Galactic Navy

The Galactic Navy is the military arm of the Galactic Co-operative of Worlds, and is primarily focused on the war with the Thargoids.

Organisation

Absolute command over the Galactic Navy is the responsibility of the office of the GalCop president. The president has one Naval attache, called the Navy Commander-in-Chief, who is usually a serving Admiral or Commodore. Perhaps the most well known officer to serve as Commander-in-Chief was Admiral Matthews. Widely credited as the father of the modern Galactic Navy, Admiral Matthews, through superior leadership and shear force of will, moved the Navy from a poorly funded, under-maned and under-armed force, to the major military power it is today.

Other than this, the Galactic Navy has no centralised command structure, as this would not be beneficial in the sort of war being fought. Instead, overall control of the Navy resides with regional commanders, called Sector Commanders (SecComs). Each Galaxy contains 14 sectors with one commander assigned to each sector. These SecComs are typically on the front lines of battle, situated on Mobile Command Ships. These are often either Anacondas or Behemoths, depending on the classification of the combat zone. In times of relative peace the commander may be found at the Sector Command Station in orbit around the chosen "home planet" for that sector.

Within each sector, the SecCom usually commands a fleet of vessels, called a Carrier Group, comprised of two types of officer.

Career Navy

The career navy are the full-time serving officers and men who comprise the central core of the Navy's fighting forces. They are graduates of one of the Naval Academies, and have dedicated their lives to the war against the Thargoids and to the defence of GalCop against any threat. The greatest of these officers is undoubtedly Sector 7 Commander, Admiral Kurtz of the Sixth Galaxy. Admiral Kurtz strategic brilliance is legendary. His long list of military victories remains unblemished as he has never been defeated in battle. It is often quoted, "Thargoids have no word for fear in their language... they use Kurtz instead."

The career navy is equipped with the latest technology and many of the ships and equipment have been designed specifically for Naval use.

Reserve Navy

The reserves make up the majority of the Naval force, and are made up from the qualified pilots and combateers from the merchant and independent organisations that make up GalCop. Many are volunteers who have requested military service, although in some battlezones conscription is used to ensure that numbers are met. GalCop includes a contractual obligation for pilots who graduate from the Pilot Academy on Lave to be available for military service if called up. This obligation is rescinded if the pilot volunteers for a year of military service on the front lines.

Naval reserve forces normally use thier own ships and equipment, although it is common for navy equipment to be 'loaned' to the officer during their tenure.

Below are shown the old, full colour version of the reserve logo alongside the newer, bolder 'blue star' design.

Squadrons

Most of the naval force is divided into squadrons. There are currently 103 regular navy squadrons and 230+ reserve squadrons, split fairly evenly across the 8 galaxies. The most notable of these are the 114th Squadron and the 16th Reserve Squadron, who are currently top of the table in kills versus losses in battle.

The reserve suqadrons in particular are fiercely proud of thier records in battle, and it has been known for many conscripts to remain in service due to the cameraderie and sense of accomplishment they have experienced whilst in the unit.

Technology

'The Navy has all the good stuff'. Rumours abound about all the cool top of the line super weapons the navy has. If only a fraction of them were true, why then are they still fighting the Thargoids?

This is a common question asked about the Navy, and is one that is difficult to find a solid answer to. Rumours of ion cannons, high-yield plasma weapons and even cloaking devices make the rounds on a regular basis. This much is known - the Navy is well enough equipped to hold its own against the superior numbers of the Thargoid race.

Ships

The mainstay of the naval forces is the trusty Asp Mk II multirole ship. With a crew of two, this ship can be fitted with a wealth of weaponry, including missiles, military lasers and energy bombs (although the latter are rarely used except on solo missions).

For fast attack scenarios, the Navy employ Viper Interceptors, since they have a proven track record as fast interceptors and can hold thier own against most enemies. Vipers are regularly deployed to deal with Thargon remCraft, allowing the Asps to deal with the bigger fish, and are the standard fighter found on board Behemoth class carriers.

The Behemoth carrier is the largest ship in the Naval inventory, and most are found in the Thargoid battlezones in search and rescue or support roles. The first in the class, the INS Behemoth, can normally be found in the more active warzones.

Notable Locations

Naval bases of all types exists across all 8 galaxies and serve a variety of functions. The research and development complex on Ribilebi is the most commonly known of these bases, but many others exist, from training camps to weapons arsenals.

Unconfirmed rumours place a watchstation in Biorle, where the Galacic Navy keep an eye on the Imperial home system of Achenar.

The planet Uscela is also rumoured to contain a research base that is devoted to analysis of technologies coming out of the Imperial Shipyards in Facece.