OBT Forum

This was done by marauder648 and Vition2 for my AU and is quite insightful into how the Draconis Combine sees the Raven Alliance - perhaps not 100% correct but an in universe perspective that is interesting (especially since I had no input)

Raven Alliance Intelligence Report

From: CLASSIFIED (DRACONIS COMBINE INTELLIGENCE)
To: Warlord Minoru Kurita, Gunji-no Karei Hirohito Kurita, Duke Akira Kurita

Sire, it is an honour to write this report regarding the recent actions against the Raven Alliance, whilst the battles themselves were fought under strict dueling conditions so not to escalate the fighting, it still gave us a good look at the Alliance’s military.

It is clear that many of the old elements of the Outworlds Alliance military forces have been significantly restructured and whilst they exist in name, they bear little resemblance to the forces they once represented.  Whilst the Outworlds Alliance and Clan Snow Raven both hold ground forces in disdain they have not let this traditional bias against ground operations weaken their land forces.

Indeed, the Raven’s displayed two new Assault class BattleMech’s in their trials with us, one standard machine as well as their new OmniMech the Omen and Deimos respectively.  This is in addition to a large number of IIC designs replacing the older Outworlds machines, produced both at home and purchased off Clan Sea Fox.  Intelligence indicates that the Omen and Deimos were introduced a few years ago but had not been seen in combat by our forces, apparently they have seen extensive use against pirate forces.
(See attached sub-file 03/A for information on the Omen and Deimos)

Ground vehicles were also evident.  During the Trials the Alliance forces deployed multiple mixed Stars of vehicles, some new, whilst others were more recognizable Clan vehicles as well as refitted Inner Sphere staples.  The Alliance forces also made use of artillery, all be it to deploy mines rather than in a direct manner. This was mainly in the form of an 8x8 wheeled vehicle that bares a remarkable resemblance to the ancient Hegemony Vali.  (See file 03/D).

Whilst there still seems to be a considerable divide between the Raven troops and those of the Outworld Alliance, that they are trusting their Spheroid populace with Clan level equipment and weapons shows that there is trust there.  From discussions with several prisoners taken before the final prisoner exchange when hostilities ended we also learned that the Ravens are working to instil a greater sense of esprit de corps among the volunteers on Garrison duties as well as ‘rewarding’ them with Clan equipment like the Omen as well as the rapid dissemination of the IIC designs.

Whilst classed as PGC’s the units retain their old names and designations, the biggest changes being the adoption of the Clan’s base 5 unit structure.  With vehicle forces this has led to a general enlargement of the Outworlds ground forces whilst Mech’s remain in second place in terms of pure numbers.  But doctrinally the Mech’s are a counter-attacking force, the hammer whilst the vehicles and infantry are the anvil.

Unlike most Clans they used their vehicle forces well, with the vast majority of their crews being Alliance volunteers they are certainly not 3rd rate cast offs, and they are not above improvising on the fly unlike the usually staid tactics of Clan vehicle forces outside those of the Hell's Horses.

Another and somewhat more worrying surprise was the Alliance’s extensive use of ProtoMech’s including a winged harassing unit that had not been seen before.  Proto forces were deployed in two ways, either with ground forces where they acted as very big Elementals or air dropped from a small DropShip we learned was called the Arcadia class.  (See attached file 03/R and 01/Z for details on the new ProtoMech and DropShip).



Of course the main arm of the Alliance remains its extensive aerospace fleet.  During the approach to Valentina no less than two full Star’s of Warships were deployed in system.  The Conqueror Battle Star and Swift Wing Naval Star did not approach our DropShips or warships but carried out a series of live fire exercises whilst deploying their aerospace assets for duels against our forces escorting fighters. 

These fighter deployments would often include every fighter on board their ships and they repeatedly made mock attacks and feints against our JumpShips and the three Warships escorting them.  This display of strength did allow us to gather considerable information on the fighters deployed as well as the distant warships watching.  Without deploying an Omi Kurita class carrier, it will not be possible to fully secure aerospace superiority over an Alliance World.  Whilst most of the ground based fighters were Corax class light Omni-fighters they had a stiffening of Wusun’s as well as Ammon’s in an attack role.  The fighters from the warships and DropShips were generally heavier along with a far larger number of Wusun’s in the escort role. 

In the few DropShip classes the Alliance did make extensive use of the ‘Arcadia’ although there was also a single non-transport version of this ship we have tagged as the ‘Moa’ that operated in an assault DropShip role although she was a single vessel and appeared to undergoing combat trials.

If not for the Alliance forces granting us a limited form of Safcon we could not have prevailed without a major redeployment of the DCA’s vessels which would weaken our other borders.  The Raven’s defensive doctrine in the event of a full battle would be a multi-layered defence.  We have learned that the Alliance has been slowly converting surplus or aged Titan class DropShips into a more multi-role vessel complete with capital missiles.  With large numbers of these ships available (intelligence estimate that the Alliance has roughly eighty older Titan class ships in mothballs that are being investigated for reactivation) they could form a first line of defence and allow an attacker to be engaged when they enter a system.

In orbit an attacking force would be engaged by fighters and surface launched DropShips and we can confirm from investigations of the workings round the capital ‘city’ on Pondicherry that the Raven’s have prepared firing positions for anti-aircraft weaponry.  This is why the 8x8 Arrow carrier (Called a ‘Gecko’ by Alliance forces, apparently after an ancient Terran missile system) is also interesting as their war load according to discussions with Alliance personnel is mainly anti-aircraft missiles.

Ground forces will then be harassed by air attacks from the Alliances dispersed fields whilst the forces of the PCG act as the main ground defence whilst Mech forces would engage in counter attacks and local offensives. 

You will note Sir, that this is purely a holding tactic, once naval elements arrive in orbit then an attacker is faced with the unenviable situation of having to engage Warship forces or withdraw in the face of a warship threat.  With the comparatively small size of the Alliance and that all their ships have a LF battery, Warships can react quickly to an attack. 

On the attack the role was reversed, it was very much a Clan ‘affair’ with heavy use of Mech’s supported by aerospace forces.  This seems to be a concession to the Alliance’s Spheroid populace and leadership who were reluctant to let their citizen soldiers be used in a more offensive role and this has not bothered the Clan’s MechWarrior’s as it allows them to be a more offensive force rather than carry out ‘distasteful’ or dishonourable garrison duties.

Our own forces performed well, with our newest fighter upgrades and craft like the Suzaku capable of matching the craft flown by the Ravens, and out matching the Outworld pilots who tend to fly older or lighter craft.  Against Clan flyers the loss ration was slightly in their favour, roughly 1.3 kills to our 1, but I must again state that this was in tightly controlled trials.  In the event of a full scale battle or where Safcon is not granted, then these losses could rise heavily. 

Ground combat did go our way but in those battles where the Alliance used its air support we fared poorly, and attempts to call in our own air support met with craft being intercepted on their way in as well as being engaged by extensive anti-aircraft fire.  What this bodes for a full conflict I do not know, but I suggest that it be extensively war-gamed and multiple scenarios be tested.  The past teaches us that the Outworlders will fight hard if pressed, there is still a strong dislike for the Combine, and Alliance citizens still (along with a growing number of Raven lower Caste members and warriors) hold rememberance services on December 14th in memory of the Santiago Massacre. 

A war against the Raven Alliance would not be short, would not be easy and would require the full might of the Dragon, which would imperil our other borders with our opportunistic neighbours.  Also the Clan Council could react negatively to an attempt to destroy one of their members and we do not know what way they would ‘jump’.