Armada (military branch)

As humanity branched out into space, the shape of warfare was changed forever. The armed services were restructured to efficiently adapt to new environments. All military space vessels were categorized as belonging to a new branch of service -- the armada. The term was originally used to distinguish the traditional navy, which has since been absorbed into other branches of service, from combat spacecraft.

Each major urum maintains its own armada, and it remains the most important element of modern warfare. Outside of the obvious role of transferring troops to other systems, an armada fleet serves as a launching pad for all subsequent military operations on a planet. Obtaining orbital superiority is the number one military priority in any major engagement.

Ancestry
Although the presence of crewmen on "ships" would indicate a strong naval lineage, the modern armada is primarily descended from traditional air forces. During the dawn of the space age, an air force was chiefly responsible for orbital combat operations -- placing military satellites into orbit and launching primitive attack craft. The oldest armada traditions stem from air forces, with conventional "wet" navies playing only a limited role in space operations.

The chief influence of the navy came from submarine crewmen -- many of whom volunteered to serve on the first combat space vessels due to their experience operating in a harsh, enclosed environment from which there was no escape.

Due to the widely different military customs in the hierarchy, there is not a universal ranking system for crewmen.

Fleet Division
The iconic image of the armada is one of huge interstellar warships firing particle cannons and mass accelerator rounds at their enemies. As such, the largest division of the armada is the "fleet division." It incorporates all military vessels above a certain tonnage.

The division is then split further into specific fleets. Structure varies among the urums of the hierarchy, but distinctions are typically made between offensive strike fleets, defensive fleets, and support fleets. Fleets vary in size depending on function, but average thirty vessels. Fleets are typically 'chained' to one specific planet or system, depending on population density.

As using a full fleet in a single engagement is often unnecessary, they can be split into smaller squadrons or combat groups. A small group may patrol the outskirts of a system while the remaining ships remain in orbit around their base planet. Some warships may even operate independently and return to their main fleet only when ordered.

Strike Craft Division
Although less popular, the armada's strike craft division is of extreme importance during planetary invasions. Strike craft are the modern equivalent of combat aircraft -- fighters, bombers, and supports. Strike craft are capable of operating in both space and in various planetary atmospheres, but their space operations are typically limited to travel. Their use in orbital combat is extremely rare, as any role they could fulfill is capable of being performed by a warship or disposable drones.

Strike craft descend from orbit into a planet's atmosphere, where they perform air operations -- bombing targets, supporting ground troops, performing recon runs, and maintaining air superiority by eliminating enemy strike craft. They are capable of landing on the surface of a planet, or, if enough fuel is present, can return to orbit.

They are effectively the middle-men between infantry forces and the fleet. Infantry often requires support, yet orbital vessels -- however observant -- may be unable to spot and neutralize all enemy movements, especially in harsh weather.