production began in the late 90s and steadily replaced the towed 155mm Porphyrion. In order to supplament it's traditional shellfire, the Cerberus rocket artillery system was desgined as well, capable of firing 107mm, 122mm, or 128mm rockets.

Although air power did not play a decisive role in the Refusal War, the SNA considered it vital to develop a proper air defense network capable of defending Syaran ground forces from aerial threats. The Republic had fielded many towed air defense guns and self-propelled anti-aircraft guns, but the desire to focus on surface-to-air missiles resulted in the production of the Pollux short range air defense missile system, which could be modified to fire 40mm anti-aircraft shells. While the SNA could be outfitted with the Daedalus mobile SAM launcher for mid-range defense, long range air defense remained in limbo until the fielding of the Calliope long range strategic air defense system, which was finally fielded in 2004 after nearly a decade in development.

Armored fighting vehicles were less of a priority for updating. Many of the Republic's armored vehicles were of sound designs that had served well in the Refusal War, and SNA Central Command did not see much reason for deviation. Only two new AFVs were introduced in the 1990s, the Phaethon APC and Myrmidon main battle tank. The Phaethon, described by the SNA as a light armored personnel carrier, was not meant to replace the older but reliable Notos but compliment it, with a smaller frame, higher speed, and better modularity. The Phaethon was produced in many variants and became primarily known for it's employment as a recon vehicle. The Myrmidon main battle tank was largely an evolution of the older Minotaur, armed with a 125mm cannon and updated optics, fire control systems, and a superior engine gave it a longer service life expectancy and robustness. It was produced in 1998 and intended to replace the Minotaur and even older Manticore, although future events would see both models pressed back into service.

The rebuilding of the SNA, and the SCAF at large, was complete by 2002. While the SCAF had modernized, Syara had undergone an economic boom that had placed it's economy as the 5th largest in Tyran, and the second largest in Siduri after Cacerta. Syara's return as a regional power, built on the Commonality's economic might, even began to get the question whether Syara's 400,000 man army was truly necessary.

Deteriorating relations with neighboring Ruvelka provided the answer. Although the Commonality had signed a border agreement with the Grand Principality in 1993 the underlying issue of disputed territory claimed by both sides remained. Although the government of Executive Dragomir Zhelev was not particularily aggressive when it came to settling the border disputes, the Warden dominated Syaran political elite were not eager to play submissive to Syara's centuries-old ethnic blood feud with the Ruvelkans. Tensions began to rise significantly between the two states between 2003-2005, not helped by the rapid proliferation of the internet and social media which played host to countless nationalist mouthpieces and sensationalist reporting.

In 2005 fighting broke out in the disputed border region of Imerti. Per the 1993 agreement Syara had agreed to limit its presence in Imerti to a garrison force of 5,00 troops. From 1994-2003 this consisted primarily of 3,000 lightly armed personnel, but in the midst of rising tensions this number had been bumped up to 4,600, armed with armored fighting vehicles and artillery. Who was responsible for the outbreak of hostilities is still unclear, but on 9 August 2005 several companies of Ruvelkan Fusiliers and light infantry crossed the border, allegedly to silence Syaran artillery that had been shelling Ruvelkan border outposts (The Syaran National Army maintains it was firing on Ruvelkan trespassers). Highly mobile, heliborne Ruvelkan troops then rapidly crossed the border and seized control of Krrashen, Gotvri, and Sonpek. Not eager for an extended conflict, the SNA was ordered to recapture Imerti. Syaran reinforcements launched a counter-offensive in 12 August, brushing aside Ruvelkan light infantry and taking control of the vital Iliniki Highway. Syaran forces then flooded into Imerti, driving the Ruvelkans from Gotvri and Sonpek on 13 August. A second counter-stroke surrounded the Ruvelkan forces in Zapko. Facing a collapse of their position, the Ruvelakns assaulted Syaran forces between Sonpek of Zapko, but without heavy weapons to eliminate Syaran armor and outclassed in artillery the Ruvelkan attack fell apart. By 13 August the Ruvelkans had been forced to withdraw and an OTN negotiated ceasefire ended the conflict before it grew any larger.

Although it had been caught off guard by the rapid movements of Ruvelka's light infantry, the SNA's succesful counterattack had demonstrated that Syaran combined arms were at least nominally superior to Ruvelkan tactics. It is generally held that Syara's conventional victory over Ruvelka in the Imerti Conflict assured the Zhelev Administration and SCAF Central Command of the military superiority over Ruvelka, a mindset that would prove to have major consequences in the later years.

While Syara emerged more or less "victorious" in Imerti, the far wider reaching implications was the realization that a full scale conventional conflict with a peer opponent was suddenly a very serious threat for Syara. In response to the conflict, in 2006 the SNA underwent a major expansion of size and armarments, ballooning the army to nearly 700,000 men under arms. Expectations of a future conflict with Ruvelka dominated Syaran strategic planning and doctrinal developments. Tensions with Ruvelka provided a rather distinct contrast between methodologies. Whereas Ruvelka's army was centered around light infantry, emphasized by mountain warfare and heliborne operations. The Syaran National Army envisioned war as the maneuver of its brigades and divisions in mass encirclements and wide sweeping offensives. Unlike the Syaran army during the Siduri War, which had defined itself on slow moving operations, the Syaran National Army hoped to employ fast moving tanks and heavily armed mechanized infantry to annihilate forces in vast battles of annihilation. Such maneuvers were born out of the smooth rolling hills of Syara, not the mountains and thick forests of Ruvelka.

Just three years after the Imerti Conflict, fighting in the disputed region of Zemplen broke out in May 2008. As before, the causes of the conflict remain disputed. Originally, both Debrecen and Zovahr signaled a willingness to negotiate a ceasefire, to prevent the fighting from spreading. The SCAF was mobilized in June but told to stand fast while negotiations were underway. By late July however peace talks began to break down. The SNA had deployed several of it's heavy mechanized and armored divisions near the border, which Syara would not withdraw unless Ruvelka pulled it's forces out of the disputed regions, which by late July were teeming with Fusiliers and Imperial Army troops. Ruvelka, in turn, would not withdraw its forces unless the Syarans stood down their armies. Unable to come to an agreement, both sides walked out of negotiations and signaled that full scale hostilities were imminent.

Although Ruvelkan Imperial Army possessed a more comprehensive reserve system than the SNA, by August the Syarans had mobilized larger forces along the border, giving them a distinct advantages in numbers and material. In the ensuing August Offensive the SNA succesfully drove the Ruvelkans from the disputed territories of Tarnova, Rostuša, Zemplen, Armavir, and Imerti. Expectations that this would force Ruvelka to sue for peace were dashed by the defiance of Chancellor Edviná Molnár. Under the leadership of Central Command Chief of Staff Vakhtang Avakian, Syara then launched Operation Aspis, designed to destroy the Imperial Armed Forces of Ruvelka and force the Principality to sue for peace. In keeping with's emphasis on wide sweeping operations, the SNA hoped to encircle the bulk of Ruvelkan forces located on the border by employing Army Groups Alpha, Beta, and Gamma in the north, center, and south respectively in a massive offensive.

Syaran hopes to destroy the main fighting force of the Ruvelkan military proved fruitless. Despite the SNA's superiority in firepower and material, the rugged, heavily forested terrain of Ruvelka was not conducive to fast moving armored forces. Ruvelkan light infantry, assisted by helicopter gunships and superior airpower hammered Syaran forces as they attempted to encircle Ruvelkan units, and frequent counter-attacks through forests, mountains, and urban areas sapped Syaran strength across the entire front. By the end of Aspis the Syarans had inflicted heavy losses on the Ruvelkans, but in exchange had suffered over 90,000 casualties of their own. Although outclassing Ruvelka light tanks, Syaran armor proved unable to exploit breakthroughs and conduct rapid maneuvers in Ruvelka, forcing the bulk of Syara's combat capability to fall upon the Syaran infantry and artillery. While Syara enjoyed superiority in artillery throughout the war, Syara's mechanized infantry struggled to adapt to the change in environments. Faced with the constant threat of Ruvelkan infiltration, snipers, heliborne forces, and fighting in rough terrain unfamiliar to the vehicle-born Syaran rifleman, the Syaran infantry suffered appalling losses in the early campaigns of the Zemplen War.

Fierce urban fighting in locations like Albertirsa very quickly soured Syaran reliance on its mechanized infantry. To compensate, Syaran artillery quickly became the principal arm of the SNA in Ruvelka. Avoidance of pitched urban combat in favor of massed fires became the norm for Syaran operations, expemplified by the Battle of Sagerejo, where Syaran artillery leveled nearly 40% of the city's structures. By the end of the war Syaran heavy artillery would have fired over seven million shells.

Syaran reliance on artillery to solve its tactical shortcomings was a major drain on Syaran logistics, 70% of the weight being artillery shells alone. Syaran artillery thus became a prime target for Ruvelkan Fusiliers and airstrikes, costing the Syarans over 2,640 artillery pieces during the war. Protection of Syaran artillery thus became a major security task, forcing the SNA to divert personnel from front line action to protecting artillery pieces, a task that many Syaran soldiers came to disparagingly call "battery babysitting".

While artillery could flatten city blocks and obliterate fortifications, it could not occupy and secure territory. That task had to fall to the Syaran infantry, but faced with constant threats of Ruvelkan snipers, Fusiliers, and constant counter-attacks by concealed light infantry forces the Syaran rifleman would refuse to move at anything beyond a snail's pace. To facilitate aggressive offensive action the task fell to Syara's armored forces. It had quickly become apparent to the SNA that it's fleet of Myrmidon main battle tanks were too few in number to outfit the 3,650,000 man army the SNA fielded. To compensate older models, dating back to the Republic of Syara, were pulled out of storage and reserves and brought back to active duty. While the Minotaur and Manticore tanks, once refurbished with modern optics, fire control systems, and reactive armor welded on, were not poor tanks they were still old models that proved vulnerable to modern anti-tank weaponry, made only worse by the rough terrain they were forced to fight.

Syaran armored doctrine had evolved over the gently rolling hills and fields of central Syara, assuming that Syara's tanks would be fighting in wars of maneuver where their speed and range would give them an advantage. Instead they were tasked with clearing out ravines, valley floors, and dense urban areas, and the results speak for themselves. By the end of the Zemplen War the SNA would report a loss of 3,429 main battle tanks destroyed or damaged beyond repair. While advances in protective systems and countermeasures actually kept tank crew losses suprisingly lower than expected, the visage of so many burning and destroyed hulls hardly provided motivation to the Syaran soldier fighting in Ruvelka.

Despite their shortcomings the Syarans were not without their advantages. Having trained to act highly independently from one another in the assumption they would have to fight behind enemy lines, the Ruvelkan armed forces struggled with close cooperation and coordination. Syaran combined arms, drilled into the formations of the SNA for over a decade, generally proved triumphant over Ruvelkan efforts. While the Ruvelkans could strike fast, hard, and often without warning, in set piece engagments their inferiority in armor, artillery, and experience in joint operations usually led to Syaran victories. By the summer of 2009 Syara had scored victories in Sagerejo and during Operation Harpe, but the heavy losses suffered by the SNA resulted in SCAF Central Command ordered a halt to major offensive operations. The Commonality, having not expected a protracted war, was facing shortages of manpower and the economic resources needed to finance the war effort. While it was expected that Syara would eventually resume the offensive, time was needed to shore up Syara's badly overstretched and exhausted forces.

Both sides would trade offensives between Fall 2009 and Spring 2010, with the Syarans aiming for small scale efforts designed to improve their positions or expand their area of operations. Having been bloodied over nearly two years of fighting, by late 2009 the SNA had altered the way it fought. Beginning in October 2009, based on lessons learned over the past year and the recently concluded Operation Overshadow, the SNA began to shift the nexus of it's operations away from the division and brigade level down to what became known as "Tactical Combat Groupings", or TCGs. The TCG was composed of a battalion of mechanized infantry, supported by a company of tanks and at least two batteries of self-propelled howitzers. Additional assets, especially a recon company, air defense unit, and engineering company, were also attached as organic support elements. Unmanned aerial vehicles, or drones, also replaced forward observors as the primary contact for artillery support for the TCG. UAV command and control was also routed directly to the group's command post, not at divisional level as had been the standard for the SNA so far.

The tactical combat groupings proved succesful where division and brigade level maneuvers had failed. In Operation Prodromoi three TCGs mauled the better part of two regiments of the Ruvelkan 114th Infantry Division. In Operation Chalkaspis, two TCG's annihilated an entire mechanized regiment in northern Ruvelka. The flexibility of the TCG made it an atrractive option for the SNA, whom began implementing new doctrinal and organizational changes in response. Beginning in March 2010 SNA Central Command began planning for a major offensive operation to be undertaken in the Fall. It never came; in May Ruvelka unleashed Operation Homefront, which overwhelmed the SNA across the entire frontline. Faced with a ceaseless Ruvelkan strategic offensive, the SNA collapsed into full retreat, withdrawing entirely from Ruvelka and losing control of the disputed border regions. In doing so, the SNA was forced to abandon much of it's heavy equipment and weaponry. The Zemplen War ended in a decisive Syaran defeat.