Earth Force Navy and EFNI

Structures, Organizations, Missions.

Updated at 2281

 

This page presents the actual structure of the Earthforce Navy, at the date of 01/01/2281, in terms of organization, ships and equipment available. The second part of this article gives an outlook of the EFNI organization, and includes the EFNI naval almanac.

Historical Outlook

The history of the Modern Earthforce navy has its roots in the early 23th century. Some border skirmishes, the acknowledgment of the potential menaces, the large extension and the powerful economy of the Earth Alliance during and after the Great Expansion, and, mostly, the menace of the Dilgar Empire, had a large weight in the growth of Earthforce.
The original "4000 Ships Navy" program was intended to reshape the structure of the Earthforce Navy: the Earthforce JSOC had envisioned a Navy centered upon the Nova Dreadnoughts, to be built in about 1000 units, the upgrade of the heavy cruiser fleet at a level of 2000 Hyperion. In 2232 the Earth Alliance was under the limelight thanks to our victory against the Dilgar Empire, as a political and as a military power. The things worsened in the late 2230's.
The General elections of the 2235 reshaped the politics of the Alliance, with a new majority and a new government, and one of the consequences was a strong reduction of the Earthforce budget, both for the new shipbuildings and for the current expenses.
Many new programs were canceled: the “excellent corpses” were the Sabre frigates, the Nova Evolution Dreadnoughts , the Tillman battleships, considered too much expensive and not needed, the Aurora Starfury, that, while accepted in service in a simplified version (Nova), had not missile capability. The Avenger carriers fleet was mothballed, as were mothballed or scrapped the powerful Tarawa heavy amphibious assault ships, and the Guadalcanal landing ships. In the 2235, the Earthforce Navy had a first line of 450 Nova Dreadnoughts, 1850 Hyperions, 75 Avengers, 90 Tarawa landing ships, 170 Guadalcanals, 650 Olympus and 280 Artemis. Ten years later in the 2245, the Navy had in service 400 Novas (and 180 mothballed), 1100 hyperions (with 1200 more mothballed), no carriers (The Avengers were all mothballed), no specialized amphibious assault units, and a shrinking light force of less than 500 Olympuses and about 100 Artemis. Even the training of the crews and of the pilots suffered heavily of the cuts to the budgets. In those weakened conditions, the Earthforce Navy faced its hardest proof, the Earth Minbari War.

The Years from the 2248 to the early 2260's were the years of the rebuilding. After the Minbari war, and the destruction of the 85% of the original forces, the Earthforce Navy was totally reshaped, shifting from an articulated structure to an organization in which the bulk of the fleets was based upon a single type of ship, the Omega destroyer, able to cover almost all the roles required by the Navy with great effectiveness.

The Omegas are the better industrialized design that we had for a long period, at least up to the mid 2260, and the building yards for this ship are well distributed between Earth and colonies: the high level of standardization of the components, the linear design, the highly automated and robotized assembly lines allowed to produce more than 1600 Omegas in the period from 2248 to 2278, so an average of 50 ships/year, with peaks of 100 units/year from 28 shipyards. The Omega, in the Epsilon variant, is still in production at a rate of about 25 ships/year.
The Civil War had not a great influence in the shape and structure of the Earthforce, even if was in fact the moment in which our military was purged of the political influences and ties that were so harmful from the 2235, while, away from the lime light, the technology made giant steps.
The Introduction of the Warlock Heavy Destroyers traced the lines of the evolution of the Earthforce, while the Drakh War was the forge that pushed the evolution and the strengthening of our military, fully achieved in its actual level through the Brightwarrior Program.

 

The Force - 2281 Status

 

The Earthforce Navy has today (2281) a strength of about 5600 ships, almost all are first class jump-capable combat units.

The actual line is:

55 special war units of various types (11 SOPCOM) - That are

E.A.S.Titans (Vorlon technology merged Warlock destroyer) (1 Unit)

E.A.S.Warlord, Warhammer, Warmaster, Firelord (Kirishiac technology dreadnoughts) (4 Units)

Zenith class Quantum assault vector (45 units, in production)

Dark Rage class Shadowtech assault Destroyers (5 units)


128 Centurion   Class Heavy Dreadnoughts (all at the Brightwarrior standard) - 96 of them are enlisted in the Dinassault 11 and Dinassault 55 attack force

8 Poseidon class Carriers (all at the Brightwarrior standard)

4 Tillman delta Heavy Dreadnoughts (all at the Brightwarrior standard)

96 Gladium class Frontal Assault Vector (all at the Brightwarrior standard)

615 Warlock class Heavy Destroyers (all at the Beta standard)

380 Nova II class Dreadnoughts (all at the Beta standard)

310 Nike class Battle Cruisers (all at the Beta standard)

1288 Omega class destroyers (all at the Epsilon standard)

248 Nova Delta class dreadnoughts (all at the Brightwarrior standard)

122 Nova Gamma class dreadnoughts (all at the Brightwarrior standard)

1336 Lupo Beta class Frigates (all at the Brightwarrior standard)

for a total of 4539 first class line units.



The Backbone of the fleet are the Omega Destroyers, in the Epsilon (Brightwarrior) evolution, and mostly the Warlock Heavy Destroyers, available in more than 670 units, multi role heavy warships that are more than a match for every known unit of the Younger races, Minbari and Drakhs included, while the bulk of the Escort units are the excellent Lupo frigates, that have replaced the Hyperion Cruisers in almost all their roles.

Widely distributed in the battle divisions of all the fleets are about 890 Dreadnoughts belonging to the Nova II, Nova Delta, Nova-BW, and Nova N classes, while about 100 Centurion Heavy Dreadnoughts and 50 Gladium Frontal Assault Vectors are concentrated in the Two Naval assault divisions, Dinassault 15 (First Fleet) and Dinassault 55 (V Fleet). The four Tillman Heavy Dreadnoughts are assigned to the "Dreadnought Brigade" of the Earth Fleet.

The Nike Cruisers have their only real limit in the fact that they are proportionally the most expensive ships we have, even if, making a balance, they are maybe our only warships that are superiors to the Sharlin and Shargoti Warcruisers in every field.

The strengths of the Earth Alliance Navy, beyond the overall tonnage of the fleet, are actually the ones of ever, so the toughness of the ships, the formidable firepower, particularly at the short distances, the powerful Starfury corps, and the excellent professional and training of the people.

The main limit of the Earthforce Navy is historical: after the Earth Minbari War and after the Drakh war, two occasions in which the human race stood still on the verge of destruction, all the conceptual efforts of the Earth Alliance have been directed to a fundamental aim: originally, this could be described in a few words: Kill the Sharlins and kill the Nials, and to reach this objective was launched an enormous effort to build Omega Destroyers and Thunderbolt Starfuries at an inusitate pace and, later, to build Warlocks in numbers proportionally unmatched by any other race. The Drakh war enhanced this concept, and the outcomes were the Heavy Dreadnoughts, the Frontal Assault Vectors and an overall revaluation of the Dreadnought concept.

This type of shipbuilding gave to the Earthforce an inusitate shipkilling power, but, actually we usually see fleets in which the main battle units are vastly more numerous than the escort ships, so, while the firepower is impressive, the manoeuvre and pursuit capability was limited, and this is a problem in two important tactical situations, the opening moves of a fleet clash, and the exploitation of the success, while strategically it is difficult to force the combat in favorable circumstances, and avoid it in situations presenting unfavorable odds.

These limits have been partially superseded thanks to the progress in the technologies and the introduction of the "pursuit squadrons" inside the Naval Divisions.
Until a few years ago, the Nike cruisers were distributed in the various Naval Divisions and Battle Divisions of the Navy, to provide direct support the task forces, while actually the structure of the fleets, after the priceless experiences made during the combined ISA "Chess Master" and "Bright Shield" combined Fleet Exercises, has been reorganized upon task forces of destroyers and dreadnoughts, and faster Pursuit Squadrons that are formations of Nike cruisers and Lupo frigates, aimed to exploit the superior tactical mobility of these ships in actions like flanking attacks, tactical pursuit, interception and breaking of the enemy formations.

 

The Structure

The Earthforce Navy organization is based upon Eight Fleets, each one of them has a main base (that is usually in fact a series of docking facilities instead than a single structure) placed in a stellar system chosen for its strategic relevance.

Each fleet has a force of about 450 to 600 first line units, and about 150 to 200 transport/support ships. A fleet includes some (5-7) Naval divisions, of about 60-70 ships, each division organized in 5-10 between task forces and pursuit squadrons.

A naval division is under the command of a Vice Admiral, while a task force is under the command of a Rear Admiral or a Commodore.

There are four main types of Divisions: the Naval Divisions, the Patrol Divisions, the Naval Assault Divisions, and the territorial divisions.

The Naval Division are the bulk of the fleet, and are based upon task forces of Omega Destroyers and Heavy Frigates/Heavy cruisers. These task forces are the standard Earth Force formations, and are structured to cover almost all the roles with a good level of efficiency. Usually, in peace time, the single ships of a task force can be employed in patrol, escort, incursion and "show the Flag" missions, while in combat situation there is the tendency to use complete or almost complete task forces. The Task forces of the Naval divisions are the ones charged of the troop landings and orbital assaults.

The Battle divisions have task forces generally of about 10-16 ships, including, if possible, at least one carrier (Poseidon), 5 to 10 Destroyers(Omega), 2 to 4 Dreadnoughts(Nova, Nova Delta, Nova 2), and, if available, 1 or 2 Frontal Assault Vectors (Gladium): if the Task force includes Heavy destroyers (Warlock), generally are not included carriers. A battle division is conceived to develop the maximum firepower in fleet engagements.
The Battle divisions of the Earth fleet have proportionally an higher percentage of Dreadnoughts, and less destroyers, because there is a vast availability of fighter bases in the Solar system, it is not needed the great endurance and the strategic mobility of cruisers and destroyers, while is required the maximum in terms of shipkilling capability and standing power.

The Patrol Divisions as is said by the name, are structured essentially to cover reconnaissance, patrol, escort and exploration duties: they are mostly based upon cruisers and destroyers, but the bulk of the activities are performed by single ships or small formations instead of task forces.

The Naval Assault Divisions are not subdivided in task forces: a "Dinassault" operates almost always as a complete formation, and is used only in fleet engagements, to develop an enormous local shipkilling capability; from the tactical point of view, a Dinassault is structured to go against a large enemy formation and break it apart, allowing to the rest of the fleet to develop the battle against a weakened and disorganized enemy. The actual Din assaults (Dinassault 11 and Dinassault 55) are both based on a structure of 48 Centurion Class heavy Dreadnoughts and 24 Gladium Assault Vectors.

The Starfury Corps

Beyond the Fleets, the most powerful asset of our defense forces are a large number of Starfury squadron, of the regular forces or belonging to the Territorial Defense, Navy and Marines Reserve, and National Guard; while regarded by many alien (and human) observers as "folkloristic" structures, the Starfury Squadrons of the various reserves and militias are a powerful military instrument: the pilots and the personnel, all volunteers, are highly motivated, and a large percentage of the crews are former military pilots, that, while passed into the civilian life, maintain strong ties with their former comrades, and train regularly.
Mostly, even if more aged than the average Starfury pilot, many of these "Starfury Militiamen" are people with hundreds, frequently thousands of flight hours and combat experience: if for many misinformed observers a 45 or 50 years old pilot on an upgraded Aurora or on a refurbished Thunderbolt seems to be a simple concession to the traditions, or a political expedient outcome of the Civil War without a real military value, in fact that mid-aged, gray haired "weekend warrior" can be easily a veteran with four or five victories achieved in the worst moments of the Drakh War, a combat experience forged in the flames of many battles, and, being at one time sure of himself, prudent, and master of its fighter and of the combat tactics, he is literally a tiger in battle.

The Fleets

Earth Fleet (sol system) – The First fleet, or Earth fleet, once dissolved and later reorganized after the lessons learned in the Drakh attack of 2266, is totally structured for the defense of the solar system, and is because of this that she is based essentially upon battle divisions, and has one of the two naval assault divisions, the DINASSAULT 11 "Big One".
She includes even the brigade of the G.O.D satellites grids, that actually protects not only the Earth, but even the most important settlements in the Solar system like Mars or the Jupiter Moons and an autonomous task force, the 111th Dreadnoughts Brigade, that is formed of the four Tillman Battleships.
The First fleet includes even the various other structures, organizations and facilities based in the Solar system, so the Academies, the fighter training centers, the independent Fighter squadrons and, in case of emergency, operates even that part of the EFNI naval service that is available in the Solar system.

Earth (First) Fleet
First Battle naval division ( BDIV 11)
Second Battle naval division ( BDIV 12)
Third Battle naval division (BDIV 16)
Fourth Battle Naval division (BDIV 14)
Fifth naval division (DIN 15)
Space Patrol division
111th Dreadnought Brigade (BB 111)
First Assault Naval division (DINASSAULT 11)
Earth defence grid naval brigade
E.F.N.I. Naval Service
Naval Academy
Fighter training center (Moon)
Advanced fighter school (Earth)
112 independent Interceptor and Assault Starfury Squadrons
(included the ones of the National Guard and of the Navy and Marines reserve).


Second fleet (wolf 359)

The Second fleet was the first organic formation to be based out of the Solar system; The system of Wolf 359 is not particularly attracting for the human colonization, having only one planet terraformable, with average resources - the Terraforming is going on, but it is still barely inhabitable, while one of the external planets is maybe the most valuable strategic resource of the Earth alliance - it is a large world, with an average gravity of 2.2 g's, a thick, poisonous atmosphere of methane and noble gases (mainly argon, Krypton and Xenon), an hostile environment in which the life never went beyond the simplest forms, like bacteria and single cell lifeforms with a biochemistry based upon the sulfur. This planet, Wolf 359-IV, is covered with shallow oceans of hydrocarbons. Both this and the unexahustable reserve of xenon, used as propellant on our military ships and fighters*, make of this harsh planet "the" industrial resource of the Earth Alliance. Due to this situation, Wolf 359 blisters of industrial and mining facilities, ore mineral storage stations and tanker terminals.
The most impressive sights of Wolf 359 are the "skycranes", the geostationary orbital lifters that allow an economical extraction and orbital transport of the hydrocarbons and liquid xenon extracted and preprocessed on the surface of Wolf-IV, and the enormous DuPont, Bayer, Hitachi and 3M orbital industrial facilities,  spinnerets that produce literally light years of nanotube filaments, and refineries for the production of plastic materials.
Since the opening of the Wolf 359 installations in the early 2170's, Earthforce provided to organize an effective patrol service, that, quickly, evolved in an enormous military base, home of the Second Fleet, and seat of a building and repair arsenal. Actually, the Earthforce Arsenals of Io and Wolf 359 are the two main facilities for the production and installation of the nanotechnologycal armours, while the Orbital industrial facilities are the main sources of carbon nanotubes.

*The Xenon is an excellent reaction mass for the plasma rockets of the warships: it is easily liquified, has an high specific gravity (3.2, more than three times the water) and this allows to embark an hughe load of propellant in relatively small tanks, and it is an inert gas.

Second fleet of Wolf 359
First Battle naval division ( BDIV 21)
Second Battle naval division ( BDIV 22)
Third Battle naval division (BDIV 23)
Fourt naval division (DIN 24)
Fifth naval division (DIN 25)
Sixth naval division (DIN 26)


Third fleet ( Proxima III )

Proxima III is the oldest and most developed human colony: because of this, with the Human expansion and the military buildup of the late 2100's, became a reference base for a not negligeable part of our military forces. All in all, is a well chosen emplacement, because, while allowing a relocation of the forces, allows to the assigned personnel an easy access to the civil world, in the easily reached cities on the planet: in the past this was a source of attrition between the military personnel and the civil population, that suffered the proportionally strong presence of military, but, with an actual population of more than 50 millions, respect to a military presence of not more than 100 - 120000 people, the actual situation is a lot better, and proxima III is a liked assignment for the crews of the Warships and for the other branches of the Military.
The fleet is well supported by the large orbital shipbuiding facilities of many companies, like Rocketdyne, Lockheed-Mitchell, Westinghouse, Kawasaki and Colosseum. All the Warlocks produced by the Kawasaki Yards are assembled in Proxima III.

Third fleet ( Proxima III )
First Battle naval division ( BDIV 31)
Second Battle naval division ( BDIV 32)
Third Battle naval division (BDIV 33)
Fourt naval division (DIN 34)
Fifth naval division (DIN 35)
Sixth naval division (DIN 36)



Fourth fleet ( Ross 128 )

 The Fourth fleet of Ross 128 is tasked of the control and patrol of a large part of the EA territory, and because of this she includes a Patrol division. Ross 128 IV is the only inhabitated colony of the system, not highly industrialized, but well known for its touristic resorts, the good climate and its exotic environment. The bases of Earthforce are spread between the orbit of Ross-IV and the external planets of the system.

Fourth fleet ( Ross 128 )
First Battle naval division ( BDIV 41)
Second Battle naval division ( BDIV 42)
Third naval division (DIN 43)
Fourt naval division (DIN 44)
Fifth naval division (DIN 45)
Sixth Patrol naval division (DIN 46)

 

Fifth Fleet (Solar System)

The Fifth fleet, based in the Solar system, is traditionally the the strategic force for power projection of the Earth Alliance since before the Dilgar War: due to this reason, it is structured as a set of battle divisions, and it has the other Assault division, the Dinassault 55. The Earthforce JSOC usually tends to keep the V fleet united, and, in case of exercises, or eventually conflicts, the "Big V" moves as a whole, with all its Divisions and task forces. The logistic organization of this fleet is particularly well cared, to allow good strategic mobility and projection capability.

 

Fifth fleet
First Battle naval division ( BDIV 51)
Second Battle naval division ( BDIV 52)
Third Battle naval division (BDIV 53)
Fourth Battle naval division ( BDIV 54)
Fifth Assault Naval division (Dinassault 55)
Sixth Battle naval division (BDIV 56)
Seventh naval division (DIN 57)



Sixth Fleet (Flinn/61 Cygni)

The Sixth Fleet is based in the Flinn system, but with a large detachement (two divisions) in the 61 Cygni system. Both the systems are strategic location, being a natural control position for the sectors facing towards the Minbari, Narn and Centauri territories, and being two essential communication nodes for the most used commercial lanes of the Earth Alliance. Is even because of this that, of the six divisions of the fleet, four of them are Battle Divisions.

Flinn is not only one of the first colonized system, with large and well established population, but even an excellent strategic location: Flinn "faces" the Narn territory and the LONAW area, and it is the main node in the EA territory for the commercial traffics between LONAW and Minbari Federation, LONAW, Narn Regime and Earth Alliance, Shilassan Triumvirate and what else. Because of its commercial nature, Flinn is the richest human colony, and the Flinn system blisters of tenths of Shipyards and industrial and commercial facilities that are the base of the maintenance service of the Eight Fleet, while the colonial cities and the network of space bases are notoriously "an interesting place for a walkabout". Flinn was the main operational base during the Dilgar war, and the starting point for both our defensive and offensive operations.

Sixth fleet (Flinn - 61 Cygni)
First Battle naval division ( BDIV 61)
Second Battle naval division ( BDIV 62)
Third naval division (DIN 63)
Fourth naval division (DIN 64)
Fifth Battle naval division (DIN 65)
Sixth Battle naval division (DIN 66)



Seventh fleet (Vega)

Vega does not offers much in terms of human colonists settlements, even being rich of valuable mineral resources - included heavy metals and veins of quantium 40 in the twin asteroid belts of the system. It has a large (22) number of planets, but none of them is neither inhabitable nor terraformable - The economic value of the system and its strategic position respect to the Narn, Centauri and Minbari territories pushed the Earth Alliance in making of Vega a deep space stronghold: the Seventh fleet is tasked of the border patrol and territory defense in one of the most significant areas of the known space, and was the main operational base during the Drakh war, and a key for the containment of the Drakh power in the 2270's. The lack of every possible human contact for the crews and the military forces stationed there means that the assignment to Vega must be organized on a rotational system, but this fact has not hampered the effectiveness of the "Seventh of Vega", whose main base is nicknamed "Fort Apache" by the Earthforce People.

Seventh fleet (Vega)
First Battle naval division ( BDIV 71)
Second Battle naval division ( BDIV 72)
Third Battle naval division (BDIV 73)
Fourt naval division (DIN 74)
Fifth naval division (DIN 75)
Sixth Patrol naval division (DIN 76)



Eight fleet (Orion)

The Orion Colonies are one of the most  ancient and well established, and the most populated off-world colony of human people.
Pi3 Orionis is a class F star, one of the most luminous (more than three times the sun) in relative proximity to Earth, 26.18 Light Years. It is recognizable as the brightest star in the gently curving line of stars making up Orion's shield.
Its high content of metals and absence of close, large companions, made of her the target of one of the first exploration expeditions of Earth Alliance, once was available the hyperspace technology.

Around Pi3 Orionis there are nineteen planets and two asteroid belts, both of them rich in exploitable resources, and three inhabitable (or terraformable) planets within a relatively narrow series of orbits:  Orion IV, the hottest of them, is extremely rich in terms of mining resources, and the terraformig activity, completed in 2210, gave her a tropical but not too hot climate, with an average humidity. Orion VII, with a climate similar to the Earth, an indigenous biosystem limited to algae and primitive vegetal life, has large seas and great resources, and is the main colonial settlement, with more than 60 millions of inhabitants, and many cities with more than one million inhabitants, significant industrial settlements, a well developed agriculture, and a complete educational systems, with many universities. Orion VIII, colder and covered of seas (more than 80% of the surface, while the dry lands are fragmented in an enormous quantity of islands) hosted some primitive forms of animal life, and is vastly exploited due to the abundance of sea resources. Besides the main planetary colonies, the two asteroid belts and the external planets and their moons bristle with industrial and mining settlements of the colonists and of the Belt Alliance, while around Orion VII are placed many orbital shipyards.

The Orion system is well defended by the Eight Fleet, and by the most powerful National Guard forces in all the Earth Alliance.
The Orion National Guard, beyond a powerful ground, sea and endoatmospheric air force, is the only one that assembles and organizes trainings with a whole Naval Division - a Battle division, by the way - , in addiction to a powerful starfury corps), and the forces of the Belt Alliance. These forces bring on regular combined fleet exercises since the early 2200's, actually even in cooperation with the VIII Fleet, and has repeatedly shown its effectiveness, competence and high training level during the Dilgar, the Minbari and the Drakh war: the Orion National Guard  gave a significant contribution to the defeat of the  Dilgar  Retribution Fleet (see  Dilgar War) , and  In the first days of the Drakh war, a Drakh Fleet that tried to attack the Orion Colonies was literally massacred by the Orion National Guard.
This Volunteer territorial force was instrumental in avoiding the occupation of the Orion Colonies during the Clark's dictatorship and the Civil War.
Actually, all the three Orion planetary colonies are furtherly defended by a  G.O.D. satellite grid  and by surface emplacements that still include the batteries of  2540mm  railguns that were able to keep at bay for months the Minbari invasion forces.**

The VIII Fleet is a well liked destination for the People of Earthforce Navy, due to the high quality of life that can be experimented in the Orion Colonies, whose population have a good relationship with military personnel.

Eight fleet (Orion)
First Battle naval division ( BDIV 61)
Second Battle naval division ( BDIV 62)
Third Battle naval division (BDIV 63)
Fourt naval division (DIVEX 44)
Fifth naval division (DIVEX 45)
Sixth Patrol naval division (DIVEX 36)
Orion National Guard Navy (BDIV Orion)
Belt alliance naval division
Orion National Guard Defence Grid Brigade
72 Starfury squadrons of the Orion National Guard and of the Belt Alliance

 

 

E.F.N.I.

Earth Force Naval Intelligence




Earth Force Naval Intelligence: The Structure

 

The EFNI naval service is a small independent fleet, based in the Solar system: in case of emergency (attack to the Earth) the operational command depends from the commander of the Earth Fleet, and the units available are organized in task forces roughly equivalents to Battle Divisions T.F., but lacking carriers. The EFNI have enlisted the following units:

2*Warlock Class Destroyer; 4*Gladium Frontal Assault Vector; 6*Nova II Dreadnoughts; 8*Nova Delta Dreadnoughts; 12*Nike class Battle Cruisers; 7*Nova-N Dreadnoughts; 55*Lupo-N Frigates.

For a total of 95 first line units, that operationally are roughly equivalent to a light naval division, with an high percentage of frigates and battle cruisers, a relatively important component of Dreadnoughts and just two Destroyers.

Usually, the operations of the EFNI are performed by small task forces of two-six ships, usually two dreadnoughts and two-four frigates, or two cruisers and two-four frigates, even if lone ship missions are very common. The operations of the EFNI Naval Service are essentially reconnaissance, armed reconnaissance, deep strike and quick strike, special forces landing and support. The EFNI uses exclusively ships with autonomous Hyperspace jump capabilities. The structure, that includes a proportionally high rate of lighter units (frigates) and a strong presence of Dreadnoughts is related to the fact that the Naval service generally does not’t needs long endurance capabilities, but speed and operational flexibility, while, in case of emergency, the firepower of the Dreadnoughts, particularly at the short ranges, is essential, given the fact that almost all the potential fightings involving the EFNI are based upon, or derivated from, ambush tactics.

 

 

EFNI Organization

 

EFNI Joint Command Staff
Command Division
Command Office Training Office Administration and Personnel Office
 
Information Division
Information Office Investigation Office
 
Operation Division
EFNI Naval Service Special Operations Command
 
Technical Division
Research and Development section Procurement and Maintenance section

The structure of the EFNI is simple: the organization is conceptually the same of one century ago, so there is a Command Staff, that directly reports and support the decision of the chief of the EFNI, a small command and administrative structure (The Command office), the training office, that is tasked of the training and professional enhancement of the people of the EFNI, and the administration and personnel office, that is tasked of the recruiting, selection, and administration of the service. The Training office provides to the professional instruction of the Intelligence officers of the Navy (Each ship and installation, and each fighter squadron has at least one intelligence officer, to collect field informations and to distribute the informations delivered from the EFNI and from the others information services.

The Information division is the most important section of the EFNI, and consists in two offices, the Investigation office, that collects and elaborates the informations and the data, and extracts from these the general picture of the various situations, and the Investigation office, that is tasked to collect and analyze the data and informations: this is performed by each possible mean of information acquisition: reconnaissance, human intelligence (espionage included), special operations, etc.

The vast majority of the EFNI "information" agents, the Human Intelligence operators, belongs to the Investigation office. The infiltration agents are people of the Investigation office or of the Operation Division.

The Operation Division is the best known part of the EFNI: this is the sector that operates the military force of the EFNI: Ships and fighter squadrons, with the naval services, and special forces and commandos with the Special Operation Command. The tasks of this Division are the operational ones: the reconnaissance, the patrols, the incursions, the naval strikes, if required, are all managed by the Operation division. The Naval service has a force of about 95 warships and 2000 fighters, and 25500 people of the EFNI are assigned to the service – The S.O.C. has a force of 12000 special force troops, trained for special operations in all the possible environments: from the space, to the boarding of other ships, to ground and sea exploration, reconnaissance, intrusion, sabotage and strike. All the special operations of the Earthforce Navy are conduced by the EFNI S.O.C. Commandos. This is the reason of the relatively large dimensions of the EFNI Operation Division.

The Technical division is made of two branches: the Procurement and Maintenance section manages the purchase of equipments and furnitures, from the Dreadnought to the PPG, from the orbital base to the desktop computer. The P&M section shares some logistic facilities with the Research and Development section that is, from all the points of view, an anomaly. The R&D department, originally, was a small office tasked to provide the special instrument required by the EFNI, but, along the Years, it evolved in a "Think Tank" that actually has shown itself well able to metabolize the new technologies acquired by the Intelligence activity, or to invent and develop new ones: the Pulse technology, the Ion Weapon technology, the Nanotechnological armour, and others essential technologies were acquired by the EFNI and elaborated with at least the support, and in some cases the essential contribution of the Technical Division, while the Interceptors, the E-Web, the EGAD sensors, that broke the Minbari stealth system, are all proprietary developments of the EFNI R&D - Must be here clarified the fact that the relations between EFNI R&D and EFRAD are excellent, and based upon the maximum reciprocal collaboration.

The EFNI Uses the same basic ships and fighters of the Earthforce, but almost always modified. The modifications and the high level maintenance are performed mostly by the Colosseum Shipyards, usual supplier of the EFNI, with the support of the EFNI Technical Division.

The personnel of the EFNI is all volunteer. The selection is made among the Navy personnel that demands to be assigned to the EFNI: in some cases, the EFNI proposes to some Navy officers, Petty officers or troops the assignation to the Intelligence, but in any case the acceptance is volunteer, and an eventual refuse is not a black spot in the personal Curriculum Vitae of the interested ones. Usually, the people of the EFNI have shown a tendency to stay in the Service for long periods.

The EFNI employs 52300 people, about the 2% of the whole Earth Alliance Navy.

The most important seats and bases of the EFNI on Earth are Geneve, where is the Administration and personnel Office, New York, seat of the Information Division and of the Information Office, Rome, seat of the Investigation Office, Orlando, Madrid and Liverpool, main Earth Bases of the Special Operation Command. Other EFNI seats are in mobile space facilities.


SHIPS OF E.F.N.I.
 

  The E.F.N.I. Naval Almanac 
 

WARLOCK-N CLASS DESTROYERS

Total number enlisted in service: 2 (Two)

E.A.S. STYX (2nd batch) - E.A.S. PHOENIX (5th batch - modified to fit the Styx configuration, Warlock-N)

GLADIUM CLASS FRONTAL ASSAULT VECTOR

Total number enlisted in service: 4 (four)

E.A.S. GLADIUM - E.A.S. ARIES - E.A.S. HARPOON - E.A.S. TRIDENT

NOVA II CLASS DREADNOUGHTS

Total number enlisted in service: 6 (Six)

E.A.S. SCIPIO AFRICANUS - E.A.S. CAIUS DUILIUS – E.A.S. FLAVIUS EZIUS - (1st batch)

E.A.S. THEMISTOCLES – E.A.S. LEONIDAS – E.A.S. XENOPHON – (4th batch)

NOVA DELTA CLASS DREADNOUGHTS

Total number enlisted in service: 8 (eight)

E.A.S. BROADSWORD - E.A.S. MARTELLO - E.A.S. KATANA - E.A.S. MORNINGSTAR (1st batch)

E.A.S. RAPIER - E.A.S. DAGGER - E.A.S. SABRE* (SEE NOTE) - E.A.S. BAYONET (2nd batch)

NOVA N CLASS DREADNOUGHTS

Total number enlisted in service: 7 ( Originally 10, 3 lost in service)

E.A.S. TALOS - E.A.S. PERSEUS - E.A.S. MEDUSA - E.A.S. ANTHIGONES - E.A.S. ULYSSES - E.A.S. MEDEA - E.A.S. ELECTRA.

NIKE CLASS BATTLE CRUISERS

Total number enlisted in service: 12

E.A.S. ORION - E.A.S. ATHENA - E.A.S. ANTARES - E.A.S. CENTAUR (1st batch)

E.A.S. SCORPION - E.A.S. ANDROMEDA - E.A.S. SPICA - E.A.S. TAURUS (2nd batch)

E.A.S. MERAK - E.A.S. ALDEBARAN - E.A.S. ARCTURUS - E.A.S. VEGA (5th batch)

LUPO CLASS FRIGATES

Total number enlisted in service: 56, all at the Brightwarrior Standard

E.A.S. TIGER - E.A.S. PANTHER - E.A.S. LEOPARD - E.A.S. JAGUAR - E.A.S. WOLVERINE - E.A.S. WILDCAT - E.A.S. WEREWOLF - E.A.S. MONGOOSE - E.A.S GUEPARD – E.A.S. COUGAR – E.A.S. LYNX – E.A.S. GRIZZLY (1st batch) (12)

E.A.S. SCIROCCO - E.A.S. GHIBLI - E.A.S. HURRICANE - E.A.S. BLIZZARD - E.A.S. ZEPHYR - E.A.S. TORNADO - E.A.S. TEMPEST - E.A.S. TYPHOON – (2nd batch) (8)

E.A.S. PEREGRINE - E.A.S GRIFFON - E.A.S MERLIN - E.A.S VULTURE - E.A.S ALBATROSS - E.A.S SEAGULL - E.A.S. FALCON - E.A.S. OWL - E.A.S. KESTREL - E.A.S. CONDOR - E.A.S. ASTOR - E.A.S. SPARROW (4th Batch)(12) ->32

E.A.S. BARRACUDA - E.A.S. MORAY - E.A.S. STINGRAY - E.A.S. HAMMERHEAD - E.A.S. PIRANHA – E.A.S. SWORDFISH - E.A.S. TIGERSHARK - E.A.S. DOLPHIN - E.A.S.SPEARFISH - (5th batch - One of ten lost in Service, E.A.S.MARLIN )

E.A.S. MAMBA - E.A.S. VIPER - E.A.S.DIAMONDBACK - E.A.S.COPPERHEAD - E.A.S.PYTHON - E.A.S.SIDEWINDER - E.A.S.ANACONDA - E.A.S. DRAGON - E.A.S. WYVERN - E.A.S. SERPENT - E.A.S. SALAMANDER - E.A.S. BASILISK - (7th batch)

E.A.S. VAMPIRE - E.A.S. SPECTRE - E.A.S. AVATAR - E.A.S. PHANTOM – (11 th batch)


The Hyperion-N cruisers, after 30 years of honoured service, have been mothballed, except for sixteen of them that were refurbished, upgraded and assigned to the Orion  National Guard that employs them as deep patrol and reconnaissance units.


* NOTE - Bayonet and Sabre were traditional Earthforce Navy Names: actually, due to a misalignement in the registers of the Fleet, there are two "Sabres" in service: the Nova Delta Dreadnought, and the old Frigate, that was struck from the Naval service Register in 2246, recovered in the 2260's, and since then assigned to the VIII Fleet. For further details, see The Sabre Class Frigate Page. The Earthforce Navy Admiralty took into account that Sabre is a proud name of many honoured Warships, accepted to allow both the ships to bear it, as an exception to the rule.


FIGHTERS IN SERVICE


1311 * Lockheed SA-32N Thunderbolt Starfury

849 * Lockheed-Mitchell SA-26 G/SA-26 N Aurora Starfury

330 * Lockheed-Mitchell SA-29 G Badger Starfury


FUTURE PROGRAMS


ACQUISITIONS

2*Nova Delta class dreadnoughts

2*Lupo class frigates

6*Vigilante class pursuit cutters

48*Lockheed-Mitchell SA-29 N Badger Starfury

64*Lockheed SA-32N Thunderbolt Starfury


 

** The Original concept of the Railgun defense array of the Orion Colonies is of Brandon Bray - webmaster of  Babylon 5 Tech.com -   Thanks, B.

 

 

 

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