OBT Forum

Military
The Taurian Defense Force is composed of highly motivated and dedicated soldiers. The troops realize that they are the first, and last, line of defense for the Concordat and so they take their mission very seriously. Drawing on the best traditions of the soldiers who fought in the War of Star League Aggression, the current Concordat troops are very well trained and experienced, with excellent fighting skills and highly developed unit coordination.

The Concordat has worked hard over the last few decades to build a credible military.  Prior to the Uprisings, the Taurians secretly reformed the TDF as an underground army.  Since that time the Concordat has expanded the military and transformed it into a highly profession organization.

With the reformation of the TDF as a standing army, the Concordat has had to develop new, professional training programs to replace the older secret training programs.  The Concordat has developed a highly innovative Academy training program for their troops.  The training program combines a number of traditional training techniques, along with the best techniques from other states.  The end result is that, while the Concordat’s training programs only produce a limited number of graduates, those who do graduate are very innovative and highly skilled soldiers.  In addition to the academy programs, the Concordat maintains training camps on every world to train armor and infantry troops for both the front line forces and the Noble Family regiments. 

The biggest problem facing the Concordat is the need to protect so many worlds from both the nations of the Inner Sphere and pirate forces.  The large size of the Concordat, combined with the small size of the TDF has put a heavy strain on the military. This forces the TDF to rely heavily on the noble family regiments to provide additional forces to support the front line units in defensive operations.  So far the system has proven very effective, with the noble family regiments showing fanatical resistance when their planets are attacked.

Ranks
There are 6 enlisted ranks and 6 officer ranks in the TDF.

Enlisted Ranks:
Recruit:
All newly inducted members of the TDF receive the rank of Recruit. Recruits are assigned to a provisional training battalion for 18 weeks of basic training before being assigned to a field unit.  Each planet maintains several Provisional Training Battalions to handle basic training.

Corporal:
In infantry units a corporal commands a Maniple of 5 men. In armor units a Corporal serves a tank commander. In the other branches a Corporal is a junior grade specialist (Medic, tech, etc.).

Section Leader:
In the infantry a section leader commands a squad. In armor units they command a Maniple of 2 vehicles.  In the other branches a Corporal is a senior grade specialist (Medic, tech, etc.).

Force Sergeant:
In the infantry a Force Sergeant commands an infantry platoon.  In armor units they command a lance of armor. In the Aerospace arm, a Force Sergeant is a junior pilot.  In the support branches, this rank represents a low level manager.

Lance Sergeant:
A lance sergeant serves as an assistant company commander in infantry and armor units. In the aerospace arm, a Lance Sergeant commands an air lance. In the support  branches a Lance sergeant is a senior manager.  All Battlemech trainees receive the rank of Lance Sergeant while in training.

Battalion Chief Sergeant/Air Chief:
The Battalion Chief Sergeant is the senior NCO in an infantry, armor or support unit. The Battalion Chief Sergeant serves as the interface between the men and the officers of the unit and fills a number of administrative roles. All mechwarriors receive the rank of Battalion Chief Sergeant upon graduating from their training program.  In the aerospace arm,  an air chief commands  a flight of 2 lances. 

Officer Ranks:
Cornet/Ensign:
A Cornet serves as a company commander in infantry and armor units. In Battlemech units a Cornet commands a lance.  In support units they serve as assistant department heads. On board naval vessels, ensigns serve as assistant department heads. In the aerospace arm an ensign serves as a wing commander.

Subaltern/Air Master Junior Grade:
Subalterns serve as battalion commanders in infantry and armor units. In Battlemech units they command a company.  In support units they serve as department heads. On board naval vessels, Air Master Junior Grades serve as department heads, while in the aerospace arm they serve as assistant commanders of an Air Division.

Brigadier/Air Master Senior Grade:
Brigadiers serve as executive officers in armor, infantry and support units. In Battlemech units they command a battalion of mechs. In the Navy Air Master Senior Grades serve as XO’s of a ship, while in the aerospace arm they command an Air Division.

Colonel/Space Master:
Colonels are regimental commanders in the Concordat Army.  In the Navy, a Space Master is the captain of a naval vessel.

Comptroller/Commodore:
The rank of Comptroller is largely administrative in nature, and is responsible for overseeing the defense of a planet and coordinating operations between the noble family regiments and regular forces. Comptrollers also serve in planning staffs and as aides to Corps commanders. In the Navy a Commodore is assigned to command a demi-squadron of ships.

Marshal/Admiral:
The Taurian Concordat current has 6 Marshals, each of whom commands an entire Corps.   The Concordat also has 4 Admirals, each of whom commands a Fleet.  The Protector, as commander in chief of the TDF, holds the rank of Senior Marshal.

Tactical Organization of Concordat Forces:
Infantry:
The smallest infantry unit is a Maniple of 5 soldiers. 2 Maniples form a squad, while 2 squads and command Maniple form a platoon.  A company is composed of 3 platoons, with a battalion composed of 3 companies. Each regiment is composed of 3 battalions plus supporting elements.

Armor:
The smallest armor unit is a Maniple of 2 vehicles. An armor lance is composed of 3 Maniples, while a company is composed of 3 lances.  3 Companies form an armor battalion and 3 battalions form an armor regiment.  Taurian armor units do not use independent command units.

Aerospace:
The smallest aerospace unit is a lance of 2 fighters. 2 Lances form a flight and 2 flights form a wing.  3 wings form an air division.

Battlemechs:
The TDF uses lances of 4 battlemechs. As in the Inner Sphere, a company is composed of 3 lances. However, unlike many other states, the Concordat deploys 4 companies in  a Battlemech battalion. Taurian mech regiments are composed of 3 Battlemech battalions.  The Concordat does not deploy independent command units, except at the regimental and corps level.

Recently the Red Chasseurs have started to experiment with a new organizational structure for their mech units.  Looking for ways to increase the tactical flexibility and striking power of the unit, Brigadier Willis Makepeace proposed organizing mech units along the same lines as Taurian armor units. These new reinforced companies, called troops, consist of 3 platoons each with 6 Battlemechs.  The platoons are broken down into 3 maniples each with 2 Battlemechs.  In keeping with the Cavalry theme, the units battalions have been renamed squadrons and are composed of 3 troops.  During exercises conducted by the Red Chasseurs the new formation has provided the Chasseurs with added striking power and improved tactical flexibility.  The TDF senior commanders are keeping an eye on the experiment.  If it proves successful other units may switch to the new organization.

Structure of the TDF:

Concordat Army
The Concordat Army is composed of 6 Corps, 4 Battlemech Corps (the Taurian Guard, I, II & III Corps) the Armor Corps and the Infantry Corps.  While the 4 Battlemech Corps may get the most publicity it is the Armor and Infantry Corps which are the largest and some of the most important formations in the TDF.  Throughout it’s history, the Concordat has preferred to expand through peaceful methods, such as colonization, rather then through force like many of it’s neighbors.  As a result, the TDF has traditionally been organized for defensive missions, rather then as an offensive force.  This allowed the TDF to rely on infantry and conventional armor, which are cheaper to deploy and very effective in defensive operations, even against Battlemechs.  During the War of Star League Aggression, the Armor and Infantry Corps attempted to hold off the invaders, while the Concordat’s Battlemech forces were held in reserve, where they were able to reinforce threatened worlds and conduct local counterattacks and deep raids against SLDF supply depots and communication centers.  The end of the War of Star League Aggression saw the disbanding of the Concordat’s Battlemech forces and most of its Armor and Infantry units,

Following the Uprisings, the TDF was reformed by the Taurian Government.  The largest components of the the new TDF are the Armor and Infantry corps.  These corps are spread across every world of the Concordat and form the main defensive capability of the Concordat.  With the need to cover large areas with minimal forces, the Armor Corps tends to favor fast hovercraft which can quickly deploy to engage the enemy.  These are backed up by heavier armored units which serve as anvil to the lighter forces.   The Infantry Corps regiments deploy a large number of heavy artillery weapons and are trained in anti-mech tactics, making them very effective in combat.

Having learned from the War of Star League Aggression, the Concordat High Command has realized the need for a large Battlemech force.  The Battlemech forces provide the TDF with increased flexibility and the gives it the capability to rapidly respond to enemy incursions.

The Concordat currently deploys 4 Battlemech Corps, containing a total of 11 Battlemech Regiments.  Taurian Mech Regiments are generally built around medium mechs, which are supported by a large number of light and heavy mechs. Most Mech regiment’s have an attached armor unit, typically equipped with fast hover tanks and an infantry force equipped with jump packs, VTOLs or APCs for better mobility. 

The Battlemech Corps are routinely trained as Special Task Groups.   The STGs are trained to conduct a variety of missions such as counterattacking planetary invasions or raiding supply and communication points behind enemy lines.  The STGs provide the TDF with added flexibility against enemy invasions. In the event of an invasion units not already engaging the enemy would be formed into STGs and used to attack the invaders.

Concordat Navy
The Concordat has a surprisingly large navy for such a small state. The Navy has a small number of warships, which are supplemented by conventional jumpships and dropships.  The Concordat Navy is currently divided into 4 fleets (1st, 2nd, 3rd and 4th).  Each fleet is commanded by an Admiral and is assigned to patrol a particular region of Taurian space.  The Taurian Navy is also responsible for providing transport for Army units during raids or planetary assaults.  In the event of an attack against the Concordat, the Navy will serve as the first line of defense, engaging the enemy as far forward as possible in an effort to blunt the invasion.  Unlike other branches of the Taurian Defense Forces the Navy is staffed entirely by long term volunteers, rather then draftees.     

Aerospace Arm
The Aerospace Arm is currently the weakest of the TDF’s 3 combat branches.  The Taurian aerospace forces suffered heavy losses during the Uprisings and so there were very few trained pilots available to serve as instructors for the next generation of pilots. Further complicating the problem is the fact that very few pilots had any experience in air to air combat during the Uprisings as the Aerospace Arm was used primarily in a ground attack role.  Since the reformation of the TDF, the Aerospace Arm has continued to operate mainly in a ground attack role.

Medical Division
The Medical Division is tasked with recovering and treating wounded soldiers. There is a special emphasis placed on quickly retrieving wounded soldiers from the front lines. The Medical Division has the capability to rapidly deploy emergency medical and surgical stations via support craft and it operates a variety of MASH units and hospital dropships.

Transport and Service Division
The Transport and Service Division fulfills several key roles for the TDF.  One of their most important roles is to provide transportation for replacement troops and supplies to combat areas. The T&SD also handles major repair and recovery operations, supplementing the organic repair capabilities of TDF units.  The other major responsibility of the T&SD is the routine transportation of reserves from training camps to their assignments, ensuring that the TDF’s regiments maintain their strength. Except for those vessels assigned to the Concordat Navy, all military Dropships and Jumpships are under the control of this division.  Unlike the Concordat Navy, which deploys mainly assault ships and transports, the T&SD fleet is composed of mainly large transports that are ill-suited for combat drops and raids. 

Administrative Corps
The Administrative Corps is responsible for handling all matters related to the personnel and administration of the TDF. This includes financial matters, record keeping, promotion review boards, and the JAG office.

Propaganda Division
The Propaganda Division is responsible for maintaining good morale within the military. Acting as an independent arm of the government, the Propaganda Division distributes information regarding the current situation in Taurian Concordat and discounts rumors instigated by enemy agents.


Concordat Army Unit Profiles
Taurian Guard  Corps

Unit Name: Taurian Guard
Unit Type: House
Co: Colonel John Matherson
Unit size: 3 Battalions
Experience: Elite
Mech Weight: Heavy
Aerospace Support: 4th Taurian Air Division
Fighter Weight: Heavy
Armor: 1st Taurian Armor Guard (Battalion, Hover)
Infantry: 8th New Vandenberg Rifleman (Regiment, Mechanized)
Unit History:
The Taurian Guard is the oldest and most prestigious unit of the TDF, having been originally formed as the Taurus planetary militia shortly during the reign of Timothy Calderon.  The regiment later became one of the original formations of the TDF when it was founded in 2360.  For the next two centuries, the Taurian Guard saw only limited action, fighting in the Rim War against the Capellans and defending the Concordat against pirates and raiders.  It was during the War of Star League Aggression that the Taurian Guard showed their capabilities and determination to defend the people of the Concordat.  They played a key role in the Second Battle of Diefenbaker, destroying a large number of SLDF mechs.  Badly battered in the fighting, the Guard withdrew to the Hyades Cluster, where they rebuilt and prepared to defend Taurus against the Star League. After the war the unit was disbanded, with the exception of the 1st Taurian Armor Guard which served as a militia unit on Taurus.  In the years before the Uprisings, the Taurian Guard was secretly reformed in the Deep Periphery.  When the fighting broke out the Taurian Guards were assigned to New Vandenberg, where they managed to drive General Kerensky and the SLDF from the planet in 2765. During 2766 and 2767 the Guard defended New Vandenberg against an SLDF invasion force.  Despite being out numbered the Taurian Guard managed to hold their own almost a year before retreating from New Vandenberg in January 2767.  When the SLDF left Concordat in 2767, the Taurian Guard were the first unit that was rebuilt by the Taurian government.  The Taurian Guard boast the best equipment of any Taurian units, including a large number of Assault Mechs and captured Star League equipment. 

The 4th Taurian Air Division is one of the best aerospace units in the Taurian Concordat, and one of only 3 Air Divisions permanently assigned to support a Taurian Mech regiment.  The 4th uses aerospace fighters and is highly skilled in both air to air combat and ground attack roles.  The 1st Taurian Armor Guard, having been reunited with the Taurian Guard following the Uprisings, is considered a permanent part of the Taurus garrison and is used to defend the capitol city of Samantha. The 8th New Vandenberg Riflemen were formed during the Uprising from volunteers on New Vandenberg.  The regiment is famous for holding off 2 companies of SLDF mechs and a battalion of infantry from the 62nd Jump Infantry Division during the Battle of Beckett’s Ridge, buying time for the Taurian Guard to reform and counter attack the SLDF’s 299th Mechanized Infantry Division and push them out of Harmony.  After the war the Taurian Guard specifically requested that the unit be attached to them as a support unit. Since the Uprisings, the Taurian Guard have served mainly in the Hyades Cluster.


Unit Name: Taurian Velites
Unit Type: House
Co: Colonel Beth Conners
Unit size: 3 Battalions
Experience:  Veteran
Mech Weight: Medium
Aerospace Support: Velite Chargers (Air Division)
Fighter Weight: Medium
Armor: None
Infantry: 33rd Pinard Infantry (Regiment, Mechanized)
Unit History:
The Taurian Velites were formed during the Uprisings on Pinard.  The core of the unit came from several Noble Volunteer Battalions that were secretly raised by the local nobles.  These battalions were reinforced by a cadre of officers and senior NCOs from the secret training bases out in the Deep Periphery.  During the war, the unit saw heavy action on Pinard against the Star League’s 14th and 71st Striker Regiments.  The battle, which lasted 140 days, was hard fought by both sides.  This highly mobile campaign raged all across the planet, as both sides launched a series of attacks and counter attacks in an attempt to out maneuver and capture the opposing force.  During this campaign, the Velites made very  effective use of the Aerospace fighters assigned to them.  The Taurian fighters were used to counter the mobility of the SLDF’s Striker Regiments, slowing their retreats and driving them towards ambushed by the Velites.  The Velites Battlemech regiment was supported by several armor and infantry regiments which were raised from the planetary populace of Pinard. The armored units suffered heavy casualties during the fighting and after the war the survivors were transferred to the TDF’s Armor Corps and transferred to local defense battalions.  Likewise, most of the Velites infantry assets were transferred to the Infantry Corps after the Uprisings, with only the 33rd Pinard Infantry remaining attached to the Velites.  Since the Uprising, the  Velites have been deployed on the border between the Federated Suns and the Hyades Cluster.


Unit Name: Concordat Commandos
Unit Type: House
Co: Colonel Richard Evans
Unit size: 3 Battalions
Experience: Regular
Mech Weight: Light/Medium
Aerospace Support: None
Armor: None
Infantry: 35th Hyades Light Infantry (Regiment, Foot)
Unit History:
The Concordat Commandos have a history going back to the last days of the War of Star League Aggression.  Formed from newly graduated cadets led by some of the finest Taurian special forces commanders, the regiment fought in defense of New Vandenberg before falling back to the Hyades Cluster.   Officially disbanded after the fall of the Concordat, the surviving members of the Commandos continued to covertly train together in defiance of the Star League.  For 250 years the Commandos trained troops for the day when the Concordat would rise up and overthrow the yoke of Star League oppression.  Their efforts expanded in the decade  before the Uprisings, where with aid from the Taurian government, the Commandos trained tens of thousands of troops for the reconstituted TDF.  During the Uprisings, the Commandos were assigned to New Vandenberg.  Experts in unconventional warfare, the Commandos conducted a number of raids against key Star League supply and communication centers located deep behind enemy lines.  The Commandos suffered heavy casualties during the battles, but inflicted even heavier loses on the SLDF troops.  Because the unit spent most of the war operating behind enemy lines with no fixed bases of operations, they were never permanently assigned any aerospace support.  The Commandos also never operated along side any armor units, as they felt the limited mobility of tanks and hover vehicles would hamper the mech regiment’s ability to traverse the rough terrain.  The only support unit permanently assigned to the Commandos is the 35th Hyades Light Infantry.  The 35th is an elite regiment that is trained in commando tactics and anti-battlemech warfare.  Since the uprisings the Commandos have been deployed along the Capellan border to guard against any possible incursions . 


I Corps

Unit Name: Calderon Red Hand
Unit Type: House
Co: Colonel Seth Calderon
Unit size: 3 Battalions
Experience: Veteran
Mech Weight: Medium
Aerospace Support: None
Armor: 23rd Armored Cavalry (Battalion, Hover)
Infantry: 19th Taurian Infantry (Battalion, Mechanized)
Unit History:
Like many other Taurian units, the Calderon Red Hand have a history going back to before the War of Star League Aggression. The original Calderon Red Hand were part of the Calderon Household Battlemech Regiments.   During the War of Star League Aggression they saw action at  the massive 2nd Battle of Diefenbacker where they were almost completely wiped out, the few survivors being assigned as replacements in other units.  The regiment was secretly reformed during the Uprisings and, alongside the Taurian Jaegers and Logan’s Liberators, they fought battles on Logan’s Land, Norman’s World and Celentaro against the SLDF’s 192nd Jump Infantry, the 141st Dragoon Regiment and the 477th Battle Regiment.  While they managed to inflict heavy losses on the SLDF troops, the Taurian forces suffered very heavy casualties.

After the Uprisings the surviving Battlemech troops from the Jaegers and Liberators were used to bring the Calderon Red Hand up to full strength.  As only a few aerospace pilots assigned to the unit survived the Uprisings, they were transferred to the Concordat Cuirassier’s 99th Taurian Aero Wing while the bulk of the surviving conventional troops were transferred to the Armor and Infantry Corps regiments assigned to defend Logan’s Land and Celentaro. As a result, the Calderon Red Hand only has a few supporting units assigned to it.  The 19th Taurian Infantry fought with the Red Hand during the Uprisings and suffered major losses in the battles on Norman’s World. Originally assigned to the Infantry Corps forces on Norman’s World, they petitioned the TDF High Command to continue serving along side the Calderon Red Hand.  Reduced to a single battalion in size, current plans call for doubling the size of the 19th sometime in the next 2 years by splitting the battalion into 2 halves and rebuilding both to full strength using new recruits.  The 23rd Armored Cavalry was only recently added to the unit at the request of Colonel Calderon. Since the Uprisings the unit has been deployed in the New Vandenberg region.


Unit Name: Red Chasseurs
Unit Type: House
Co: Colonel Amanda Jennings
Unit size: 3 Squadrons
Experience: Regular
Mech Weight: Medium
Aerospace Support: 1st Wing, 21st Corps Air Division
Fighter Weight: Medium
Armor: 27th Armored Reconnaissance (1 Battalion, Hover)
Infantry: 35th Cluster Support Force- Red Gate Infantry (Battalion, mechanized)
Unit History:
The Red Chasseurs were one of the many mech regiments that were secretly raised in the years before the Uprisings.  During the initial stages of the campaign, the Red Chasseurs were held as a strategic reserve against any possible SLDF counter attacks against the rebel’s bases.  With the SLDF invasion of the Concordat in 2766, the Red Chasseurs found themselves assigned to conduct hit and run raids against the SLDF, striking targets of opportunity and bringing in supplies and reinforcements to Taurian troops fighting  the SLDF.  During these operations, the Red Chasseurs became became experts at rapid deployment techniques and the jumpship navigators assigned to the unit’s transports became experts at using pirate jump points to quickly get in and out of enemy held systems.  Since the end of the Uprisings, the Red Chasseurs have served as Concordat’s rapid reaction force and are capable of deploying within 6 hours of receiving their orders.  Some what surprisingly, given their rapid reaction role,  the Red Chasseurs deploy a large number of heavy mechs, mainly faster designs, which provide the regiment with significant firepower.

Due to their role as a rapid reaction force, the Red Chasseurs are the only Concordat Army unit to have permanently assigned Jumpship and Dropship transports.  These ships are drawn from the Navy’s 4th Fleet and only the best navigators in the Taurian Navy are assigned to serve aboard these ships.  To provide protection for these ships, the 1st Wing of the 21st Corps Air Division is semi-permanently assigned to the Chasseurs.  Unlike many other aerospace units in the Concordat, the 21st Corps Air Division is composed of experts in air to air combat and is well suited to it’s primary task of defending the Chasseurs' transports.  The 27th Armored Reconnaissance is composed entirely of fast hovercraft and provides the Chasseurs with superior recon support.  The battalion is typically used to draw enemy forces towards the Red Chasseurs’ positions.  The 35th Cluster Support force is a special unit that is geared towards the Chasseurs’ rapid response mission.  The unit includes an Artillery battery, a company of VTOLs, a squad of minelayers, a scout company and a commando company trained in sabotage and demolitions.

Recently the Red Chasseurs have begun experimenting with a new tactical organization.  The units battlemechs have been reorganized into troops of 18 mechs, with 3 troops per squadron.  This provides the unit with better flexibility on the battle field and more power then a standard company.  Other mech regiments in the TDF have started to study this organization and are considering reorganizing along these lines.


Unit Name: 159th Hussars
Unit Type: House
Co: Colonel Gerald Lambert
Unit size: 3 Battalions
Experience: Veteran
Mech Weight: Medium-Heavy
Aerospace Support: 159th Air Wing
Fighter Weight: Medium
Armor: 159th Armor (Battalion, Medium Tracked)
Infantry: 159th Infantry (Battalion, Jump)
Unit History:
The 159th Hussars were originally part of the Star League Defense Forces.  The commander of the unit at the time, Colonel David Roshenko, saw the injustices that were being suffered by the Taurian people and, upon arriving in the Landmark system, convinced his unit to join the rebellion against the Star League.  Almost the entire regiment followed the Colonel and joined the rebels.  While Taurians had some distrust of the Hussars at first, that was eventually overcome, especially after the unit helped defend Landmark against the 246th Royal Battlemech Division.  After the Uprisings the Hussars were offered a position in the newly reformed TDF.  While a few members chose to return to their homes in the Inner Sphere or join Kerensky’s campaign to liberate the Hegemony, the majority of the regiment decided to remain in the Concordat. 

The Star League Hussar regiments were traditionally self contained units, with organic aerospace fighter, armor and infantry support.  The 159th retains a battalion of tracked armor and a battalion of Jump infantry as well as a wing of fighters. In recent years the unit has been operating in the region around the Hyades Cluster.

II Corps

Unit Name: Concordat Cuirassiers
Unit Type:  House
Co: Colonel Ulric Patterson
Unit size: 3 Battalions
Experience: Veteran
Mech Weight: Medium
Aerospace Support: 99th Taurian Air Wing
Fighter Weight: Heavy
Armor: 55th Heavy Cavalry (2 Battalions, Hover)
Infantry: 22nd Mountain Infantry (Regiment, Foot)
Unit History:
In the years before the War of Star League Aggression, the Concordat Cuirassiers Brigade formed the core of the Taurian Defense Forces’ battlemech strength.  The unit fought bravely against the Star League defenders but suffered many losses against the superior numbers of the SLDF. By the time the SLDF invaded New Vandenberg the brigade had been reduced to a single regiment. The Cuirassiers fought hard against the SLDF invaders and despite handing the butcher Forlough his first defeat at the battle of Harmony, the regiment was completely wiped out by the time New Vandenberg fell to the SLDF.

In preparation for the Uprisings, one of the first mech divisions raised by the Taurian government was the Concordat Cuirassiers Mech Division. At the start of the Uprisings, the Cuirassiers were assigned to liberate MacLeod’s Land, where they successfully destroyed the 218th Royal Light Horse and 94th Dragoon Regiments.  When the SLDF launched it’s counteroffensive in 2766,  MacLeod’s Land was attacked by the 231st Battlemech Division, the 85th Mechanized Infantry Division and the 17th Infantry Division.  Despite being vastly out numbered, the Cuirassiers had the advantage of fighting from well prepared defensive positions in the Edinburgh Mountains.  In fighting reminiscent of the War of Star League Aggression, the SLDF troops kept throwing themselves at the heavily fortified Taurian positions only to be rebuffed and pushed back by massive artillery barrages. The fighting was fierce and losses were extremely heavy on both sides.  By the time the SLDF withdrew from the Concordat, the 3 SLDF Divisions fighting against the Cuirassiers had been decimated, the few survivors were reassigned to other SLDF units. The Cuirassiers were only slightly better off.  The  6 battlemech regiments of the Cuirassiers Division were reduced to a single regiment.  The 2 air divisions assigned to support the Cuirassiers Division were reorganized into a to single wing, the 99th Taurian Air Wing.  The 22nd Mountain Infantry which had fought alongside the Cuirassiers on MacLeod’s Land was permanently assigned to the regiment after the Uprisings.  Originally a specialized defensive unit, the 22nd has a full battalion of heavy artillery and a battalion of engineers, who specialize in constructing defensive positions.  The 55th Heavy Cavalry was recently added to the Cuirassiers as a reconnaissance and screening unit.  The Cuirassiers are currently assigned to postings along the Federated Suns border.

Unit Name: Hyades Light Infantry
Unit Type: House
Co: Colonel Kelly Rackham
Unit size: 2 Battalions
Experience: Regular
Mech Weight: Light
Aerospace Support: 2nd Corps Air Wing
Fighter Weight: Light-Medium
Armor: none
Infantry: Hyades Support Group (Regiment, Jump, Mechanized)
Unit History:
The original Hyades Light Infantry was formed in the closing days of the War of Star League Aggression from the special services troops assigned to defend the Hyades Cluster.  Composed entirely of volunteers, the soldiers of the Hyades Light Infantry were fanatical patriots who fought to the death to defend the Concordat.  When Marantha Calderon surrendered the Concordat to the Star League, the surviving members of the unit convinced a Taurian Jumpship Captain to take them into the deep periphery.  For the next 250 years the unit raided SLDF targets, aided by covert support from the Taurian government.  Eventually, the Hyades Light Infantry became part of the Taurian Freedom Army and worked to liberate the Concordat from League rule.  The regiment had great success against the SLDF Army and even the much vaunted SAS troops, routinely outsmarting and outmaneuvering the enemy.  When the SLDF hit the TFA headquarters on Camadeierre in 2764, the Hyades Light Infantry was conducting a raid on Althea’s Choice.  With their home base in the hands of the SLDF, the regiment fell back to a secret Taurian base in the Badlands Star Cluster.  At the start of the Uprisings, the Light Infantry conducted a series of raids against SLDF forces, both inside the Concordat and in the Federated Suns.  After the Uprisings, the Hyades Light Infantry officially rejoined the TDF and was assigned to serve along the border with the Federated Suns.

The 2nd Corps Air Wing is a recent addition to the Hyades Light Infantry.  The wing specializes in providing close air support to the Light Infantry, usually engaging heavier mechs and tanks which pose a greater threat to the regiments light mechs. The Hyades Support Group is a regiment of elite infantry that operates along side the Mech regiment. Many members of the Support Group were formerly part of the Taurian Freedom Army.  The Support Group is jump capable and has access to a variety of VTOL and Hover craft transports.

Unit Name: 428th Battlemech Regiment
Unit Type: Mercenary
Co: Colonel Howard Martinson
Unit size: 4 Battalions
Experience: Regular
Mech Weight: Medium
Aerospace Support:  Eagle Squadron (Wing)
Fighter Weight: Light
Armor: 1037th Heavy Tank Regiment (Regiment, Tracked, Heavy), 223rd Armored Cavalry (2 Battalions, Hover)
Infantry: 145th Mechanized Infantry (Regiment, Mechanized), 988th Mechanized Infantry (Regiment, Mechanized), 737th Infantry (Regiment, foot)
Unit History:
The 428th Battle Regiment and it’s associated brigades (the 36th Infantry Brigade, made up of the 737th Infantry Regiment and the 1037th Heavy tank regiment, and the 161st Mechanized Brigade, made up of the 145th and 998th Mechanized Infantry Regiments and the 223rd Armored Cavalry) were formed from Star League troops who joined the Taurian Concordat during the Uprisings. The 428th Battlemech Division, 36th Infantry Division and 161st Mechanized Infantry Divisions were all stationed in the Concordat during the opening phase of the Uprisings.  During the initial attacks by the reformed TDF, the 3 divisions suffered such heavy losses fighting that they were eventually disbanded by the SLDF.  When General Kerensky ordered the withdrawal of the SLDF from the Periphery at the end of 2765, many members of the 428th, 36th and 161st chose to remain the Concordat and join the fight against the SLDF, having seen first hand the way the people of the Concordat were being abused and exploited by the Star League.

The TDF took these soldiers and reorganized them into a new unit.  The mechwarriors were organized into the 428th Battlemech Regiment, while the armor and Infantry troops were organized into the 36th Infantry Brigade and the 161st Mechanized Infantry Brigade. The 428th has 4 battalions of troops, but unlike Taurian regiments they use the standard SLDF organizational structure with 3 companies per battalion, make the regiment effectively the same size as a Taurian one. The 428th is supported by a large number of conventional troops, with 3 regiments of Infantry and almost 2 regiments of armor.  The 737th Infantry is noteworthy in that it includes a number of engineering units which specialize in building defensive fortifications.  The 428th has been deployed along the border with the Federated Suns, where they have been helping the local militia units build defensive fortifications. While nominally a mercenary unit, the 428th has signed a long term contract with the Concordat and is currently considering an offer to become a house unit.


III Corps

Unit Name: Pleiades Hussars
Unit Type: House
Co: Colonel Edward Tharn
Unit size: 3 Battalions
Experience: Veteran
Mech Weight: Medium-Heavy
Aerospace Support: Pleiades 7th Air Division
Fighter Weight: Medium
Armor: 42nd Armored Reconnaissance (2 Battalions, Hover)
Infantry: 12th Pleiades Infantry (2 Battalions, Jump)
Unit History:
The Pleiades Hussars have a history going back to before the War of Star League Aggression, originally being raised to defend the Pleiades Cluster against Davion attacks in the 24th Century.  During the War of Star League Aggression the Pleiades Hussars defended their home worlds against the SLDF.  The Hussars fought hard against the SLDF troops, but they were eventually forced to retreat deeper into Concordat territory.  However, before they left the Cluster, the Hussar established an effective resistance organization which harassed the SLDF occupation troops for many years.  The Hussars were later assigned to defend the agricultural worlds of Carmichael, Midale and Werfer against several SLDF Light Horse Regiments.  The battles turned into a series of mobile attacks and counter attacks between the 2 sides. The Hussars slowly wore down the SLDF troops but ultimately they were forced to retreat in to the Hyades Cluster.  After the surrender of the Concordat, the Hussars were officially disbanded.  With the reformation of the TDF in the years before the  Uprisings, the Hussars were reformed, with many members of the new unit descended from members of the original regiment.  During the Uprisings, the Hussars launched numerous assaults against the SLDF occupation army.  The Hussars fought with fanatical determination and suffered heavy losses, only a single mech regiment survived from the Hussars division.  Since the fall of the Star League and the out break of war between the Inner Sphere states, many in the Hussars have called for the Concordat to take advantage of the Federated Suns current woes to liberate the Pleiades Cluster and other worlds which have been occupied by the Federated Suns since the War of Star League Aggression.  So far, the Concordat government has refused to start a war with the Federated Suns.  Surprisingly, this decision has had little impact on the regiment’s reliability as they have shown no anger towards  Taurian government’s decision to not invade the Federated Suns. 

The 12th Pleiades Infantry is one of the few TDF units that was not disbanded after the War of Star League Aggression.  At the end of war, the 12th was assigned to the Atreus Prime planetary militia.  At the start of the Uprisings, the 12th launched as series of attacks against the senior SLDF commanders on Atreus Prime, killing them and creating chaos for the remaining SLDF soldiers.  The 12th then helped secure the world and defend it against the SLDF counter offensive of 2766.  After the Uprisings the 12th petitioned to be reassigned to serve along side the newly reconstituted Pleiades Hussars.  This request was quickly granted by the TDF high command. The Pleiades 7th Air Division is one of the few Air Divisions permanently assigned to a mech unit.  Having served along side the Hussars during the Uprisings, the 7th faced very little opposition from SLDF aerospace fighters and so unlike many other Taurian aerospace units, they did not suffer significant casualties.  The 42nd Armored Reconnaissance was only recently added to the unit.  The 42nd lacks any ties to the Pleiades Cluster and so it’s members are viewed as outsiders by the Hussars and the 12th Pleiades Infantry.  Because of the uncomfortable nature of the situation, the commander of the 42nd Armored Reconnaissance has already requested that the 42nd be transferred to a different unit.  The Pleiades Hussars are deployed along the Federated Suns border near the Badlands Star Cluster.

Unit Name: The Chief Joseph Brigade
Unit Type: Mercenary
Co: Colonel Xian Zho
Unit size: 3 battalions
Experience: Regular
Mech Weight: Medium
Aerospace Support:  1st Air Wing
Fighter Weight: Light
Armor: 655th Heavy Armor (Regiment, Tracked, Heavy)
Infantry: 875th Mechanized Infantry (Regiment, Tracked)
Unit History:
The Chief Joseph Brigade traces it’s history back to the Star League’s 262nd Battlemech Division and 200th Mechanized Infantry Division.  Both of those units were badly damaged in the Uprisings and disbanded by the Star League. As with many other SLDF units, a significant number of these soldiers sympathized with the plight of the people in the Periphery and decided to remain in the Concordat.  The Chief Joseph Brigade,  which takes it’s name from the nickname of the 262nd Battlemech Division, was formed on Celentaro during the later stages of the Uprisings.  The regiment saw no action during the Uprisings, although recently it has dealt with several pirate raids against the Concordat.  The unit is supported by a heavy armor regiment and a mechanized infantry regiment.  The brigade is usually deployed as 3 combined arms regiments, each composed of a mech battalion, an armor battalion and infantry battalion.  The Chief Joseph Brigade is currently deployed along the Federated Sun border near the Badlands Star Cluster.


Armor Corps
The TDF’s Armor Corps primary mission is to defend the worlds of the Concordat against invaders.  With the exception of those armored units permanently assigned to the TDF’s battlemech corps, all of the Taurian armored regiments come under the command of the Armor Corps. With over 200 armored regiments, the Armor Corps dwarf’s the TDF’s battlemech forces.  The Armor Corps forces are deployed in units ranging in size from single battalions on outlying colony worlds to multiple brigades on core worlds like Taurus and New Vandenberg.

Since armored vehicles are ill-suited for large scale interstellar offensive operations and raids, the Armor Corps is used solely to defend the Concordat against invaders. The Armor Corps deploys a variety of vehicles. Many were captured from the SLDF or salvaged after the Uprisings, while others were purchased on the open market after the Uprisings.  There is a distinct preference in the Armor Corps for fast hover tanks, as they can cover easily more ground during patrol operations and quickly deploy to counter invasion forces.  Heavier tanks are usually deployed on key worlds with vital industries, resources or supply centers.  The heavier tanks are used to garrison these locations, which are more likely to be attacked if the planet is invaded, while faster hovercraft units are used to harass invaders and drive them towards fixed defensive positions.

The Armor Corps also controls all of the Concordat’s conventional fighter and VTOL forces.  While there are only a few conventional fighter wings, found mostly on worlds such as Taurus and Pinard, the Concordat deploys a large number of VTOLs, whose role is to provide close air support to the ground troops.  The Armor Corps is also responsible for all of the self-propelled artillery units in the TDF.  The Concordat deploys a large number of these weapons which have proven devastating when properly used.

The Armor Corps routinely cross trains its forces with the Infantry Corps.  As both organizations are tasked with the same mission, coordination is considered vital.  As Battlemech forces are less common in the Concordat, the Armor Corps units typically have less experience operating along side them and as a result they have a harder coordinating their operations with them.

Infantry Corps
The Infantry Corps is the largest Corps in the Concordat with over 400 regiments.  Relatively cheap to raise and maintain, even the newest colony worlds have at least 2 regiments of infantry, while many more developed worlds have multiple brigades or divisions. However, unlike many other nations, the senior military commanders of the Concordat realize just how effective well trained and motivated infantry soldiers can be on the modern battlefield.  Rather then being considered cheap disposable troops, like in other realms, Taurian soldiers are highly trained and well equipped.  Every regiment has a wide assortment of support weapons, from man portable PPCs and SRMs to towed howitzers and artillery pieces.  Many of these forces are equipped with either APCs or jump packs, providing the infantry with better mobility on the battlefield.  The Concordat also routinely trains it’s infantry regiments in Anti-Mech tactics, as well as deploying large numbers of specialists, including demolition experts, snipers, infiltrators and guerilla warfare experts.  Many Taurian units have special commando platoons, and there are even several elite battalions composed entirely of commando troops. In recognition of the fact that strong defensive positions can inflict heavy losses on enemy forces, even those deploying Battlemechs, every infantry battalion has a platoon of Combat Engineers that specialize in the construction of defensive fortifications.

Deployment Table:
Taurian Defense Forces:
Commander: Senior Marshal Nicoletta Calderon
Aide: Comptroller David Brenner
Mech Strength:  11 Regiments

Taurian Guard
Commander: Marshal Edgar Robinson
Aide: Comptroller Melissa Hancock
Mech Strength: 3 Regiments

Unit Name            Exp. Level   Loyalty   Home world
Taurian Guard
(CO: Colonel John Matherson)
   1st Battalion      Elite      Fanatical   Taurus      
   (CO: Brigadier Martin Smith)
   2nd Battalion      Veteran   Fanatical   Taurus
   (CO: Brigadier Jessica Wakefield)
   3rd Battalion      Elite      Fanatical   Samantha
   (CO: Brigadier Andrew Harmon)
   4th Air Division      Veteran   Fanatical    Taurus/Samantha
   (CO: Air Master SG Felicia Tucker)
   1st Armor Guard   Regular   Fanatical   Taurus
   (CO: Subaltern Marc Stevens)
   8th New Vandenberg   Elite      Fanatical   Taurus/Samantha
   (CO: Colonel Davis Olson)

Taurian Velites
(CO: Colonel Beth Conners)
   1st Battalion      Veteran   Fanatical   Jansen’s Hold
   (CO: Brigadier Walter Doru)
   2nd Battalion      Veteran   Reliable   New Vallis
   (CO: Brigadier Matthew Calderon)
   3rd Battalion      Regular   Fanatical   New Ganymede
   (CO: Brigadier Wilson Mattingly)
   Velite Chargers      Veteran   Reliable   Jansen’s Hold
   (CO: Air Master SG Franklin Hammel)
   33rd Pinard      Regular   Reliable   New Vallis/Jansen’s       (CO: Colonel Penelope Ulsner)                Hold

Concordat Commandos
(CO: Colonel Richard Evans)
   1st Battalion      Regular   Reliable   Pinard
   (CO: Brigadier Angela Remson)
   2nd Battalion      Veteran   Reliable   MacLeod’s Land
   (CO: Brigadier Peter Lonnager)
   3rd Battalion      Regular   Fanatical   Brinton
   (CO: Brigadier Zeng Xiao Chang)
   35th Hyades Light Inf   Elite      Fanatical   Brinton/Pinard/
   (CO: Colonel Edward Trey)            MacLeod’s Land
   

I Corps
Commander: Marshal Jonas Smith
Aide: Comptroller Peter Degraw
Mech Strength: 3 Regiments

Unit Name            Exp. Level   Loyalty   Home world
Calderon Red Hand
(CO: Colonel Seth Calderon)
   1st Battalion      Veteran   Reliable   New Vandenberg
   (CO: Brigadier Allison Markowitz)
   2nd Battalion      Regular   Reliable   New Vandenberg
   (CO:   Brigadier David Trennouth)
   3rd Battalion      Veteran   Fanatical   Laconis
   (CO: Brigadier Samuel Mueller)
   23rd Armored Cavalry Regular   Reliable   New Vandenberg
   (CO: Subaltern Pam Kelly)
   19th Taurian Infantry   Regular   Fanatical    New Vandenberg
   (CO: Subaltern Rosie Lourdes)

Red Chasseurs
(CO: Colonel Amanda Jennings)
   1st Squadron      Regular   Reliable   Brisbane
   (CO: Brigadier Thomas Kinkaid)
   2nd Squadron      Regular    Fanatical   Coromodir
   (CO: Brigadier Lewis Greller)
   3rd Squadron      Veteran   Fanatical   Mavegh
   (CO:   Brigadier Willis Makepeace)
   1st Wing, 21st Corp   Regular   Reliable   Brisbane/Coromodir/
   (CO: Air Master JG Rachel Buam)      Mavegh   
   27th Armored Recon   Veteran   Fanatical    Coromodir/Brisbane
   (CO:   Subaltern Marc Polaski)
   35th Cluster Support   Veteran   Reliable   Mavegh/Coromodir
   (CO:   Subaltern Jessica Devers)

159th Hussars
(CO: Colonel Gerald Lambert
   1st Battalion      Regular   Reliable   Illiushin
   (CO: Brigadier Ronald Dawson)
   2nd Battalion      Veteran    Questionable   Renfield
   (CO: Brigadier Heather Singleton)
   3rd Battalion      Veteran   Reliable   Camadeierre
   (CO: Brigadier Omar Tremont)
   Air Wing         Regular    Reliable   Illiushin/Camadeierre
   (CO: Air Master JG Owen Taylor)
   Armor Battalion      Veteran   Questionable   Renfield
   (CO:   Subaltern Jeremy Walker)
   Infantry Battalion      Veteran   Reliable   Illiushin
   (CO: Subaltern Mandy Turner)


II Corps
Commander: Marshal Joshua Lambert
Aide: Colonel Hector Rodridgez
Mech Strength: 3 Regiments

Unit Name            Exp. Level   Loyalty   Home world
Concordat Cuirassiers
(CO: Colonel Ulric Patterson)
   1st Battalion      Veteran   Reliable   Sartu
   (CO: Brigadier Clarence Waters)
   2nd Battalion      Veteran   Fanatical   Atreus Prime
   (CO: Brigadier Peter Gallitzin)      
   3rd Battalion       Regular   Reliable   Mithron
   (CO: Brigadier Laura Wilkinson)
   99th Taurian Air Wing   Veteran   Reliable   Sartu
   (CO: Air Master JG Paulette Yeffers)
   55th Heavy Cavalry   Green   Questionable  Atreus Prime
   (CO: Brigadier Marc Reminger)
   22nd Mountain Infantry Veteran   Fanatical   Sartu/Mithron
   (CO: Colonel Gerald Talbert)               

Hyades Light Infantry
(CO: Colonel Kelly Rackham)
   1st Battalion      Regular   Fanatical   Grossbach
   (CO: Brigadier John Kithrong)
   2nd Battalion       Regular   Fanatical   Girondas
   (CO: Brigadier Sylvia Winn)   
   Hyades Support Group Elite   Fanatical   Grossbach/Girondas   
   (CO: Colonel Richard Stone)
   2nd Corps Air Wing   Regular   Reliable   Grossbach
   (CO: Air Master JG Jack Donaldson)

428th Battlemech Regiment
(CO: Colonel Howard Martinson
   1st Battalion      Regular   Reliable   Amber Grove
   (CO: Brigadier Floyd Wannake)
   2nd Battalion       Veteran   Reliable   Logan’s Land
   (CO: Brigadier Olympia Conners)
   3rd Battalion      Regular   Reliable   Perdition
   (CO: Brigadier Reginold Ewing)
   4th Battalion      Green   Questionable  Hanseta
   (CO: Brigadier Wyatt Tolland)
   Eagle Squadron      Regular    Reliable   Perdition
   (CO: Air Master JG Indira Solomon)
   1037th Heavy Tank   Veteran   Reliable   Perdition
   (CO: Colonel Xavier Hernandez)
   223rd Armored Recon Regular   Reliable   Logan’s Land/
   (CO: Brigadier Lisa Bernard)         Amber Grove
   145th Mechanized   Regular   Reliable   Logan’s Land
   (CO: Colonel Scott Conrad)
   988th Mechanized   Veteran   Reliable   Amber Grove
   (CO: Colonel Sally Levine)
   737th Infantry      Veteran   Reliable   Perdition
   (CO: Colonel Wendy Pallus)

III Corps
Commander: Marshal Joan Potter
Aide: Comptroller Janine Lewis
Mech Strength: 2 Regiments

Unit Name            Exp. Level   Loyalty   Home world
Pleiades Hussars
(CO: Colonel Edward Tharn
   1st Battalion      Veteran   Reliable   Althea’s Choice   
   (CO: Brigadier David Winters)   
   2nd Battalion      Elite      Reliable   Cyrton
   (CO: Brigadier Elisa Markham)
   3rd Battalion       Veteran   Fanatical   Badlands
   (CO: Brigadier Lester Doohan)
   7th Air Division      Green   Fanatical   Badlands/             (CO: Air Master SG Frank Cooper)      Cyrton
   42nd Armored Recon   Green   Reliable   Althea’s Choice/
   (CO: Brigadier Cody Nixon)         Cyrton
   12 Pleiades Infantry   Regular   Fanatical   Althea’s Choice/
   (CO: Brigadier Edward Jenkins)         Cyrton      

Chief Joseph’s Brigade
(CO: Colonel Xian Zho
   1st Battalion      Regular   Reliable   Organo
   (CO: Brigadier Daniel Wakefield)
   2nd Battalion      Regular   Questionable  Norman’s World
   (CO: Brigadier Kim Gellman)
   3rd Battalion       Green   Reliable   Celentaro
   (CO: Brigadier Michael Phelps)
   1st Air Wing      Regular   Reliable   Organo
   (CO: Air Master JG Ryan Anderson)
   655th Heavy Armor   Regular   Reliable   Organo/Celentaro/
   (CO: Colonel Melissa Cunningham)      Norman’s World
   875th Mechanized   Regular   Reliable   Organo/Celentaro/
   (CO: Colonel Jeffrey Fredericks)         Norman’s World

Weapons Industry
The Taurian Concordat has a very healthy weapons industry.  In the years before the fall of the Star League, many foreign firms opened factories in the Concordat to take advantage of the low labor costs.  In addition to these factories, there were a number of factories secretly built by the Taurian government to support the Taurian resistance groups.  These factories were well hidden and operated under the noses of the Star League occupation forces.  Finally in the last years of the Star League a number of weapons factories were secretly built in the deep periphery.  The output of these factories was used to equip the divisions which fought in the Uprisings. 

The fierce fighting during the Uprising destroyed many of these facilities.  Due to the need to rebuild and supply the TDF a great deal of effort has been expended to rebuild the surviving facilities and establish new ones. The reconstruction efforts have salvaged a number of the secret factories that were located in the deep periphery and used the materials to repair and expand factories located in Concordat space.

Taurus Territorial Industries
Plant Location: Taurus
Products:
Wasp Light Mech
Locust Light Mech
Thunderbolt Heavy Mech
Warhammer Heavy mech
Marauder Heavy Mech
Lightning Aerospace Fighter
Thunderbird Aerospace Fighter
Leopard Dropships
Fusion Engines
Small Arms

Plant Location: Sterope
Products:
Seydlitz Aerospace Fighter
Bat Hawk Heavy Strike Fighter
Tracked APC
Hunter Support Tank
Union Dropship
Danais Dropships
antipersonnel Mines
Static Gun Emplacements

Notes:
Taurus Territorial Industries is the newest weapons manufacturer in the Concordat, having been founded in the wake of the Uprisings. Sponsored by the Taurian government, TTI was created using equipment that was salvaged from the secret weapons factories located in the Deep Periphery.  Despite being the newest weapon’s manufacturer in the Concordat, TTI has taken a place of prominence as the Concordat’s largest weapons manufacturer.  The Taurus facility produces a number of battlemech designs and several aerospace fighters as well as a variety of small arms for the infantry.  The Taurus plant also produces Leopard class Dropships for the Navy.  Recently the company acquired the small Vlar fusion engine factory which is located on Taurus. Cut off from it’s inner sphere headquarters, the Vlar factory had been struggling under inefficient management. These struggles had a severe impact on TTI’s battlemech production as many of their design’s use Vlar’s fusion engines.  Since TTI acquired the company, Vlar’s production has increased by 50%.

In addition to their primary factory on Taurus, TTI has taken over several manufacturers on Sterope.  Territorial Defense Industries (TDI) was a small company that manufactured aerospace and conventional fighters for planetary militias in the Concordat and Federated Suns.  Their main products were the Seydlitz aerospace fighter which was licensed from the Shipil Company in the Lyran Commonwealth as was the Bat Hawk Heavy Strike Fighter which is a licensed variant of Jalastar Aerospaces’s Meteor Heavy Strike Fighter.  After the Coup, TDI found itself in financial trouble as the collapse of the Star League resulted in a number of contract defaults by the company’s customers. Rather then allow TDI to go under, the Taurian government took over the company and turned over the day to day operation of the factory to TTI.  Looking to expand their operations on Sterope, TTI then acquired Gottherd Industries, a small vehicle and ordnance manufacturer.  TTI’s most recent acquisition is Concordat Shipyards.  Prior to the Uprisings, the company manufactured the Danais dropship for local merchants and also secretly built the Danais Trojan model for the Taurian government and resistance groups.  After the company was acquired by TTI the yard began producing the Union class dropship for the Concordat Navy. 

Vandenberg Mechanized Industries
Plant Location: New Vandenberg
Products:
Toro Light Mech
Archer Heavy Mech
Marauder Heavy Mech
Chippewa Aerospace Fighter
Hunter Support Tank

Plant Location: Illiushin
Products:
Toro Light Mech
Commando Light Mech
Griffin Medium Mech
TIG-15 Tigress Close Patrol Craft
Danais Dropship
Union Dropship (Line under construction)
Small Arms and Jump Packs

Plant Location: Pinard
Products:
Thunderbolt Heavy Mech
Warhammer Heavy Mech
SRM Carrier
Artillery Pieces & Munitions

Notes:
Vandenberg Mechanized Industries was formed shortly after the Uprisings from seven smaller firms which had operated secretly during the Star League occupation of the Concordat.  Several of these firms had maintained civilian factories to provide a cover for their weapon production lines, while others operated in complete secrecy.  After the Uprisings, the firms merged and formed Vandenberg Mechanized Industries. By joining into a single firm the companies were able to pool their limited capital and resources, making the company more financially sound. Currently the company operates factories on 3 worlds.

The main factory and corporate headquarters are located on New Vandenberg.  The New Vandenberg complex is currently being expanded using equipment salvaged from the secret periphery weapons factories.  The expansion is proceeding slowly due to the current situation, but when completed, the output of the factory should increase by a third. As part of the expansion program, the company has recently retooled the Stinger line to manufacture the famed Toro.  While some have questioned the wisdom in expending so many scarce resources to redevelop the Toro, many in the TDF see it as a matter of pride and new Toro is in great demand with Mechwarriors.  Seeking to expand into other areas of weapons manufacture, the company acquired a license for the Hunter Support Tank from TTI and also began production of the Chippewa Aerospace fighter.  The company has been reluctant to say how it acquired the plans for the Chippewa, but rumors suggest that the company somehow managed to steal the plans from Bowie Industries.

The VMI factory on Illiushin is fairly small compared to the New Vandenberg complex. Once a heavily industrialized world, and home to one of the main warship yards in the Concordat, the planet’s industrial capability was badly damaged during the War of Star League Aggression.  During the Occupation, the Star League made some efforts to rebuild the destroyed factories on Illiushin. However, much of the equipment was secretly rerouted to caves located in the Pemberton Mountains and used to establish covert weapons factories for the Resistance. Many of these caves had originally been used as bases for the TDF forces during the war and, having never been discovered by the SLDF, they were the ideal location for a hidden factory.  The Illiushin factory was one of the main suppliers of weapons for the Taurian Freedom Army and other resistance groups.  During the Occupation, their main products were small arms, jump packs and small hover tanks.  After the Uprisings the factory upgraded it’s hover tank line to produce Battlemechs. It is unclear how the company acquired the plans for the Commando, but as with the Chippewa, rumors point to a spy ring operating in the Lyran Commonwealth. The Stinger production line, which began operation in 2769, has, recently been retooled to build the Toro.  The Illiushin factory also continues to be a major manufacturer of small arms and jump packs for the TDF’s Infantry Corps.  VMI also operates a small shipyard in the system.   After the War of Star League Aggression, the ruined remains of the Illiushin shipyards were dismantled by the Star League.  In their place, the Star League established a small dropship facility, which built cargo haulers for the Concordat’s shipping companies, and a jumpship maintenance yard. In the 2720s, the Illiushin Shipyards, which later became part of VMI, began production of the Danais class cargo ships.  The company also was the first to build the Trojan model for use by the resistance.  Recently the company has begun to expand it’s production capability by building a new assembly line for the Union class dropship.  The company has also recently introduced the TIG-15 Tigress Close Patrol Craft for service with the Concordat Navy as an escort for the Concordat’s dropships and warships.

The Pinard factory is a small but highly efficient plant.  The War of Star League Aggression saw heavy fighting on Pinard and the planet’s industries suffered heavy damage.  Rebuilt by the Star League after the end of the war, Pinard is home to many modern and highly automated factories.  In the last years of the occupation several of these factories were secretly converted to the production of Battlemechs and tanks for the resistance. The Taurian Velites made use of these facilities during the Uprisings, drawing new mechs and other replacement equipment directly from the factory lines to make good their losses. While most of the factories were destroyed during the fighting, several have been rebuilt and put back into operation supplying weapons to the TDF.


Jefferson Mechworks
Plant Location: MacLeod’s Land
Products:
Agromechs
Construction Mechs
Locust Light Mech
Stinger Light Mech

Notes:
Jefferson Mechworks is the largest producer of agromechs and construction Mechs in the Concordat.  During the years of the Occupation, the Workmechs produced by Jefferson were vital to the successful colonization of many new worlds across the Periphery.  The company has long maintained good relations with the Taurian government.  The current CEO, Martin Jefferson, has shown that he is a true Taurian patriot.  During the Uprisings he converted his factories to produce desperately needed replacement parts for the TDF’s mech divisions.  As a result the SLDF attacked many of the company’s factories in an effort to cut off the TDF’s supply sources.   After the SLDF left the Concordat, the company salvaged what it could from the ruins of it’s factories and used that material to rebuild the factory on MacLeod’s Land.  Martin Jefferson also personally funded the conversion of several of the production lines from the production of Workmechs to Battlemechs for the TDF. The small size of the factory has limited it to the production of mechs massing 25 tons or less. 

Concordat MetalWorks
Plant Location: Perdition
Products:
Miningmechs
Heavy Constructionmechs
Wasp Light Mech
Thunderbird Aerospace Fighter

Notes:
Concordat MetalWorks was one of the original manufacturers of heavy workmechs in the Concordat.  Founded in the early 26th Century, the company was a major supplier of workmechs for the mining and construction industries. During the Occupation, the company’s factories were rebuilt with Star League aid and they continued to supply workmechs in large numbers to the Concordat as well as the nearby worlds of the Federated Suns and Capellan Confederation. Despite the large increase in revenue due to the opening of new markets in the Suns and Confederation, the directors of the company supported independence from the Star League.  In the years before the Uprisings, the company was secretly contacted by the Taurian government about it’s willingness to provide weapons for the reconstituted TDF.  Despite the risk of what might have happened if they were discovered, an assembly line was converted to the production of Wasp battlemechs.  After the fall of the Star League, the company found itself with significant excess capacity due to the loss of markets in the Federated Suns and Capellan Confederation.  With the company’s major customer, Taurus Majoris Mining cutting back operations and consequently it’s purchases of new equipment,  Concordat Metalworks forecasted that there was no hope that local markets could make up for the loss of it’s export trade.  The one area that was seen to be growing in the Taurian economy was the armaments industry, where the TDF and local forces were purchasing every weapon they could get their hands on.  Rather then adding additional battlemech assembly lines, the company realized there was a very lucrative market for heavy aerospace fighters.  The company quickly acquired the plans for the Thunderbird from TTI and converted one of their workmech lines to the production of the fighter. While there were some early problems getting the line up and running, the company has solved those problems and is producing the Thunderbird in quantity for the TDF.

Alphard Trading Corp
Plant Location: Perdition
Products:
J. Edgar Light Tank
Whirlwind IFV
Harrier Hover Tank

Notes:
Alphard Trading Corp was once one of the industrial giants of the Periphery. With facilities throughout the Periphery, the company was a major supplier of manufactured goods for all of the Periphery states.  They were also supporters of Stefan Amaris and at his urging provided equipment to the Periphery rebels. In 2732 ATC shutdown it’s vehicle division due to declining sales.  The division’s Perdition factory was retooled to manufacture consumer products.  However the factory continued to secretly produce the J. Edgar Light Tank for the Periphery rebels. The Whirlwind and Harrier were put into production in the 2750’s after ATC acquired the plans for the designs from Red Devil Industries. While ATC was not officially building armored vehicles at the time, the plans were offically resold for a significant profit to a number of companies across the Inner Sphere and secretly put into production on Perdition.   While most of ATC’s factories were destroyed by the SLDF, the Perdition factory survived with only minimal damage.  Recently the company has looked into producing a new hover tank for the TDF.

Raimei
Plant Location: Organo
Products:
Sabre Aerospace Fighter

Notes:
Raimei is a Combine company which has factories located in every Great House and several periphery nations.  Since the fall of the Star League and the collapse of the HPG network, the Organo plant has been operating semi-independently under the direction of the local plant manager. Despite it’s small size the Sabre has become popular with planetary defense squadrons and the Concordat has ordered large numbers of the fighter for the Aerospace Arm.

Leneex
Plant Location: Perdition
Products:
Fusion Engines

Notes:
Leneex is a wholly owned subsidiary of the Alphard Trading Corp.  The company is a major manufacturer of fusion engines for light mechs and vehicles.  With the loss of trade between the Concordat and the Inner Sphere the company has found itself with significant excess capacity.  Company officials have been working with other Concordat manufacturers to develop new designs which can utilize these engines.

Battlemech Factory #225
Plant Location: Girondas
Products:
Wasp Light Mech
Dervish Medium Mech

Notes:
In the years before the Uprisings a large number of weapons factories were secretly established in the Periphery. These factories supplied the weapons that equipped the Mech divisions which fought the SLDF during the Uprisings.  Many of these factories were located in remote systems in order to hide them from the eyes of the Star League.  Despite this, the SLDF managed to locate many of these worlds and destroy the factories before General Kerensky declared a cease fire in 2767. Since that time,  the Concordat has relocated the equipment that could be salvaged from the factories near the Concordat to core worlds like Taurus, New Vandenberg and Pinard, where they are easier to defend and supply.  The sole exception is Battlemech Factory #225, located on the planet Girondas, near the New Vandenberg system.  The Girondas system has several planets rich in the raw materials needed to build battlemechs.  However the system is filled with many asteroids and debris fields making travel extremely dangerous.  Despite the hazards, the world was colonized by the Concordat during the Star League era.  Recognizing the value of the ores located in the system, the Concordat established massive mining operations on several planets and in the systems asteroid belts.  When the secret weapons factories were being set up in the late 2750s, Girondas was an obvious location for one of these factories.   The availability of the raw materials need to manufacture mechs made it easy to supply the facility, while all the shipping activity in the system made it easy to hide the shipments.  As a result, Battlemech Factory #225 is completely self-sufficient and requires no shipments of materials or components from other systems.  For this reasons it was decided to keep the factory on Girondas, rather then relocate it.  The factory currently produces Wasps and Dervishes which are based on stolen plans from the Archernar Battlemech Factory which were provided by Amaris.

Taurus Shipyards
Plant Location: Hyades Cluster
Products:
Jumpship components
Invader Jumpships (Line under construction)

Notes:
The Taurus Shipyards are currently under construction in the Hyades Cluster.  During the War of Star League Aggression all of the Taurian shipyards outside of the Hyades Cluster were either destroyed or captured by foreign powers.  After the war, the massive shipyards in the Hyades Cluster were mostly dismantled by the Star League occupation forces, all that remained was a small yard capable of performing ship repairs and overhauls. During the years of the Star League occupation, several efforts were made by the Taurian government to covertly build new shipyards and acquire warships with which to fight the Star League. Most of these efforts failed, one of the most notable failures was the attempt to capture 3 new Emerald Battlecruisers from Qinghai Shipbuilding  in the Pleiades Cluster.  The shipyards were secretly funded in part by the Taurian government and many of the Qinghai employees were natives of the Cluster with sympathies for the Taurian Concordat.  These employees willingly aided the Concordat’s unsuccessful effort to capture the Emerald Battlecruisers in 2763.  As a result of this action, the production of the Emerald class was relocated to other shipyards in the Federated Suns Qinghai’s yard at Electra was reduced to performing repair and maintenance work.   

When war broke out in 2786, the Taurian government offered to provide sanctuary to any employees of Qinghai seeking to avoid the devastation of the Succession War.  Somewhat surprisingly many chose to accept the Concordat’s offer.  Working under the noses of Federation officials, the Concordat government managed to sneak out the personnel and some of the valuable manufacturing equipment located at the Electra Yard.  Before the Federation found out what was happening and put a stop to the operation, the Concordat was able to remove enough equipment to begin upgrading the Taurus Shipyards to manufacture new jumpships. However, even with the equipment from Qinghai, progress has been slow. There have been numerous set backs to the project as resources have dried up and unexpected problems have arisen. Even so work has continued on the project and the Taurian government has no intention of halting the construction of the yard, despite the delays and cost overruns.

The Taurus Shipyards will be used to construct new jumpships, as well as continuing to provide dry dock facilities for repairs and overhauls.  Currently it is expected that  the shipyard will begin producing Invader class jumpships within the next 5 years if all goes according to the latest plan.  The design team has already started working on a new design, the Concordat Class which is tailored to meet the specific needs of the Concordat.  The design team hopes to have a prototype ready for trials within 10 years and full production within 20 years.  Future plans call for expanding the shipyards so that they can build compact cores for Warships.

Magna
Plant Location: Taurus
Products:
Weapons
Fusion Engines
Dropship Engines

Notes:
Magna was one of the many companies that set up factories in the Concordat after the War of Star League Aggression in order to take advantage of the cheap labor rates in the Periphery.  The factory originally produced fusion engines for a variety of applications and later expanded into the production of weapons. Shortly before the start of the Uprisings, the plant was expanded again and began producing dropship engines.  The Taurus Dropship Engine Facility experimented with a new production model where the drives would be built at one location and then distributed to shipyards throughout the Concordat, Federated Suns and Capellan Confederation for assembly into ships.  The goal was to significantly reduce the cost of the drives by mass producing them at one site.  While this was proving successful at reducing engine costs, the concept was never applied anywhere else in human space due to the fall of the Star League.  The Concordat continues to distribute the dropship engines to shipyards in the Taurus, Illiusin and Sterope systems .  Taurian engineers are also looking at using the dropship engines produced by Magna to power an upgraded model of the Privateer Assault ship.

Sterope Defense Industries
Plant Location: Sterope
Products:
Weapons

Notes:
Sterope Defense Industries was originally a small company that supplied tank and battlemech weapons to local manufacturers and replacement parts for the local SLDF garrisons. As one of the few weapons manufacturers in the Concordat that was operating under Taurian control, the facility was very closely watched by the Star League and much to the disappointment of it’s employees played no role in the Uprisings. .  Since the fall of the Star League the SDI plant has dramatically increased it’s production rates and has begun supplying weapons to weapons manufacturers throughout the Concordat.

Paulina Weapons
Plant Location: New Vandenberg   
Products:
Cyrano Gunship

Notes:
Paulina Weapons of Tigress opened their New Vandenberg facility after the War of Star League Aggression to take advantage of the cheap labor in the Concordat.  This large facility employs over 2000 workers and was one of the major suppliers of VTOLs to the SLDF.  Since the fall of the Star League, the company has continued to produce the Cyrano for the TDF and local militias in the Concordat.  Recently the company has been working on developing several new VTOLs for the Concordat.

Martell
Plant Location: Pinard
Products:
Medium Lasers

Notes:
Taking advantage of the low labor rates in the Concordat, Martell opened a large factory on Pinard to manufacture lasers for the SLDF. During the Uprisings, the SLDF troops and the Taurian Velites both fought over the Martell factory, with the complex changing hands several times during the campaign,.  As a result the facility was badly damaged during the conflict. After the SLDF troops left in 2767, Taurian engineers were able to restore the production lines for the Martell Medium Laser.  In order to do this they had to cannibalize all of the surviving equipment from the other assembly lines.

Military Training

Every planet in the Concordat maintains a military training facility. These facilities are used to train troops for the Taurian Armor Corps and the Infantry Corps. They also train support troops, including armor technicians, signals personnel and medics.  Advanced military training is carried out at 3 specialized schools, the Taurian Ecole Militaire, the Taurian Naval Institute and the Concordat Aerospace Flight School.  The training provided at the academies is free to the recruits.  Each school can only handle 500 students a year due the limited facilities and faculty.  Competition for positions is very fierce and it is common for “endowments” to be made in order to gain entrance. These endowments are a form of bribery, but the money from these “endowments” are used on the academy programs, rather then lining the pockets of corrupt administrators.

Military Academies
Taurian Ecole Militaire
The Taurian Ecole Militaire specializes in training ground combat officers and technicians. The school currently has programs for armor and infantry officers, mechwarriors and battlemech technicians.  The instructors are all veterans from the TDF and well experienced in their fields.  The Ecole Militaire has a very successful curriculum, despite it’s relative youth. There is a heavy emphasis on the basic training programs and the military history of the TDF.  In addition to it’s standard 4 year programs, the school also offers OCS classes for senior armor and infantry commanders who were originally trained at regional facilities.  The Taurian Ecole Militaire is located on Taurus.

Taurian Naval Institute
The Taurian Naval Institute specializes in training dropship, jumpship and warship crewmen and technicians.  The Naval Institute also has a program to train Marine officers.  As with other the Taurian academies, the school is staffed by TDF veterans.  The Institute’s cirriculum places a heavy emphasis on basic ship handling, gunnery and navigation. The campus is located in orbit over New Vandenberg. 

Concordat Aerospace Flight School.
The Concordat Aerospace Flight School is responsible for training Aerospace fighter pilots and technicians.  The school is current having difficulty finding a sufficient number of flight instructors due to the heavy losses that the Concordat Aerospace forces suffered during the Uprisings. This is further exacerbated by the fact that there is a general shortage in the Concordat of pilots who are skilled in air to air combat tactics.  As a result, the curriculum has focused most of it’s efforts on training cadets in air to ground combat tactics.  While this leaves pilots deficient in air to air combat skill, the senior Aerospace Arm commanders felt it was better to have pilots excel in one area rather then be mediocre in all areas.  It is hoped that as more instructors become available the school will be able to expand it’s programs, especially the air combat training program.  The Aerospace technician program is much better staffed and turns out highly trained technicians for the TDF.  The flight school is located on Samantha.


Ministry of Intelligence
The Ministry of Intelligence is one of the Concordat’s greatest secrets. The Ministry is the successor to the famed Concordat Security Service.  During the War of Star League Aggression, the CSS played a key role, conducting intelligence gathering missions and covert operations against the Star League.  After the war the CSS was disbanded and most of the survivors went underground.  They continued to carry on the fight against the Star League and their descendants would found the Taurian Freedom Army and other resistance organizations. 

After the Uprisings, the Concordat began to rebuild it’s intelligence capabilities.  The surviving members of the TFA were used to form the core of the new agency.  The new Ministry of Intelligence is a secret organization that reports directly to the Protector and the Privy Council.  The Ministry of Intelligence is composed of several branches.  Some what surprisingly most of these branches are officially part of other Ministries in the Taurian government or the TDF.  The Ministry of Intelligence coordinates the actions of these different organizations to ensure that the operations run smoothly.

The Bureau of Analysis is the only branch assigned directly to the Ministry.  The Bureau is responsible for gathering and interpreting intelligence about foreign realms, especially the Federated Suns, Capellan Confederation and Magistracy of Canopus. The bureau has a number of field agents and conducts extensive passive surveillance of other realms, including monitoring media reports and other communications.  Currently, due to the breakdown of communications,  the intelligence gathered by the Bureau is heavily dependent on foreign operatives.  The data gathered in the field is returned to Concordat periodically by merchant jumpships that are secretly operated by the Ministry of Intelligence.

The Diplomatic Corps is modeled on the Lyran Commonwealth’s Diplomatic Corps.  The departments agent’s are deployed as a guards for foreign dignitaries in the Concordat and for Taurian diplomats traveling to other nations. In addition to their roles as guards, the members of the Diplomatic Corps attempt to gather information from the people they are guarding and their contacts. This information is then supplied to the Bureau of Analysis.  The Diplomatic Corps is officially a part of the Taurian Ministry of the Interior.

The Concordat Constabulary is officially part of the Ministry of the Interior but many of it’s operations come under the jurisdiction of the Ministry of Intelligence. One of the major tasks of the Constabulary is conducting domestic intelligence and counter intelligence operations. The Constabulary has been hindered by efforts to maintain a free and open society in the Concordat. However it was decided that the potential problems caused by foreign agents did not justify violating the civil rights of Taurian citizens.

The TDF’s Propaganda Division is tasked with discrediting rumors from foreign agents.  In order to instill confidence in the information provided by the Propaganda Division, the statements that are issued must be 100% factual.  The Propaganda Division strives to avoid spinning the information they present, as a result many soldiers consider the Propaganda Division statements to be highly reliable.  The Ministry of the Interior maintains a civilian counterpart to the Propaganda division.  The Ministry is working to provide citizens with accurate details about the current situation in the Concordat and the efforts that are underway to resolve the current economic crisis.

The TDF’s Special Task Groups are, contrary to popular belief, not part of the Ministry of Intelligence.  The Special Task Groups are formed from the TDF units on an as needed basis to conduct raids or counterattack against enemy invaders.  The Ministry of Intelligence does not contain any covert operations forces and so it relies on the STGs and other formations to conduct commando missions.  The STGs can consist of a variety of troops from battlemechs to infantry, although most STGs assigned to work with the Ministry are composed of infantry.  While the STGs are under the control of the TDF, the Ministry of Intelligence helps coordinate their operations and if necessary provides special mission training for the STGs. 

Well it seems the Taurian Concordat is getting a lot of love around here lately.  Good to see this revised edition of FM TC which one day will be part of FM Periphery 2812. Great stuff Lee! Super Christmas present to our community. 

Are Noble Family Regiments following the standard Infantry organisation?

In most cases yes.  The noble family regiments are under the control of the Noble that raised them.  So in some cases (for what ever reason) some of the regiments follow irregular TO&Es.  But in most cases, since the units are staffed by former TDF officers they use a standard Taurian organization.

I doubt any peripheral ruler would go to the last meetings of the SL, if for no other reason than trying desperatly to clean up the craterfield the SLDF turned their nations into.

Nicoletta Calderon's attendance at the meeting and her nomination of Jerome Blake to head the Dept of Communications is canon and is mentioned in several sources.

Very nice map.  Odsford probably needs to be removed from the FM- before we had all of these neat maps I made up a bunchof worlds to meet the numbers that were listed in the various SBs.

Very nicely done.