United Nations Sol Defense Corps

The **Sol Defense Corps** (SDC) is the expeditionary and space warfare service division of the United Nations' military and forms the main armed forces component of extraterrestrial human operations. Its function is to police, defend and monitor the Sol system from any foreign threats as well as initiate expeditionary efforts to other star systems in the form of the Final Frontier Project. It has more than 7.8 million active personnel and is dominantly composed of its **Navy**, with its offensive infantry unit being the **Marine Corps** and defensive infantry unit being its **Army**.

As a United Nations proponent force, the SDC is made of personnel from backgrounds all over the globe and even over the colonies (Venus and Mars) as well. Tracing its traditions and customs back mainly to that of the United States Navy and Royal Navy, of which the SDC received a large amount of initial funding from, the Corps prides itself on combining the traditions of the oldest military type in the world, a sailing navy, with that of the newest warfare region humanity has ever encountered: space.

## Mission

The SDC concerns itself with the following goals, as outlined in the 2052 Constellation Act, Section III:

* Defend the Sol system and its constituent bodies from foreign threats,
* Assist the Peacekeeper Corps in maintaining peace in the United Nations,
* Overcome and defense against hostile entities who wish to compromise the security of Sol and beyond.

## History

Founded in 2059, the Sol Defense Corps initially started off as a coalition of the United Nations as establishing a united space-based military of Sol, following the widespread advent of interplanetary travel and projected increases of trade between Earth, Luna, Venus, and Mars. Militaries such as the United States Space Force would pool early-age armed spacecraft as part of the coalition force.

Over the next fifteen, the SDC would evolve from being an international cooperative of sovereign-owned spacecraft to a full spacefaring naval force, forging its own shipyards, installations, and fleets. Mainly borrowing personnel from the navies and space forces of UN Security Council nations, its personnel complement rapidly grew until it had personnel numbering in the millions, pooled from the citizens of over 130 different countries.

Up until the late 2060s, the SDC was focused on protecting trade and shipment freedom, deterring piracy and crime committed on ships and acting as a maritime police force for vessels transiting between planets.

### The Interplanetary War (2074-2076)

*Main article: Interplanetary War*

The outbreak of the Interplanetary War in 2074 and subsequent multi-front war forced the SDC to endure its first actual war since its founding, a feat which initially took the budding military by surprise. As the war grew on however, the SDC gradually adopted new strategies from the war and, by its conclusion, emerged as a veteran force who knew how to fight equal, and sometimes superior opponents.

It was then that the Sol Defense Corps Navy faced off against its two main rivals, the Martian Congressional Republic Navy and the Free Jovian Navy.

### The First Contact War (2097-2099)

*Main article: First Contact War*

The First Contact War served as the true test of the Sol Defense Corps against a superior military force. While it resembled a string of skirmishes and incidents rather than a true war, it was a primary factor in the growth and further militarization of the SDC as an actual military rather than a peacekeeping force. The first carriers and FTL-capable warships (courtesy of the Deihomine researchers of AXIOM) were launched during the war in response to Communal capital ships, and saw the development of the first space fighters.

### The Post-War Period (2100-2114)

*Main Articles: Communal Bush Wars, Fearmainear Organization*

Following the white peace of the First Contact War, the Department of the Sol Defense Corps created the Combined Military Committee as part of the UN's membership in the Fearmainear Organization. It came to serve as a true evolution of the SDC from its days since the Interplanetary War, with the SDC being treated much like the Armed Forces of Earth, with serious budgeting, military training, and equipment purposefully designed for it.

As part of the Fearmainear Organization, the SDC, particularly the Navy, took part in a plethora of military exercises with the Communal Forces, including the 2110 Joint Exercise and 2100 Fleet Review.

In 2105, the United Nations officially entered the Communal Bush Wars after an string of incidents with the Donoiche Freedom Front and Ares Freedom Front, which culminated in the Battle of Eris. It was also around that time that SDMC and NAVSOC assets began going on rotations in Communal territory to help put down terrorist cells in the Communal Outer Sphere.

In 2113, The Final Frontier Project discovered Æsir structures on Heze-III, also known as Avalon. The structures were the United Nation's first insight into the Ancient History of the cluster as well as the Labyrinth (astrological anomaly).

### The Labyrinthine War (2114-Present)

*Main Articles: Labyrinthine War, 2114 Earth Attack, 2116 Gibraltar Attack, Avalon Campaign, Kyffhauser Campaign*

In 2114, the Sol Defense Corps entered the Labyrinthine War following the 2114 Earth Attack, which caused considerable casualties on Earth. As a result, the various fleets of the SDCN and Marine Expeditionary Units were fully mobilized in the following months.

It was also then that the Avalon Campaign started as the Æsir Dominion attempted to take control of Avalon in a bid to set up a staging point for further attacks on the UN. The SDC was successful in pushing the Dominion out of Avalon's orbit and off the planet, however still had to contend with rampant guerilla warfare by Dominion remnants and Avalonian supporters.

In 2116, just prior to the SDCN Sixth Fleet's passage through the Red Pit, Gibraltar was attacked along with the Fearmainear Shipyards and Alistair Frontier Station. Shortly thereafter, the SDC launched the Kyffhauser Campaign to retake the fallen world.

## Organization

### Chain of Command

The SDC is executively led by the Commander-in-Chief, a position entitled, customarily, to the holding of the civilian **Secretary General** (SECGEN) of the UN. Second in authority to the Commander-in-Chief is the **Secretary of the Sol Defense Corps** (SECSDC), responsible for the administrative and logistical side and focuses strictly on the Corps.

The Army, Navy, and Marine Corps are each led by the highest-ranking flag officers of their respective division, comprising the **Commander of the Army**, the **Commander of the Fleet**, and the **Commander of the Marine Corps**, respectively. Unlike their national counterparts, the CMA, CMF, and CMC fulfill both administrative and operational authority over the organization and strategy of the SDC.

### The Defense Corps

The five military departments comprise the Sol Defense Corps Army, Sol Defense Corps Navy, Sol Intelligence Service, Sol Defense Marine Corps, and the Final Frontier Project, with all but the Sol Intelligence Service and Final Frontier Project comprising the Sol Defense Corps' three uniformed branches. These military forces are, in turn, organized into two unified combatant commands, SDC Naval Command (NAVCOM) and SDC Unified Ground Command (GROCOM), with a third command subordinate to GROCOM, the Combined Operations Command (COMOC).

NAVCOM oversees all space-based assets and operations, particularly those of the SDCN. The Navy is divided into three major commands; SDC Fleet Command (FLTCOM) for oversight of movement and assignment of naval spacecraft, Naval Special Operations Command (NAVSOC) for oversight of naval special forces, and Logistical Operations Command (LOGICOM) for oversight of the delivery of parts, munitions, food, and fuel.

The Sol Defense Corps Army and Marine Corps assets are administered by UNICOM, responsible for the coordinating of terrestrial missions. The Marine Corps works alongside the Navy to rapidly deploy onto other worlds from space. The Army serves as a heavy ground defense force, deploying the majority of its soldiers to garrisons to serve to defend territory from invading forces.

The Combined Operations Command (COMOC) administers national forces volunteered to the Sol Defense Corps, which often takes form in the various Combined Special Operations Command (COMSOC) units.

Operational control of UNICOM and NAVCOM groupings is exercised through five Central Commands (CENTCOMs), which have responsibility over certain areas of space. These commands are designated in relation to Sol. Forces from one CENTCOM may not be moved to another without authorization from the Command Staff, meaning CENTCOM commanders must consider their force deployments wisely.

Current CENTCOMs of the SDC
 Expeditionary Command | EXCOM | TBA

## Army

*Main Article: Sol Defense Corps Army*

The Sol Defense Corps Army (SDCA) is the defensive ground force of the Sol Defense Corps, fielding X.X million active personnel, with X million personnel in reserve. Approximately XX% of the SDCA's active personnel are enlisted, with XX% being officers. The Army often serves as garrisons for ground bases like SDB Gibraltar or SDB Admiral Souther. Unlike the Marine Corps, the SDCA employs its own medical personnel and generally operates heavier equipment as well as its own aircraft.

## Navy

*Main Article: Sol Defense Corps Navy*

The SDC Navy (abbrev. SDCN) has a total of XXX commissioned ships in active service, 115 noncommissioned support craft, and more than 55,000 shuttlecraft. 23 commissioned vessels are part of the Final Frontier Project. It has 4.4 million enlisted personnel with about 900,000 officers.

The navy employs corvettes, frigates, cruisers, battlecruisers, and carriers, with a style of varying their class complement strongly to emphasize versatility and readiness for any situation.

During times of peace, the SDCN focuses resources on maritime policing in the UN's systems as well as functioning as a counter-piracy service. The Sixth Fleet in particular operates the Final Frontier Project for scientific efforts.

At its operational peak at the height of the Martian Revolution the SDC had fielded more than 400 commissioned warships, responsible for guarding trade routes, establishing blockades, landing troops and fighting off enemy craft.

The headquarters of the SDCN is located in Gibraltar, Earth, with bases present in all the Colonies (Luna, Venus, and Mars), as well as orbital installations around Jupiter, Neptune, and Pluto.

### Naval Special Operations

*Main Article: Naval Special Operations Command*

The Navy's special operations detachment, known as NAVSOC, is responsible for conducting precision strikes and assisting the Navy in high-risk small-scale warfare, working as a commando operation force to handle extraordinary threats. They are often seen paired with the Marines for taking down alien threats.

## Marine Corps

The Sol Defence Marine Corps (SDMC) is the marine and offensive infantry division of the SDC. It has 2.1 million active personnel, with 2 million enlisted and 100,000 officers. The Marines often serve as infantry detachments aboard SDCN vessels. They are trained soldiers and serve as a privileged infantry unit.

Marines employ medical personnel and chaplains from the Navy for help in their operations and are partnered with the SDCN for a majority of operations.

## Facilities

The SDC holds several enormous bases both planetside and in orbit, forming large shipyards, starbases, and ground installations for construction, mooring, repairs, training, and garrisons.

### Military Bases

The SDC holds many military bases for primarily Army and Navy usage, although they do support Marine Corps activity. While some bases act as drydocks and ground facilities for atmosphere-capable starships, most are administrative offices or troop garrisons.

### Starbases

The SDC additionally holds several military orbital installations in various places around Sol and beyond.

### Service Academies

The UN Service Academies (UNSA) are universities partnered with the SDC to provide both a college education and military training to prospective officers. Unlike individual militaries, the UNSA's are very selective about entrants, with substantial funding from the United Nations.

### Officer Training Centers

The Officer Training Centers (OTC) are an alternative means to training officer candidates. They provide training and education for prospective students who have already graduated college with a degree, as well as providing education to enlisted wishing to become a commissioned officer.

Officer Training Centers of the UN

### Basic Training Centers

The Basic Training Centers (BTC) are combined training centers for recruits of the SDC. They provide basic military training for Enlisted and officer cadets.