Federated Districts Air Force
From ExodusWar
| Federated Districts Air Force | ||
|---|---|---|
 Badge of the Federated Districts Air Force | ||
| Active | 2322-Current | |
| Nation | Federated Districts of the Prefecture | |
| Branch | Air Superiority | |
| Size | 5 Major Commands | |
| Headquarters | Ueda, Hydrae System | |
| Motto | "Conquer the Skies, and Conquer All." | |
| Colors | Black and Yellow | |
| March | How do They Rise Up | |
| Engagements | Imperial Civil War Volucris Incursion Tempest War | |
| Commanders | ||
| Chief of Operations | Sky Marshal Marcus Rathbone (2322) Sky Marshal Jack Ivonrud (2322-2323)Sky Marshal Jan Brooks (2323-Current) | |
| Chief of Staff | General Jack Ivonrud (2322) General Jan Brooks (2322-2323) | |
| Chief Enlisted Staff | Chief Sergeant | |
The Federated Districts Air Force is responsible for most flight-related combat.
Contents |
[edit] History
The development of the Federated Districts Air Force has been a long and costly one. The Royal Imperial Air Force and Prefecture Air Force were both similar in nature, designed to support their respective Navies and Armies. The far-reaching defense initiatives of 2325 changed that.
The Air Force is now one of the most important elements of defense for the Prefecture, with several air bases on every world, and thousands of aircraft at their disposal. Their ties to the Fleet have been severed, giving the Navy its own transport flights from planet to planet.
Today, the Air Force must overcome daunting challenges: secure air superiority in all planetary invasions, provide transportation and air support for the Army, defend the airspace of homeworlds, collect reconnaissance data, and deliver strategic and tactical ordinance on a grand scale.
[edit] Structure
The cog of the Air Force is the Airman, an odd naming choice considering that the Air Force is over 65% female. Most Air Force personnel are called "flygirls" or by other nicknames.
Pilots in every air force have their own lingo. Prefecture pilots have developed theirs from an odd combination of traditions from the Royal Imperial Air Force days, from ages of Terran pilot traditions, and from "in jokes" shared among the pilot community during the Exodus Wars.
The Air Force is the second-smallest branch of the Prefecture's military after the Marine Corps. It is led by the Sky Marshall, who reports to the Prefect.
In times of peace, the Air Force has five Major Commands in a defensive posture, but in times of war the Forward Strategic Air Command is activated to coordinate all Major Commands into a cohesive assault and defense force.
[edit] Major Commands
Each Major Command is assigned to a District, and placed under the command of a Lieutenant General. Each planet is under the defensive eye of a Numbered Air Force, and given ten Fighter Wings, four Bomber Wings, and two Organic Support Wings. The Major Commands keep enough aircraft and parts in warehouses to triple the size of their deployable units in war-time.
Organization
[edit] Numbered Air Force
Below the Major Commands, the Air Force is organized into Numbered Air Forces, which serve as planetary defense. Each Air Force is commanded by a Major General.
[edit] Wings
The next layer of command, and the layer where organization begins to vary, is by Wings. Each Wing is under the command of a Wing Commander, and has six Squadrons. There are multiple different types of Wings.
Fighter Wings are tasked with Combat Air Patrol, Air Superiority, and a variety of search and destroy missions. Most fighters are equipped for air to air combat, with some flexibility for ground support.
Bomber Wings are tasked with the strategic and systematic destruction of enemy assets on the ground.
Organic Support Wings have no fixed mission. The aircraft under their command can be for recon, early warning, electronic warfare, and transport.
[edit] Squadrons
Squadrons are the next layer of organization below a Wing. Squadrons are under the command of a Colonel. The Colonel has a large command staff to assist her. A Lieutenant Colonel serves as the Squadron's Executive Officer, and acts as the primary go-between for the Colonel and the pilots under her command. A Major serves as the Squadron's base Materials Officer, and is in charge of coordinating the repair and rearming of all aircraft in the squadron. The Materials Officer does not usually fly. A second Major or Captain serves as the Training Officer, who coordinates extra flight time for training purposes, and requisitions dummy weapons for engagements against other Squadrons.
An Element is the next level of command in a Squadron. Each Element is under the command of a Captain. A Squadron has two flying Elements with nine aircraft in each, and four support Elements on the ground with twenty support personnel to act as maintenance and security for the aircraft while they are on the ground.
[edit] Air Force Components
[edit] Uniforms
The Air Force has three uniforms: the Dress Uniform, the Utillity Uniform, and the Flight Uniform.
The Dress uniform is a simple affair: black slacks, a gray shirt, a black overcoat, and a gold belt. Enlisted receive a hat with a silver band, while officers wear a hat with a gold band and have gold braiding on their shoulders. The Dress Uniform is worn with full rank insignia and any badges and medals the soldier has received.
The Utillity Uniform is designed for maximum comfort and flexibility in confined spaces. A one-piece undergarment is designed to draw moisture away from the body without binding or irritation. It has gray trousers, black boots, and a khaki jacket with black trim. The only patches allowed on a utillity uniform are the branch of service patch, and rank patches.
The Flight Uniform is designed to allow the wearer to survive in a vacuum, if necessary, among other things. The first portion is a one-piece black jumpsuit, made of a special fabric that is lightweight, flexible, and can be sealed when the boots, gloves, and helmet are worn. The boots and gloves are gray, and the helmet is gold with black Wing insignia on the sides. The helmet is attached to a two-part lift support system. One plugs into the aircraft's life support system. Should the aircraft's systems suffer from catastrophic failure, a secondary life support system attached to the suit kicks in, providing the pilot with breathable air and a comfortable temperature for 6 hours, or simply breathable air for 12 hours. A gray carrying web is attached to the outside of the jumpsuit, which gives the pilot hookups for a sidearm, survival gear, an emergency communications system, and a parachute.
[edit] Aircraft
The Air Force is the undisputed goddess of aviation. It fields an enormous amount of aircraft, from the nimble F-4 Raven to the lumbering Bloodhawk. All Air Force aircraft are technically "aerospace" craft, with twin SCRAMJET and Gravity Cavitation drive systems, allowing them to operate seamlessly in an atmosphere and in a vacuum.
The Air Force has multiple roles in modern combat. Air superiority is always important, and is the role of the F-4I Raven, a fighter that has served in both the Prefecture Air Force and the Royal Imperial Air Force. Interception and initial response is the role of the F-16 Piranha, which also plays the role of air superiority on the front lines. The flexible role of heavy fighter/bomber is filled by the F-11D Stuka, enormous by most standards.
In the pure attack role, the Prefecture Air Force has multiple bombers: the B-5 Warhawk is a medium tactical bomber, designed for precision targets and raids, but cannot carry the largest ordinance loads available. For more strategic attacks, the B-6 Bloodhawk comes into play. The Bloodhawk is armed for heavy torpedo strikes, carpet bombing, and city-levelling strategic nuclear weaponry.
When it absolutely has to get there yesterday, the Air Force has cargo planes and dropships of multiple varieties. The Beluga is nearly legendary in its capacity for infantry transport.
[edit] Training
If they are ground support only, an Airman must go through two months of Basic Combat Training, followed by Advanced Training in their primary job field at any of the training schools within the Prefecture. The length of time spent in Advanced Training depends on the job of the Airman. Pilots and Reactor Technicians have the longest training, at twelve and fourteen months respectively.
Airmen wishing to earn a commission as Officers must attend Officer Training School. Academies are only open in times of peace.
