Federated Solar States Factbook

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The Federated Solar States

“The pillars of Heaven rest on the shoulders of Men.”

Factbook and Guide to the Solar States

Table of Contents:

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The Federated Solar States

The Federated Solar States is a human-dominated power located in the Rancell Galaxy, a close neighbor of the Milky Way, located in the Jant Quadrant, situated upon the homeworld of Luxas. It was a fortuitous spot for the budding Solar States to have developed, a life-giving world in the fourth ring of the solar system, with many moons spread out across arid and gaseous worlds for mining and natural gas collection, as well as large asteroid belt on the 7th ring to provide defense as well as more mining opportunities. The humans struggled, much as they do every where they have been found to pop up, like coachroaches as most of the other races are quick to tell you, as they fought wars with each other over everything one could imagine. However, they managed to come out of it as one of the most unified government's out there, a collection of states forming a greater whole that became bound even further together in arms once the alien nations were discovered and the current frosty relations established after the Pansha Conflict. And with the tension building, much like they did in the past, the Solar States have sought to relive pressure by expanding in the most audacious manner: into another galaxy entirely.

The people of the Solar States are a hardy and practical people, who focus on group dynamics and technology to solve their issues and bring themselves ever higher. They have brought themselves a mix of democracy and efficiency with their government to give themselves the proper tools to expand and conquer the problems they may face. The government is built upon the shoulders of its people and it has kept this wisely in mind in its relations with its people.






The Government of the Federated Solar States

The Solar States have blossomed across history with various kinds of government styles: fascism, socialism, communism, democracy, autocracy, monarchy, and so on. Humanity has tried to find the best way to govern themselves that ensures security, prosperity and freedom for the people. And over the course of the centuries, a mixture of checks and dictatorship has been found to work the best to ensure efficiency and prevent corruption. It took the dictatorial aspects of monarchy, autocracy, and oligarchy for the executive branch. The Prime is the leader of the nation, the prime citizen of the Solar States, who is imbued with the power to make decisions on most things without requiring constant interaction with the Solar Congress in matters of foreign policy and military. The Prime has requirements of military service to fulfill this regard, to have perspective regarding use of his/her power. With that, however, checks have to be applied to ensure weak Primes do not end the Solar States and that the people are not trod underfoot by an ambitious Prime. So on matters of domestic policy, the Prime cannot make his/her own decisions, but must consult the Solar Congress and work laws with their help and blessing. War must also be approved by the Solar Congress, their only check on his/her powers in that region. Further, the Prime can only serve two five year terms ever in a life time. After that, they must move to other ventures away from politics. The Prime is also able to introduce legislation to the Congress, but as before, it must be approved. The Prime does have a 'nuclear option' available to them, only to be used in times of deadlock and crisis. If the Congress is unable to fix an issue to what the Prime deems as necessary, the Prime can overrule the Solar Congress. Once the purpose the override was used to achieve has been completed, the Prime must immediately resign and can never be Prime or in politics again and a new Prime elected. As a nuclear option, it must affect the Prime as much as Congress, and as such, it has only been used four times since the inception of the FSS.

The Solar Congress itself is made up of two houses, the House of Viri and the House of Astra. Viri is based on population for determining its representatives from the states within the FSS and Astra is based on equal representation of each state. And each house is made up of 'councils', that represent each state within the FSS in that house, two each in the Astra and various for the Viri. This balance allows for negotiation and compromise, and ensuring the people get as much representation as possible. As discussed before, the Solar Congress has limited power in managing the nation's foreign policy and military actions, as that is the realm of the Prime as many of the Congressmen and women do not have military experience and thus their perspective of the costs can become skewed. They do require to be involved when war is declared and they can raise issue with any treaty presented if there is a majority vote requiring an inquiry into the matter. They, too, have a nuclear option for dealing with the Prime, should they feel what is being done is too dangerous or harmful to the Solar States, and they can nullify it, but the whole Congress would resign, never to be allowed in politics again and new elections must be run. Due to the difficulty of this and the severity of the cost to the political power of the government of the time, this option has only been used twice in the Solar States history. The power of the Prime is also held in check by the Solar Congress by the fact that the Prime is not directly elected by the people, but instead by the Solar Congress. A candidate list is made by a third party committee and sent to the Congress for vote and after as many rounds are needed, the Prime is selected.

This works as the Congressmen and women themselves are directly subject to the citizens they represent. The ones in Viri have elections every three years, though they can serve as many terms as the people wish to keep them in for, and the ones in Astra have two year terms, with a third of the group being up for reelection every time. This is to keep infirmity and deadlock from creeping in and to ensure they have the best interest of their constituents in mind. They are also directly kept in check by the people as they can, at any time, if enough of their state's population votes for it via a referendum, they can eject one or more representatives and require new elections. The Congress has to keep their states happy if they wish to remain in office. They are the prime law-making body and they retain power in the domestic realm, the Prime having to come to them to work out laws and actions to affect the FSS. In general, the Congress and the Prime work together, as the Solar States have a communal focus on their operation and vision for the future, but human interest, individual belief, and the current situation do dictate some conflict. The Prime can do certain actions by Primary Orders, but these have only so many uses, even in domestic contexts. And in domestic affairs, they can be overruled.


The Judiciary is the lifeblood of any nation, as it serves to interpret the Constitution that the people of that nation have settled on how they should organize themselves and laws to order their society with. Of any branch, they are the ultimate judicators, above the dictatorship of the Prime and the legislative power of the Congress. They are made up of many courts across the states: local, county, high, planetary, and state courts, with the Supreme Court being the ultimate last stop, as they handle issues regarding the Constitution. What they hand down for decisions change and interpret the Constitution, and serve as checks on both Congress and the Prime, with a 'nuclear option' built into their system that doesn't require any resignations; its what they are built for. It has been rare, but more common than the other two for the Supreme Court to nullify something the Congress or the Prime has done. It can end wars, nullify treaties, and reverse laws and decisions. However, the backlog of cases, how much processing time for case, as well as the court case running its course, make it so it can only do so much. The Prime selects the members of the thirteen person court, and the Congress approves them.


The Icarus Colonization Project has smaller versions of all these. A Prime has been selected, a smaller Colonial Congress has been prepared, voted for and ensconced, and the proper people to set up a Judiciary and Supreme Court have been chosen to ensure it is still home as communication and travel through the Gate will not be frequent enough for management from afar.






The Federated Solar States in Trade

The Federated Solar States are an economically powerful nation, with the usage of nanoforges, and Forge Ships in desperate times, to create all that they need for production, and large mineral and gas resources in the Rancell Galaxy, making them mostly an exporter. That said, with the inability to terraform worlds, despite much research, life-supporting worlds to generate food are at a premium, and even with the abundant farms and production of food on those worlds, plus the many, many stations, asteroid colonies, and domes that have their own greenhouses for food and oxygen production, food is still something they need an abundance of, especially with the Icarus Colonization Project. There are large stocks of food prepare for a decade of survival, and the Forge Ships are able to produce what they need, albeit being a bit bland, but population projects indicate they will need to find enough life-giving worlds, or make up the difference in trade. Also, while production is still being set up for the colonization effort, the production of fine electronics and advanced computing and other software is going to take a back seat, Forge Ships will be set aside for it, but anything that can be outsourced, and approved for that, as well as be traded for until they can gain what they need to get their footing.





The Federated Solar States in War

The FSS understands that war is not something to be taken lightly. It is the final option available to all states in the galaxy, when all other options have failed: diplomacy, bribery, threats, pleas for mercy, when all else have been used or render naught by the situation they may face, war is the final result. And with such a line being crossed, with such a option being chosen, or even forced, upon a state, it comes with responsibilities and consequences. Governments have turned the view of war in the eyes of the people to that of glory and victory through propaganda in movies, books, and other forms of media. The FSS, people and government, understand that this is not the case, having fought many wars even in recent memory since the formation of the Solar States. War is ugly, brutal, and bloody, the savagery of sentient beings brought to light as they use violence to solve disputes. And thus they understand they have to be ugly, brutal and bloody in order to win a war.

This does not mean they will senselessly slaughter millions simply because war gives them an excuse. But if in the course of a war, bombarding a world relentlessly saves the lives of tens of thousands of soldiers in a contemporary ground campaign, or they need to ignore calls for mercy as they have proven to be holding a grenade or hiding a bomb under their vest to cause even more damage to their foes, the FSS will do it to get the job done. When the Federated Solar States goes to war, it is total war until they hit the end with either them standing over the bodies of their foes or they are the ones being stood upon in defeat. This has garnered them much rebuke and distrust amongst the nations in their home galaxy and the Icarus Colonization Project is expected to encounter much of the same, but in a way, they are being more truthful than the other governments who criticize, for in the end, they use the same tactics as the FSS, they just lie more about it.

Once war is over, however, the FSS takes steps to rebuild conquer territories and not only restore quality of life, but improve it. They are given time to adjust to the new laws and regulations before going to a swearing in ceremony where they are made full citizens as they move from being a territory to a state in their own right, or at least a colony. When one is vicious in war, it does not cost anything to be magnanimous in defeat.

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The Origins of the Solar States

*WIP*

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The Arms of the Solar States

The Federated Solar States may be a relatively young state, but its military tradition stretches back all the way to when the first humans picked up a rock or a stiff branch to use as a club. The military is an organized and well-trained force, that is split into three sections that each handle their own responsibilities and work together to achieve the aims of the FSS: The Army, the Navy, and the Marine Corps. The Army is the bulk of the Armed Forces and handles most the garrisoning, invasions, and operations the FSS demands, with the LANCE special forces being a part of this force. The Navy provides for the defense, garrisoning, and offensive power in space for the Solar States, and the Marine Corps are a smaller part of the Armed Forces designed to be used in insertion scenarios, orbital installations and the garrisoning of orbitals and starships, albeit the latter is more of a ceremonial and contingency role than anything else these days.

Militarism is a key facet of the FSS citizens everyday life, with the Unification Wars having a devastating war finally unify their people, and with the Parren Conflict serving as a testing ground that saw the other nations condemn and begin to surround them. With so many threats and no allies to stand together with, a strong military was seen as the only defense that could ensure they maintain their sovereignty, and potentially their very existence. Serving in the military is a proud act in the eyes of the Solar States, complete with major benefits and pay, and any citizen who has risked their life in combat is given the highest prize of all: the chance to be chosen as Prime to lead the Federated Solar States.

The basis of the military is that of the four man fireteam, led by a Staff Sergeant. It advances up from there to squad to platoon and on up to the armies of thousands, led by officers like the Staff Sergeant and higher. The officer core is highly trained and promoted based on merit, not on political appointment. With the Prime, a combat veteran him/herself, keeping an eye on the military, promotions do not become tools of the government but rewards for good service and ability to craft a machine to maintain the military as a well-oiled mechanism.





Technology

The Federated Solar States are both advanced and yet behind the times in terms of their technology. They lack comprehensive energy shield technology, as well as the ability to make directed or pulse energy weaponry. To compensate for this severe lack on their part, as they attempt to research to find ways to close up this hole in their technology, the FSS has invested heavily in armor, interception systems, mobility and electronic warfare. The armor used by the tanks, vehicles and ships of the Solar States military are high quality, next generation mixtures of alloys and materials that are designed in such a way to dissipate energy weaponry across the hull as they get hit and have deployable ablative armor to further assist in protecting the vessel. The construction uses multiple layers, with supporting beams, to maintain structural integrity even with severe fire pouring in, and preventing kinetic shock from breaking apart the hull. Infantry armor uses a similar system, but the focus on mobility limits how much armor can be used in the construction, save for the Powered Armor units that are used for base defense, and heavy armored pushes. So exosuits are the common armor used by the infantry, able to protect against most small and some medium arms fire, but mobility and EW suites help provide extra defense.

Interception systems rely on information fed into the ships PAN (personal area network) from drones, satellites, the ship's sensor array, and the ECW Frigates and operate using rail autocannons and missile tubes to intercept incoming projectiles, with aid from nearby drones and fightercraft. To assist in interception, the Federated Solar States has developed the EDF (Energy Dispersion Field), which is a 'shield' around the ship and equipped vehicles that serves to disrupt the coherence of energy weapons coming at them but running polar frequencies against what the energy weapon is using. This helps in diffusing energy attacks even before they hit the dispersion alloys on the hull/armor.

Mobility is seen as a key facet of modern warfare, with the advent of ortillery, artillery, and aircraft, dense static defenses are not quite as useful as they used to be, and forces are better served with movement than fortification in most instances. Mobility is utilized with the ability to deploy and use drones for a variety of roles, be it close fire support, recon, sniping, and more, the exosuits capability for jump jets, and grappling attachments to ensure quick movement around rural and urban environments, and vehicles hover/ability to deploy 'legs' to get over urban terrain that tracks/wheels cannot. Cybernetic implants are linked to the exosuits, providing greater stamina, speed, strength and more options for soldiers in field, giving more mobility and opportunities when under the stress of combat such as magnetic gloves and boots that can be deployed to traverse metallic surfaces.


Finally, the FSS has invested in electronic warfare, understanding that while they have armor to guard against hits, the best thing is to not get hit. The Solar State's skill with EW and ECW has provided them the edge to keep things somewhat equal with the alien nations in the Rancell Galaxy as they can jam electro-magnetic frequencies and counter enemy electronic warfare suites that are trying to jam their forces so they can deny the enemy information and they control the information battle space. Each large vehicle and ship has their own suite, as well can deploy drones to assist with this, but the bulk of this is handled by the ECW APC variant and the ECW Frigate.

For weapons technology, the FSS is still in the age of the bullet, grenade, and rocket, but all three are much more advanced than before. They use rail technology to accelerate their bullets and shells to great velocity with bullets now having the Impaler 'spike' designed to increase penetration. This process gives their weapons a bluish-white flare when fired without proper suppressor mods on the weapons. Shells for vehicles and ships have similar effects but with greater power, as well as the various 'cores' for the shells and bullets for different situations. Grenades are now more versatile with having variable grenades that allow a soldier to choose what kind of grenade they need for their situation, be it threat, flashbang, contact, EMP, with smart grenades that track enemies and then use built in rockets to reach the target. Missiles are still recognizable, with more advanced targeting, ECW suites, and thrusters, with more variants in the deployment systems the FSS uses.


Medical technology has come far from what it was before. Small lasers allow for precise incisions in surgery, advancements in robotics and nanotechnology allows the FSS to use the tiny machines to cure cancer, fight disease via medical techniques and inoculations of nanites to serve as a early defense and to heal wounds. Medics in hospitals and in the field use nanonic packages placed over victim's wounds or into their bloodstream. The packages come with liquid mass for nanites to consume for external wounds as well as adding blood sugar and electrolytes for nanites to consume for internal injuries/disease dispersal. Nanites link to cybernetic modifications to provide live informatioin to the host or the doctor/medic.


Faster-than-Light technology reolves around the FTL drive used by the Federated Solar States and its is colloquially known as the 'Inversion Drive'. It operates on the most advanced scientific theorem developed in the 2100's by () that essentially found a formula that forms a 'path' for the drive to apply energy along the 'grooves' in spacetime to invert the laws of physics, allowing FTL travel to be possible, essentially bending, but not breaking, the laws of reality. It creates an opening for Inversion and one travels through a conduit opened by the formula math and applied energy to their destination. It is highly unstable and thus only military vessels are equipped with these. Most civilian and corporate vessels use the gate system for travel as it cuts costs, is safer and is almost instantaneous.

Communication systems run off of the network of arrays that send data slower than light or STL, with varying channels of priority across FSS space, ensuring communication in a decent time frame, such as a day to cross a system, to maintain a cohesive nation. The military, government, and key corporations have access to the system of IC/DN Arrays (Instant Communication/Data Network) that cover FSS space in key locations, hidden by stealth to cover some detection methods/made small and designed to be small and kept in areas containing lots of sensor interference to mask FTL 'tears' when sending communications. The STL arrays are larger and more obvious and billed as the primary communication hubs to keep attention away from the IC/Dn Arrays. These arrays use the Inversion to send information instantaneously from node to node, ensuring quick response on behalf of the military and government, especially regarding FTL travel in FSS space. They have set up a system of FOLP's (Forward Observation Listening Posts) with a small garrison that maintains watch over the territory and tracks any and all FTL, matching it to transmitted records of what the FTA (Federal Transportation Authority) has approved, as they manage any and all travel in the FSS. These outposts transmit data automatically every ten minutes, ensuring even if a sudden attack sweeps the outposts, then they still have an idea of what is going on and who is doing it. If any FTL travel is detected and has not been authorized, the FTA contacts local military forces to intercept and respond, demanding ID codes and transportation slates, and are authorized to detain if they fail to provide these. If the situation escalates, due to pirates, invasion, etc, nearby NOB's (Navry Operating Bases) are contacted and reinforcements sent while HIGHCOM dictates what other actions to take based on the variant of the emergency.




The Solar Navy

The Navy is the most vital part of any conflict or operation that is to be conducted, for no trooper, tank, or officer would ever get to any conflict without the transportation of the Navy, or the Navy's work of removing orbital obstacles and defensive fleets to ensure the Armed Forces can land to do their bloody work on solid ground. With their doctrine of 'safety in movement', the Fleet is designed to be highly mobile. It is made up interlocking groups of shrinking size and designations as you go down the line, allowing commanders to split off forces without requiring intense reorganization, and allowing one to reform damaged or broken fleets with efficiency, modular doctrine taken to its utmost.

The Navy is focused on pinning down the enemy fleet with the core of their fleet, the dreadnaughts, siege destroyers, destroyers, carriers and missile cruisers, with flanking frigate escort, keeping the fire up and maintaining a defense, or even breakthrough the enemy fighter screen to deliver bomb payloads with their own bombers. Once this has been accomplished, wolf packs of cruisers and frigates maneuver around to find weak spots in the enemy formation or even damaged ships from the core fleet's bombardment and hit them hard. So enemy fleet concentrations have to contend with the long range firepower of the core fleet being the anvil, and the wolf packs moving around being the hammer.








The Solar Army


The Armed Forces of the Federated Solar States are amongst the best-trained, equipped, and motivated soldiers in the galaxy and it shows in their day to day training. The Army and the Marines are constantly training, conducting wargames, testing and learning how to use equipment, practicing tactics as well as live fire scenarios. They are a professional army, volunteer-based with incentives for money, benefits and education, as well as a societal status that provides an impetus for joining, and they have no lack for recruits, with many reservists in the population working other jobs right now. There has been an explosion of expansion recently as the Solar States attempt to keep the balance of power in the home galaxy while sending a significant force into the Gate, as the cold war they currently experience is only kept cold with their large military that makes the technologically-superior alien nations remain at bay through knowing that war is not one they know they can win, yet. And this is something that has carried over into the Icarus Expedition.

The Armed Forces follow the doctrine of mobility and not getting hit over drag-out brawls that some of the other states of the galaxy favor. As such, they have a lot of hover-capable vehicles and/or vehicles with tracks that shift to having legs that allow them get over obstacles in urban environments. They use several chassis that can have their set ups and armaments switched out, and repaired through the use of modular designs that also provide mobile fire support in the form of artillery guns and rocket artillery, as the FSS loves indirect fire support, along with drones, and lots of IFV's and APC's with guns to provide supporting fire as they deploy troops to hot spots where they are needed. The Armed Forces prefer to move like water, moving around hardpoints until they can find the firepower to break them, and making sure they do not lose the war of maneuver. They will often abandon or go around cities, preferring to keep forces locked up in defending them while they go after more tactical/strategic objectives until they can break the siege or have no other choice to get their objectives.

For aerial support, they used their own aircraft, with VTOL designs to provide more compact and resource-saving airbases, along with combat helicopters and dropships for combat support and the ability to swiftly airdrop supplies and reinforcements. The usage of modular pref-fabricated bases also gives the FSS more mobility and quicker set up time, able to set up a string of bases for their supply lines and the ability to shift their forces quickly when they need to. If given time, despite being more of a last resort, they can create layers of defenses that make their bases very tough nuts to crack.






Supporting Forces


The Planetary Defense Troopers (PDT's) are a standardized force trained by the military from local volunteers and the established militias of each world and colony to provide defense and protection for the worlds of the FSS. They are provide basic equipment and set up, but maintenance of said equipment and any upgrades are handled by each world, as they military budget does not cover enough to take care of each garrison. They do have their own vessels as well, lessening the burden of patrols on the Navy to that of the system and greater national defense. They are of varying qualities and setups due to this but all are brave and devoted to the defense of their nation, especially with the expedition, knowing they do not have reinforcements just a system away, but a galaxy away. The PDT's cooperate with local organizations such as the Watch, the police of the worlds of the FSS, who are well-trained and equipped, but not quite as well as the army or even the PDT's depending, but they are unflinching members of the law who take their duties seriously, including managing and protecting the cities and populace during war time.

Another factor of the FSS is their propensity for hiring and producing PMC's. One of the most lucrative jobs in the FSS, and even regulated as to be a legitimate vocation, private military contractors are amongst the biggest corporations in the FSS. They are often hired out to do supporting or separate jobs and even fight side by side with the military on many occasions. This bothers the military, since they have much the same relationship as the Army and the Marines do, but it is more edged due to incidents between the two and the ideas of some PMC's who feel they are the military of tomorrow. They have some of the most cutting edge technology and have access to technology from other nations more than anyone else, tho not much due to local tensions.

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Worlds of the Solar States

















Strength of the Stars

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Warships of the Solar Navy


The Solar Navy is a standardized system, ever since 2124 when they began the rearmament process to ensure they had parity with the other nations as tensions rose and intelligence began to indicate a potential coalition against them was forming. Modular design was decided upon to ensure quick construction and upgrading, plus maintenance would be incredibly simplified. The ships were designed in sections, that are able to melded into each other with an interlocking design as well as a series of locks that can be disengaged to separate out the parts to be upgraded, repaired, replaced, etc. The size of the classes have been unified with the Abyss-class Dreadnaught at 1 km and down for the rest of the classes. All vessels are equipped with fusion reactors, multiplied by what is demanded by the ship, with backup solar batteries that are kept charged to provide power in case the reactors need to be shut down or are lost for power for a few days to ensure they can get back to supply areas.




Smallcraft


G8 Bomber 'Caldera'

The G8 Bomber is the eighth iteration of the bulky death dealer that comes out of the hulls of the ships and stations of the FSS that is the final sight many ships, stations, and ground forces ever get to see, a black shape obscuring the sun before fire consumes everything. They have five weapon points that can have a wide array of weapons to use. Missiles and bombs of every core and type, fragmentation, HEAT, HE, AP, APDS, EMP, EW, and more, with rail and autocannons for more strafe capability. They have limited afterburners that give them some boost in emergency situations to ensure they can get in and out of situations, but for the most part, the G8 requires a lot of defense as it has no combat capabilities for engaging other small craft.



F-18 Interceptor 'Scimitar'

The F-18 is the premiere fightercraft of the Solar States, with integrated afterburners for increased speed, four hardpoints for missiles and two for autocannons or rail cannons. They are the most common as they can take on a wide variety of roles. CAS, anti-orbital, anti-capital, escort, hunter-killer and more. They protect the fleet and installations from other craft and take the fight to enemy strike craft when the time comes. Much like the G8 and the HiT-3, it has access to a wide-array of missile types that give it much flexibility in combat.



HiT-3 Strike Fighter 'Knight'

Much like rampaging steel titan on the medieval battlefields, the Knight has the capability to charge in and lay waste to ship and fighter craft alike with equal propensity as a strike fighter. It is designed to support the G8 and the F-18 in their operations as well as be able to enter atmosphere and assist in ground operations, as the only fighter that can do so, as the F-18 is only space capable and thus the HiT-3 is seen in ground campaigns in addition to the atmo-only small craft the FSS deploys. They are armed with six weapon points, and a single point for autocannon or rail cannon.




Frigates

Frigates are the building blocks of the Navy, it is from there that vessels derive their formation, for the frigates role as cover against fighters and projectiles, its ability to swiftly move about the battlefield to respond to changing situations, and its role alongside the Operator-class Cruiser to 'wolf pack' enemy fleets, to cause and take advantage of weakness as the main fleet pounds the enemy.



Warden-class Frigates

Due to their small size, they only have four railgun batteries, no spinals, two missile arrays and four squadrons of small craft, one reconnaissance, two F-18 Scimitars and one G8 Calderas. They are the foundation of the fleet, and are often where many naval officers and legends began their days, aboard a Warden-class frigate.


Shade-class Electronic Warfare Frigate

The variant on the Warden-class, the Shade-class removes most of its weapons, retaining one railgun battery, one missile array and no squadrons to get most of their space converted into command and control centers, equipped with EW and ECW suites, providing excellent protection from enemy EW attacks, and allowing their own forces to pierce through the enemy's EW field to ensure control of the information battlespace. Very light on armor and weaponry, they require protection but bring a needed element to the FSS navy.



Cruisers


Operator-class Cruiser

The Operator-class is called as such as it is used for almost every role and is the workhorse of the fleet. It is moderately armed, with one spinal railcannon, 5 railgun batteries, 4 missile arrays, along with two squadrons of Calderas, six squadrons of Scimitars and four squadrons of Knights. It is used to lead patrols, guard installations, provide fire support orbital or even in atmo, as it is the first class that has the capability of being in planetary atmospheres. A common sight in FSS fleets and space, they are the backbone of any force.



'Hedgehog' AEGIS-class Missile Cruiser

The AEGIS-class Missile Cruiser is a long range class of ship designed to use missiles to hit far away targets on behalf of the fleet, and to bomb enemy force concentrations, ground or space. However, it has another role, as the AEGIS designation indicates, as it serves as a major aspect of point defenses for the fleet, using its PD systems and specialized missile arrays to neutralize incoming smallcraft and projectiles. In combat, it is usually bristling with missiles launching and projectiles exploding about it, giving it the moniker 'Hedgehog'. It comes with 12 missile arrays and 6 PD missile arrays in addition to its own set of PD guns.



Destroyers



Hammer-class Destroyer

A titanium engine made for war, the Hammer-class is second only to the Abyss in terms of total firepower. It has been granted heavier armor and more guns at the expense of having no smallcraft. It is armed with two spinal rail cannons, 10 railgun batteries, 6 missile arrays and a boosted PD system. It's role is to provide cover for the core fleet from any bold strikes from enemy ships and pound enemy fleet concentrations. Wherever a Hammer-class is on the field, wreckage is bound to follow.



Titan-class Siege Destroyer

A variant of the Hammer-class, it trades bulk firepower for even more long range power. It is armed with 6 spain rail cannons and seven missile arrays, all designed to put a beating on a hard/armored target. It was designed to overcome the energy shielding of the alien nations in the galaxy through sheer firepower. The Siege Destroyer is also used to break hard targets like capital ships, orbital defenses and serves as ortillery for ground campaigns. It lacks any close defense capability, even its PD system is lessen, so it needs escorts to keep small vessels/smallcraft away.



Carriers



Alladin-class Carrier

Another key part of the core fleet, the Alladin-class is the heart of smallcraft support for any engagement, deploying drones, ten squadrons of Calderas, twenty squadrons of Scimitars, and fourteen squadrons of Knights into the fray to increase point defense, patrols, counter enemy fightercraft and increase reconnaissance and EW capability in any scenario. It is lightly armed with four railgun batteries, 2 missile arrays, and its own PD system. Armor is also lighter to accommodate the larger hangars. It is a premiere piece of power projection for the FSS, able to lock down a system, bombard installations, gain orbital supremacy and provide air support from orbit.





Dreadnaught



Abyss-class Dreadnaught

The center of any FSS fleet, the Abyss-class is the epitome of Solar power, resources and technology. It comes with the heaviest armament of any class and the strongest EDF field of any ship. It is equipped with four railcannons, 16 railgun batteries, 8 missile arrays, along with four squadronsof Caldera, eight squadrons of Scimitar and six squadrons of Knight-class smallcraft, and the extensive PD system. They serve as the heavy hitters for the anvil part of the FSS naval tactical strategy as well as defenders of the other, more vulnerable classes for enemies who try to move in, working with the Hammer-class Destroyers.




Dreadnaught



Inferno-class Forgeship

A special addition to the Icarus Expedition, the Inferno-class Forgeship is a top of the line, newly designed class made to supply the needs of the expedition as they set up and begin to produce what they need, and have the Forgeships handle things in the meantime. They are heavily armored, containing massive nanoforges and assembly centers to produce weapons, vehicles, tools, computing systems, armor, and more, taking in liquid matter and other materials in more desperate times to fuel this production. They are then flown down by automated vehicles, directed by the controllers on the Forgeship to the planet for delivery. In war time scenarios, it is brought with fleets to provide on sight production for emergency production and to ease the strain on their supply lines, but this does make them a valuable target and as such are kept under heavy guard or in the deep space between systems to ensure production continues. For armament, they have two batteries of railguns and two missile arrays, and point defense, but this is only sufficient for driving away pirates, smallcraft and anything classed as a frigate under the FSS system.

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Landing Craft and Vehicles


The Solar Armed Forces utilize a lot of vehicles and support for its campaigns, to maintain its mobility and ensuring it can react to the myriad of situations that result on the battlefield. They have a lot of armored vehicles, giving them firepower on the move, and as well as the indirect fire capabilities of field artillery, MLRS and more that are still mobile with the entrenched guns far behind the lines, and manned and unmanned aircraft to ensure they multiply their force capability and always have something they can call in to support ground operations.




AC-24 Heavy Lander

The AC-24 is a massive landing craft, reminiscent of the world wars of the early 20th century. It resembles a large transport boat, with sloped sides and a curve for the roof, with landing thrusters across its sides, to aid with trajectory in atmosphere. It carries a fully deployable basic firebase, complete with supplies and attending vehicles for hot drop scenarios where a beachhead needs to be deployed ASAP. Drop pods containing troops are also sent alongside to get things set up and protect the AC-24. It has no weapons while in transit, but it comes with deployable DOW-11 autoturrets and rail turrets to provide defenses until it can be manned.




LD-04 CSD (Close Support Dropship)

The Stampede is a common sight on many battlefields, ferrying troops, supplies and vehicles to the combat zone and ferrying wounded out of it to field hospitals. It is armed with two rotary HAW-2 autocannons and a single missile pod. It is a godsend for squads sent out to combat zones and being retrieved from them. It also comes with the ability to deploy chaff and flares in addition to have an EW/ECW suite and afterburners to increase speed for short distances. It can carry up to a platoon of soldiers or two vehicles of the MGV line to be deployed.



Support Craft


FSS support craft are there for when troops need to be moved from Point A to Point B, due to uneven terrain, dangerous situations or quick insertions, as well as providing fire support when needed, calling down fire on hardpoints and troop concentrations to ensure the victory and survival of the Armed Forces. These craft are VTOL capable and are equipped with fuel injectors to boost their jets when necessary in key situations.




Javelin FCG-02 Gunship

The Javelin-class is the descendent of the old helicopter gunships of old, now with VTOL rotors that allow it to rapidly change direction and maneuver on the more mobile battlefields of the present. It comes equipped with two Falcon HAW-1 autocannons, one on each side of the nose and four missile pods that have a variety of ammunition for the scenario required, two on each wing. It is manned by two pilots, and has thrust pods on the belly to assist it in maneuvering around, as well as carrying flares and chaff to aid its EW suite in avoiding missile locks.




AGCA-3 “The Eye” AWAC

The AGCA is the FSS's AWAC craft on the battlefield, connecting with the firebases, ground forces and satellites providing real time information and electronic warfare support to FSS forces. It has no weapons, being mostly set up for comfort and equipment, so it requires protection, but it does have defenses. Chaff, flares, and EW suites help it to survive, while also being far from the combat zone. They help maintain FSS control or struggle for dominance in any electronic battlespace.



Future Systems Manned Ground Vehicles (MGV) Chassis


This line of vehicles was designed, created and put into service as part of the modularization and standardization program the FSS ran in the early 2100's to ensure they could mass produce, quickly repair and maintain these vehicles and make it easier on their budget, considering how much military presence they have had to set up. With a single chassis, it also makes the FSS soldiers be able to change their set up if need be. There are many occasions for when they have to modify their vehicles instead of calling for more reinforcements to be delivered, and with this Single Chassis System, they are able to do so. It has become a common sight on the battlefield, and while many decry the look for being too homogenized, its effectiveness cannot be denied.




HG-11 RSV (Reconnaissance and Survelliance Vehicle)

The RSV serves as the primary scouting and recon vehicle for the Federated Solar States. It is capable of using advanced sensors for detection, locating, tracking, classifying and identifying under any conditions, day or night. It also comes equipped with a long range sensor, an emitter for intercepting EM frequencies and direction finding and a chemical sensor. It shines in combat, however, with its ability for automatic target detection, aided target recognition, and level one sensor fusion. It can deploy unattended ground sensors, a small UGV with various deployment kits, and two UAVS, for maximum coverage of an area. It comes armed with a single JN-3 autocannon and a coaxial M40 machine gun.





HG-12 Mounted Combat System (MCS)

The MCS is the FSS tank, lighter than a lot of other tanks that are out there, but it still provides the firepower necessary to bring to a fight. It has line of sight and BLOS (Beyond Line of Sight) capability, though it requires aid from the RSV to do so to detect enemy forces. It is intended to provide a high degree of precise fire on enemy targets, provide direct support to FSS infantry, destroying hard points like bunkers and breaching walls to assist in tactical assaults. It is highly mobile, as per FSS doctrine, maneuvering out of contact and coming back to advantageous points in combat. It is protected by an active protection system to deal with high caliber rounds and AT missiles and comes with a crew of two, a driver/commander and a gunner.



HG-13 Non Line of Sight Cannon (NLOS)

The NLOS Cannon is the primary self-propelled artillery for the FSS ground forces, using extended range and networked targeting, and precision attack on point for fire missions and area targets in support with a suite of munitions.. It also provides sustained fire for close support and destructive fire for tactical standoff engagement, with support for LOS, BLOS, NLOS, external and joint capabilities. The NLOS Cannon is also special as it can quickly switch rounds on a one to one basis, allowing one to fire an illumination round followed by a point detonation round and then an AOE round, thus allowing it to fire different rounds for different fire missions. It's rate of fire is also higher, so there is more damagae output, and can fire multiple rounds that have simultaneous impact, ensuring the enemy has little time to react. It comes with a crew of two, and has a M40 machine gun for protection.




HG-14 NLOS Mortar

The HG-14 is another self-propelled vehicle that is a mortar to provide fire support for infantry with its high velocity mortar on high value targets, supporting fire to suppress and obscure the enemy, and providing illumination. Further, it has a link to the combined information network the HG series has, giving it automatic target location and detection for NLOS opeerations, and has a wide array of munitions including the precision guided mortar munition. It has a crew of four, one commander, a driver, a gunner, and a man to help with ammo loading.



HG-15 Field Recovery and Maintenance Vehicle (FRMV)

The FRMV is the FSS response to the conditions in the field, where the fast paced operations can leave many damaged vehicles behind with crews that can be salvaged and brought back onto the field, or at least getting the crews out of the combat zone. It is manned by 3 man combat repair team, that can do more field repair than the crew is able to do so, have more damage assessment capability, and can even do some recovery. As well as having roojm for three recovered crew in the vehicle itself.




HG-16 Infantry Carrier Vehicle (ICV)

The ICV is the premiere vehicle for supporting and delivering infantry in the MGV series. It is manned by a crew of two and carries space for up to 10 passengers. It comes armed with a MG44 50mm cannon and 10.72 mm machine gun. It has four combat missions: Company Commander, platoon leader, rifle squad and weapons squad. The rifle and weapons configurations are designed to deliver them into close combat and support them with offensive and defensive fire, as well as carrying their equipment. The platoon leader and CC configurations are for providing command and control for combat scenarios.




HG-17 Medical Vehicle (MV)

The HG-17 MV gives the FSS the ability to support combat operations by providing advanced trauma life support within one hour to critically injured soldiers in combat, and treating them in an expedient manner to get them back in the fight, or evacuate them to field hospitals to ensure they have more of a chance to survive. Thusly, it has two packages: evacuation and treatment, with treatment having trauma specialists nearby to use networked telemedicine interfaces with specialists back at base to coordinate treatment and determine how to best proceed with a speed to reduce casualties.






HG-18 Command and Control Vehicle (CCV)

The CCV is the heart of any FSS force, that provides information management for integrated network of communications and sensor capability which gives commanders the ability to combine their knowledge of combat capability with their ability to make decisions to affect the outcomes of operations in progress. It contains interfaces to allow commanders to use the C4ISR network and allow commands to get information superiority and situation understanding and transmit this to the relevant forces to maintain control of battle, all while on the move. To assist with this, the CCV has four UAVs that it can use to assist with monitoring and controlling the battlefield.



Strategic Weapons


KWDS-72 “Wrath of God”

The Kinetic Weapon Deployment System or KWDS is the system of weapons satellites the FSS puts into the orbit of any planet they deploy to, be it their own which already has them or a conquered or stationed one, where they put these satellites into orbit, especially once they gain orbital control. They are armed with dozens of thin metal 'godrods' as the troops affectionally refer to them as that are shot out via railgun and reach terminal orbital velocity and shriek down the sky, courtesy of their design to hit the ground and deliver their payload, supporting ground operations in a big way. They can be kitted with explosive paylods for more damage or airburst capability, or 'borer' kits to push into underground areas before going off, but many times the pure kinetic force does the job. When multiple satellites are focused on one area, it seems like the Wrath of God had come, hence the title. It was used as a clean alternative for a weapon of mass destruction than nuclear weapons.

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Famous Persons in the Federated Solar States

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Weapons of the Solar States