Federation Defence Force (FT)

The Federation Defence Force is the federal military force of the Federation of Southern States. The FDF is responsible for the defence of the Federation and its national interests. The branches of the Federation Defence Force are the Starfleet, the Marine Corps, the National Guard, and the Coast Guard. The FDF is overseen by the Department of Defence, and the commander-in-chief of the FDF is the President of the Federation.

The FDF is technologically sophisticated but relatively small compared to the other Human Sphere nations. Nonetheless, the FDF is supported by a significant budget by Human Sphere standards and can deploy forces in multiple locations outside of the Federation. In addition, the FDF is assisted in its duties by the various state militias as well as irregular forces such as private military contractors and the three military orders of the Church of the Trinity.

History
Following the conclusion of the Second Extrasolar War and the attainment of independence in the 3 AT Lunar Accords, the Federation Senate established a federal military space force with the Federal Space Force Act, with the aim of improving collective defence in space. The Federal Space Force Act created the Federation Starfleet from the space fleets of the rebel states that had participated in the war for independence. Individual members states would remain responsible for terrestrial operations, however, maintaining sovereignty over their state militias.

For a long period, the Starfleet remained the only federal military force operated by the Federation, with the Federal government requesting assistance from the state militias whenever terrestrial operations forces were required. However, with the outbreak of the Outer Sphere Secessions and the subsequent Federation Civil War, the need for a federally-controlled terrestrial force became apparent. During the Civil War, Starfleet founded the Terrestrial Assault and Logistics Operation Section (TALOS), initially touted as a special forces unit dedicated to terrestrial operations in support of Starfleet's mission during the war. Several parties questioned the constitutionality of TALOS, and a Senate hearing was carried out during the war, resulting in President Wilhelm Fischer's famous "threat to our very existence" speech.

Following the end of the war and the creation of the Interstellar Union of Revolutionary States, TALOS was quietly accepted as a necessity by the Federation Senate. Under the command of Admiral Reinhard Dietrich and in the new Southern Divide context, TALOS was greatly expanded from a special operations branch of Starfleet to a full terrestrial army. Citing the threat of the rapidly expanding United Front, particularly their unified Ground Forces, in 100 AT TALOS was officially separated from Starfleet, becoming the Federation Marine Corps.

Federation Starfleet
""...and to boldly go where no one has gone before.""

- Last line of the Federation Starfleet Creed

The Federation Starfleet is the Federation's aerospace fighting force, and is responsible for all aerospace warfare operations in the Federation Defence Force. Deploying 1,600,000 personnel and 480 starships, the Starfleet is the third-largest spacy in the Southern Sphere. Starfleet is typically referred to as a proper noun.

Starfleet is the oldest continually-existing military branch in the Human Sphere. It traces its origins to the DRFC Navy, which was established by the Democratic Republic of Free Colonies, the first state in the Southern Sphere to declare independence from Ordis. Following the conclusion of the Second Extrasolar War and the attainment of independence by the Federation, the Federation Senate established a federal military space force with the Federal Space Force Act, with the aim of improving collective defence in space. The existing rebel space fleets were combined into a single federal force, with the DRSC Navy forming the bulk of the force. Much of Starfleet's traditions stem from the DRFC Navy as a result.

As the Federation's space force, Starfleet was at the forefront of the Federation's space exploration efforts and served as the first line of defence in various conflicts. Following major losses following the War of Imperial Reunification and the Second Hyperpower War, Starfleet underwent heavy reorganisation to become a more streamlined, technologically-advanced force. The modern Starfleet is a potent space force capable of defending Federation space and projecting its power. Starfleet works closely with the Imperial Navy as part of the Empire-Federation Coalition, patrolling the Coreward Frontier and maintaining strategic deterrence against the Interstellar Union.

Starfleet is part of the Department of Space Operations, alongside the Federation Coast Guard, which is its sister service. The Department of Space Operations is headed by the civilian Secretary of Space Operations. The Department of Space Operations is itself a military department of the Department of Defense, which is headed by the Secretary of Defense. The Commander of Starfleet is the most senior officer in Starfleet.

Organisation
Starfleet is organised into two main branches, the Strategic Command, Aerospace Command, and Exploration Command.

Strategic Command forms the bulk of Starfleet and is comprised of the various combat squadrons. Starfleet operates twenty squadrons.

Aerospace Command is Starfleet's primary means of supporting the Federation Marine Corps with theatre transportation, fighter and bomber support.

Exploration Command is the Federation's primary space exploration agency, and is an anomaly within the Federation Defence Force as it is primarily a civilian-run agency under the military's oversight. Since rapprochement, the Exploration Starfleet has worked closely with the Imperial Navy's Exploration Flotilla to map the galaxy beyond the Human Sphere and make contact with more peoples across the galaxy.

Federation Marine Corps
""When the devil himself crawled out of his cave just to tell us marines to give up, we nodded, gave him a smile, and replied that son of a bitch with a hypersonic 8mm round to the face.""

- General Horatio Pavlov, The Hero of Gozich, Commandant of the Marine Corps 206-211

The Federation Marine Corps is the terrestrial fighting force of the Federation Defence Force. It is the branch responsible for space-to-ground assaults and all land-based fighting, with the capability to deploy in any environment and any terrain. The Federation Marine Corps follows a philosophy of "high-speed, high-impact", utilising shock and awe tactics and rapid mobility to overwhelm the enemy before they have a chance to react.

Organisation
The FMC operates in small, rapid-deployment, combined-arms battalions. Marine battalions comprise the backbone of the FMC's fighting force, and is made up of three mechanised heavy infantry companies, an armoured platoon, a tactical artillery platoon, an aerospace transportation squadron, and supporting supply and maintenance, medical, and communications units. Each battalion numbers about 400 personnel. This unit, reinforced with 'modular' support platoons from the brigade, constitutes the basic assault force.

Marine battalions are organised into brigades, which group several marine battalions as well as additional 'modular' specialised support platoons and more specialised battalions, such as armoured units and dedicated artillery battalions.

At the tactical level, FMC heavy infantry marines operate in squads of five with an attached infantry fighting vehicle, typically a AX-1 Manticore. A platoon comprises of three squads, and a company consists of four platoons as well as company headquarters personnel. Each marine infantryman is fully equipped with heavy powered armour. Within a single squad, all of the marines are equipped with IWS 15 machine guns, typically als carrying optional heavy weapons such as launchers or sniper rifles available when required by the mission.

Equipment
The Federation Marine Corps is the smallest of the terrestrial armies within the Human Sphere, but is one of the most technologically advanced. Technology is used as a force multiplier to enable Federation Marines to outclass their counterparts from neighbouring armies.

Unlike most other military forces, the entirety of the Federation Marine Corps' infantry forces consists of heavy infantry, or Panzer Troopers, equipped with the modern Sch.PzInf 300 Powered Combat Suit. The phrase “every Marine is a Panzer Trooper” was coined by General Alfred Wakamoto Singh, the 29th Marine Commandant, during his post-Second Hyperpower War transformation of the Marine Corps.

Federation National Guard
The Federation National Guard is the secondary terrestrial fighting force of the Federation Defence Forces. The Federation National Guard is largely defensive in nature, and exists to defend Federation planets. It is not equipped for expeditionary operations. However, National Guard units have participated in overseas operations before, mainly used to secure and police captured ground. The National Guard is constitutionally prohibited from intervening in state internal issues, preventing it from assisting state security forces from combating insurgents within the Federation, leaving the National Guard largely 'doing nothing'.

Formed after Second Hyperpower War when they realised they need some dudes to defend the place other than the State Militias.

Federation Coast Guard
National Guard but Navy version.