After far too long, I present the CCAF:
Capellan Confederation Armed Forces
The CCAF is a military that has endured despite being beset by almost as many problems within as enemies without.
While the paranoia of various Chancellors has made it difficult for the CCAF to practice the employment of large formations, the skill level of individual soldiers is on par with those of the DCMS, and in terms of teamwork, may actually surpass the troops of the Draconis Combine.
Like most Member and Territorial States, the CCAF does not have any permanent Division or Brigade equivalent units. This is not for lack of resources - rather, it is an intentional move on the part of the Capellan government to prevent the creation of a potential rival power bloc in the military.
Another feature of the CCAF is the relatively high skill levels displayed by conventional forces. While ‘Mech Regiments remain the elite of the CCAF, the gap between them and Armor or Infantry forces is not as great, on average, as it is in say, the LCAF.
In general, CCAF doctrine follows a “Defence First†philosophy. Capellan forces are generally oversized in infantry, artillery and AeroSpace forces compared to the SLDF. This allows them to both absorb and deal considerable damage on the defence.
Their preference for a defensive battle notwithstanding, the CCAF is certainly capable of offensive action. In this area, however, they appear to have been politically hamstrung, perhaps because of fears that a military force too skilled in attack may try to apply their expertise to a coup.
BattleMech Organization
Section 2 BattleMechs
Lance 2 Sections (4)
Company 3 Lances + Command Section (14)
Battalion 3 Companies + Command Section (44)
Regiment 2-5 Battalions + Command Lance (92-224)
CCAF ‘Mech organization begins with the Section, a pair of BattleMechs. Unlike most other militaries, the CCAF considers the Section to be a viable tactical unit and actively trains their MechWarriors to use it.
The section is also the basis of an informal mentoring relationship between veteran and new MechWarriors. Recently graduated MechWarriors are assigned to a sifu as their Section Leader, who is expected to guide and pass on hard-won experience to the new arrival. This extends in a modified fashion to the Command Sections used at Company and Battalion levels as well. The Company or Battalion Commander’s wingman in these formations is generally not the formation second in command, but rather an officer being groomed for promotion to the Second in Command position. Thus, a Company Command Section will be made up of the Sao-shao in command, plus a Sang-wei who has previously commanded a Lance, and who is being tapped as a possible Company Second in Command.
Note that while the CCAF has a set standard organization to Battalion level, Regiments are highly variable in composition, containing between 2 to 5 Battalions. Although the familiar 3 battalion regiment remains the most common arrangement, a sizeable minority of CCAF ‘Mech Regiments deviates from this. Only one ‘Mech Regiment - the Red Lancers - is organized with 5 battalions, and some Regiments in the interior of the Confederation only have 2 battalions.
The CCAF shows a preference for BattleMechs in the Medium and Heavy weight classes.
Due to the prestige afforded MechWarriors in the Capellan Confederation, all MechWarriors are officers. Thus, Lances are commanded by Captains (Sang-wei), Companies by Majors (Sao-shao) and Battalions by Lieutenants-Colonel (Zhong-shao). This places them one step above their conventional arms counterparts at each echelon.
Armor Organization
Section 2 Vehicles
Platoon 2 Sections (4)
Company 3 Platoons + Command Section (14)
Battalion 3 Companies + Command Section (44)
Regiment 2-5 Battalions + Command Platoon(92-224)
Armor organization is identical to BattleMech in the CCAF. While BattleMechs remain the kings of the battlefield in CCAF doctrine, that same doctrine posts the Armored Corps as the backbone of the CCAF. Armor units are expected to either support the ‘Mechs, or, in their absence, form the main effort in attack or defence.
The number of battalions fielded by an Armor Regiment is usually determined by the weight class of the vehicles. The heaviest Armor Regiments usually contain 2-3 Battalions, while the lightest may have 4-5.
No particular preference for weight class or motive system is shown by the CCAF.
The mentoring system used by MechWarriors is also present in Armor formations, but generally limited to officers in the Command Sections of formations.
Infantry Organization
The CCAF recognizes 3 major sub-divisions of the Infantry Arm - Foot, Mobile (Mechanized) and Jump. Regardless of classification, it is widely recognized that CCAF infantry are among the best trained in the Human Sphere, behind only the SLDF in terms of the quality and quantity of training received. It is believed that all CCAF infantry have received anti-BattleMech training, though only some infantry units (usually Mobile Infantry) are actually equipped for this task.
There does not seem to be a set criteria for how many battalions a CCAF Infantry Regiment has. Many Home Guard Infantry Regiments technically have 5 battalions, but these are often under strength formations. Front Line units tend to be maintained closer to actual book strength, and most of these contain 3-4 battalions.
Foot Infantry
Group 3 Soldiers
Squad 3 Groups + NCO (10)
Platoon 4 Squads + Command Group (43)
Company 3 Platoons + Command Squad (139)
Battalion 3 Companies + Command Platoon (460)
Regiment 2-5 Battalions + Command Platoon (963-2,343)
CCAF infantry units are built on the 3-man Group as the basic fire and maneuver element. Groups come in two varieties - Standard and Fire, with the latter being equipped with a crew-served weapon. All members of a Group are usually Recruits (Shia-ben-bing), with one designated as the Group Leader.
The general pattern is for two Standard and one Fire Group to be combined into a Squad, with a Corporal (San-ben-bing) in command. Squads composed of 3 Fire Groups do exist (often referred to as the Fire Squad), and are routinely assigned as the fourth Squad in each Platoon. It should be noted that in the defence, it is common for the Fire Squad to be broken down to individual Groups and distributed among the other three Squads to boost available firepower along the line.
Mobile Infantry
Group 3 Soldiers
Squad 2 Groups + NCO (7) + IFV
Platoon 4 Squads + Command Group (31) + 4 IFV
Company 3 Platoons + Command Squad (100) + 13 IFV
Battalion 3 Companies + Command Platoon (331) + 43 IFV
Regiment 2-5 Battalions + Command Platoon (693-1,686) + 90-219 IFV
CCAF Mobile Infantry differ from Foot Infantry in that their Squads delete one Group (generally the Fire Group) and have an IFV assigned for transport, protection and fire support. Due to cargo capacity of their assigned IFVs, many Mobile Infantry units are equipped for Anti-BattleMech warfare.
Jump Infantry
Group 3 Soldiers
Squad 2 Groups + NCO (7)
Platoon 4 Squads + Command Group (31)
Company 3 Platoons + Command Squad (100)
Battalion 3 Companies + Command Platoon (331)
Regiment 2-5 Battalions + Command Platoon (693-1,686)
Like Mobile Infantry, CCAF Jump Infantry also operates on a lower establishment. Unlike SLDF practice, they maintain 4 Squads per Jump Platoon, but reduce the size of each Squad. Capellan Jump Infantry have been known to carry out ad-hoc anti-BattleMech attacks when located on favourable ground (such as urban areas) where they can exploit their mobility.
It is rare to find a Jump Infantry Regiment over 3 Battalions in size.
Artillery Organization
Section 2 Artillery Pieces + Spotter Vehicle
Platoon 2 Sections (4) + (2)
Company 3 Platoons (12) + (6)
Battalion 3 Companies (36) + (18)
Regiment 2-5 Battalions (72-180) + (36-90)
Capellan Artillery is well trained and highly effective. Artillery Regiments are common even among Home Guard forces, and most front line Battle Groups (brigade equivalents) will have at least one Artillery Battalion on their TO&E, which are often attached to conventional regiments.
CCAF artillery units have one Spotter party for every two artillery pieces, a much higher ratio than used by other militaries. These parties routinely travel with or ahead of friendly forces, which provides Capellan artillery units with a lot of sensor platforms to detect and target enemy forces. The high number of Spotter parties also means there is considerable redundancy and reserve capacity, and opposition forces will find that it takes considerable effort to reduce the accuracy of Capellan artillery. Note that while Spotter Parties are assigned a vehicle, they are also trained to move on foot when required.
AeroSpace Craft Organization
Triple 3 Craft
Flight 3 Triples(9)
Squadron 3 Flights + Command Triple (30)
Wing 2-5 Squadrons + Command Flight (69-159)
Uniquely among Member & Territorial State Militaries, the CCAF’s basic AeroSpace unit is the Triple, composed of a Leader and their two wingmen. While other forces consider the formation unwieldy and inflexible, the CCAF stands by it, apparently for two reasons. Firstly, the extra protection afforded to the element leader under normal circumstances, and secondly the extra firepower that can be brought to bear by each Triple when they switch to a “two-up†formation in some attack scenarios, where the third member of the Triple continues to provide cover.
CCAF AeroSpace units quickly become quite large, which is intentional given the Defence First posture of the Capellan military. Many of the larger Wings are posted as the first line of planetary defence. Important planets like Sian, Capella, Liao, Tikonov and St. Ives are known to be protected by at least two of the five-squadron Fighter Wings, in addition to any AeroSpace forces attached to on-planet units.
Like their BattleMech counterparts, all CCAF pilots are officers.
Battle Groups & Task Forces
Although there are no permanent CCAF forces above the Regimental echelon, CCAF doctrine does loosely define such formations.
While officially these formations are only temporary, many Battle Groups have operated together for many years. Task Forces are rarely assembled, and there are currently none in existence. When Task Forces are formed, it is usually for offensive purposes.
Battle Groups (Brigade equivalent) are built around a ‘Mech Regiment in front line units (Home Guard Battle Groups are usually built around an Armored Regiment) and contain anywhere from 2-5 Regiments.
It should be noted that only half the regiments in the CCAF are currently assigned to a Battle Group. The rest are free Regiments.
Local conditions and resources usually dictate the composition of Battle Groups, but a survey of existing Battle Groups shows some general trends.
SLDF Intelligence has identified three patterns of Battle Group organization. Note that the following names are not used by the CCAF, who simply name their Battle Groups after the anchor unit (for example, the 2nd St Ives Lancers Battle Group).
Assault Battle Group
These Battle Groups are the hammer of the CCAF, composed of a ‘Mech Regiment, two Armored Regiments, a Mobile Infantry or Jump Infantry Regiment and an AeroSpace Wing. One of the Armored Regiments is usually a light-weight formation, while the other is a Heavy one. The Infantry Regiment is usually of the 4-battalion variety. At least one battalion of artillery is usually present, attached to one of the conventional regiments. In some cases, all three conventional regiments have artillery battalions attached.
SLDF Intelligence estimates that somewhere between 20-25 of these Assault Battle Groups are in existence at any one time, about half of which have been in existence for over 10 years.
Some examples of Assault Battle Groups include:
Red Lancers Battle Group
Red Lancers BattleMech Regiment (5 BN)
Red Lancers Assault Regiment (3 Heavy Tank BN + AY BN)
Red Lancers Recon Regiment (5 Light Tank BN + AY BN)
Red Lancers Mobile Infantry Regiment (4 BN + AY BN)
Red Lancers Wing (4 SQ)
As the elite of the elite in the CCAF, the Red Lancers are proof of what the Capellan military can do if allowed the resources and training. SLDF intelligence confirms that the Red Lancers constantly train for any number of contingencies, from securing the Celestial Palace against infiltrators to conventional warfare against FWLM, AFFS and even SLDF forces. In all these scenarios, the Red Lancers Battle Group operates as a coherent force, putting the right mix of units in the right place at the right time.
As a secondary duty, the Red Lancers supplement the Chancellor’s Guard at the Celestial Palace when not deployed.
Stapleton’s Grenadiers Battle Group
Stapleton’s Grenadiers BattleMech Regiment (3 BN)
Iron Hand Armored Regiment (2 Heavy Tank BN + AY BN)
Stapleton’s Recon Regiment (4 Light Tank BN)
Iron Feet Mobile Infantry Regiment (4 BN + AY BN)
9th Confederation Wing (2 SQ)
A more typical Assault Battle Group, Stapleton’s Grenadiers are assigned as the heavy reserve force for the Tikonov region. They specialize in grinding down enemy forces, using their AeroSpace assets to track and harass. Meanwhile, their Recon Regiment, despite its name, is used as cavalry, sniping and making flank attacks to keep the enemy off-balance, with the intent of driving them into killing grounds set up by the rest of the Battle Group.
Raid Battle Group
These small Battle Groups are designed for quick movements and striking power, not to hold ground. Their composition averages out at one 3-battalion ‘Mech Regiment, one 3-battalion
Mobile Infantry Regiment with attached Artillery Battalion, and a 2-Squadron Wing.
Raid Battle Groups tend to be formed on an ad-hoc basis, usually by detaching the required forces from parent units. It is quite common, for example, for a Local Defender Wing to detach 2 of its squadrons to furnish the AeroSpace element of a Raid Battle Group. Raid Battle Groups also tend not to last as long as other Battle Groups. Many are formed for a specific mission, and disband afterwards.
Most of them are positioned within one jump of the border. Coupled with their minimal transport requirements, Raid Battle Groups are designed to perform three roles.
Firstly, they act as tripwire forces, moving from planet to planet (usually within a specified Duchy’s boundaries) and hoping to catch pirate forces unawares.
Secondly, in the event of invasion by hostile forces, they act as a spoiling force, aiming to slow attacks until heavier forces can be brought to bear.
Thirdly, they can be used in offense to either launch raids into enemy territory, or attack an enemy’s supply lines.
It is estimated that 40-50 Raid Battle Groups currently exist, with roughly equal numbers posted to the TH, FS and FWL borders, and a smaller number on the Periphery border. Roughly 80% of them are less than two years old.
A typical example of a Raid Battle Groups:
3rd St Ives Lancers Battle Group
3rd St Ives Lancers BattleMech Regiment (3 BN)
45th Warlock Mobile Infantry Regiment (3 BN + AY BN)
3 & 4 SQ, 21st St Ives Defender Wing (2 SQ)
Formed 18 months ago, apparently in response to the increasing expertise of AFFS units across the border, the 3rd St Ives Lancers Battle Group has since visited almost every border world in the Duchy of St Ives. They rarely stay in one location for more than a month, and usually spend time in-system exercising against the local Home Guard.
Home Guard Battle Group
Home Guard Battle Groups constitute the planetary defence forces of the Confederation. Their structure and equipment levels vary greatly depending on resources available to them, but there are some features common to them.
First, most have no, or at best, minimal BattleMech support. Only the Home Guard Battle Groups on industrial planets or politically important worlds count ‘Mech units in their roster, and usually no more than a Company.
Second, Armored Regiments form the core of Home Guard Battle Groups. All Home Guard Battle Groups have at least one Armored Regiment (some have as many as three), although the weight class may show considerable variation.
Third, Home Guard Battle Groups tend to have oversized artillery units, in accordance with the CCAF preference for defensive warfare. It is common to find an artillery regiment assigned to a Home Guard Battle Group, as well as additional artillery battalions attached to other regiments.
Fourth, there is considerable mixing of different classes of unit at regimental level. It is common for a Home Guard infantry regiment to include both Foot and Mobile Infantry battalions, or for a Home Guard armored regiment to mix heavy and light battalions.
Fifth, infantry forces follow one of two models - either oversized, or under-strength. Home Guard infantry is a mix of veterans, reservists doing their annual service block, and short-service troops who didn’t qualify for assignment to front-line units. Depending on what is available in terms of manpower, a Home Guard infantry regiment may be of cadre strength only, or be reinforced beyond what the Table of Organization and Equipment may say.
SUMMARY
The CCAF generally does not get much respect, contending with the LCAF for the title of the worst House Military, but this is not the whole picture. At regimental level and below, the troops are well trained and generally well led. The chief weakness of the CCAF comes from the lack of experience in handling large formations, and a lack of initiative shown by the officer corps.
The root cause of both of these failings is the same - the desire of the Capellan state to keep the CCAF on a short leash, lest it become a rival for political power. This has made defence the preferred posture of the CCAF - it is a politically safe and acceptable, and the CCAF certainly excels on the defense.
It would be a mistake to generalize and say that the CCAF is incapable of offensive maneuvers, but it would probably have trouble executing more than limited attacks. In defence, however, the CCAF would have to be considered extremely dangerous.
