Integrated Defense Force (IDF)

The **Integrated Defense Force (IDF)** is the military branch of United Earth (UE). It consists of a sizable interstellar navy, and includes a fighter corps and marine corps. It was created in 2575 at the end of the First Swarm War.

## History

### Founding - 2575

Following the end of the First Swarm War, the United Earth Government created the Integrated Defense Force (IDF) to prevent the repetition of such a disaster. With the exception of the Russian Confederation, the vast majority of the nations on Earth joined the IDF.

### Khorsky Incident - 2638

The Khorsky Incident was a military and diplomatic incident between United Earth and the Russian Confederation. Initially catalyzed by then-commander Timothy Granger's carrier ISS *Formidable* and Abraham Haws's frigate intercepting a new and modernized Russian fleet heading towards the Britannia Sector, situations rapidly escalated when the Russian vessels broke the standoff and fired upon the two IDF warships.

Soon, a full-blown orbital battle raged between the two sides over the planet Vitaly Three, with both sides suffering numerous casualties. However, the timely arrival of Fleet Admiral Dawson aboard the IDF flagship, ISS *Valiant*, along with an armada of warships prevented further destruction and the *Formidable* and Haws's frigate were escorted back to IDF space. Granger would later contend that he had seen a Swarm vessel alongside a Russian warship, with the Swarm ship q-jumping away as soon as the two IDF vessels had intercepted the Russian force.

### Second Swarm War - 2650

The initial stages of the Second Swarm War in the lead-up to the Second Invasion of Earth saw numerous IDF assets destroyed, with the IDF losing at least one *Pulsar*-class heavy cruiser, the cruiser *Nimitz*, two intelligence ships, and Starbase Heroic in the Veracruz Sector alone.

During the first hours of the Swarm fleet's invasion of the Sol system, automated arrays near Jupiter, the colonies in Mars, and Phobos Space Station were destroyed in quick succession. When the Swarm reach Lunar Base, however, they are confronted with a stronger IDF fleet comprising at least six carriers, numerous heavy and light cruisers, and frigates, of which the *Constitution*, the IDF flagship *Qantas*, and the Earth-based supercarrier *Justice* are included. However, Vice President Isaacson's betrayal of the codes to the Smart-Steel armor plating to the Swarm earlier on induces a massacre of the gathered IDF armada and Lunar Base, and at least three admirals are killed in combat.

The remaining IDF vessels retreat to Valhalla Space Station: Earth's primary defense installation in which Fleet Admiral Zingano had hoisted his flag. The battle is similarly bloody, with the petawatt-class lasers that had been effective against the Swarm seventy-five years prior dealing no apparent damage and the last remaining admiral, Admiral Jones of *Trident*, dying aboard his destroyed carrier. It is only the timely intervention and rallying cry of Captain Timothy Granger that saves the IDF forces from a total rout, with the heavy cruiser *Constitution*'s not upgraded--and therefore, Swarm resistant--ten-meter tungsten armor and its higher reliance on kinetic projectiles known as mag rails (or RPOs; rapid propulsion ordnances) exposing the hulls of Swarm carriers, which are then subject to "cooking from within" via lasers. Even so, a number of the carriers break through the thin line of IDF warships despite Granger's invoking the Omega Protocol, instructing *Missouri* to physically ram a Swarm carrier, although *Missouri* is destroyed before she can.

## Notable Personnel in the IDF

### Admirals

* Fleet Admiral Bill Zingano
* Admiral Jones
* Admiral Russell Azbill
* Admiral Ryten
* Admiral Sheldon Tully
* Admiral Vicki Yarbrough
* Rear Admiral Littlefield

### Commanders

* Commander Abraham Haws
* Commander Alonso
* Commander Ashworth
* Commander Christian Oppenheimer
* Commander Gooding
* Commander Kruger
* Commander LaPlace
* Commander Rome (IDF Science)
* Commander Shelby Proctor

## IDF Starships

### Legacy Fleet

* *Constitution*-class
	+ ISS *Constitution*
	+ ISS *Warrior*
	+ ISS *Victory*
	+ ISS *Congress*
	+ ISS *Independence*
	+ ISS *Chesapeake*

### Heavy Cruisers

* *Pulsar*-class
	+ ISS *Kerouac*
* *Constitution*-class
	+ Legacy Fleet

### Corvettes

* *Cincinnati*-class
	+ ISS *Rainbow*

## IDF Starbases, Stations, Shipyards

### **Starbases**

* Starbase Heroic
* Lunar Base

### **Space Stations and Shipyards**

* Valhalla Space Station
* Churchill Space Station
* Phobos Space Station
* Ganymede Space Station
* Wellington Shipyards