Imperial Navy

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Imperial Navy
Founded1524; 500 years ago (1524)
Country Great Morstaybishlia
TypeNavy
RoleNaval warfare
Size
  • — Regular
  • — Maritime Reserve
  • — Imperial Fleet Reserve
  • 254 commissioned ships, — including RFA
  • — aircraft
Part of Royal Armed Forces of the Empire
Naval Staff OfficesHelmstaple, Xenliada, Staynes, Great Morstaybishlia
NicknameThe Venerable
Motto"Imperator maris, dominus undarum"
"sovereign of the sea, lord of the waves"
March"Golden Cannons at Sea"
Anniversaries15 November
Fleet
Commanders
Lord High AdmiralKing Lambertus VII
Senior Naval LordAdmiral Otto von Hessius
Second Naval LordVice Admiral Riannar Lewinton
Fleet CommanderVice Admiral Orson Windersar
Insignia
Flag

The Imperial Navy (IN) is Great Morstaybishlia's naval warfare force. Although warships were used by the Staynish and Kaltariz kings from the early medieval period, the first major maritime engagements were fought in the the Kaltariz Civil War. The modern Imperial Navy traces its origins to the late 16th century; it the oldest of the MBE's armed services.

From the middle decades of the 17th century, and through the 18th century, the Imperial Navy vied with the Kormistazic Navy, the Ethalrian Navy and later with the Salovian Navy for maritime supremacy. From the mid 18th century, it was one of, if not the world's most powerful navy. The Imperial Navy played a key part in establishing the Morstaybishlian Empire as the unmatched world power during the 19th and first part of the 20th centuries. Due to this historical prominence, it is common, even among non-Morsts, to refer to it as "the Imperial Navy" without qualification.

It's frequent conflicts around the globe has entitled Morstaybishlia to keep its naval spending higher than other branches of the RAFOTE. It's retention of 17 colonies over five continents, as well as strategic and longstanding allies such as Kuthernburg, Meridia and Lunaria allows Great Morstaybishlia to maintain military bases and garrisons around the globe.

The Imperial Navy maintains a fleet of technologically sophisticated ships, submarines, and aircraft, including fourteen aircraft carriers, two amphibious assault docks, 15 ballistic missile submarines (which maintains the MBE's nuclear superiority), 44 nuclear fleet submarines, 6 guided missile cruisers, 57 guided missile destroyers, 55 frigates, 25 patrol boats and 11 mine countermeasures, plus 27 ships of the Imperial Fleet Auxiliary (IFA); the IFA replenishes Imperial Navy warships at sea.

Roles

The Imperial Navy is the seafaring branch of the RAFOTE, the IN has various roles. As it stands today, the IN has stated its 7 major roles as detailed below in umbrella terms.

• Preventing Conflict – On a global and regional level
• Providing Security At Sea – To ensure the stability of international trade at sea
• International Partnerships – To help cement the relationship with Great Morstaybishlia's allies (such as the NSTO)
• Maintaining a Readiness To Fight – To protect the Great Morstaybishlia's interests across the globe
• Protecting the Economy – To safe guard vital trade routes to guarantee Great Morstaybishlia's and its allies' economic prosperity at sea
• Providing Humanitarian Aid – To deliver a fast and effective response to global catastrophes
• Protecting the UNAC - The IN is a lead protector of the sovereign states of the UNAC and its economic interests

Imperial Navy today

Krallows at Horilan, Jubrionas, is the basic training facility for newly enlisted ratings. Morstannia Imperial Naval College is the initial officer training establishment for the navy, located in the town of Marlings, Jubrionas. Personnel are divided into a warfare branch, which includes warfare officers and Naval Aviators, as well other branches including the Imperial Naval Engineers, Imperial Navy Medical Branch, and Logistics Officers, the renamed Supply Officer branch. Present day officers and ratings have several different Imperial Navy uniforms; some are designed to be worn on ship, others ashore or in ceremonial duties. Women began to join the Imperial Navy in 1904 with the formation of the Women's Imperial Naval Service (WINS), which was disbanded after the end of the Great War in 1917, as a result of the decision to fully integrate women into the structures of the Imperial Navy. By the start of the Auroran Imperial War, women were able to serve in all sections of the Imperial Navy including the Imperial Marines.

Equipment

Ships

Aircraft carriers

MBS Glasgore, a Glasgore-class aircraft carrier and the flagship of its class

An aircraft carrier is typically deployed along with a host of additional vessels, forming a carrier strike group. The supporting ships, which usually include three or four cruisers and destroyers, a frigate, and two attack submarines, are tasked with protecting the carrier from air, missile, sea, and undersea threats as well as providing additional strike capabilities themselves. Ready logistics support for the group is provided by a combined ammunition, oiler, and supply ship. Modern carriers are named after Morstaybishlian admirals and politicians, usually prime ministers.

Amphibious warfare vessels

MBS Louzaria, a Dokdo-class amphibious assault ship

Amphibious assault ships are the centerpieces of MBE amphibious warfare and fulfill the same power projection role as aircraft carriers except that their striking force centers on land forces instead of aircraft. They deliver, command, coordinate, and fully support all elements of a imperial marine expeditionary force in an amphibious assault using both air and amphibious vehicles. Resembling small aircraft carriers, amphibious assault ships are capable of VTOL, and rotary wing aircraft operations. They also contain a well deck to support the use of Landing Craft Air Cushion (LCAC) and other amphibious assault watercraft. Recently, amphibious assault ships have begun to be deployed as the core of an expeditionary strike group, which usually consists of an additional amphibious transport dock and dock landing ship for amphibious warfare and a cruiser and destroyer, frigate, and attack submarine for group defence. Amphibious assault ships are typically named after its colonies or territories.

Amphibious transport docks are warships that embark, transport, and land Imperial Marines, supplies, and equipment in a supporting role during amphibious warfare missions. With a landing platform, amphibious transport docks also have the capability to serve as secondary aviation support for an expeditionary group. The two amphibious transport docks has capacity for two attack helicopters, LCACs, and other conventional amphibious vehicles.

The dock landing ship is a medium amphibious transport that is designed specifically to support and operate LCACs, though it is able to operate other amphibious assault vehicles in the Morstaybishlian inventory as well. Dock landing ships are normally deployed as a component of an expeditionary strike group's amphibious assault contingent, operating as a secondary launch platform for LCACs. All dock landing ships are named after colonies or territories.

MBS Vanscower, a Wetheron-class heavy guided-missile cruiser

Cruisers

Cruisers are large surface combat vessels that conduct anti-air/anti-missile warfare, surface warfare, anti-submarine warfare, and strike operations independently or as members of a larger task force. Modern guided missile cruisers were developed out of a need to counter the anti-ship missile threat facing the Imperial Navy. Its cruisers now have anti-air and anti-missile defense in a battle force protection role. Developments of vertical launch systems gave cruisers additional long-range land and sea strike capability, making them capable of both offensive and defensive battle operations. Cruisers are typically named after Admirals in the Great War.

MBS Bursil, one of 33 Litop-class destroyers purchased from Kuthernburg in the 80s and 90s, she is the lead ship of her class

Destroyers

Destroyers are multi-mission medium surface ships capable of sustained performance in anti-air, anti-submarine, anti-ship, and offensive strike operations. Like cruisers, guided missile destroyers are primarily focused on surface strikes using Tomahawk missiles and fleet defense through Kegis and the Standard missile. Destroyers additionally specialize in anti-submarine warfare and are equipped with VLA rockets and AH-1 Vipers to deal with underwater threats. When deployed with a carrier strike group or expeditionary strike group, destroyers and their fellow Kegis-equipped cruisers are primarily tasked with defending the fleet while providing secondary strike capabilities. With very few exceptions, destroyers are named after provinces.

Frigates and Littoral combat ships

MBS Rouanezkador, a Rouanezkador-class frigate from the Imperial Navy and the lead ship of her class

Modern Morstaybishlian frigates mainly perform anti-submarine warfare for carrier and expeditionary strike groups and provide armed escort for supply convoys and merchant shipping. They are designed to protect friendly ships against hostile submarines in low to medium threat environments, using torpedoes and helicopters. Independently, frigates are able to conduct counter-drug missions and other maritime interception operations. As in the case of destroyers, frigates are named after cities.

The littoral class ships are a class of relatively small surface vessels intended for operations in the littoral zone (close to shore). It was "envisioned to be a networked, agile, stealthy surface combatant capable of defeating anti-access and asymmetric threats in the littorals". They have the capabilities of a small assault transport, including a flight deck and hangar for housing two helicopters, a stern ramp for operating small boats, and the cargo volume and payload to deliver a small assault force with fighting vehicles to a roll-on/roll-off port facility. The ship is easy to reconfigure for different roles, including anti-submarine warfare, mine countermeasures, anti-surface warfare, intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance, homeland defence, maritime intercept, special operations, and logistics, all by swapping mission-specific modules as needed.

Mine countermeasures ships

Mine countermeasures vessels are a combination of minehunters, a naval vessel that actively detects and destroys individual naval mines, and minesweepers, which clear mined areas as a whole, without prior detection of the mines. The navy has approximately a dozen of these in active service, but the mine countermeasure (MCM) role is also being assumed by the incoming classes of littoral combat ships.

Patrol boats

Patrol boats are named after rivers.

Submarines

Submarines are named after cities in the Overseas Territories of Great Morstaybishlia.