Chapter 09, Act 01 - Eternity In Coordination
Darinista-Osnovnoy, Constis Oblast
"Arise, vast country! Arise for a fight to the death!"
In a world of drones, thermal technology, and powerful optics, it is quite hard to conceal one from many, especially when you're moving entire theatres.
Such was the case for the Riomlerians who, in their intrusion into the border, found themselves the attention of the Vichnayan border guards and nearby National Guard Divisions. With the fields scattered with mines and booby-traps, it was only eventually that one would set them off, more rather,
multiple. The response was short and brutal, the Vichnayan Divisions, having access to the best optics afforded by money and watching from what seemed to be every blade of grass, opened up with
everything they had. Passing through a border such as this was considerably harder when you had to contend with endless fields of anti-personnel mines, anti-tank mines, barbed wire, spike traps, and most importantly of all, the 10+ Motor Rifle, Mechanized, and Tank Divisions already stationed on the border, watching their every move as they were perched in the mountains, forests, and the wide and massive tunnel and bunker complexes that made up Vichnaya's border defenses.
The troops in the bunkers, the National Guard and Motor Rifle Division Infantrymen, were the first to respond to the influx of Riomlerian troops, opening up with hails of rounds from every weapon system they had on them. From the rifles all the way to mortar and artillery pieces
everything was opening up on the Riomlerians, the Vichnayans essentially having a turkey shoot as their Augmented-Reality Networked Thermal Goggles, of whom had thermal and laser-rangefinding systems installed on them, simply just had to point and shoot at whatever they were targeting from. Not only this but because each Vichnayan Infantrymen were equipped with a Hybrid Laser Rangefinder and Target Designator, each squad would be able to accurately call in support assets from land, air, or sea.
To keep groups of Riomlerians pinned down was a weapon widely feared across the globe, known for its distinct and deafeningly loud and fast rate of fire, the Allemand
MG3A3, and by far the most common machine gun in the Vichnayan Armed Forces. With over 1,200 rounds per minute, multiple groups of MG3A3 gunners would overlay their fire, maximizing the efficiency and damage each group could make. Far more mobile, Machine gunners with the venerable Adaki RPK-16 would push up, stop, and lay down fire as the rest of the infantry laid down their own hails of fire, and in the cases of the Combat Engineering sections, launched volleys of thermobaric warheads at any group that was seen in the open.
And at this time, the troops were able to accurately mark down anything of interest with the multitude of devices at their disposal to them, using radios and individual battlefield-management devices to constantly mark down any important locations to their fellow squad mates, their platoon leaders, and regimental commanders, and with every single soldier already having access to the Mara Tracking and Safety Chips, could give Divisional and Front Commanders and accurate, live, and up-to-date account of the situation on the front. Their radios and movements were heavily protected and encrypted by the Mara-Delat AI, advanced encryption and frequency hopping modes, and covered by the dozens of Electronic-Warfare Stations that dotted the entire defensive line, constantly jamming or outright denying Riomlerian troops from communicating with each other other than talking to each other in person.
And even then, that wasn't exactly easy as the Vichnayans constantly shook the battlefield with the roars of rifles, machine guns, grenades, rockets, cannons, and howitzer fire, the ground shaking for each and every second as the bombardments from the Vichnayan side only continued to increase in intensity. Every single shot was accurate, constantly suppressing the enemy in volleys of bullets and explosives, or blinding them in the heavy and burning smoke of white phosphorus munitions, falling from the skies the same way ran does in a tropical storm.
ATGM teams, armed with advanced anti-tank systems such as the AT-2A-K, RB57 NLAW, FGM-148D, and 9M200 Top-Attakc ATGMs, engaged anything that even
remotely looked like a vehicle. Regardless of whether it was a tank, a truck, an APC/IFV, or even an armored car, they would engage them with terrifyingly precise fire, constantly repositioning so as to not have their locations tracked and marked for elimination.
...Though that would be only for the troops who were outside; rare. For the majority of the Vichnayan troops in the area would be shielded in fully-ventilated, thick, and armored steel-reinforced concrete bunkers, their environments covered by a multitude of radio relaying stations, explosive and non-explosive defensive works, cameras, automated turrets, armored cameras with thermal-sights, and themselves who had thermal vision/augmented reality goggles that essentially gave them a cheat sheet.
Still slowed down by the wide fields littered with mines and traps, the Riomlerians would find themselves the target of nearby artillery and rocket strikes, ranging from 122-mm HE Rockets from 9A53-G Tornados, all way to the punishing strikes from 220-mm Thermobaric Rockets from TOS-1M and TOS-2 MLRS Systems. These batteries, typically acting in four or six, would unleash an unyielding volley that would cover entire grid sectors, and in the cases of the TOS-2 Thermobaric Rocket Systems, wipe entire platoons out with a single strike. The TOS Series of MLRS Systems was especially nasty to infantry as, being designed to destroy buildings but fully capable of engaging other targets, would be able to wipe out entire grid squares, a single rocket releasing its fuel-air explosive mixture before detonating, and with a range of over 10-15km, these systems would be more than capable of engaging anywhere the troops requested them to be.
And to add to this nearby towed and self-propelled artillery guns stationed nearby would rain down a hellish amount of shells onto groups of Riomlerians, identified defensive and staging grounds, supply depots, command and control centers, artillery emplacements, troop concentrations; 152mm, 155mm, 122mm, and 120mm howitzers and mortars never resting for a second as they bombarded any advance to a standstill, their shots guided by GPS/GLONASS, and accurate readings from the troops at the front with laser rangefinders, and the most important technology to date in modern warfare; drones.
Using a mixture of shells, ranging from standard dumb HE Shells, all the way to the
M153 “Holem” guided artillery shells fired by 155mm Howitzers, the Vichnayans would make the lives of
all Riomlerian soldiers partaking in this invasion of the Vichnayan motherland absolute and literal
hell. The M153 “Holem” Shells, a Ramjet Extreme Range Guided High Explosive Shell, could reach targets up to 160 kilometers away, a capability the Vichnayans didn't fail to utilize. Aside from targeting the aforementioned sites, the Vichnayans would target the C4I Centers located further away and even railyards or railroads that Riomler used to ferry troops to the frontline.
And the shorter-ranged shells weren't lacking, for the Vichnayans were using them in a rather peculiar manner. Using the M151S White Phosphorus Shells to flush out enemy infantry, and in conjunction with other artillery, anti-tank, and small-arms fire, absolutely destroy entire groups of infantry with M151A2/M152 High-Explosive Shells that were set to airburst, exploding 4-16 meters above an enemy's forehead and raining down an ungodly amount of shrapnel, as if the explosion and the following concussive force weren't enough to put a man down.
Regardless of what later actions may be made, the troops would still continue having access to GPS and GLONASS for Vichnayan Intelligence Groups had programmed
all of their devices to bypass any restrictions made by foreign nations on satellite systems, their signals constantly protected by the
Mara-Delta Artificial Intelligence Program that was the root of nearly all military systems used by the Federal Armed Forces.
And the absolute moment the Riomlerians
dared to fire back, the Vichnaysn would have their positions marked and eliminated through the wide usage of man-portable or dedicated & mobile battlefield surveillance and counter-battery radars. The 1L271M Counter-Battery Radar, the most common of the radars found on this front, able to detect the position of weapons such as field artillery and anti-aircraft weapons, calculate the trajectory of incoming shells, and the general location where operators controlled unmanned aerial vehicles that, add to the usage of drones by Vichnayan soldiers themselves, would be able to accurately identify, calculate, mark, and eliminate enemy howitzer positions in as little as 2
minutes.
And once the Vichnayan positions were found, the Riomlerians would find that they were already gone, repositioned to any valley, crevice, hill, bunker, and armored house in the sector. It was a common thing to find entire sections covered by heavy tracer fire only to disappear in a matter of a few minutes, the Vichnayans constantly on the move and relocating to tactically significant and important positions. And if they tried to advance to a seemingly abandoned area, would find themselves to be in the field of fire by multiple MG3A3s, their movement tracked by cameras, trip wires, hidden pressure plates, and of course, the watch of other soldiers from the sectors.
The Riomlerians would be easy prey as the Vichnayans, camouflaged well to their environment with their uniforms meant to severely minimize the chances of being detected on Infrared/Thermal Optics, picked off the Riomlerians as they tried to advance, again slowed by the withering amount of defensive works that seemingly covered every single inch of the border. To say it was hellish was an understatement, for the open and golden fields and beautiful olive-green forests quickly became known to be impenetrable fortresses, with not even a single Riomlerian able to push past the open border, much less the forests where even
more dangers awaited for them.
And with the advent and usage of drones in modern conflicts, a new terror reared its ugly head.
Aside from using them to mark, identify, and designate enemy positions for elimination by Vichnayans in the air, they would also be hastily modified to drop grenades onto enemy forces. Working in pairs, one drone would identify a Riomlerian troop gathering, pass the information off to the operator, and from there they would send in the drone equipped with 2-4 grenades and drop them. Silent and deadly, the only way one would notice the swarms of drones would be if they weren't preoccupied with something, an extremely rare occurrence as the Vichnayans laid down withering fire from their defensive positions, the mountains raining down murderous fire for each and every second.
And wouldn't even be counting the dedicated loitering munitions that were issued to every Infantrymen, as if the RPG-22Ms weren't enough. The most common of the dedicated loitering munitions would be the Shrakrak Miniature Loitering Munition, a small drone able to be launched by hand that, with the guidance of an operator using personal devices like the 10P330 and Taka-K30 devices, would be able to identify and track enemy soldiers or vehicles. And once tracked, the operator can simply designate it to attack, sending the Shakrak into a high-speed vector, deploying its deadly HE-FRAG munition the moment it makes contact. With coordination by machine guns, rockets, and artillery strikes, the Shakraks, and its bigger brother the Nakar Loitering munition, would flush Riomlerian troops from cover and into the withering amount of fire.
And if the Riomlerians thought that was bad, it was only going to be a lot more worse.
Finally, the Uragan-1M MLRS Systems, BM-30 Smerch MLRS Systems, SS-1E Scud-Ds SRBM Launchers, and the 9K720 Iskander-M SRBM Launchers were in place, their positions fully protected by nearby anti-aircraft missile systems and guarded by hundreds of Vichnayan soldiers. Stationed in the far back, their powerful and long-ranged rockets and missiles would be launched against Riomlerian troops and important sites, again, targeting defensive and staging grounds, supply depots, C2, C3, C3I, C4I command and control centers, artillery emplacements, troop concentrations and many,
many more. In these strikes, the Vichnayans were
extremely careful in avoiding civilian structures or nearby populations, for the blood of civilians wasn't needed on this bloody battlefield.
The mechanized and armored fists of the Vichnayan Armor Corps would finally reach the Vichnayan defensive lines after a few dozen minutes of organizing and rolling out. These consisted of the heavy APCs, IFVs, and MBTs that were deployed only hours ago, with the majority of these vehicles consisting of the new and highly formidable BMP-82U, an IFV in all but classification, seeing as the Federal Armed Forces still considered it an Armored Personnel Carrier
just because it used the original hull of the BTR-80M APC.
Another of the common IFVs seen and deployed in this one-sided slaughter would be the BMP-3M, an up-armored and capable Infantry Fighting Vehicle boasting an upgraded 100-mm Smoothbore gun launcher, capable of firing HE Shells or ATGMs, whilst also carrying a fast-firing 2A72M Autocannon, and finally a 7.62x51mm MG3A3 Coaxial machine gun. Though different in type, one common feature amongst all of them would be their applique armor, stretching from simple caged armor all the way to the Kontackt-5 or Sokol-1 ERA Packages, which added with their onboard Active-Protection SYstems, made them hard to counter with ATGMs, much less infantry who carried simple rocket-propelled grenades.
Now, one cannot expect the IFVs and APCs to do all the heavy work, and thus came in the armored fist of Vichnaya; T-80BVMs, T-22A Nosorogs, T-72B4 Obr.2022s, and the T-72B3 Obr.2016s, all organic to nearly every single major formation in the Vichnayan Ground Forces. These tanks, while considered outdated by Vichnayan standards, were still highly formidable as they were able to provide direct-fire support, serve as repellants in enemy counterattacks, and conduct extremely aggressive maneuver warfare tactics. However, they would be sticking inside the forests or hiding in pre-prepared dug-ins that would provide them excellent cover and concealment, bolstered by them running specialized camouflage nets that reduced their Infrared/Thermal Signatures.
The T-80BVMs and T-22A Nosorogs, being the high-end tanks of their time, would serve as Quick Reaction Units should Riomlerian Armor Units be detected, to where they'd work with nearby infantry, vehicle, and support assets to efficiently stomp them out. The T-72 Series of MBTs, as the low-end tanks, would be up in the frontline, providing close-in direct fire support for Vichnayan Infantry and Mechanized Infantry units. Regardless of their role, they were all equipped with highly-capable ERA, APS, and Sensor/Camera Suites that, like their APC and IFV cousins, made them highly dangerous against all armored vehicles, much less infantry who would struggle to even catch a glimpse of them under the withering fire of the Vichnayan defenders.
And soon enough, the men and equipment of the 5th White Guards Tank Division would take part in the heavy fighting, rushing to defensive lines as they slaughtered the invaders. They fought with vigor only seen by men defending their homeland, to defend it against what they saw as invaders. They would replace each and every single Vichnayan conscripted and contracted soldier that fell in the defense of this mountain pass,
their mountain fortress. With the chants and sermons of the priests blasting through the PA System that filled every single section of the border defenses, the Soldiers fought so violently, so determined that not even the heaviest of wounds were enough to put them out of action. The call to action, and more importantly, the call to the defense of one of the bastions of the Eight Sacred Stars, would be answered by the abled sons and daughters of Vichnaya.
Sileans, Ustinians, Klendovans, and many more from the dozens of ethnic and racial groups of the Vichnayan Federal Republic were engaged in combat, fighting in the same room, the trench, and in the same vehicles. The air whipped and cracked for every nanosecond, red and white tracers zipping across the open fields and leveling the invaders where they ran to. They would not falter, and they would not fall. The sounds of cannon and gunfire would be joined by the roar of a cannon and the sizzle of plasma.
For each roar of this cannon, the sizzle of plasma that trailed it would illuminate the ground, frying all those who stood in their way. This was the newest tank designed by the RND Teams of the Vichnayan Federal Republic, one that would rival all in the world. With the best armor, best engine, advanced fire-control systems, artificial-intelligence programs, protection systems, and many, many more, which included the most noticeable feature of all; the 140mm Electrothermal-Chemical Smoothbore Gun, the beast of the Vichnayan Armored Forces was fully revealed, unveiled to the world in the defense of the motherland.
The
T-110 Vityaz, named after the knights of old, has made its debut. With each roar it sounded, a dozen of the invaders would fall, burnt by the trail of plasma that ignited its deadly round.
Every single Vichnayan deployed would be working in conjunction, fighting as one heart, one hand, and as one soul. They would smash the invaders, destroying their dreams and haunting their nightmares. Not once did the defenders relent, not once did their guns stop firing, and not once did they think to retreat. For every Vichnayan killed, they would be replaced by two more, their comrades fighting harder and filled with determined rage. The orders from up high stated their nation was in peril, the whirlwinds of danger spiraling around them.
The world had watched Vichnaya slapping each other, with the impression that the people and government were actively tearing themselves apart. They were right of course, and the White Maiden Bloom had certainly sent a giant jab into the Government's political and social reputation, and the Vichnayan Church had taken a beating in its reputation as the all-knowing and all-seeing eye and hands of the Vichnayan Federal Republic. But there was one thing that no one in the world knew except Vichnayans themselves. For they had weathered invasions, massacres, and disasters at a scale unimaginable to the rest of the world. They were the ones living in the frozen tundra of this nation, and
they were the ones who had to climb their way up through the world, to cement themselves as a sovereign and influential nation.
And to watch the world criticize and try to sympathize, watching the world treat them as brain-washed and power-hungry individuals obsessed with shiny, shiny technology, concerned like parents to their children when they do something. And with the news and fears that they might be invaded? That foreign tanks were rolling into their most holy lands? That foreign boots might trample on their sacred temples and churches? That the Vichnayan people were to be removed from the Light of the Eight Sacred Stars? That Vichnayan's lands will not be ruled by Vichnayans?
To think that the people
would not stand up to that would be a fantasy and a fallacy. While the Vichnayan People were bright and intelligent, responsible for the most recent technological and scientific breakthroughs in modern human history, they were, at heart, highly religious, devoted to the Eight Stars that had gifted them the whisper of life and the gift and fire of all of the knowledge in the universe.
The world has yet to know, has yet to learn the history of Vichnaya. For centuries it has bickered and toiled with itself, making itself look ripe for invasion. And it has been, thrice, all leaving a terrible mark on the people of Vichnaya as a whole. There was one saying especially, one that was well-known throughout Vichnaya but not the world, a saying that the world will painfully learn in the coming days.
. . .
Like the ground, the skies roared with metal thunder.
Aircraft across the oblast had been scrambled in response to the waves of Riomlerian aircraft. In coordination with the Aerospace Defense Forces and the Ground Force Anti-Air Crews, the entire airspace between Vichnaya and Riomler would be sealed off. The hundreds of stealth aircraft sent by Riomler would have their response in the form of the technological might of the Federal Armed Forces. No matter if their aircraft was advanced compared to other nations, the fact that Vichnaya had already cracked one apart by a previous dealing with another foreign nation, Riomler's F-35s would already be detected the moment they took off, the massive radars perched ontop of the mountains and those stationed down below already fine-tuned to detect, track, and shoot down stealth aircraft.
And as the ground shook with the thunder of thousands of guns, the troops and vehicles of the Aerospace Defense Forces and Ground Force Air Defense Forces rolled out from their armored bunkers and tunnels, the radars of dozens of 9K332 Tor-M2s, 9K33M3 Osa-Ks, 2K22M4 'Tunguska-Ms, 2K22M3 Tunguskas, Pantsir-S1Ms, and 9K50M Kolyma-Ms dispersing into the forests or perching themselves onto the old forts that dot this mountain pass, assisted by dozens of radar stations that dot the valleys and peaks of the mountains, constantly searching for the enemy. For many, they would fire and maneuver, never holding for more than a few minutes before relocating, to ensure that SEAD/DEAD Operations would be costly. The Anti-Air sites, and all systems in general, would have their own dedicated group of vehicles, consisting of fire-control radars, a battlefield-management radar, and an automated command and control system, linking to the aircraft high up above.
And to make sure the force of bombers and fighters Riomler had deployed were to be truly weakened, the massive Murmansk-BN and Manimekhala Short-Wave Strategic Jamming Systems, along with their smaller Krasukha-2, Krasukha-4, and Omamori Electronic Warfare Vehicles, would be deployed, their frequencies placed into high gear and targeting the incoming wave of Riomlerian fighters and bombers, jamming all guidance systems for them and, with a range of over 5,000 kilometers, made sure that even the Riomlerian troops on the ground were unable to contact higher or local commands. With the assistance of AI Programs and information from prior experience of reverse-engineering an F-35, the Vichnayans would be able to accurately identify the communications bands used by the Riomlerian F-35s and B-1A/Bs, set their frequencies to the right signal, and jammed them.
They went above and beyond, the local jamming and command stations hidden inside the mountains, with the assistance of PKKV and Cyberwrfare Agents, would transmit coordinates that would either land them into the teeth of where the majority of Anti-Aircraft Systems were or re-direct them back to Riomler or even inform that, once they were over Riomlerian troop positions, where at the
exact place to drop their ordinance. Not only would it make the Riomlerians waste their own energy and troops, but it made them extremely easy targets for the dozens of missile and gun Anti-Aircraft batteries that lined the entire range.
For the troops on the ground, those who were armed with MANPADS, they would engage any aircraft flying at low-to-medium altitudes, white trails of smoke raising from the valley as dozens of 9K34 Strela-3s, to 9K333 Verbas, all would be used to swat the invaders from the sky. A few sites would have ZU-23M1s, an 23mm Anti-Aircraft system with two MANPADS attached to them, allowing them to engage their targets of choosing regardless of the circumstance or range. The troops and guns would be controlled by nearby radars from mobile air defense units, with many gaining their firing patterns from 9K50M Kolyma-Ms. With coordination with other anti-aircraft systems, the Riomlerian Fighters and bombers would be forced down to lower altitudes, to where they would be engaged by
every soldier with a weapon in their hand.And soon joining them would be the smokeless flashes of the Self-Propelled Anti-Aircraft Systems, with most consisting of the newly upgraded 2K22M4 Tunguska-Ms. Like their cousins, the Pantsir and Tor Missile systems, the missiles would be near invisible as there was only a brief moment of light, and that was only half a second long. That would be the cold launch of said missiles.
And with while the initial lock would be radar, the guidance of the missiles themselves would be done by a mix of Infrared and AESA Radar that, in the chaos of every single radar locking onto the invading aircraft, made actually responding and dodging every missile an extreme chore, if they heard it their RWR/MAW in the first place that is. While the missiles were small, they packed an extremely nasty punch, along with being able to hold and maneuver up to 30gs and engage targets flying at up to Mach 2, the missiles themselves flying at Mach 3.8. With thrust vectoring and the capability of data linking to 9K50M Kolyma-Ms, who would track the F-35s and B-1Bs with their PESA and IRST Systems, ensuring that regardless of what the Riomlerian pilots did, they would not escape their violent and explosive fate.
Further away, multiple batteries of S-500 Prometheus, S-400 Triumph, and S-350 Vityaz Long-Ranged Surface-To-Air Missile Sites would open up with dozens of missiles screaming into the air, their formidable radars whose range extends to 300 kilometers or 482 kilometers, were greatly assisted and extended by the Nebo-M and SPC Brahmajala Counter-Stealth RADAR Systems, of whom would communicate, mix, and fuse multiple datapoints to accurately and precisely identify, track, and target non-stealth and stealth aircraft alike, with the near hundreds of anti-aircraft systems located in the entire oblast able to take that data and lock onto those targets as well. With assistance from every radar in the entire oblast, the missiles of the S-Series of Mobile SAM Launchers would be able to accurately and precisely track and target multiple targets at once, a feature shared with nearly all of the Anti-Air systems in the Vichnayan Federal Armed Forces.
The Tor-M2s especially were a hellish nightmare for B-1B bomber crews as the sites these SAMs were in were protected by Pantsir and Tunguska Gun/Missile Systems, able to shoot down munitions heading towards their way and return the hate in the form of the Pantsir/Tunguska's 57E6M-E Missiles and dual 2A38M 30mm autocannons, and the Tor-M2s able to track 48 targets simultaneously and fire off 16 9M338 missiles, not to mention the other hordes of missile anti-air systems. In turn, these Tors and their escorts would guard the S-Series of SAMs as they targeted the stealth aircraft, swatting them out of the skies like flies. The sky was filled with the trails of MANPADs, tracers from the gun anti-air systems, and the burning and falling hulls of Riomlerian Aircraft.
And that's where the Vichnayan Air Force would join in.
Over 98 Su-75Ms, 30 Su-57SMs, 20 Su-60As, and 20 MiG-41s would join into the fray. With datalink with the radars on the ground, they would unload an aerial volley of over K-77ME BVRAAM missiles, each missile traveling at over Mach 5 and guiding itself to its target with its AESA Seeker, their ramjet and dual-pulse engines zipping across the sky and towards their targets. The Vichnayans were going all in with this one, moving in closer with Close-Ranged R-74M2 IR-Missiles, traveling at Mach 2.5 and, while they did use Infrared guidance, were slaved to the Sukhoi and MiGs powerful AESA and PESA radars to greatly improve the chances of scoring a hit. All of the responding jets, with the exception of the MiG-41s who pulled away to rearm, were master-class dogfighters, employing a number of sensitive and highly-powerful equipment that would outshine the Riomlerian F-35s, with the Sukhoi Su-60As, in particular, having a field day tearing the Riomlerian F-35s apart, seeing as they were directly engineered from Ayshirean F-35s.
And like the Riomlerian Troops on the ground would find, any incursion into the Vichnayan motherland would be an extremely costly endeavor. And with the incoming 3 Motor Rifle Divisions and 2 Mechanized Divisions coming in as a reserve for the defenders in the border fortresses, the 30-40 UCAV-Fighters flying in to reinforce the Vichnayan Aerospace Forces, and the twin lasers having a field day targeting and swatting Riomlerian stealth fighters like mere flies, Vichnaya was giving a very clear message of what was to come if the coalition itself were to try to put boots on the ground.
Chapter 09, Act 02 - Eternity In Determination
The Federal Republic of Vichnaya
"We shall repulse the stranglers of all ardent ideas, the rapists and thieves, the tormenters of people!"
The
Ground Forces of the Federal Republic, known simply as the
Vichnayan Army, are the premier land forces of Vichnaya, being the largest and most well-equipped branch of the Armed Forces, and thus, tasked with the defense of the motherland and the rapid success in wars waged by the Federal Republic. It is a highly mechanized and advanced force, making large-scale use of Artificial Intelligence Programs and other advanced pieces of technologies to wage large-scale land combat and ensure the rapid defeat of enemy troops. It employs a highly aggressive combined-arms approach centered on destroying, suppressing, and disorganizing enemy forces using highly mobile mechanized and aerial support units to ensure swift breakthroughs can be thoroughly exploited and sustained throughout the entire depth of the battlefield. In the defense, the Vichnayan Army relies upon a defense in depth strategy, using overwhelming technological superiority and the giant size of the motherland to wear down invaders in multiple phase lines that, if the phase is doomed to be lost, then will simply pull back, repeating the cycle until all offensive momentum is lost in the invading forces.
And all across the Federal Republic of Vichnaya, the
Ground Forces of the Federal Republic were hard at work, either in defensive positions or creating new ones entirely. In only the span of a few hours, hundreds of thousands of trench lines, firing emplacements, storage dumps, etc, all in the impending conflict. Thousands were working around the clock creating land works, assisted by their robotic/AI friends who assisted them in the majority of the heavy lifting. The logistical arms of the Ground Forces were also hard at work, delivering thousands of tons across the Federal Republic, whether they be simple comfort items all the way to refurbished equipment, protected by the radars, missiles, and guns of dozens of batteries, and even MANPADs they carried onboard.
Speaking of them, the Ground Forces, which consisted of the mechanics and assistant personnel, were busy pulling tens of thousands of equipment from cold-storage bays and refurbishing them to modern standards. Thankfully, they hadn't had to do much as the Federal Republic of Vichnaya already upgraded older equipment throughout the years to keep them up with modern standards, something the mechanics were thankful for like in situations such as these, though they still had to go through the required maintenance checks and tests to make sure they were combat-ready and capable.
Speaking of conscripts, a mobilization order resounded across Vichnaya, Churches across the country calling for all able-bodied men and women to join the Federal Armed Forces, to defend the motherland as danger lurks around her.
The
National Guard of Vichnaya, busy with the current skirmishes in Constis Oblast, was reinforced with an influx of conscripts straight out from advanced infantry school. Because of this and the gear they had in stock, the National Guard Conscripts would be equipped to modern standards and deployed as a quick reaction force, placed nearby railroad and highways so at a moment's notice, they would be on the way to respond to any potential invasion of the motherland. As per Vichnayan doctrine, these infantrymen were heavily motorized and mechanized, fitting the hyper-aggressive doctrine the Ground Forces followed.
And though the absolutely gigantic numbers of men and material called up for use by the Federal Armed Forces, military planners, using sources from multiple outlets, determined that the combined might of the Republic of Alexiandra and the Kingdom of Harrisopia would be far too much even for the might of Vichnaya, and thus to augment the apparent disparity of machine and manpower, began the mass implementation of Unmanned Ground Vehicles, with all formations of the ground forces to be equipped with either the Alta-3M or Uran-9V Combat Support Drones. To add to their efficiency, versatility, and tactical flexibility, many of these drones were outfitted with Artificial Intelligence Programs derived from standard Aerospace Navigation/Flight Assistance AIs, modified to suit the purposes of the Ground Forces.
In the skies, the
Tactical Aerial Arm of the Ground Forces were doggedly attacking the enemies of the motherland alongside their brothers and sisters in the Aerospace Forces and Naval Air Service, and like them, for every one of them swatted out of the sky, two would come to replace them, attacking viciously all the way through. They were armed with a mixture of armaments, from Ataka/Vihkr ATGMs to the old but capable S-8 Series of unguided rockets.
All helicopters used by the Ground Forces were up in the skies, with more being dragged out of cold storage. The most common of the helicopters in service would be the Mi-24M3 and Mil Mi-8AMTSh Gunships, equipped with heavy armaments and armored similarly to an IFV, these helicopters were absolute beasts that needed entire regiments to train their fire on them just to bring them down, if they weren't covered and assisted by the Mil Mi-28NM and Mil Mi-28NM Attack helicopters, of whom would perform long-ranged attacks with their precise load of air-launched ATGMs. And the eye of all of them would be the Ka-52M, a heavily armored gunship/scout helicopter that can simultaneously designate targets to be attacked and can attack themselves, armored with Vihkr ATGMs and the S-13 Series of unguided rockets.
Able to be launched from nearly everywhere and attack nearly everything, these helicopters hunted in packs, attacking a singular target area with overwhelming viciousness and speed that one would struggle to attack them. And because they were heavily armored, equipped with ECM/EW Pods, and packing more countermeasures than even some aircraft, the helicopters of T-ASV were nightmares for infantry and armor alike, and because they operated closely with the other branches of the Federal Armed Forces, they were also being covered by their brethren manning everything they could get their hands on. They were relentless in their attacks, with severely damaged helicopter crews choosing to crash their stricken helicopters into enemy units rather than ejecting, a hallmark of Vichnayan indoctrination and loyalty to the Church and State.
Bombarding the enemy into submission through night and day would be the
Artillery Troops of the Ground Forces and
Tactical Rocket Forces of the Federal Republic, lighting the night skies with burning fury and shaking the ground with hundreds and thousands of guns. From rocket systems introduced in the 2020s all the way to howitzers dragged out of storage bays that were accepted into service in 1955, all would be used to pound enemy infantry, vehicles, tanks, and in the cases of the more fanatic regiments, attempting to swat aircraft as well. In the span of only a few hours, hundreds of thousands of shells were fired, their crews never stopping to rest as they lit the very skies on fire, the trails and tracers from their rockets and guns. Artillery
Divisions were firing so quickly, so furiously, that many miles away would feel the thunder of their rockets and the howling of their rockets, feeling the heat of each barrel as they sent precise and overwhelming barrages at the aggressors. Guided by GPS/GLONASS, Artillery Coordinators, drones, and all means at disposal of the Federal Armed Forces, they either worked close to the troops, sometimes providing direct fire support with heavy guns, or they stuck far back, lobbing rocket-assisted shells at enemy command and control, supply depots, and in the case of the aggressors on the border, sending barrages at identified locations of command personnel.
Regardless they were Artillery Troops or Rocket Troops, their orders were exact. With the thousands of batteries, and for the tears of their mothers, they would fight night and day, never resting nor stopping as they hounded the enemy, making sure none remained unscathed. Some, those manning the new and modern 9K720 Iskander-Ms all the way to the again but modernized OTR-23M3 Oka-Ms, would launch all manner of guided and unguided rockets, containing the standard HE/Thermobaric Warheads. If the coalition thought the horrors they faced in Lower Magica was unimaginable to barbaric, then they would taste a new type of warfare in combating the Federal Republic of Vichnaya. One that was born from the deaths of millions of Vichnayans across human history. They would not relent, nor would they show restraint as they sent
everything downrange.
Defending their comrades from attacks from the air would be the
Anti-Aircraft Artillery Troops of the Ground Forces, from the most modern of systems such as the 9K50M Kolyma-M, all the way to the reactivated ZSU-23-4M3 Shilkas, ZU-23-2Ms, and even Modernized AZP S-60 Guns, they would use all. Stationed near key areas like factories, power generation sites, storage and ammo dumps, staging grounds, and more, even more still up-close with the Ground Forces to provide close-in anti-aircraft or anti-personnel support, the white trails of missiles and the red tracers of guns would light the sky, outshining even the sun and stars that hanged overhead. With access to the Short/Medium-Ranged Anti-Aircraft Systems of the Vichnayan Federal Armed Forces, their attacks would be sudden and violent, striking from nearly everywhere and attacking nearly everything, constantly on the move or hiding to avoid attack from enemy forces. In coordination with troops armed with MANPADs and the Aircraft of the Aerospace Forces, Naval Air Service, and Tactical Ground Aviation, they would make the Vichnayan Skies a living nightmare for any and all Coalition aircraft that even dared to think intruding into Vichnayan Airspace, neither safe from up high or down below.
And from experiences gained from watching and sometimes partaking in Foreign Conflicts, the staff of the Anti-Air Troops were well versed in being able to deceive and counter SEAD/DEAD Operations, and thus, equipped their units to do their work as efficiently as possible. One favored tactic that would be modified to the individual commander's taste would be having their units hidden nearby, either in forests or structures with their radars off - save for one, whilst having an active and heavy signal emitter that would give off the same signature as standard Search/Targeting radars would. Using that they would, if SEAD/DEAD Aircraft do take the bait, draw them in and in coordination with other branches, swat them out of the sky using volleys of missiles and guns, to where they'd relocate to other favorable locations.
For their faith, for the flag, for the nation, and for the people, the
Ground Forces of the Federal Republic would not falter in the defense of the motherland.
. . .
The
Maritime Forces of the Federal Republic known simply as the
Vichnayan Navy, is the naval arm of the Vichnayan Federal Armed Forces. They are tasked with a variety of missions, the most vital of which are sea-based nuclear deterrence (a task shared with the ORRV-FR), sea control, maritime security, and coastal defense. As such, the Navy and Coastal Defense Forces operate a wide range of ships and aircraft with missile-heavy armaments, all designed to carry interchangeable payloads for the main function of overwhelming enemy sea forces with barrages of missiles. Like the branches, they specialize in total area denial, whether on the ground, sea, and air, regardless if they are on the offensive or defensive. The Maritime Forces, with command personnel trained in prestigious at home and abroad, were adept at warfare even if they weren't battle-hardened like other nations, with the lowest conscript sailor all the way to the board of Admirals trained and prepared to carry out a variety of tasks to the best of their abilities that, especially with the mass religious indoctrination and propaganda in Vichnay, made them a highly determined and formidable foe, whose sailors would serve without question nor restraint.
Across naval yards in the Federal Republic, Naval Personnel and civilian contractors (Or hell, even civilians that were dragged over to assist either way) were likewise assisting the Ground Forces in building and constructing defensive works all across the country, in fields, in farms, in towns, in cities, and many, many more would be diligently in the works. The logistical arm of the branch would also be hard at work, working alongside other logistical personnel in the Federal Armed Forces to refit, refurbish, and supply each and every single combative unit with the best equipment they had. In the many streams, rivers, and lakes in the Federal Republic, Mangust-Class Patrol Boats and some requisitioned civilian craft were used to ferry men and material to every single position manned by Vichnayan troops.
All across the globe, from the warm and temperate shores of Magica, all the way to the cold and barren wastelands of the North Pole, all ships of the
Navy of the Federal Republic would be recalled for the defense of the motherland. Regardless they were the large and formidable Battlecruisers found in the 4th Fleet, or the Zaliv-Class Large Patrol Ships that carried only a fraction of the firepower in a single destroyer, all would be used to sweep the invaders, the fifth of the tides, far from Vichnaya's shores. Their attacks would be relentless, and their determination and faith were absolute. While the sailors were hesitant in engaging in foreign conflicts, that couldn't be the same when
their homes were in danger, when the sacred shores and lands of Sacred Vichnaya were in peril. Day and night, they would hound the enemy fleets with barrages of guns, rockets, and missiles, never resting for a moment to rest, for the defense of Sacred Vichnaya and the temples of the Sacred Stars were placed above all.
For the fleets in the Northern Ocean, the bulk of firepower the Federal Republic had at its disposal, all ships would be sailing hard and fast back towards Vichnaya. The ships, using the Lider-Class Destroyers Stealth and, along with the Kapusta-Class Communication Ship, radar and electronic jamming array to disguise themselves against satellite guidance, not like tracking them would be possible with the efforts of the Vichnayan Aerospace Forces and their fuckery. These ships, along with the hundreds of aircraft taking off or already up in the air, would be circling around the 3 Fleets, conducting wide-perimeter searches so as to not immediately reveal the fleet's positions. And because many of the aircraft deployed were stealth, save for
two, they were guaranteed to get the jump on any foe that was detected within 300-400 Miles within them.
Watching the ground, the skies and the seas would be the combined might of the
Naval Air Service of the Federal Republic,
Vichnayan Coastal Defense Forces, and the
Naval Infantry of the Maritime Forces, all doing their part in the active and relentless duty to defend their motherland. From the Naval Guards diligently manning their stations on the Vichnayan Coast, all the way to the Naval Aviators taking part in bombarding the Riomlerian invaders into submission, their attacks would be relentless and without mercy, serving alongside their brothers and sisters from the other branches of the Federal Armed Forces. They would be on watch and on guard, ready to respond to any attacks from any angle and in any direction.
The Vichnayan Coastal Defense Forces and Naval Air Service would be especially active, for they carried some of the most formidable weapons and firepower that would be found on a conventional battlefield. From the hypersonic 3M22M 'Zircon' anti-ship missiles found in both air and land-based launchers, all the way to the feared Kh-47M2 Kinzhal, a missile with a mass of 2,000 kg (4,400 lb) and a speed of Mach 12, their conventional warheads capable of taking out 100,000~ ton Aircraft Carriers with a single strike that, especially in the Tu-22M3/M3M's operated by the Naval Air Service, would be found being launched in pairs or in barrages of four per aircraft. With coordination with the Fleet and Air assets, the Coastal Artillery Batteries that lined the coasts would be on high alert, ready to trap and sink any aggressor that would dare enter Vichnaya's waters. And all across the nation, where the troops gather and train, they would be protected by dozens of Electronic-Warfare and Missile Air-Defense Batteries, capable of jamming and swatting any petulant aircraft that would even think to harm a single Vichnayan.
For their faith, for the flag, for the nation, and for the people, the
Maritime Forces of the Federal Republic would not falter in the defense of the motherland.
. . .
The
Aerospace Forces of the Federal Republic, known simply as the
Vichnayan Air Force, is the third of the large frontline combatant commands, acting as both the sword and shield of Vichnaya. The Air Force, tasked with defending Vichnayan sovereignty both in the air and on the ground, employs a variety of multi-purpose aircraft to ensure tactical flexibility on ground, air, or maritime missions, with a strong emphasis on aerial superiority and airspace denial as the key to an effective defense of the motherland. While the smallest of the three, they makeup with technological supremacy and, in recent years, the mass usage of artificial intelligence programs to assist aircrews in manning installations and aircraft, and with the outbreak of the Second Magican War, the control of purpose-built or converted UCAV Fighters, giving the Aerospace Forces an absolutely massive boost in capability whilst lessening the sacrifices made by human pilots. And unlike the other branches, the Vichnayan Aerospace Forces are combat-tested and battle-hardened, deployed across the globe to assist Vichnayan Allies in aerial dominance and close-air support missions.
From the moment the Riomlerians had been massing on Vichnaya's border, the entirety of the Armed Forces, and most particularly, the
Air Force of the Federal Republic, were put on high alert. And the absolute moment that the incursion was confirmed the first of the ground forces were in contact,
all combat-capable aircraft were launched, responding to or directly attacking the enemy and their means to wage war. From the Interceptors like the MiG-31s and MiG-41s that flew at near low-orbit, armed with anti-satellite/ballistic missiles, to the Multirole Su-75s and Su-57s securing total control over Vichnayan Airspace, and all the way to attacker aircraft like the Su-24Ms and Su-25s that flew at a low level, unleashing guided/unguided bombs, rockets, missiles, and even strafing runs against Riomlerian troops, all the crews and their drone wingmen would be up in the skies.
And speaking of drones, a newcomer to modern warfare and the Vichnayan Aerospace Force and Naval Air Service, they would be getting their first taste of a large-scale conventional conflict. From the high-end UCAV Fighters like the Vedomyy-2A Halieias, an equal to the venerable Su-57SM, the Vedomyy-3M Odysseus, the UCAV Equivalent of the Su-75Ms found in Vichnayan Service, or the Vedomyy-4 Chelovek, a mass-produced UCAV built with
some stealth features but mainly built to wear down enemy airforces with sheer numbers, they would be attached to nearly all Vichnayan manned aircraft, providing additional air-to-air combat capability or escorting them, with all of these UCAVs installed with a mixture of proven AI programs like the Mara-Series, or in the case of the Vedomyy-2A Halieia, brand new AI Programs that could match and outperform human pilots in speed, tactics, adaptability, and flexibility.
With data attained by decades worth of combat, combat simulations, air combat data, aircraft specification data, and many, many more, and with the capability of learning on the fly,
all of them would be formidable in aerial engagements, especially when they were joined by the other branches of the armed forces that would assist and improve their capabilities, for they would not only learn aerial combat data, but from data from ships, tanks, and in some cases, even missiles. For each encounter they faced with Riomlerian forces, they would only get smarter.
And joining in defense of the motherland would be the
Aerospace Defense Forces of the Federal Republic, responsible for the long-range defense of the Armed Forces against all manner of aerial targets using the most sophisticated and advanced technologies and aircraft available, operating Land-Based A-235 Anti-Ballistic missile systems, Peresvet/Zadira Anti-Aircraft/Satellite/ICBM Laser Systems, and S-500 Anti-Air/Ballistic Missile Batteries to disrupt and destroy enemy aerial movement in the skies or even space. A multitude of high/low-band radars and jamming stations are operated by the Aerospace Defense Forces (SVKO), allowing them to conduct their duties with high efficiency, and precision, and at a low cost compared to other systems.
And with the start of the Riomlerian advance into Vichnaya, the Aerospace Defense Forces got to work, their batteries working in tandem with Ground Force Anti-Aircraft Troops, Maritime Force Ships and Anti-Air Batteries, Naval Air Service Sorties, and Aerospace Sorties to create murderous and hellish nets to go through, all altitudes covered by some sort of anti-air artillery that could easily swat anything hostile in a matter of only a few minutes, using the shared linked with other branches in the Federal Armed Forces to easily identify, track, locate, and then intercept any threats that come within Vichnayan Airspace. Any aircraft not immediately intercepted by the other branches would be swatted by S-500, S-400, or Laser System Batteries, constantly on the alert with the assistance of radars, communications with ground force personnel, and constant communications with all air and sea assets.
Along with swatting Riomlerian Aircraft, the Peresvet and Zadira Anti-Aircraft/Satellite/ICBM Laser System Batteries would be trained onto satellites up in orbit, and specifically directed at Riomlerian ones, and those associated with the allied forces would have their movements tracked and trained on by the 30+ Laser Systems scattered across Vichnaya, burning through the exterior shell of the satellites up in orbit and frying their systems, ensuring minimal if any debris would be launched into space and cause the dreaded Coriolis force. However, the crews of these laser batteries would only be given permission to target military satellites and orbital space stations, and even then, they would be strictly forbidden from engaging Upper Magican satellites.
For their faith, for the flag, for the nation, and for the people, the
Aerospace Forces of the Federal Republic would not falter in the defense of the motherland.
. . .
The
Armed Forces of the Vichnayan Federal Republic, known colloquially as the
Federal Armed Forces, are the unified combined arms forces of Vichnaya. The branches of service mainly consist of the Ground Forces, Maritime Forces, Aerospace Forces, and Missile and Rocket Forces, with a multitude of smaller and sub-arms assisting in Vichnayan interests, both at home and abroad. With access to a vast pool of manpower, advanced and modern equipment, and the mass usage of Artificial Intelligence-integrated systems, weapons, and vehicles, it has quickly become one of the premier militaries in the world, capable of conducting wars on a grand scale, of which it was greatly suited to, and thus, prepared for throughout the decades.
Where armies focused only on their terrain and technology to win conflicts, performing small strikes to weaken their opponents, the Vichnayan Armed Forces prioritized fast, decisive, and brutal wars of attrition on a grand scale, using robotic and artificial intelligence programs and systems to give both a technological and numerical advantage over any foe it would face over the lands it stands guard over, from the frigid Northern Steps of the Adaki Oblasts, all the way to the mild and warm fields of the Silean Oblasts. Their soldiers, while not as well-trained as other soldiers in other superpowers, were still highly capable individually and, with access to advanced technologies, made them their equals and superiors.
From the lowliest of conscripts to the highest of Admirals, all would share traits that made them stand them out in the world; Religious fanaticism and Near-suicidal determination. The end result of years of manipulation by the Church of Asteros and the governments that preceded the Vichnayan Federal Republic, each citizen was instilled with a sense of religious fanaticism to the state and country, with all, regardless they were men, women, and children, to give up their lives for the safety and continued prosperity of Sacred Vichnaya and the Eight Sacred Stars.
The sheer determination and fanatism that made them look insane, is what gave the Vichnayans their will to climb through history, even through the endless terrors, massacres, and oppression they faced throughout the centuries. For what the Eight Stars, the Eight Sisters that sat high above, wished and willed, they would follow without question nor hesitation. If they willed were to fight, then they shall. And if they were willed to die, to die in endless droves that would drench the world in their blood, so they shall. Men, women, and children, all would be expected to serve the motherland and the church, for what the Sacred Stars willed, so shall the follow.
All across the Federal Republic, the Federal Armed Forces were on the march. They were building defensive works so large and extensive that they would rival the size of entire nations, they would be perched in the highest of mountains and in the deepest of caves, they would sail the open seas and guard the motherland's most holy lands. Divisions already in service would be called up to defend the motherland, and they answered, hundreds of thousands moving across the land by air, by sea, and by land, with most rushing towards the Riomlerian Front,
The Eastern Front. All across the Federal Republic, the Vichnayans would be responding with overwhelming force, pushing hard to reclaim any inch of grounds lost by the enemy, with local commanders commencing local counteroffensives to drive the Riomlerians out of Vichnaya.
And joining the other branches in mobilizing across the country would be the
Unified Missile and Rocket Forces of the Federal Republic, commanding the
Tactical Rocket Forces of the Federal Republic,
Strategic Submarine Missile Command, and the
Air and Missile Defense Forces of the Federal Republic. To put it more bluntly than the civilian description on Vichnayan Websites, the
ORRV-FR controls absolute power over the strategic and operational nuclear weaponry in Vichnayan stockpiles. In a conflict, the mobile missile launchers would be expected to disperse into the Vichnayan countryside, making it near impossible to track each one of them, whilst silo-based missiles would be ready to launch within 60 Seconds.
From nukes that were a mere 350kt, all the way to ICBMs that mounted warheads of 50 Megatons, they would be responsible for the destruction of Vichnaya's enemies should a war go hot. Using the movements of hundreds of other units across the nation and seas as a cover, the submarines and mobile ballistic-missile launchers of the Federal Armed Forces would disperse widely, ensuring that a single strike would not eliminate the majority of Vichnaya's world-ending arsenal. And with over 14,000+ Warheads at her disposal, the horrors that could and would be unleashed would be unimaginable, ensuring life would
never spring up on Lyceni for generations to come.
For their faith, for the flag, for the nation, and for the people, the
Armed Forces of the Vichnayan Federal Republic would not falter in the defense of the motherland.