Inner Sphere Aerospace Organization

Unlike the widely-standardized lance or platoon, or armored formations which often vary in name only between factions, aerospace fighter and naval formations throughout the Inner Sphere and Periphery are anything but standardized. For the sake of clarity, various factions' principal aerospace formations are listed below.

Faction-Specific Aerospace Fighter Organization[edit]

Unit Composition Total Fighters Notes
Star League Defense Force Aerospace Fighter Organization[1]
Flight 2 Fighters 2 Fighters When attached to a standard 4-BattleMech lance, the lance and flight together are referred to as an "air lance".
Squadron 3 Flights 6 Fighters
Group 3 Squadrons 18 Fighters
Wing 3 Groups 54 Fighters May be organized into a Ground Aero Wing (GAW), Fleet Aero Wing (FAW), or Independent Aero Wing (IAW).
Armed Forces of the Federated Suns Aerospace Fighter Organization[2]
Flight 2 Fighters 2 Fighters
Squadron 3 Flights 6 Fighters
Wing 3 Squadrons + 1 Command Flight 20 Fighters
Aero Regiment 3 Wings 60 Fighters Referred to as a "brigade" in the Davion Brigade of Guards.
Capellan Confederation Armed Forces Aerospace Fighter Organization[3]
Element 3 Fighters 3 Fighters Can sometimes consist of 2 fighters. Also referred to interchangeably with "lance" and "triple".
Squadron 2 Elements 6 Fighters Can sometimes consist of 3 Elements.
Flight 2 Squadrons 12 Fighters
Wing 3 Flights + 1 Command Element 39 Fighters
Reinforced Wing 4 Flights + 1 Command Element 51 Fighters
Fleet Regiment 3 Wings + 2 Command Elements 123 Fighters Largely deprecated towards the end of the 3rd Succession War, reintroduced during the FedCom Civil War.
Draconis Combine Mustered Soldiery/KungsArmé Aerospace Fighter Organization[4][5]
Lance 2 Fighters 2 Fighters
Flight 3 Lances 6 Fighters Referred to interchangeably as a "demi-company".
Company 2 Flights 12 Fighters
Wing 3 Companies 36 Fighters
Fleet Regiment 3 Wings 108 Fighters Referred to interchangeably as a "Regiment".[6]
Free Worlds League Military Aerospace Fighter Organization[7]
Lance 2 Fighters 2 Fighters
Squadron 3 Lances 6 Fighters
Wing 3 Squadrons 18 Fighters
Reinforced Wing 4 Squadrons 24 Fighters
Regiment 3 Wings 54 Fighters
Lyran Commonwealth/Alliance Armed Forces Aerospace Fighter Organization[8]
Lance 2 Fighters 2 Fighters
Squadron 3 Lances 6 Fighters
Wing 3 Squadrons 18 Fighters
Reinforced Wing 4 Squadrons 24 Fighters
Regiment 3 Wings 54 Fighters
Com Guards/Word of Blake Militia Aerospace Fighter Organization[9][10]
Level I 1 Fighter 1 Fighter Level Is are always paired up, and never deployed separately when possible.
Level II 6 Level Is 6 Fighters
Level III 6 Level IIs 36 Fighters Referred to interchangeably with "battalion".
Level IV 6 Level IIIs 36 Fighters Referred to interchangeably with "division". As a combined-arms formation, Level IVs do not exclusively include fighters; instead, all standard Level IV configurations include 36 fighters.
Taurian Defense Force Aerospace Fighter Organization[11]
Air Lance 2 Fighters 2 Fighters Referred to interchangeably with simply "lance".
Flight 2 Air Lances 4 Fighters
Wing 2 Flights 8 Fighters
Air Divsion 2 Wings 16 Fighters Can sometimes consist of 3 Wings.
Marian Hegemony Armed Forces Aerospace Fighter Organization[12]
Century 5 Fighters 5 Fighters
Maniple 2 Centuries 10 Fighters
Cohort 3 Maniples 30 Fighters
Alliance Military Corps Aerospace Fighter Organization[13]
Flight 2 Fighters 2 Fighters
Squadron 3 Flights 6 Fighters
Regiment 3 Squadrons + 1 Command Flight 20 Fighters
Wing 3 Regiments 60 Fighters
Other Periphery Aerospace Fighter Organization[14]
Flight 2 Fighters 2 Fighters
Squadron 3 Flights 6 Fighters
Wing 3 Squadrons 18 Fighters
Regiment 3 Wings 54 Fighters
Generic Mercenary Aerospace Fighter Organization[15]
Lance 2 Fighters 2 Fighters
Squadron 3 Lances 6 Fighters
Wing 3 Squadrons + Command Lance 20 Fighters
Reinforced Wing 4 Squadrons + Command Lance 26 Fighters

Additional Notes[edit]

  • SLDF Ground Aero Wings were supported by an additional wing of conventional fighters and another wing of transport aircraft.[16]
  • The Magistracy of Canopus fields roughly 100 aerospace fighters, with no permanently-attached aerospace forces aside from the air lances of the Magistracy Royal Guards.
  • In an attempt to preserve pilots, the Taurian Defense Force fields disproportionately more heavy aerospace fighters and fewer light aerospace fighters.
  • As of 3064, the Alliance Military Corps' Alliance Aerospace Arm (AAA) fields 5 wings, for a total of 300 fighters.
  • Field Manual: ComStar incorrectly shows all standard Level IVs as having 39 fighters—a number not divisible by 2. Battle of Tukayyid corrects this to 6 Level IIs, or 36 fighters.

Faction-Specific Naval Vessel Organization[edit]

At this time, the Star League Defense Force is the only Inner Sphere power to have a consistently-enforced naval structure that has been published in canonical sources.

Unit Composition Total Vessels Notes
Star League Defense Force Naval Organization[17]
Flotilla 2 Vessels 2 Vessels
Division 3 Flotillas 6 Vessels
Squadron 3 Divisions 18 Vessels May be organized into a Fire-Support Squadron, Reconnaissance Squadron, Escort Squadron, Line Squadron, Pursuit Squadron, Interdiction Squadron, Transport Squadron, or Science/Survey Squadron.

References[edit]

  1. ↑ Field Manual: SLDF, p. 14
  2. ↑ Field Manual: Federated Suns, pp. 23-24
  3. ↑ Field Manual: Capellan Confederation, pp. 33-34
  4. ↑ Field Manual: Draconis Combine, pp. 15-16
  5. ↑ Field Manual: ComStar p. 65
  6. ↑ Combat Manual: Kurita, p. 76
  7. ↑ Field Manual: Free Worlds League, pp. 18-19
  8. ↑ Field Manual: Lyran Alliance, pp. 24-25
  9. ↑ Battle of Tukayyid, p. 25
  10. ↑ Field Manual: ComStar, pp. 8-9
  11. ↑ Field Manual: Periphery, p. 52
  12. ↑ Field Manual: Periphery, p. 73
  13. ↑ Field Manual: Periphery, pp. 87-88
  14. ↑ Field Manual: Periphery, p. 15
  15. ↑ Field Manual: Mercenaries, p. 27
  16. ↑ The Star League, p. 134
  17. ↑ Field Manual: SLDF, pp. 16-17

Bibliography[edit]

Retrieved from "https://www.sarna.net/wiki/index.php?title=Inner_Sphere_Aerospace_Organization&oldid=1054360"