Royal Radictistan Naval Scout Companies
| Naval Scout Companies | |
|---|---|
| Country |  Radictistan |
| Branch | Royal Radictistan Navy |
| Type | Special Operations Forces |
| Role | Special reconnaissance Amphibious reconnaissance Direct action VBSS |
| Size | 6 Companies (~700 personnel) |
| Part of | Naval Special Operations Command |
| Garrison/HQ | Ghorma Naval Station (Naval Scout Companies One, Five) Kanzlerhof Naval Station (Naval Scout Company Two) Adolgrad Naval Station (Naval Scout Company Three) Saerkust Naval Shipyard (Naval Scout Companies Four, Six) |
| Motto(s) | Ex mari, victoria ("From the Sea, Victory") |
The Naval Scout Companies (Radictistani: Marinespaherkompanien) are the principle special operations units of the Royal Radictistan Navy. The RRN's Naval Special Operations Command maintains five active duty and one reserve company. The Naval Scouts' primary tasking is to provide accurate and time-critical intelligence to Radictistani naval and amphibious forces. To this end, they work closely with the Army's 2 Naval Brigade. The Naval Scout Companies are also assigned in support of strategic intelligence-gathering missions. Direct action and boarding operations are secondary roles of the Naval Scouts. The Naval Scouts are considered to the most highly trained members of the Radictistan special forces community.
Mission
Royal Radictistan Naval Scouts are oriented toward the Amphibious Reconnaissance and Special Reconnaissance roles. Amphibious Reconnaissance involves a small team infiltrating onto an enemy-controlled beach that has been earmarked for possible use in future amphibious operations. The team notes the physical characteristics of the beach and any beach defenses. After exfiltration, a decision is made by higher authority as to whether the beach is suitable for use for an amphibious landing. Special Reconnaissance missions entail a team operating a long distance behind enemy lines for reconnaissance and target acquisition purposes. To this end, Naval Scouts are trained to operate for up to five days without resupply.
Organization
The Royal Radictistan Navy has six companies of Naval Scouts, each commanded by a Captain, Third Rank (0-4) with a total of 109 personnel. Five companies are active-duty units while Naval Scout Company Four is comprised of reservists. Each company is divided into four platoons and a headquarters section. A Naval Scout platoon has 24 personnel and is further divided into three Reconnaissance Teams and a small headquarters section. A platoon is usually commanded by a Senior Lieutenant (0-2) but sometimes by a Captain-Lieutenant (O-3). A Petty Officer First Class (E-7) acts as the second-in-command of the platoon.
- Platoon Leader
- Assistant Platoon Leader
- Forward Observer
- Platoon Radio Operator
- Special Equipment NCO
- Special Reconnaissance Medic
Reconnaissance Team
- Team Leader
- Assistant Team Leader
- Team Radio Operator
- Assistant Team Radio Operator
- Rifleman
- Rifleman
Selection and training
Initial training for the Naval Scout Companies is considered to be the most grueling in the Radictistani military. It is however likely to be milder than that undertaken by special forces candidates in many foreign militaries. A prospective Naval Scout must be male, have served three years in the Royal Radictistan Navy, be between the ages of 20 and 29, possess Radictistani citizenship, and have exceptional physical and mental ability.
Candidates are first required to complete a three-week initial phase of training shared with the Naval Gunfire Support Group, another RRN special operations unit. This phase is referred to as the "Naval Special Operations Indoctrination Program" (NSOIP). Those bound for the Naval Scout Companies must then complete the arduous forty-eight week "Intermediate Naval Reconnaissance Combatant Course" (INRCC). This training is divided into four phases. Phase One is comprised almost entirely of physical conditioning. Following Radictistani military practice, INRCC is designed so that most unsuccessful candidates will fail during this early part of the course. Phase One lasts for six weeks, then the remaining trainees move on to Phase Two where they will spend seven weeks practicing naval diving skills. Phase Three lasts ten weeks and focuses on land warfare tactics and techniques. Phase Four is the final and most advanced part of the course. Those who weathered the previous phases successfully spend the next twenty-three weeks practicing parachuting, advanced infantry tactics, forward observation techniques, combat medicine, and other vital SOF skills. During some training cycles, the failure rate of INRCC will exceed 75%.
Equipment
The Naval Scout Companies perform a wide variety of missions and subsequently their equipment will vary between operations. Naval Scouts will usually carry FA-35 series assault rifles while utilizing the Dragunov SVU designated marksman rifle or PGM 338 sniper weapon for longer-ranged shooting. When enemy light armor is expected, teams are provided with the Metis-M manportable wire-guided missile system and/or the RPG-27 disposable anti-tank rocket launcher. During frogman operations, the FA-35 rifles will be replaced with the ASM-DT underwater/conventional assault rifle. As most operations are amphibious in nature, closed-circuit underwater breathing apparatuses and drysuits are standard equipment.