Commonwealth Defence Force

The Commonwealth Defence Force is the military organisation responsible for the upholding of national defence and protection of the Commonwealth of New South Wales. Established in 2554, the CDF consists of several branches, all dedicated to a certain area of combat. Backed heavily by the as a bastion of strength in the , it is an immensely-capable organisation well-versed in all theatres of warfare. Despite several challenges to its capabilities and tests of adversity and adaptability, such as the and a resurgent , it has maintained its reputation as a competent, skilled military organisation. Tasked with the defence of the Commonwealth, the military has increasingly become geared towards expeditionary actions, as the UNSC withdraws from the Outer Colonies, prompting the CDF to take up the mantle as the frontier's main line of defence against outside threats, whether they be rebels or aliens.
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==Role==
===National Defence===
National defence is the Commonwealth Defence Force's main priority in its operations. Most of the CDF is geared towards planetary defence and the overall integrity of Commonwealth-controlled space. In the Commonwealth's many systems, there is always some form of defence, whether it be the sleek, angular lines of a Midnight-class cruiser, or the robust and no-nonsense form of a Commonwealth Marine Corps brigade. As the perimeter of the Commonwealth expands due to Operation: MANDATE, the army's Static Force defence groups are being deployed more and more often to the worlds being conquered by the Commonwealth, to protect the new colonisers or suppress rebel movements. A close relationship with the also ensures that the UNSC will come to assist the Commonwealth if they are attacked, albeit this aid may be limited by the UNSC's contracting territory.
===Expeditionary Actions===
Expeditionary operations are increasingly becoming a norm of the CDF's operations. As the Commonwealth expands according to Operation: MANDATE, the CDF has found itself on many occasions protecting new settlements from pirates, rebel forces and Covenant remnants. As such the CDF, more specifically the New South Wales Army and the Commonwealth Marine Corps have begun to gear themselves towards expeditionary actions - the CMC especially has pivoted towards the role of a rapid-response force. Because UNSC and CDF forces often work closely together in tackling Insurrectionist threats, Commonwealth soldiers will find themselves deployed to many different locations, which has built the reputation for the CDF to be a reliable, adaptable force.
===Anti-Piracy===
Mostly a role for the Commonwealth Naval Forces, anti-piracy used to be a huge issue at the founding of the Commonwealth. Due to the lack of UNSC ships to patrol trading lanes, piracy ran rampant in the remains of the Outer Colonies. However, upon the transferal of naval resources to the Commonwealth, and a concerted effort to expand local shipbuilding within the Commonwealth, piracy as an endemic issue has mostly ceased to exist. Occasional raids from or -backed privateers do occur, however are too few and far between to be considered serious issues. As such, the Commonwealth's navy has pivoted to a doctrine capable of fighting Covenant remnant factions and rebel squadrons, rather than single raiding vessels.
==Branches==
=== New South Wales Army===
The NSW Army is the ground forces branch of the CDF. Based upon the organisation and command structure of the , the same standards are utilised to allow consistent and flexible integration when CDF and UNSC units fight side-by-side. Most of the army is in the static and expeditionary forces, two different entities that regularly swap units and formations. The Static Force is the planetary defence organisation of the army, dedicated to acting as a deterrent against intruders to NSW space and any potential attacks. The Expeditionary Group is the NSW Army's offensive/quick reaction force, consisting of several corps that regularly rotate with units from the Static Force. This structure ensures that every brigade that exists in the NSW Army is rotated between the SF and EG, meaning that every soldier is trained in offensive and defensive operations on a planet-wide scale. 
The New South Wales Army is also responsible for all atmospheric and aerial operations on a planet, under the Commonwealth Aerial Corps. The CAC operates a multitude of aircraft utilised in an atmospheric environment, and other craft that can operate in space too. However, the Commonwealth Marine Corps also has their own air wing, that they use independently of the CAC. 
However, this isn't to say that the NSWA is the go-to force for expeditionary actions. The Commonwealth Marine Corps has been used extensively in launching planetary invasions from space, establishing a beachhead and taking first-wave objectives, before the NSWA arrives to continue the task of capturing the planet. This has caused a sort-of friendly rivalry between the soldiers of the Army and Marine Corps, which spills over into cross-branch training exercises. 
The largest of the branches, the NSW Army is run by a General or above. Despite using the UNSC's rank structure, the names are taken from the Australian Army of the 20th-22nd Century, which itself is based upon 21st Century British military structure - this is also the case with the Navy and Marine Corps. The founding commander of the NSW Army, General Sarah Jacobs, pioneered many of the strategies and tactics in place within the NSWA, however the overall doctrine that the NSWA follows is similar to the UNSC Army. Within the NSWA, there exists several sub-branches -infantry, armour, artillery, and raiders are the four largest of these, although other sub-branches do exist, including but limited to the legal, medical, engineering and air defence corps. There also exists a small force of 4000 men simply known as the Pathfinders, which operate as the NSWA's reconnaissance specialists and commandos, separate from the CDF's Special Operation Command (SOC). 
Most enlisted members of the NSWA are conscripts, undergoing a three-year national service program which they are legally required to enter upon graduating school. Two of those years are spent with their brigade in the Static Force, whilst the last year is in the Expeditionary Group, in which soldiers are positioned on planets to act as mobile expeditionary units if the need arises. All conscripts, upon finishing national service - if they do not elect to remain within the NSWA - are then integrated into the CDF's Reserve Force. All members spend twelve years in the Reserve Force, mandated to participate in two weeks of training every standard year. However, all members of the officer corps are either enlisted servicemen that earned their collar tabs through the 'hawse-hole', or civilians that passed the grueling four-year training process. The professional officer corps of the NSWA has allowed a level of flexibility in its deployment that isn't possible in other defence forces, due to the rigid structure emplaced within their militaries. However, there is a stigma surrounding those that are sent to the NSWA's most elite and experienced division, the 3rd 'Monash' Division. All officers and men transferred to the 3rd are expected to overperform, as it is generally seen as a fast-track through the rank ladder. In the NSWA, there are also several-hundred UNSC liaison personnel, as well as UNSC officers who operate as commanders or specialists in NSWA units. There is also a sizable minority of personnel within the NSWA from other national entities in the Outer Colonies, such as the Federation of Lanua and the Ectanus Command - there are even deserters from rebel worlds and organisations, namely Thebes, Gao and . There are three main officer schools across the Commonwealth. The largest and most prestigious is the John Monash School of Infantry, in the city of Newcastle on the planet of New South Wales. Established in 2520, the school has trained some of the most famous New South Walers that have served in the UNSC and CDF, including the first Chief of the CDF, Field Marshal Luke Kilgore. Of the roughly 90,000 applications submitted each year to the School of Infantry, only 2000 are accepted. The other schools are the Darwin Military College, in its capital city of Chekhov, and the Frankston Military Academy, in the town of Mitchell on Barton. There are also multiple other training organisations and encampments across the Commonwealth, all tasked with supplying advanced training to members of certain branches, such as armour, maintenance, logistics and sniper school. NSWA officers are also eligible to be trained at UNSC officer candidate schools, as part of an official liaison program. 
All units part of the Expeditionary Group are arranged into mobile expeditionary units, or MEUs, to facilitate rapid transport and deployment. Sizes of MEUs vary, but all are around 150,000 soldiers, divided into three corps containing three divisions each. There are currently six MEUs in existence, all linked with a Commonwealth Naval Force battlegroup. Two thirds of the NSWA make up the Expeditionary Group, as the remaining two thirds serve within the Static Force, acting as planetary defence. The remaining personnel are spread through the NSWA's multiple special operations forces.
===Commonwealth Naval Forces===
The Commonwealth Naval Forces is the naval branch of the CDF, that operates closely with the UNSC and NSWA in its operations. The CNF's original fleet power was transferred from the UNSC in March 2554, with the first navy containing a Valiant-class supercruiser, four Halberd-class destroyers, and nine Paris-class frigates. However in 2555 the 1st Fleet Expansion Program was begun, which had provisions in the budget to buy two ex-UNSC heavy carriers, three Marathon-class cruisers, and several escort ships of varying classes from the UNSC, all of which were in various different reserve fleets. 
The purchase of these ships saved them from the scrapyard and expanded the CNF's capability immensely. The acquisition of carriers, cruisers and escorts reflected the growing strength of the CNF, able to adapt to the changing circumstances of the in the postwar period. Throughout the 2550s, the CMA placed an emphasis on utilising capable escort vessels, and building a large fleet auxiliary to support the growing fleet battleline. The main restriction for the CNF was that local production centres were incapable of manufacturing a military vessel larger than a destroyer, forcing any capital ship requisitions to be made with UNSC manufacturers. 
By 2560, the Commonwealth Navy's fleet contained over 100 vessels corvette size and above, split into several squadrons and battlegroups. Also operating with the CFN is the UNSC Battlegroup Indigo, on assignment as part of the Joint Military Cooperation Treaty signed by the UEG and the Commonwealth. After the Created Crisis and the fall of Cortana's regime, Battlegroup Indigo would be transferred to the command of the Commonwealth's staunch ally, the Ectanus Command. 
By 2558, the 2nd Fleet Expansion Program was well underway, with the goal of expanding several of Cockatoo Dockyards' slipways to be capable of producing cruiser-size vessels. Also budgeted was the commissioning of carriers, cruisers, destroyers, frigates and corvettes into the fleet over the next ten years. The CFN's Division of Technology and Research has also allegedly developed their own Prowler model with assistance from the UEG's Office of Naval Intelligence. Civilian reports of a strange, sleek vessel in the space around Barton and Tasmania have gone unheeded, and are often reported as effects of slipspace sickness on part of the crew. 
All officers of the CNF are graduates of one of the two main naval academies within New South Wales. The largest is the Cresswell Naval College in Newcastle, New South Wales. The other is the Cole Institute, in Newtown on Darwin. There are also several officers within the CNF, mostly of flag rank, that graduated from the UNSC's Luna OCS Academy or the Naval Officers Academy, formerly on Reach. Most admirals within the fleet transferred from the UNSC upon the navy's formation, much like other high-ranking officers in the other branches, as well as UNSC officer transfers. An example of this is the current Chief of the CDF, Admiral of the Fleet George Collins, who graduated from the Luna OCS Academy in 2528. 
===Commonwealth Marine Corps===
The Commonwealth Marine Corps is the CDF's main offensive action force, dedicated to establishing beachheads on hostile planets and acting as the first-wave of an assault. Upon its foundation, the Commonwealth Marine Corps only consisted of five battalions of fresh-faced recruits and veteran NCOs and officers, all of which had transferred from the . However, in the span of three years, the CMC had expanded into a huge organisation of over a million soldiers, all well-trained and experienced combat soldiers. Unlike the rest of the branches in the CDF, the CMC is an all-volunteer organisation, taking applications from civilians, other military personnel, UNSC transfers, and foreign residents in NSW. The prestige surrounding 'New South Wales' Finest' is certainly a boon to recruitment, as a sizable minority of the CMC's footsoldiers are from the Federation of Lanua, who have no marine corps of their own. 
The CMC uses equipment similar to the UNSC Marine Corps and the NSWA, however they often modify certain vehicles to serve their needs. For example, the M3 Crocodile IFV, which is usually mounted with a 30mm chaingun turret, can have the turret removed, turning the vehicle into an armoured personnel carrier. It can also have a different turret configurations placed on the hull, with a 12.7mm HMG and either a LAU-65D missile pod or a M68 Gauss gun mounted within the turret. This level of flexibility and adaptability for their vehicles is very useful when changing their equipment to suit their situation, a process which the regular NSWA is beginning to adopt. 
Within the CMC, there are two large sub-branches, each with unique missions. The first is the Commonwealth Guard, which acts as the CDF's special shocktroopers. Identical to the UNSC's Orbital Drop Shock Troopers in all but name, these men are often deployed away from the regular CMC with the navy, or act as the pathfinders for a planetary invasion, marking targets and establishing landing zones. There is also the Z Special Unit, a force of 12,500 men split into twelve battalions, which act as special operations and raiding groups. Their job description is fluid, as they can accomplish most reconnaissance, raiding, guerilla and conventional warfare operations set for them. They are unquestionably the CDF's best-of-the-best, and have a slew of successfully completed high-risk missions under their belt. CMC officer candidates go through the same officer schools as the NSWA, however are required to take the standard, twelve-week CMC boot camp every member has to pass, in order to join the CMC. There are also several other courses available for CMC officers and enlisted personnel, such as the grueling Z Special Unit selection course, where over 300 candidates are whittled away to just 15 over the course of four months. 
==History==
The creation of the CDF was a relatively smooth process, as the chaos of the Human-Covenant War was replaced by a period of relative stability. The founding units of the CDF - seven UNSC Army & Marine Corps brigades, one Navy battlegroup and a single battalion of ODSTs - were well-led, with a large cadre of experienced veteran officers and NCOs. Expansion began immediately within the Commonwealth, with the goal of creating a force of 3 million men and women in the military by 2556. This rapid implementation of recruitment drives and National Service was spearheaded by the first Chief of the Defence Force, Field Marshal Luke Kilgore. Luke, who had served in the Human-Covenant War as an ODST and later divisional commander during the Battle of Earth, was a New South Waler, starting his military career as a second lieutenant in the Colonial Militia of New South Wales.
Kilgore would immediately get to work achieving the funding the CDF required to facilitate the expansion, buying more warships, securing contracts with weapons manufacturers, and crucially, establishing a close, working relationship with the UNSCDF's command, and the military of the newly-established United Territories of Fukushi. These goals would be met by November 2556, with the ranks of the army, marine corps and navy swelling as intrepid, patriotic recruits swarmed to the Commonwealth's largest employer. 
2555 would be the year where the Commonwealth fought in its first actual conflict, assisting UNSC forces subjugate the rebel planet of Drummond. The small force of two NSWA brigades gave the CDF first-hand experience in developing its combat doctrine and establishing schools to train new soldiers in the art of warfare. Many of the soldiers that saw combat on Drummond would go on to teach at these combat schools. In 2556 the Commonwealth's involvement in anti-rebel activity would escalate, with the Commonwealth executing its first operation without the assistance of UNSC troops to destroy New Colonial Alliance forces on the planet of Gerona III. 
Between 2557 and 2559, the NSWA gained a fearsome reputation as tough, no-nonsense, competent soldiers led by experienced officers with modern equipment. They especially unnerved NCA troops, who would refer to the New South Walers as 'Diggers', in reference to their tenacity on the defensive, and the Australian soldiers of the same ilk from the 20th Century. The term was worn as a badge of honour by the CDF, with Field Marshal Kilgore referring to the combat soldiers as:
Throughout this time, Commonwealth commando raids and units were sprouting up. Forces such as the Commonwealth Guard, the NSW Rangers, 1st Aerial Landing Unit and the Commando Brigades were all formed, with each garnering a large amount of respect from their Commonwealth regular army counterparts, and the UNSC units they often served with. The unfortunate loss of the Commonwealth Marine Corps' 2/27th Battalion on the planet Orpheus was a dark time for the CMC, as the entire battalion was either killed in action, or executed by the rebel terrorist group Wake up Humanity!. A raid on their compound by Commonwealth Commandoes would destroy the cell, but the loss was heartfelt across the Commonwealth. This loss would start a reform program dedicated to ensuring that frontline combat units would never be isolated as badly as the 2/27th was ever again, and also led to the creation of Z Special Unit.
In 2558, the Orion Arm's natural order was completely upended, as Cortana led the Created to rise up against the UNSC and other Covenant remnant factions. New South Wales was largely ignored due to its lack of large, densely-populated worlds, and so would use the time to expand the CDF to its greatest extent yet. By the time of Cortana's downfall in December 2559, the CDF numbered almost nine million personnel, all poised to rebuild humanity. The extent of damage done to the UEG's infrastructure in the Outer Colonies, however, led to the Hartmann Plan, which mandated the UEG withdrawal to the Inner Colonies in its entirety by 2563. This drawdown caused the Commonwealth to be isolated, with its allies few and far between. Whilst Operation: MANDATE expanded the Commonwealth's presence, it wasn't until 2562 that the Commonwealth took steps to align itself officially with other nations in the Outer Colonies.
Reemerging from its isolation during the Created Crisis, the Commonwealth would prove itself undiminished after the years of silent advocacy, beginning Operation: SALAMIS. SALAMIS would see the CDF dispatched on its first real conventional operation since MANDATE, successfully annexing several more systems into the Commonwealth and setting up substantial fortifications on these "frontline planets". This action worried many in the Outer Colonies that had achieved independence from the UNSC only several years ago, especially the notable Insurrectionist planets ideologically opposed to the Commonwealth. This would see a combined effort dispatched to assist the 'Provisional' forces fighting a CDF intervention on New Zanzibar. Whilst a loss for the CDF in 2564 due to the advent of the Mamore Crisis and the beginning of the Frontier Bush War, the campaign would provide valuable experience for the Commonwealth in fighting insurgencies.
Another notable event of 2563 for the Commonwealth was the formation of the Glasslands Defence Initiative, in conjunction with the Federation of Lanua and the Ectanus Command. This act would see the three largest democratic states of the Outer Colonies unite in an attempt to provide a secure and stable area of influence, warding off both Insurrectionist and Covenant remnant forces. This would be tested with the opening of hostilities against Covenant remnant factions, led by the Wasteland Domain, seeking to encroach upon human territory, in the Frontier Bush War in mid-2564.
The Frontier Bush War would be the first true test of the CDF's military prowess and combined arms capability. Unfortunately, the opening of the campaign would result in several defeats for the forces of the GDI, resulting in evacuations from three minor allied nations, including the Free State of Malik. These early battlefield losses were mostly due to the CDF being a force oriented towards counter-insurgency operations, forcing a complete doctrinal shift to combat large-scale offensive operations launched by threats on-par with the CDF in terms of manpower, equipment and strategy. This would result in the CDF's first victory of the war at the planet of Cilicia in late 2564, as well as a substantial increase in the funding and size of the military. Reserve forces were called up along with the modernisation and refitting of older reserve vessels - not to mention the added support of Lanua and Ectanus, and other non-aligned nations fearful of a Remnant invasion of the Glasslands. 
==Relationship With the UNSC==
The Commonwealth's relationships with the UNSC has always been one of mutual benefit and cooperation. The fast growth and creation of the Commonwealth Defence Force would not have been possible without the aid of the UNSC, generously supplying large amounts of weapons and equipment to the CDF, even ships. This has fostered a genial mood within the CDF's high command whenever someone mentions the UNSC, due to their steadfast support as the Commonwealth consolidated and expanded. As such, it is no surprise that when the hand of dominion came calling for aid in uniting humanity, the CDF accepted the call.
Fighting first with the UNSC on Drummond was a new experience for both sides. The UNSC had never had to cooperate with such an independent force to such an extent before. The CDF too was a new organisation, and was still finding its feet. However, the campaign was a total success, with the CDF learning a lot from the experience of fighting on the temperate planet. Integrated within UNSC units, the Commonwealth's finest acquitted themselves well in battle, gaining respect from their comrades in the UNSC. The naval units integrated into the UNSC task force too proved reliable in battle, when a Covenant remnant fleet suddenly appeared above the planet. The steadfast dedication to the mission and their mates earned the CDF a lot of respect from the UNSC, from the lowly privates all the way up to the very top of UNSC command.
As the years progressed, the CDF grew, and began to conduct anti-Insurrectionist operations by themselves, without UNSC aid. This sense of independence surprisingly brought the two groups closer together, as the UNSC had finally found an organisation that they could rely upon no matter what, unlike the incessant bickering and squabbling that working with the CMA had brought in the past. By 2558, the two were staunch allies, often working together not because they had to, but because they could.
However, in 2558, the Created Crisis began, and all good things must come to an end. The UNSC was mostly subjugated by the wrath of Cortana's Guardians, with a few groups managing to escape the Commonwealth-controlled space. The UNSC's Battlegroup Indigo, an ODST brigade, and even several SPARTAN fireteams had made it to the sanctuary that was the CDF. Their skills were put to use immediately. Battlegroup Indigo was a crucial part of the defence of Barton against a Forerunner Guardian, and proved itself as a fighting force when it achieved victory against a far larger Banished task force in 2560.
In 2560, Cortana's empire fell apart with her death the previous year, and with it brought new opportunities for the CDF and UNSC to rise together. However, as per the 2561 Hartmann Plan, the UEG was to withdraw to the Inner Colonies and consolidate by 2563, leaving their allies to weather the oncoming storm alone. Despite this decision, the UEG was not entirely isolationist in its policy, instead choosing to supply and fund the Commonwealth and other UNSC-aligned states, such as the Ectanus Command, and allow them to take up the UEG's mantle of the major powers in the Outer Colonies. Whilst this caused some disagreement, mainly between the UNSC and Ectanus, by 2569 and the winding down of the Frontier Bush War, the 'Special Relationship' would prove to be fruitful, with the CDF and Ectanus Military Forces benefiting greatly from the aid and equipment supplied by the UNSC. 
After the Created Crisis, the CDF would undergo a huge expansion in manpower and equipment, as the funds from the UNSC were put to good use to create a truly expeditionary military. By 2563 the CDF would total some 13.2 million personnel, engaged in several conflicts such as the New Zanzibar Front: a counter-insurgency campaign conducted by CDF forces in conjunction with the New Zanzibar Freedom Front against the Kropotkin-backed 'Provisionals', and the New Colonial Alliance. Whilst the campaign would end in defeat and withdrawal in 2564, the experience gained would assist the CDF in expanding their counter-insurgency operations and strategies, leading to victories against other rebel groups on Dakar and Terrigal, which were conducted with assistance from the Commonwealth's intelligence agency, the Bureau of Military Intelligence and Security. 
==Equipment==
===Handheld Weapons===
Name 	Type 	Photo	Notes
Evelyn Arms EA55 	Assault Rifle 	 	Produced by Evelyn Arms.
Misriah Armoury BR75 	Assault Rifle 	 	Produced by Evelyn Arms.
Evelyn Arms EA57 	Designated Marksman Rifle	 	Produced by Evelyn Arms.
Misriah Armoury M7SMG 	Submachine Gun 	 	Taken from existing stockpiles.
M90CAWS 	Pump-Action Shotgun 	 	Taken from existing stockpiles.
Misriah Armoury M6D 	Sidearm 	 	Standard issue sidearm of the CDF.
Misriah Armoury M73 LMG 	Light Machine Gun 	 	Standard issue LMG of the CDF.
Evelyn Arms EA52 	Medium Machine Gun 	 	Standard issue MMG of the CDF.
SRS99 Series Sniper Rifle 	Sniper Rifle 	 	Standard sniper rifle of the CDF (variants S2 to S7).
M99 SASR Staunchion 	Gauss Rifle 	 	Produced by Evelyn Arms.
Misriah Armoury M41 SSR MAV/AW	Rocket Launcher 	 	Standard issue rocket launcher of the CDF.
MLRS-1/2 Hydra 	Missile Launcher 	 	Bought in small numbers for the CDF's SPECCOM.
===Mounted Weapons===
Name 	Type 	Photo	Notes
M247N HMG 	Mounted Heavy Machine Gun	 	Variant of the M247H produced by Evelyn Arms.
AIE-486H HMG 	Mounted Heavy Machine Gun	 	Produced by Sentinel Systems.
LAU-65D Missile Pod 	Mounted Rocket Launcher 	 	Produced by Sentinel Systems.
M68 Asynchronous Linear-Induction Motor	Gauss Cannon 	 	Produced by Sentinel Systems.
===Ground Vehicles===
Name 	Type 	Photo	Notes
M274ATV 'Mongoose'	Light Scout/All-Terrain Vehicle	 	Produced by Sentinel Systems.
M12FAV 'Warthog' 	Scout/Attack Vehicle 	 	Produced by Sentinel Systems.
M15LTV 'Razorback'	Light Transport Vehicle 	 	Produced by Sentinel Systems.
M3IFV 'Crocodile' 	Infantry Fighting Vehicle 	 	Produced by Federation Industries.
M11SPG 'Stingray' 	Self-Propelled Gun 	 	Produced by Sentinel Systems.
M808B/C 'Scorpion'	Main Battle Tank 	 	Produced by Sentinel Systems.
===Aircraft/Spacecraft===
Name 	Type 	Photo	Notes
AV-14 'Hornet' 	Light Attack Aircraft 	 	No longer in production.
AV-49 'Wasp' 	Light Attack Aircraft 	 	Produced by Thales New South Wales.
UH-144 'Falcon' 	Light Transport/Attack Aircraft	 	Produced by Thales New South Wales.
AV-61 Wedgetail 	Light Attack/Ground Support 	 	Produced by Thales New South Wales.
D77-TC 'Pelican' 	Dropship/Medium Transport 	 	Produced by Federation Industries.
D79-TC 'Condor' 	Dropship/Heavy Transport 	 	Produced by Federation Industries.
GA-TL1 'Longsword'	Single-Ship Fighter/Interceptor	 	Produced by Federation Industries.
F-41 'Broadsword' 	Multi-Role Strike Craft 	 	Produced by Federation Industries.
==Notable Personnel==
=== New South Wales Army=== 
*Field Marshal Luke Kilgore: Born on New South Wales, Luke fought during the Human-Covenant War as an officer in the UNSC's famed 2/48th ODST Battalion, later leading it as a captain when understrength and in need of reinforcements, during the Battle of Earth. Leading his unit, he was responsible for the defence of the Lower North Shore of Sydney, fighting against several Covenant Loyalist regiments. From there, his promotions were fast-tracked, reaching the rank of Brigadier General at age 38. Transferring to the nascent Commonwealth Defence Force in 2554, he was promoted several levels again, becoming General and overall Chief of the Defence Force. Receiving his promotion to Field Marshal in 2557 after the successful completion of Operation: MANDATE's first phase, his efforts are now focused towards increasing the size, funding and capability of the CDF, enabling the force to punch well above its weight, if need be.
*General Sarah Jacobs: Sarah Jacobs was the first commander of the New South Wales Army, before her untimely death in 2559. Serving as a UNSC staff officer on Reach from 2539, she would stay in that role until 2552, when she would be deployed to a UNSC Army battalion in action during the Fall of Reach. Orchestrating the evacuation of New Alexandria's Eastern Suburbs, she would escape Reach on the UNSC Gaugamela. Serving as a brigade commander on the Iberian Front during the Battle of Earth, she would then request a transfer to the nascent Commonwealth's military in 2554, despite originally being from Paris IV. As Chief of the NSWA, she would implement the Static Force and Expeditionary Group doctrine utilised by the army, and would begin the first phase of Operation: MANDATE. Marked as a confident, capable leader, she was selected to be the replacement for Field Marshal Luke Kilgore upon his retirement. However this was not to be. On a visit to military forces on the colonial planet of Nobetov, an IED placed under her Warthog transport exploded, killing her and the other occupants. This terror attack put an end to one of New South Wales' finest.
*Sergeant Major David Fletcher: Sergeant Major David Fletcher is the most decorated serviceman in the Commonwealth Defence Force. Joining the NSWA in 2554, Fletcher, a native of Meridian, saw action during the Human-Covenant War during the Battles of New Jerusalem and Earth.
===Commonwealth Naval Forces=== 
*Leading Seaman Oliver Stone:
===Commonwealth Marine Corps === 
*Major General Michael Etienne-Therry:
*Colonel Daniel Reinhardt:
==Ranks and Insignia ==
===Enlisted Personnel===
Enlisted Rank (NSWA, CMC)
Rank 	Grade	Insignia
Private/Digger 	E-1 	N/A
Senior Private 	E-2 	N/A
Lance Corporal 	E-3 	
Corporal 	E-4 	
Sergeant 	E-5 	
Staff Sergeant 	E-6 	
Warrant Officer Class Two 	E-7 	
Warrant Officer Class One 	E-8 	
Sergeant Major (CSM & RSM)	E-9 	
Enlisted Rank (CNF)
Rank 	Grade	Insignia
Seaman Class Two 	E-1 	
Seaman Class One 	E-2 	
Able Seaman 	E-3 	
Warrant Seaman 	E-4 	
Leading Seaman 	E-5 	
Petty Officer 	E-6 	
Chief Petty Officer 	E-7 	
Master Chief Petty Officer	E-8 	
Warrant Officer 	E-9 	
===Commissioned Officers===
 Commissioned Rank (NSWA, CMC)
Rank 	Grade	Insignia
Second Lieutenant 	O-1 	
First Lieutenant 	O-2 	
Captain 	O-3 	
Major 	O-4 	
Lieutenant Colonel	O-5 	
Colonel 	O-6 	
Brigadier 	O-7 	
Major General 	O-8 	
Lieutenant General	O-9 	
General 	O-10 	
Field Marshal 	O-11 	
Commissioned Ranks (CNF)
Rank 	Grade	Insignia
Ensign 	O-1 	
Sub-Lieutenant 	O-2 	
Lieutenant 	O-3 	
Lieutenant Commander	O-4 	
Commander 	O-5 	
Captain 	O-6 	
Commodore 	O-7 	
Rear Admiral 	O-8 	
Vice Admiral 	O-9 	
Admiral 	O-10 	
Admiral of the Fleet	O-11 	
== Trivia== 
* The Expeditionary Corps and Static Force is loosely based off of the Australian Army's concept of I Brigade, II Brigade and III Brigade, which regularly switch units and responsibilities to keep soldiers experienced and competent in expeditionary actions. The NSW Army operates in much the same way.
*The author of the article would include an OOB of the New South Wales Army, however values his time and sanity, and as such does not plan to include it as of now.
Category:Organizations
Category:Military organizations