Talaharan Army Corps

UCDF Army Corps
UCDF Army Corps
ⵛⴰⵛⵀⴰⵜ ⵏ'ⵀⴰⵔⴱⴰⴽⴰⵍ; Šašhat N'Harbakal
	Roundel of the Talaharan Army Corps
Active	Since 1854; 170 years ago
Country	Talahara
Type	Army
Role	Land warfare
Size	100,080
Part of	United Communes Defense Forces
Colours	Black; Red; Dark sand
Engagements	List Tyreseian Civil War ; Annexation of Amara ; Liberation of Kirthan;
Commanders
Commander-in-Chief	Executive Council
Executor of Defense	Taos Jebar
Defense Committee Senior Representative	General Kahina Hamastan
Defense Committee Enlisted Representative	Sergeant Karim Jurgutha

The Talaharan Army Corps (Takelat: Šašhat N'Harbakal N'Talahara; ⵛⴰⵛⵀⴰⵜ ⵏ'ⵀⴰⵔⴱⴰⴽⴰⵍ ⵏ'ⵜⴰlⴰⵀⴰⵔⴰ), officially the United Communes Defense Forces Army Corps, is the professional land warfare component of the United Communes Defense Forces. It is directly subordinated to the Defense Committee, where it is represented by General Kahina Hamastan and Sergeant Karim Jugurtha.

The Army Corps has over 100,000 active service members. There is no reservist force. Talahara does not practice conscription and all members of the Army Corps are professional, full-time soldiers. In addition, administrative staff from the Black Guards and civilian agencies fulfill supplemental work.

In its current incarnation, the Talaharan Army Corps has seen few deployments. In terms of major deployments, however, it has a strong history of success and rapid response. Traditional Talaharan land doctrine calls for large-scale, rapid advances with multiple units operating in tandem to capture open ground quickly, with a second line to move into key target areas once supply lines have been overwhelmed. These tactics have frequently led to victory in the geography of Northern Scipia, and have been developed upon in the decades since Talahara's last major conflict.

History

After the Talaharan Civil War concluded in 1838, the Central Commune Army was disbanded to prevent a single armed and organized group from exerting undue influence on the new government. The Central Army was composed primarily of defectors from the monarchist cause during the war who had served professionally in the Royal Talaharan Army. The subject of national defense was thus left entirely to the Black Guards. While the Talaharan Navy Corps was formed in 1845 to directly address littoral defense, land warfare remained entrusted entirely to local militias, albeit well-trained, battle-hardened, and numerous.

In the years following the revolution, additional security threats were cause for concern for the nascent syndicalist republic, including the threat of monarchist Yisrael and growing civil unrest in neighbouring Tyreseia. Furthermore, the Yisraeli foothold in the Protectorate of Tarshish, seized from the Kirthan region during the war, could not be dislodged. In 1854, the Supreme Legislative Council approved the creation of a land-based professional fighting force to supplement the Black Guards. In order to curb the potential influence of a uniquely armed and organized group, the size and operation of the force were placed under the purview of the Supreme Council and the Executive Council. The Navy Corps was subsequently subjected to the same controls.

The new Talaharan Army Corps was formed initially out of dedicated Black Guard veterans who chose to leave their primary industries for a full-time military career. This deprived the Black Guards of many of their more experienced members and materials but assured an experienced core to lead and train the future army. The initial size was capped at 40,000 members, but only 25,000 to 30,000 members enlisted within the first three years. Despite political pressure and concerns over the continued occupation of the Protectorate of Tarshish, military leaders in the United Communes considered a military invasion unfeasible.

Talaharan soldiers in Amara, 1919

In 1879, the Talaharan Army Corps saw its first deployment in support of the Sidduni Coup of the Tyreseian government. Only two regiments took part in the two-year operation, but Talaharan doctrine was refined by live combat experience. In the aftermath of the coup and Azmelqart Sidduni's dissolution of his armies to prevent further coups, the Talaharans assisted in training the Tyreseian Workers' Naval Infantry Service in land warfare.

Forty years later, the next major campaign involving the Talaharan Army Corps took place. In the aftermath of the Second West Scipian War, which was fought between Sydalon and Yisrael, the weakened state of the latter presented an opportunity for the United Communes of Talahara. While Tarshish remained reinforced, it became the subject of a special intelligence campaign to undermine Yisraeli influence.

Talaharan volunteer cavalry in the Great Ottonian War, Winter 1937

In 1919, the Talaharan Army Corps issued a surprise declaration of war against the Kingdom of Yisrael and rapidly launched an invasion in the south, seizing control over the Amara region, known as the Timna Strip in Yisrael. The Amara region is an oil-rich region with significant Kel Hadar and Kel Tenere populations. Unable to mount an effective counter to the invaders and with additional Army and Black Guard forces holding a firm line over the rest of the border, Yisrael was forced to concede the region after a short conflict.

During the First Partisans' War and the Great Ottonian War, Talahara provided material support to socialist factions. Geographic barriers prevented full-scale deployments, but Army Corps members were explicitly granted leave to volunteer abroad and permitted to take equipment with them. Between three and five thousand Talaharans served in volunteer battalions in Belisarian conflicts in the 1920s and 1930s.

S94 Oryx tanks during the Liberation of Kirthan

The Liberation of Kirthan took place in 1951 in the aftermath of the Third West Scipian War. The invasion, supported by local dissidents and protestors, was the first combined arms operation of the UCDF. Naval landings and aerial support allowed Talaharans soldiers to rapidly advance on major military and government targets. The Protectorate's governors were captured and imprisoned but released to Yisrael in the peace process that soon followed. The Protectorate of Tarshish was formally dissolved before the end of 1951 and the region of Kirthan was restored to its traditional extent.

Structure and organization

Hammer Arm		Spear Arm		Sword Arm
Division	Units	Division	Units	Division	Units
1st Division	114th Tank Brigade 612th Mechanized Brigade 43rd Reconnaissance Battalion 30th Mobile Artillery Battalion 1st Support & Engineering Battalion	4th Division	10th Tank Regiment 22nd Motorized Regiment 314th Light Infantry Brigade 67th Reconnaissance Battalion 59th Field Artillery Battalion 4th Support & Engineering Battalion	Special Intelligence Division	3rd Signals Regiment Intelligence Services Regiment Direct Intervention Brigade 38th Reconnaissance Battalion 73rd Reconnaissance Battalion
2nd Division	615th Tank Brigade 1013th Mechanized Brigade 44th Reconnaissance Battalion 29th Mobile Artillery Battalion 2nd Support & Engineering Battalion	5th Division	9th Tank Regiment 24th Motorized Regiment 719th Light Infantry Brigade 68th Reconnaissance Battalion 60th Field Artillery Battalion 5th Support & Engineering Battalion	9th Division	108th Pathfinder Brigade 119th Airborne Brigade 140th Airborne Brigade 9th Support & Engineering Battalion
3rd Division	213th Tank Brigade 515th Mechanized Brigade 45th Reconnaissance Battalion 28th Mobile Artillery Battalion 3rd Support & Engineering Battalion	7th Division	12th Tank Regiment 25th Motorized Regiment 220th Light Infantry Brigade 75th Reconnaissance Battalion 77th Field Artillery Battalion 7th Support & Engineering Battalion	12th Division	151st Marine Infantry Regiment 162nd Marine Infantry Regiment 12th Support & Engineering Battalion
6th Division	327th Tank Brigade 416th Mechanized Brigade 37th Reconnaissance Battalion 11th Mobile Artillery Battalion 6th Support & Engineering Battalion	8th Division	11th Tank Regiment 23rd Motorized Regiment 121st Light Infantry Brigade 71st Reconnaissance Battalion 76th Field Artillery Battalion 8th Support & Engineering Battalion
10th Division	416th Tank Brigade 917th Mechanized Brigade 39th Reconnaissance Battalion 10th Mobile Artillery Battalion 10th Support & Engineering Battalion	11th Division	20th Tank Regiment 26th Motorized Regiment 227th Light Infantry Brigade 72nd Reconnaissance Battalion 78th Field Artillery Battalion 11th Support & Engineering Battalion

The Talaharan Army Corps is composed of 56 regular force regiments divided into ten mixed divisions. These divisions are divided between two arms of the Army Corps. The Hammer Arm (Takelat: Iɣilmatsraqa) has a greater proportion of tanks and mechanized infantry. The Spear Arm (Takelat: Iɣilnaqaba) has a greater proportion of light infantry. The two arms support the traditional attack-in-depth doctrine of the Talaharan Army Corps, though in practice ad hoc combat groups are formed with elements from different divisions according to operational necessity.

A third arm, the Sword Arm, includes the Army Corps's three special forces divisions. These include airborne infantry units, naval infantry units, and the Special Intelligence Division which provides signal and military intelligence for all four branches of the UCDF. Units from the Sword Arm rely on support and resources from other branches of the Defense Forces, including deployment via Air Corps and Navy Corps assets. Several units within the Sword Arms answer directly to the Defense Committee and many of their activities and programs are classified.

The Army Corps has three independent elements in addition to the ten regular force divisions and three special forces divisions. The Army Corps Central Command Division is the central administrative unit of the Army Corps, based with the 1st Division in Maktarim. The Command Division includes the headquarters of the Army Corps, the Amenities and Human Resources Department, the Central Supply Department, the UCDF Security Department, and the Officers' Training Centre.

The Army Corps Commissariat Division is a liaison body between the Army Corps and the Black Guard Corps. The Commissariat Division's members maintain a permanent position in a regular force division in addition to the Commissariat Division. Army Corps members with sufficient seniority go on rotations through the Commissariat Division to train and advise Black Guard units throughout the country.

The Medical Services Division provides medical and ambulatory services in the Army Corps. The MSD includes both professional Army Corps medical professionals and seconded Black Guard members who ordinarily practice medicine. Air and ground ambulance services are assigned to training and combat missions based on operational necessity. The MSD also provides training for regular force field medics.

The basic fighting unit of the Army Corps is the ad hoc Strategic Group (Takelat: Zerdablan), commanded by an Adjutant-Colonel or a Vice-Colonel. A Strategic Group is typically based on a unit of three battalions, two of which are either infantry or tank battalions with a third battalion of the alternative. An infantry-based group is referred to as a Spear Group while a tank-based group is called a Hammer Group. The three main battalions are supplemented by a reconnaissance troop, an artillery battery, and a relief battalion of either infantry or tanks. Most divisions are equipped to form two Strategic Groups, though a few can assemble three. A Strategic Group with assigned air support from an Air Corps Wing is referred to as a Combined Arms Group.

A Strategic Group can be further divided into three Tactical Groups (singular, Takelat: Zerdajawab), each commanded by a Group Commander or an Adjutant-Colonel. Tactical Groups include three to four companies of infantry and tanks with minimal direct reconnaissance or divisional-level artillery support.

Equipment

Infantry equipment

Personnel protection
Model	Image	Origin	Type	Notes
T42		Rubric Coast	Combat helmet	Constructed from proprietary polyethylene fibres, protects against fragmentation and pistol-calibre bullets
ZFA40		Ostrozava	Gas mask	Includes a voicemitter, a drinking system, and ambidextrous filter mounting, filters up to 17 different agents
HF74		Talahara	Military camouflage	Six-tone multi-environment pattern
HF39		Talahara	Military camouflage	Three-tone desert pattern
Small arms
Model	Image	Origin	Type	Calibre	Notes
M28/50		Rubric Coast	Assault rifle	7.5×35mm	Improved service rifle
M28T1		Rubric Coast	Assault rifle	7.5×35mm	Standard service rifle
M12T1		Rubric Coast	Battle rifle/designated marksman rifle	7.5×54mm	Former service rifle, conversion to DMRs
AK56		Rubric Coast	Pistol	9×25mm 10×25mm	Standard service pistol
AK00		Rubric Coast	Pistol	10×25mm	Standard service pistol
FK13T1		Talahara	Submachine gun	9×25mm 10×25mm
NAK44		Talahara	Revolver	9×25mm 9×33mmR	Awarded after 10 years of service, limited use by special forces
OFK41		Ottonia	Submachine gun/personal defense weapon	5.7×28mm	Limited use by special forces
SK2T3		Rubric Coast	Medium machine gun	7.5×54mm	Section support and vehicle-mounted weapon
SK2/8T1		Rubric Coast	Heavy machine gun	13.5×99mm	Vehicle-mounted weapon
M40/43		Talahara	Sniper rifle	9.5×70mm	Bolt-action, limited use by special forces
SM40		Talahara	Anti-materiel rifle	13.5×99mm	Bolt-action, limited use by special forces
Personnel ordnance
Model	Image	Origin	Type	Notes
GG40		Rubric Coast	Infantry mortar	Fires 51mm HE or smoke grenades and 47mm flares
OG1		Ottonia	Grenade	Explosive weight of 60g, 3-5 second fuse
OGU37		Ottonia	Rocket-propelled grenade	Fires 110mm HEAT or HESH grenades
GU44		Rubric Coast	MPATS/MPADS	Wire-guided, fires 137mm tandem HEAT missiles
GU60		Rubric Coast	MPATS/MPADS	Fire-and-forget and command-guided modes, fires 140mm tandem HEAT missiles
TGG46		Tsurushima	Automatic grenade launcher	Fires high-velocity 40mm grenades

Vehicles

Armoured fighting vehicles
Model	Image	Origin	Type	Armament	Quantity
S45T2 Lion		Rubric Coast	3rd generation main battle tank	120mm tank gun 13.5mm coaxial machine gun 7.5mm RWS machine gun	370
S33T2 Caracal		Rubric Coast	3rd generation main battle tank	120mm tank gun 20mm coaxial autocannon 7.5mm coaxial machine gun 7.5mm pintle machine gun	275
S15T3 Leopard		Rubric Coast	2nd generation main battle tank	105mm tank gun 20mm coaxial autocannon 7.5mm pintle machine gun	215
X45/50 Lion II		Rubric Coast	4th generation main battle tank (experimental)	140mm tank gun 13.5mm coaxial machine gun 7.5mm RWS machine gun	3
R70 Fennec		Talahara	Reconnaissance vehicle	40mm autocannon Twin GU60 ATGM launcher 7.5mm RWS machine gun	292
Engineering vehicles
Model	Image	Origin	Type	Armament	Quantity
H45T1		Rubric Coast	Armoured recovery vehicle	13.5mm pintle machine gun	15
H15T2		Rubric Coast	Armoured recovery vehicle	7.5mm pintle machine gun	30
Q36T1		Rubric Coast	Armoured vehicle-launched bridge		3
Armoured transports
Model	Image	Origin	Type	Armament	Quantity
A58T1 Wild Dog		Rubric Coast	Infantry fighting vehicle	30mm autocannon 7.5mm coaxial machine gun	1,726
A69 Foxhound		Talahara	Armoured personnel carrier	13.5mm RWS machine gun 40mm RWS grenade launcher	120
A26T2 Sand Racer		Rubric Coast	Armoured personnel carrier	7.5mm pintle machine gun	1,156
R47 Wolf		Rubric Coast Tsurushima	Scout car	MPATS/MPADS 7.5mm machine gun	233
R35 Jackal		Rubric Coast	Scout car	MPATS/MPADS 7.5mm machine gun	317
Unarmoured vehicles
Model	Image	Origin	Type	Notes	Quantity
J31 Sandpiper		Talahara Ottonia	Light utility vehicle	Primarily unarmed, can carry SAM systems or machine guns	462
J54 Gazelle		Talahara	Medium utility vehicle	Materiel transport	424
J54 Ram		Talahara	Heavy utility vehicle	Heavy materiel and troop transport, artillery platform	1,734

Artillery

Self-propelled artillery
Model	Image	Origin	Type	Armament	Quantity
Z48 Aurochs		Rubric Coast	Howitzer	155mm howitzer	96
Z77T2 Bear		Rubric Coast	Howitzer	155 mm howitzer 13.5mm pintle machine gun	33
Z77T3 Adder		Rubric Coast	SPAAG	Twin 30mm autocannons 13.5mm pintle machine gun	45
Z77T5 Skink		Rubric Coast	SAM platform	2× 160mm short-range SAMs	42
Z77T4 Caracara		Rubric Coast	SRBM platform	1× 530mm ground-penetrating ballistic missile	10
Z26T2 Viper		Rubric Coast	ATGM platform	4× 150mm long-range ATGMs	18
Z48T1 Boa		Rubric Coast	MRLS	40× 70mm rockets, or 32× 120mm rockets, or 16× 180mm guided rockets, or 4× 450mm guided rockets, and 13.5mm machine gun	24
Towed artillery and mortars
Model	Image	Origin	Type	Calibre	Quantity
G40		Rubric Coast	Howitzer	155mm	90
G11		Rubric Coast	Heavy mortar	120mm	71
G47		Rubric Coast	Medium mortar	80mm	243

Ranks and insignia

Officer ranks

	OF-9	OF-8	OF-7	OF-6	OF-5	OF-4	OF-3	OF-2	OF-1
Insignia
Takelat name	ⴰⵎⵖⴰⵔⵀⴰⵔⴱ	ⴰⵎⵖⴰⵔⵀⴰⵔⴱⵏⴰⵢⵉⴱ	ⴰⵎⵖⴰⵔⵀⴰⵔⴱⵛⵉⵔⵡⴰ	ⴰⵇⵍⴰⵍ	ⴰⵇⵍⴰⵍⵏⴰⵢⵉⴱ	ⴰⵇⵍⴰⵍⴰⵛⵉⵔⵡⴰ	ⴰⵎⵣⵡⴰⵔ ⵏ'ⵣⴻⵔⴷⴰ	ⴰⵎⵣⵡⴰⵔ ⵏ'ⵛⴰⵔⵉⴽⴰ	ⴰⵎⵣⵡⴰⵔ ⵏ'ⵜⴰⵣⵍⴰ
Transliteration	Amɣarharb	Amɣarharbnayib	Amɣarharbširwa	Aqlal	Aqlalnayib	Aqlalaširwa	Amzwar N’Zerda	Amzwar N’Šarika	Amzwar N’Tazla
Translation	General	Vice-General	Adjutant-General	Colonel	Vice-Colonel	Adjutant-Colonel	Group Commander	Company Commander	Platoon Commander

Enlisted ranks

	OR-9	OR-8	OR-7	OR-6	OR-5	OR-4	OR-3	OR-2	OR-1
Insignia
Takelat name	ⵎⵧⴽⴰⴷⴻⵎⵀⵍⵓ ⵏ'ⵇⵓⵎ	ⵎⵧⴽⴰⴷⴻⵎⵀⵍⵓ ⵏ'ⵜⴰⴱⴰⵡⴰⵔ	ⵎⵧⴽⴰⴷⴻⵎⵀⵍⵓ ⵏ'ⵛⴰⵔⵉⴽⴰ	ⵎⵧⴽⴰⴷⴻⵎⵀⵍⵓ ⵏ'ⵜⴰⵣⵍⴰ	ⵎⵧⴽⴰⴷⴻⵎ	ⵯⴰⵙⴽⵔⵉⵛⵉⵔⵡⴰ	ⵯⴰⵙⴽⵔⵉⵙⵉⵏ	ⵯⴰⵙⴽⵔⵉⵢⴰⵏ	ⵜⴰⵍⵉⴱⴰⵎⵅⵣⵏⵉ
Transliteration	Mokademhlu N'Qum	Mokademhlu N'Tabawar	Mokademhlu N'Šarika	Mokademhlu N'Tazla	Mokadem	‘Askriširwa	‘Askrisin	‘Askriyan	Talibamxzni
Translation	Regiment Sergeant-Major	Battalion Sergeant-Major	Company Sergeant-Major	Platoon Sergeant-Major	Sergeant	Adjutant-Soldier	Soldier II	Soldier I	Army Cadet