Savorian Strike and Defence Force (since April 1049)

For the old article: Savorian Strike and Defence Force (prior to April 1049)

Mission
In April 1049 the mission and purpose of the SSDF has been redefined. The SSDF is by law a volunteer force and no recruits are drafted into the SSDF to fullfil their mandatory military service. However recruits can choose to join the SSDF as volunteers instead of being drafted into any other branch if they´re accepted by the SSDF. The SSDF itself has 4 sub-branches the SSDF Land Forces, SSDF Air Forces, SSDF Naval Forces and the SSDF Multipurpose Forces.

The SSDF is supposed to be the spearhead in both large scale military operations as well as small interventions. The focus of the SSDF is on offensive warfare and combined-arms operations. The SSDF contributes 75 % of the Soldiers that the Savorian High Readiness Force requires at anytime. The SSDF is the primary military intervention force of Savoria. All of it´s forces are able to redeploy to any location within a very short amount of time. The fastest deployable unit of the SSDF can be deployed to any area on the continent Askori within a single day while the slowest takes a maximum of 2 weeks to be fully deployed. All SSDF Units are always kept at full strength even during peace times and while the SSDF does have a pool of reserve soldiers they´re mainly meant to replace casualties during times of war or to form additional units if that is necessary.

The SSDF is able to conduct any type of operation regardless of it being Land, Air or Sea based and uses two doctrines one for conventional warfare and one for unconventional warfare which allows them to succeed in both. While the SSDF is an independent branch there is still close cooperation with the other branches and operations can be conducted together with other branches. The SSDF is the most prestigious branch among the Savorian Armed Forces and is considered the Elite Fighting Force of Savoria. The SSDF also fullfils protection and guard duties. Important military installations within Savoria, Savorian Embassies outside of Savoria and even important administrative buildings of the Government are protected by SSDF Soldiers. The Head of State and other government members or employees are protected by small detachments of SSDF Soldiers whenever protection is required. This especially applies during trips through foreign countries that are not considered safe.

Mission compared to other branches
It could be argued that if the SSDF already covers Land, Air and Sea itself that there is no need for all the other branches or vice versa if Land, Air and Sea are already covered by other branches then there is no need for the SSDF. While the SSDF by itself is a relatively large force and in theory able to do everything the other three branches can and beyond it has some downsides. The sub-branches of the SSDF are much smaller than their counterparts. As mentioned before the SSDF is very focused on offensive warfare and being the spearhead of an operation. This also influences the way soldiers are trained and the equipment that is used. And this doesn´t make the SSDF the ideal option for holding long frontlines during large and long lasting conflicts. The other three branches of the Savorian Armed Forces however are larger forces and their first priority is to defend Savoria against foreign threats. This means that a lot of their focus goes to defensive warfare and tactics and strategies to defend Savoria. Due to their larger numbers they´re able to engage into large and long lasting conflicts a lot better than the SSDF can. They do have offensive capabilities as well and are able to hold long frontlines with a lot less problems. The SSDF can then fit in well. During a large scale conflict the SSDF can act as a spearhead in certain areas of the frontline and fully focus on their offensive warfare while the other branches got their back and the rest of the frontline covered. If the smaller SSDF forces get stuck in the enemy lines, exhausted or if attrition becomes too high the other branches can provide relief to the SSDF force since they´re much more prepared for that sort of situations and have the numbers to survive a lot longer while holding a line. Since the SSDF is the only branch that doesn´t draft recruits and SSDF Soldiers receive more pay and benefits than Soldiers in other branches the morale of SSDF Soldiers is usually way higher than in other branches.

Capabilities
The SSDF is able to independently plan and execute Land, Air and Sea based operations. For that the SSDF uses a large varierty of equipment and tactics. The SSDF focuses on offensive warfare and is able to conduct offensive operations of any sort and size with the only limitation being the current amount of soldiers and equipment available. The SSDF is a very mobile force and ready to redeploy to other areas faster and more efficiently than any other branch of the Savorian Military. It can operate alone or in close cooperation with the other branches. The SSDF is in possession of almost every weapon system that can be found in any of the other branches. Typically the weapon systems used by the SSDF are in a better state and more advanced but the total number of specific weapon systems is usually below that of other branches. The SSDF is able to conduct quick and precise combat operations and can concentrate massive firepower and attacks even on small areas.

Doctrine
The SSDF uses two doctrines. One for conventional warfare and one for unconventional warfare.

Conventional Warfare
The SSDF assumes that in many situations they will find themselves outnumbered. The answer to that is supposed to be massive and precise firepower used against the enemy. The SSDF relies on overwhelming fire that will drain the morale of the enemy and give him the feeling of being inferior. With the help of fire support such as Artillery and CAS as well as firepower from all sorts of vehicles they break through the lines of the enemy and deny him to put up any sort of organized resistance.

To give an example it could be described like this: 1. SSDF forces in this case a Mechanized Infantry Platoon encounters the enemy who is in defensive positions and has therefore an advantage. The SSDF forces respond to that by using massive firepower against the enemy positions especially with the help of the vehicles. At the same time if available fire support is called in to cause more damage and destruction to the enemy.

2. The enemy takes damage and is barely able to get out of cover without being gunned down immediately. This takes a massive morale toll on the enemy soldiers. Despite the fact that the enemy is outnumbering the SSDF forces and in a much better position due to their defensive stance they start to feel inferior and outnumbered lowering their combat performance.

3. The SSDF forces start advancing on the enemies position. The enemy in return starts to panic and makes bad decisions or just tries to run away as he feels overwhelmed. The heavy damage caused to the position of the enemy and the casualties already taken make it hard for them to put up any big resistance.

4. The SSDF forces attempt to stop the enemy from fleeing in order to either destroy him or to force him to surrender. Therefore the fleeing enemies cannot reorganized or join another unit of their faction.

As it can be seen the SSDF heavily relies on building the illusion towards the enemy that they´re superior in numbers and firepower. The enemies in return feel inferior and outnumbered even if that is not actually the case. With this doctrine the SSDF can take on many types of enemies very effectively in conventional warfare while limiting their own casualties as prior to any assault the enemy will be put under heavy fire. This doctrine is always used whenever applicable. Even though it does have its weaknesses it is one of the best choices for a force that is limited in numbers and has to watch out for casualties. It´s also worth mentioning that an essential requirement for this doctrine to work is to immediately destroy or disable anything the enemy could possibly use to counter the heavy firepower of the SSDF since that would give the enemy the feeling of being able to fight back and allows them to avoid the effect on their morale.

Branches
There are 4 branches of the SSDF which cover Land, Air and Sea. While each branch has their own tasks and missions there is no strict limitation of what kind of units a branch can have. Examples are that the Air Forces have their own ground combat forces to protect their airfields and facilities. The Naval Forces do have ground combat forces for invasions from the sea and operations around the coast. The Land Forces have some helicopters and other aircraft in their arsenal as well. There is a clear definition of what each branch is supposed to do though and cooperation between the branches is vital for any military operation. The commanders of the individual branches can be found on the page SSDF High Command.

SSDF Land Forces
The SSDF Land Forces consist of x Soldiers (as of date) and include most land-based units of the SSDF. They´re organized into x Divisions and x smaller formations.

SSDF Air Forces
The SSDF Air Forces consist of x Soldiers (as of date) and include most air-based units of the SSDF.

SSDF Naval Forces
The SSDF Naval Forces consist of x Soldiers (as of date) and include most naval-based units of the SSDF.

SSDF Multipurpose Forces
The SSDF Multipurpose Forces consist of x Soldiers (as of date)

Organization
Typically the Division is the biggest formation of units used in any of the branches. This puts the Divisions under direct command of the high command of the respective branch. The Division is therefore the biggest independent formation below the high command of any branch. Divisions are not numbered (1st Division, 2nd Division...) but instead all receive individual names which often match with what type of Division they´re and what their purpose is.

Under direct command of the Divisions are often Brigades, Regiments and sometimes smaller formations. The units under direct command of a Division are the smallest units capable of operating independently. Unlike the Divisions they´re numbered but there is something important to notice. Each number can only be given to one individual unit under direct command of a Division no matter what type or size the unit is. So the number can never be used twice even if there are different kind of formations. (1st Brigade, 1st Regiment, 2nd Brigade, 2nd Regiment... is wrong) Each individual number can only be given to a single individual formation under direct Division command regardless of its type. (1st Regiment, 2nd Brigade, 3rd Battalion... is correct)

The units that are subordinates to those Brigades, Regiments or smaller formations however are not affected by this rules and can be named or numbered as their superiors see fit.