NRI Integrated Air Defense System (Scutum)

The Integrated Air Defense System (called Scutum) is the New Roman Imperium Ministry of Defense system designed to connect all aspects of the Roman military's air defense capabilities. This program was created in an attempt to make the New Roman Imperium an impenetrable shield. The Roman military was inspired by air defense systems such as Aegis Ballistic Missile Defense System and Iron Dome. The Scutum system is operated by the Air Denial Unified Command, which is a unified combat command, and aggregates all data taken from air defense radars. Each radar system can talk to all missiles and provide updated tracking information, if required.

Deployment

Army

The Republic Army operates a sizable air defense, dedicating an entire command to it. Their air defense capabilities range from close-in weapons systems (CIWS) to basic ballistic missile defense.

Close-in Weapons System

The Republic Army operates three CIWS systems: Terra Testudo, SPAD Mk. 2, and SPAAG Mk. 3. These systems provide short-range air defense capability.

Terra Testudo is the land based version of the Republic Navy's Testuso CIWS, which uses a 20mm rotary cannon system and short range surface to air missile. These systems are placed around sensitive areas and installations. The capital of Rome has an undisclosed number around the city. Additionally, all military bases have at least one of these systems. Being a close-in weapons system, Terra Testudo is considered the last line of defense, and is only effective against cruise missiles, helicopters, low flying fixed-wing aircraft, and unmanned aerial vehicless. Many political circles think that if a nation relies on its CIWS, it has already lost.

The SPAD Mk. 2 is a self-propelled air defense system. This system provides mobile, short-range aair defense protection for ground units against cruise missiles, unmanned aerial vehicles, low-flying fixed-wing aircraft, and helicopters. The system is an armored tracked vehicle designed to operate alongside armored units. Units where designed with two pods, each containing four missiles.

The SPAAG Mk. 3 is a self-propelled air defense system. This system provides mobile, short-range aair defense protection for ground units against cruise missiles, unmanned aerial vehicles, low-flying fixed-wing aircraft, and helicopters. The system is an armored tracked vehicle designed to operate alongside armored units. Units have two 25mm rotary machine guns, one on each side of the turret.

Surface to Air Missiles

The Republic Army operates three surface-to-air missile platforms, which cover medium to long range air defense. The third platform also has capability to defend against short-range ballistic missiles. The platforms are MRAD Mk. 3, LRAD Mk. 2, and A/BMD Mk. 1.

The MRAD Mk. 3 is a self propelled tracked medium-range surface-to-air missile platform. It was designed with mobility in mind so attacking aircraft to quickly move after attacking an enemy aircraft. This also makes it easier for SAM locations to move and evade SEAD attacks. The MRAD Mk. 3 is primarily used against fixed-wing aircraft and cruise missiles. This system also requires a second vehicle to provide radar tracking.

The LRAD Mk. 2 is a semi-mobile long-range surface-to-air missile platform. This system is a transporter erector launcher (TEL) style platform. This platform is self-contained, meaning the guidance radar is built into the TEL itself. Though slower to breakdown and move, the LRAD Mk. 2 is also considered a "shoot-n-scoot" platform. This system is primarily used against fixed-wing aircraft and cruise missiles.

The A/BMD Mk. 1 is a semi-mobile long-range surface-to-air missile platform with ballistic missile defense capability. The missile system is carried on a trailer that the radar vehicle must tow and set up, making this system unable to "shoot-n-scoot". This system is primarily used against fixed-wing aircraft, cruise missiles, and short-range ballistic missiles.

Ballistic Missile Defense

The Republic Army operates one dedicated ballistic missile defense system. The BMD Mk. 1 is a heavy, long-range ballistic missile defense platform that is designed to intercept short-range, medium-range, and intermediate-range ballistic missiles. It is unable to intercept intercontinental ballistic missiles. These platforms are not very mobile, however, they have their locations changed occasionally. This system is considered "semi-mobile", and has an ease of mobility between the LRAD Mk. 2 and A/BMD Mk. 1.

Navy

The Republic Navy operates a number of air defense and ballistic missile defense weapons, along with radars for detection of threats. The shipborne radars are constantly connected via satellite to the Air Denial Unified Command operations building deep within the mountains of the Montibus region of the NRI. The land based facilities are connected via fiberoptic cable buried deep underground and run through Faraday Conduit.

The Republic Navy's aircraft serve as the first line of defense against hostile aircraft. These aircraft, which are deployed from any one of four aircraft carrying vessels, can reach out and attack incoming aircraft before they get in range of the air defense systems of the ships.

Close-in Weapons System

The Republic Navy operates a singular close-in weapons system, Testudo. Testudo is a self-contained CIWS platform that uses a 20mm rotary cannon system and short range surface to air missile to shoot down incoming targets. The targets Testudo is designed to repel are cruise missiles, helicopters, low flying fixed-wing aircraft, and unmanned aerial vehicless. It has also been used against small vessels, like those of pirates or FACs.

Surface to Air Missiles/Ballistic Missile Defense

The Republic Navy currently operates four types of missiles that are used for air and ballistic missile defense. These are the NADM Type 2 and BMD Missile 3 types I, II, and III.

NADM Type 2 is a medium range surface to air missile. This missile is able to hit targets at further ranges than the Testudo's missiles. This primarily is used against cruise missiles and fixed-wing aircraft. NADM Type 2s have the ability to be "quad-packed" in the Roman Vertical Launch System, allowing up to four NADMs to be carried in a single cell.

The BMD Missile 3 Type I is a dedicated ballistic missile defense missile. It is designed to counter short- and medium-range ballistic missiles. BMD Missile 3 Type II is able to counter medium- and intermediate range ballistic missiles. Finally, BMD Missile 3 Type III is able to counter intermediate and intercontinental ballistic missiles. The Type III also have the ability to operate as an anti-satellite weapon, having successfully been tested in such a role in 2008.

The Republic Navy also operates a series of land based ballistic missile defense facilities. These systems, called Terra SCUTUM, is the same radars used on the ships. These facilities are dotted around the coast of Terra Nostrum, with placement of several being strategically placed close to critical areas. The area around New Rome has no less than four of these facilities. The facilities come equipped with box launchers containing all three types of the BMD Missile 3.

Radars

SCUTUM is equipped on many vessels in the Republic Navy's inventory. The SCUTUM system is an advanced command and control and weapon control system that uses powerful computers and radars to track and guide weapons to destroy enemy targets. These same radars are built into the Terra SCUTUM ground facilities.

XBMD is a floating, self-propelled, mobile active electronically scanned array early-warning radar station designed to operate in high winds and heavy seas. There are seven of these stations positioned around Terra Nostrum, and provide missile warning. The stations were adapted from oil drilling platforms purchased from a United Remnant of America company. They are equipped with an advanced X-band radar dome.

Air Force

The Republic Air Force is critical to the air defense of the NRI. The fighter aircraft form the first line of defense against hostile aircraft. In an ideal invasion scenario, the Republic Air Force will win air superiority, and the Republic Army's and Republic Navy's air defenses will never need to be used.

To support the fighters, the Republic Air Force utilizes a number of aircraft. The E-4 is an airborne early warning and control (AEW&C) aircraft, which means it is designed to detect aircraft, ships, vehicles, missiles, and other incoming projectiles at long ranges and perform command and control of the battlespace in an air engagement by directing fighter and attack aircraft strikes.

The E-4 is supported by the E-7, which provides additional command and control capabilities as well as being a BACN. BACN aircraft enable real-time information flow across the battlespace between similar and dissimilar tactical data link and voice systems through relay, bridging, and data translation in line-of-sight and beyond-line-of-sight situations. Its ability to translate between dissimilar communications systems allows them to interoperate without modification.

The E-8 provides ISTAR capabilities to the defense force. ISTAR is intelligence, surveillance, target acquisition, and reconnaissance. In its macroscopic sense, ISTAR is a practice that links several battlefield functions together to assist a combat force in employing its sensors and managing the information they gather.

The fighters are also supported by electronic warfare aircraft. The EC-1 provides radar jamming capabilities. This aircraft sends out radio frequencies that are designed to interfere with and block enemies' radio wave based equipment, such as radar and radios.

In the event of a nuclear war, the EC-3 becomes the leadership of the NRI. Its primary mission is serving as a signals relay, where it receives orders from a command plane, and verifies and retransmits their Emergency Action Messages (EAMs) to Roman forces.

Finally, the fleet of KC-4 tankers keep all the aircraft in the air for as long as they need to be. Tankers ensure that air coverage by the Republic Air Force is 24/7.

Space Force

The Republic Space Force operates many systems that assist in the tracking of incoming ballistic missile threats, as well as ensuring constant communication between all remote assets.

The Republic Space Force operates a fleet of infrared ballistic missile detection satellites in geostationary orbit. These satellites provide complete coverage of the planet, giving the NRI plenty of forewarning of a nuclear attack, and creating the initial track of the ballistic missile.

In space, the Republic Space Force also operates a fleet of military only communication satellites. These dedicated military satellites, in the Scutum System, allow the Air Denial Unified Command to communicate with all assets not directly connected to it via fiberoptic cable. These satellites have a redundant number so that even if up to 50% go offline, Air Denial Unified Command will still be able to provide an integrated air defense solution.

The Republic Space Force has a number of land based phased array radar stations around Terra Nostrum. Primarily, these stations are used to track objects in space, including cataloging debris. The stations are used in ballistic missile defense for detection and tracking. The data is sent directly to the Air Denial Unified Command, where it is aggregated and uplinked to interceptors.

Finally, the Republic Space Force operates the Ground-Based Ballistic Missile Defense (GBMD) missiles. These are missiles that are housed in silos and designed to intercept intercontinental ballistic missiles during its midcourse phase. These are kinetic kill weapons, and can also be used as anti-satellite weapons.

Cyber Corps

The Republic Cyber Corps provides cyber defense for the Scutum System. They perform system hardening, preventing breaches, and ensuring cybersecurity. Part of their duty is ensuring there is zero data leakage, and creating new, more secure encryptions for data in transit.

Political Debate

Scutum has created a lot of debate in political circles. Proponents of the system say that it is necessary to ensuring that the NRI can survive any exterior threat from the air or space. Detractors say it is a lot of money being spent on a system that will most likely never need to be used. No nation has attacked Terra Nostrum, and most likely, the NRI mainland will never be directly attacked. Despite that, the current thinking in the New Roman Armed Forces is that it is better to have this system and not need it, then need it and not have it.