SECTION 6

UNIT COMPOSITION IS A COMPLEX TOPIC THAT COULD BE DISCUSSED IN MANY PUBLICATIONS FOR ETERNITY. IT WILL SUFFICE FOR NOW TO SAY THAT THERE IS NO ONE PERFECT FORMATION FOR A SQUADRON. THAT INFORMATION THAT IS CONTAINED WITHIN THIS CHAPTER SHOULD BE CONSIDERED GENERAL GUIDELINES, AND SHOULD NOT BE USED WITHOUT CONSIDERING AND APPLYING RELEVANT TACTICAL INFORMATION FROM THE ASSOCIATED AREA OF OPERATIONS. THIS PUBLICATION LIKEWISE DOES NOT DEAL WITH THE REALITIES OF MANAGING A BATTLEGROUP, AND THE IMPLICATIONS THEREIN ON THE AVAILABILITY OF CERTAIN SHIPS OR UNITS. TACTICAL EXPERTISE AND WARFIGHTING PROFICIENCY REMAIN THE MOST IMPORTANT ELEMENTS OF ANY COMBAT FORMATION.

THIS PUBLICATION USES THE FOLLOWING NAVAL ORGANIZATION CHART, AS THIS IS THE ONE USED BY BATTLEGROUP FURY.

REGIONAL COMMAND
  • THE PURELY ADMINISTRATIVE ORGANIZATION RESPONSIBLE FOR ALL THE ASSOCIATED SECTOR GROUPS AND FLEETS WITHIN IT'S AOR. THE ATRISIAN EMPIRE AT ITS HEIGHT CONSISTED OF ONLY A SINGLE REGIONAL COMMAND, DIVINE WIND COMMAND, WHICH CONSISTED OF THREE SECTOR GROUPS AND SEVEN FLEETS. IT WAS COMMANDED BY THE ATRISIAN GRAND ADMIRAL, CYRUS TREGESSAR.
SECTOR GROUP
  • THE ENTIRELY OF THE FORCES ASSIGNED TO A SINGLE SECTOR. TYPICALLY CONSISTS OF MULTIPLE FLEETS AND SEVERAL SMALLER UNITS.
FLEET
  • LIKE THE PRECEDING TWO LISTINGS, A PRIMARILY ADMINISTRATIVE ORGANIZATION OF WARSHIPS AND SUPPORT CRAFT UNITED UNDER A SINGLE COMMAND HIERARCHY. IN RARE SITUATIONS, A FLEET MAY BE DEPLOYED AS A SINGLE UNIT, BUT TYPICALLY IT IS SUBDIVIDED INTO SMALLER 'OPERATIONAL' UNITS.
BATTLEGROUP
  • THE LARGEST OPERATIONAL UNIT TYPICALLY SEEN ON A BATTLEFIELD, A BATTLEGROUP NORMALLY REPRESENTS A SUBSTANTIAL PORTION OF A FLEET OR SECTOR GROUP. FOR SMALLER GOVERNMENTS, A BATTLEGROUP MIGHT REPRESENT THE ENTIRETY OF THEIR NAVAL POWER. THIS PUBLICATION RECOMMENDS THAT A BATTLEGROUP CONSIST OF NO FEWER THAN 4 CAPITAL SHIPS (STAR DESTROYERS OR FLEET CARRIERS) AND 20 ESCORTS OR SUPPORT SHIPS.
STRIKE GROUP
  • A 'HEAVY' OPERATIONAL UNIT NORMALLY BUILT AROUND THE STRIKING FORCE OF SEVERAL CAPITAL SHIPS. THIS PUBLICATION LISTS A STANDARD STRIKE GROUP AS TWO STAR DESTROYERS, 5 CRUISERS, 4 HEAVY FRIGATES, 5 ESCORTS, AND 4 SUPPORT SHIPS.
TASK FORCE
  • A 'LIGHT' OPERATIONAL UNIT NORMALLY BUILT AROUND A PAIR OF CRUISERS OR CONSISTING ENTIRELY OF SMALLER VESSELS. FOR REFERENCE, HERE IS REPRESENTED A SWIFT RAIDING TASK FORCE: 2 POCKET CARRIERS, 1 LIGHT CRUISER, 4 FRIGATES, 3 CORVETTES
SQUADRON
  • A SMALL SELECTION OF WARSHIPS OF THE SAME CLASSIFICATION, AND USUALLY THE SAME CLASS. FOR EXAMPLE, A REPUBLIC FRIGRON MIGHT CONSIST ONLY OF 6 HAMMERHEAD-CLASS FRIGATES.

WITH THE ABOVE ESTABLISHED, WE CAN NOW GET INTO MORE DETAIL. THIS PARTICULAR SECTION DEALS WITH THE TASK FORCE, THE MOST COMMON OPERATIONAL UNIT. A TASK FORCE IS DESIGNED TO BE AN EASY TO ORGANIZE, VERSATILE AND INDEPENDENTLY-OPERATING UNIT. THE SINGLE MOST IMPORTANT CONSIDERATION IS, OF COURSE, THE INTENDED MISSION. A RAIDING TASK FORCE SHOULD NOT USUALLY HAVE STAR DESTROYERS, WHEREAS A PLANETARY ASSAULT FORCE IS NOT MUCH BENEFITED BY THE INCLUSION OF ESCORT FRIGATES.

IN GENERAL THE FOLLOWING CHARACTERISTICS OF THE UNIT ARE TO BE CONSIDERED.
  1. FIREPOWER
  2. SPEED
  3. ARMOR/SHIELDING
  4. HANGER CAPACITY
  5. ANTI-STRIKE CRAFT CAPABILITY
THEORETICALLY, SOME BALANCE OF THESE FIVE CHARACTERISTICS WILL MAKE FOR A 'BALANCED' TASK FORCE. HOWEVER IT MUST NOTED THAT THERE ARE OTHER CONSIDERATIONS (COMMAND AND CONTROL, ELECTRONIC WARFARE, SENSORS AND DETECTION, SPECIAL WEAPONS AND ABILITIES, ETC.) AND ADDITIONALLY SOMETIMES WHAT IS 'BALANCED' IS NOT AT ALL WHAT IS NEEDED.