The Western IslesBoard

The Thuzbek Armed Forces are the combined military organizations in Thuzbekistan. The military consists of four branches: the Thuzbek Navy, Thuzbek Air Force, Thuzbek Marines, and Thuzbek Army. Of the four, the Navy is largest and best funded of the four branches, fielding over 120,000 of the Military's 200,000 men under arms. This is followed by the Air Force with 32,000, the Marines with 24,000, and the Army with 22,000. This force is a highly politicized one, which becomes prevalent in each branch's training, attitude, resource allocation by Parliament and the Prime Minister, and equipment. With a budget of 23 Billion dollars in 2017, the Military is also given a high priority. The military High Command is split into three departments: The Naval Department, The Air Force Department, and the Army Department. Each department is administered to by a Minister. The Ministers of the branches then report to the Defense Minister, or Minister of Defense.

The Navy is the largest, most prestigious of the four branches. It has a force of 120,000 men in both support and combat roles, contains 83 sea-faring vessels, and features the TSS Ashluv, a Vikramaditya class carrier. It also sports over 40 aircraft, 30 of which are the Harut-U Fighter. It is split into three fleets: The Central Fleet, the Western Fleet, and the Eterna Fleet. In peacetime, the Carrier fleet patrols The Southern Eterna Sea based on where the prioritized threat is. The Eastern Sea fleet, which is mostly made up of corvettes, protect trade in the vital areas of the Eterna Sea. The Western Fleet patrols the Thuzbek coast, particularly the shores around Turvin.

Command Structure

Position	Name	Years of Service
Minister of the Navy	Arda Rıdvan	5 as Minister of Navy, 34 as Chief Admiral of the Central Fleet
Chief Admiral of the Navy	Vural Burhan	37
Chief Admiral of the Central Fleet	Ercan İhsan	26
Chief Admiral of the Western Fleet	Vedat Nur	28
Chief Admiral of the Eastern Fleet	Halil Ural	24

Organization and Fleet Assignment
Naval command structure is as Follows: The Prime Minister acts as Commander in Chief. He is followed by the Minister of the Navy, who is superior to the Chief Admiral. Under the Chief Admiral's command are the Admirals of the Central, Eastern, and Western Fleets. Each of these fleets contains numerous captains, Rear Admirals, and other subordinate officers as well as thousands of enlisted men. The Central Fleet, also called the Carrier Fleet, is charged with power projection and maritime patrol of potentially hostile waters. The Eastern Fleet is tasked with patrol of trade routes in the Eastern Eterna Sea, ensuring that they remain unmolested by anything from pirates to other nations. The Western fleet keeps watch on the Oster Fleet as well as coasts of Thuzbekistan and the Northwestern Eterna Sea.

The Central Fleet

The Central fleet was created in 1994 when the acquisition of the TSS Ashluv was made. It contains the aircraft carrier, 18 destroyers, and 30 Corvettes. It's main mission is to ensure that the Thuzbek sea lanes are protected, but it also becomes an expeditionary force when the Rapucha Class Ground Support/Landing Ships are attached to the fleet along with the 15 Ondatra Class transports. The Central Fleet also has the most complex command structure of the three fleets. It is headed by Chief Admiral of the Central Fleet and is supported by two Fleet Admirals, and they by the various captains of the ships. The Current Chief Admiral of the Central Fleet is Ercan İhsan, a 54 year old military careerist with several degrees.

The Central Fleet's history is technically short, but it was originally the Southern Fleet. Though it hasn't seen combat since the 1950's the Central Fleet is one of the best drilled fleets in the Navy. Once every five years, it will practice amphibious invasions on the small islands to the west of Thuzbekistan which have been mostly vacant of population. Dummy beaches are set up and the Air Force, Navy, and Marines face off against Army defenders. In other games, the Central Fleet will divide itself into two parts and attempt to find the other half of its fleet in the Southern Sea. The Maneuvering plays an important part in combat readiness.

The Western Fleet

The Western Fleet has been in existence under various names since 1814, when Thuzla orignally organized its navy to deal with the Noronicans there even though war would not break out until 1882. It currently is the second largest of the three fleets and is tasked with the Coastal defense of Turvin, maintaining the security of shipping lanes around Turvin, and maintaining a dominating naval presence near Ostehaar. Its commander, Vedat Nur, is relatively experienced in the Thuzbek navy with 28 years of unwavering active duty. He has largely modeled the fleet around a war with Ostehaar, ensuring it is always combat ready. However, he has also ensured that its convoy and patrol roles a properly filled. In the Western Eterna sea, the fleet has carried out anti-pirate operations, search and rescue, and various patrol assignments in times of heightened security.

The Eastern Fleet

The Eastern Fleet is the oldest fleet in Thuzbekistan. Originally the only fleet Thuzla fielded one navy, which it used to cut off Turvinian trade during the many Turvinian wars of the 12th-15th centuries. This was most often a political move, but its lack of defeat throughout the centuries was the cornerstone of Thuzlan pride and today's dominance in Thuzbek military. Though it is the smallest fleet, it is given the largest areas of operation. It mostly guards the Thuzlan shores and conducts patrols in the hostile eastern Eterna Sea where nations like Balnik and Yorrkkon cause concern among naval high command.

The Air Force is the second largest branch of the Thuzbek Military. The Chief Air Marshal commands 32,100 men and 94 aircraft, including 8 wings of fighter/bomber aircraft. Its primary duties are to maintain the integrity of Thuzbek Airspace and, when necessary, to provide escort for important cargo and VIPs en route by air. In addition to this, the Air Force is tasked with the transport of equipment and personnel of the Army, Navy, and Marines when necessary.

Structure

Rank	Name	Command
Chief Air Marshal	Serkan Ümran	Air Force
Air Marshal of Thuzla	Mikail Polat	Thuzlan Air Zone
Air Marshal of Turvin	Temel Levent	Turvinian Air Zone

The Air Force is under the overall command of the Chief Air Marshal, a rank created when the Air Force became an independent organization in 1949. The Chief Air Marshal commands 8 wings of combat air craft and 10 wings of transport craft. Each wing of Fighter Aircraft consist of between 5 and 7 craft and are commanded by a Colonel. The Wings are then divided among Thuzla and Turvin under the command of an Air Marshall. Individual pilots must be a minimal rank of First Lieutenant to fly, though Captain and Major's are more common.

The Transport Wings are attached to the logistics office of the Air Force commanded by the Logistics Air Marshal. These wings are divided by their function with Tankers, transport, and International aid wings being pulled into separate units. Colonels also command these wings and pilots are required to be officers.

History

The Thuzbek Air Force was established in 1949 as a separate entity from the Army after WW2 Showed that the Air Force was not only one of the most powerful assets a nation could have, but had grown so complex and large that it was deemed a necessary expansion of the military by the Magistrate. More Importantly, the loss to the better organized, equipped, and trained Air Force of Ostehaar had shown the nation that the future was in the air. In 1950, the Air Force began establishing its own bases in Ashluv and Baslov. However, this process was stalled by the beginning of the Red Revolution in 1950 and on until 1953.

After the Communist Revolution, the new government was slow to build the fledgling organization, fearing that it's part in supporting the Army during the war pointed to loyalty to the former Magistry. Several years of pruning finally allowed the Air Force to begin building to its full potential in 1956, but was hampered again during the Famine of 1961. Throughout the crisis, the Navy and the fledgling TNIS (Thuzbek Naval Intelligence Services, now the TIS) were receiving most of the funding that could be allotted to the military. Finally, in 1973, the Air Force received its attention in funding. It was then that the Air Force was allotted the funds to buy trainers, then fighters. The MIG-29s were acquired in 1976 and the Harut upgrade package in Early 2003.

The Air Force now serves as a defensive force meant to secure the integrity of the nation's air space and EEZ should it be needed. With its force of Mig-31s and others, it is capable of handling most threats. It now also serves as both a logistic and Foreign Aid service with its Logistics Wing. Its cargo planes are meant to land on short or unfinished runways, making it especially useful for foreign aid.

The Marines are Thuzbekistan's premier ground forces. They have been deployed in various nations since their creation in 1955. From the isles of Samudera to the hills of Orsandia, the Thuzbek Marines have gained more combat experience than any other branch. It's 24,250 men are the best trained soldiers in Thuzbekistan and are the pride of the Thuzbek Armed Forces along side the Navy.

Structure

Rank	Name	Command
Corps Commander	Tolga Hikmet	Thuzbek Marine Corps
Division Commander	Deniz Burak	First Division
Division Commander	Hamit Emin	Second Division
Division Commander	Ekrem Ebu Bekir	Third Division
Division Commander	Semir Cengiz	Fourth Division
Division Commander	İskender Cemal	Fifth Division

The Thuzbek Marine Corps consists of a single Corps sized unit divided into Divisions of 5000 each. There are 5 divisions in all divided into 5 regiments of 1,000, with 2 regiments of each division being support units manning everything from supply lines to Anti-Aircraft weapons. Each division is built to operate independent of the other divisions under the command of a single Corps Commander, who commands all of the Thuzbek Marine Corp. The Corps Commander organizes and directs the Marine Corps from his headquarters in Barshlon in Turvin or aboard the carrier TSS Ashluv when deployed in the field. Three divisions are on constant active duty at three bases in Thuzbekistan while the reserve units are maintained in a similar fashion to the National Police Force, which is only called upon for week long training exercises every 2 months.

History

The Thuzbek Marine Corps was created in 1955 after the Communist Revolution of 1953 and the following purges practically eliminated the Army. Most of the Army's assets were confiscated and moved to a new base near Barshlon in 1955. That year, Parliament passed the "Thuzbek Marine Act of 1955". Once the marines were created, they began to train as a dual purpose force: Homeland Defense and as an expeditionary force. The former slowly became the job of the Army by 1965 and the Marines became the spearhead of any intervention by Thuzbekistan. In Orsandia, they fought against MSTO backed forces, helped the Samuderan Revolution in the 60s, and often aided in supporting groups overseas. This long history has created a force that prides itself in its ideological loyalty and as the muscle of Thuzbekistan.

The Thuzbek Army Corps has a long and complicated history of service to the Thuzbek State. Founded by the Thuzlan Empire officially as early 1315, it is the oldest organized military in Thuzbekistan. Since its founding it has seen both victory and mishap. From the various defeats to the disorganized Republic of Turvin on the Isthmus near Nassar to the defeat of the Noronican Army in Ashluv and Nassar, its history is both full of glory and of humiliation. However, it is not known for either of these in its history but rather its political nature. Ever since the founding of Republic of Thuzbek in 1885 and the defeat of the Magistry in 1952, the Army was a strong force in Thuzbek politics. The Chairman of the Republic of Thuzbek himself was kept aloft by the Army until 1937 when it performed a coup to install the Magistry. After 1937, the Army was in control of the country until its defeat in 1952 by the Red Revolutionaries. Once the Communists took power, the Army was cut down by purge after purge until, in 1961, it was essentially re-founded as a national communist police force. Still, it is highly distrusted by the political elite and thus is stripped mostly bare of anything that it could use to mount an effective assault on the Marines.

Today, the Army finds itself responsible for the integrity of the air defenses and for law and order when the local forces cannot handle it. It has one overall commander who commands 22,000 men. Only 5,000 of these bear arms in a combat position while the rest are attached to logistics or to the "Civilian Defense Force" which aids and organizes the local police forces of Thuzbekistan to deal with internal strife and invasion. The 5,000 strong First Army Division commits to annual drills with the Air Force to prepare for air raids on the nation, an event which hasn't happened since the Oster-Thuzbek war of the 1940's.

Since the 1940s and the loss of the Oster-Thuzbek war due mostly to the vast air power of Ostehaar and its allies, Thuzbekistan has focused its defensive efforts on the air. Following the war, the Magistry authorized the purchase of air defense assets and the idea of a central command center for air defense became popular among top Army officials. In 1949, the Central Air Defense System under the Army was authorized by the Magistry and headquartered in Ashluv, Turvin. This system was the center of a system of radar stations based around the coasts and in major cities in the nation. This network also extended to the islands just west of the Thuzbek mainland. In the 1960s, after the new People's Republic had become more stable and Ostehaar was once again a primary rival, Thuzbekistan once again focused on its air defense network. It purchased autocannons like the Strela-10 and the S-125 and used those for most air defense at close range as well as the S-25 SAM system for air defense. However, by the 1970s, the stock was mostly out of date as 3rd Generation aircraft were becoming more common. It was again updated in the early '80s with S-300 Missile System. By this time, Thuzbekistan was seeking to increase its power projection abilities and mobile Air Defense units were more integrated with the Marines and Army. Air Defense command was also integrated, having mobile command units to coordinate tactical air defense between other units in the field. Thus, the CADS in Thuzbekistan took a new form. Strategic Defense was now a separate branch of the CADS.

Between 1965 and 1994, the CADS also worked to better integrate the Air Force and Naval fighters in the event of an attack on the nation. Though these assets were commanded by branches, CADS was given priority in interceptions inside the Thuzbek Defensive Zone, a perimeter around the nation in which CADS had ultimate authority. This was the final step to a fully integrated air defense system. Since 1994, the CADS has been limited in its updates and many officials in the military and in Parliament have been worried about its state. With the new S-350E now operable in other nations, many have felt its time to update the weapons systems in use.

Today, the Thuzbek Central Air Defense System is headquartered in Ashluv with other facilities in Nassar, Baslov, Bashlon, and Turvin Ghada. It commands more than 50 radar stations of various size and focuses its defenses around major coastal cities and Mount Narshov, where an extensive research base exists. Unlike most other commands, it does not have subdivisions between Thuzla and Turvin as it was deemed necessary for it to be able to command all assets as quickly as possible. While it is still technically under the army, it now has a similar relationship to the Army as the Marines do to the Navy- under the same branch, but with different cultures and authorities.

To defend the nation, the CADS uses the S-300 as the main Anti-air system. These systems are placed around important targets in Mount Narshov, Ashluv, Baslov, and Bashlon. They are supplemented by the S-125 in uncovered area. In close defense, a network of highly mobile S-60s can be deployed and are stationed in areas throughout the nation. For tactical defense, the mobile 9K35 Strela-10 is used as well as the S-60s and the ZU-23 for close defense.

While Thuzbekistan does not possess nuclear weapons, it has long held chemical weapons such as Sarin Gas. It first began developing these weapons in the early 1920's as tensions on the Gaeltic continent rose. Initially, Sulfur Mustard, a blistering agent, was developed and deployed by artillery shells. During the The Great Gael War and the Coup of 1937, Blister agents were used regularly against combatants. During the Magistry's regime of 1937-1952, chemical weapons were the focus of WMD research. After its discovery in 1938 by a foreign government, Thuzbekistan poured resources into the development of their own sarin and, by 1947, had created a reliable form of the gas. Though this gas has yet to be used against a foreign government, the Army used it against the fighters of the Red Revolution from 1950-1952 to lethal effect. Only in 1951 did the Revolution gain ground after Ostehaar supplied weapons and gas masks to combat the threat as well as using their intelligence assets to destroy key storage sites in the nation.

After the take over of the nation by the People's Republic of Thuzbekistan, production and research came to a standstill. Prime Minister Emirhan, the honored hero of the Revolution, had been horrified by the weapon's ghastly effects and the gruesome deaths he witnessed at its hands. Thus, he ordered the destruction of all weapons in Thuzbekistan. It didn't take long due to the Osters' effective sabotage campaign, but by 1954, all weapons were destroyed. It wasn't until 1994 that Thuzbekistan began to rebuild its chemical weapons stockpile as it built its force projection capabilities. In 1998, Thuzbekistan began attempting to develop warheads for ballistic missiles that would use an Airburst explosive to disperse the agent. However, without the capabilities to launch such a weapon, the project was put on hold indefinitely. Instead, new Sarin, Sulfur Mustard, and other blistering and nerve agents were stockpiled for use in cruise missiles, rockets, bombs, and sprayers. The Thuzbek government is still developing the ballistic missiles and will reopen the project once the missiles are ready.