L’
Exèrcit de Catalunya 2300
The
Catalan Army in 2300AD
Introduction
L’ Exercit de Catalunya, the Army of Catalonia, is
the national defense force of that small Mediterranean nation. Previously significantly larger in size and based
on an extensive national service system, L’ Exercit has diminished in
size during the 23rd century as the issue of independence from Spain
was settled diplomatically. In the
modern era, the force has evolved into a small, highly professional force, with
much experience in peacekeeping, peace enforcement, and expeditionary low
intensity conflict in some of the most strife torn regions found on and of
Earth.
Introduction
Acknowledgements
Order of Battle
Organization
Task
Force 6
Task
Force 205
Notable Units
International and Regional Relations
Personnel and Institutional Culture
Equipment
The TAR-92 gauss rifle is described in Mark Brown’s Etranger
article concerning Azanian military equipment.
The Mle. 2279 medium machinegun and ML-80 8cm mortar are by Bryn
Monnery, first mentioned in Dan Hebditch’s article on the Elysian Army.
Thanks should be
extended to David Gillon, Dan Hebditch, Randy McDonald, and other members of
the Etranger discussion group who provided commentary and feedback
concerning the Catalan military.
Divisió d’ Infanteria
1er Regiment de
Paracaigudistas
6è Regiment d’
Infanteria Lleugera
20è Regiment de
Muntanyas
29vè Regiment de
Forçes Especial
200è Esquadró
Independent de Comandos de Marina
9è Regiment de
Fuselles
14è Regiment de
Fuselles
32on Regiment
de Fuselles
Divisió de Cavalleria
3er Regiment de
Cavalleria
5uè Regiment de
Cavalleria
8è. Regiment de
Cavalleria
11è Regiment de
Cavalleria
Divisió d’ Artilleria
2on Regiment d’
Artilleria de Camp
4rt Regiment d’
Artilleria de Coet
30è Regiment d’
Artilleria de Camp
Divisió d’ Enginyeres
7è Regiment d’
Enginyeres
41è Regiment d’
Enginyeres
Divisió de Logística
101è Regiment de Logística
102è Regiment de Logística
103è Regiment de Logística
Note: Reserve
formations shown in italics.
INDEX
L’ Exercit de Catalunya is administratively organized
into five non-tactical divisions, each responsible for certain classes of units
(infantry, cavalry, etc.), with the Infantry Division presently being the
largest and most influential (itself formed in 2260 by the amalgamation of
Infantry, Parachute, Mountain, and Light Divisions). Subordinate to these divisions are a mix of active and reserve
battalion-sized regiments. Recruiting
is a constant problem for the Catalan Army, with most active units at about 80%
strength and reserves at less than 50% (though with full equipment sets), and
so deploying units often are brought up to strength with a mix of reservists
and members of other active units.
Historically, regiments belonged to operational brigade
headquarters with specific geographical areas of responsibility. However, with the diplomatic reduction of
Spain as a threat to the nation’s integrity, standing brigades have been
eliminated in favor of task organized brigade formations formed as needed for
specific missions. Three active and one
reserve brigade headquarters companies are organized, maintaining historic
designations of 1er (Nord), 2on (Sud), 3er (Central), and 4rt
(Barcelona) Esquadró de Quarter General, but have no permanent
forces assigned or actual geographic areas of responsibility. Instead, these formations serve as the
headquarters for Task Forces (Destacament de Forces) organized as needed
for operational or training exercises.
Currently there are two such operational formations
established, Destacament de Forces 6 and Destacament de Forces 205 (Task
Forces 6 and 205). Destacament de
Forces 6 is presently deployed in Armenia as part of the international
peace enforcement effort in that nation, while Destacament de Forces 205 is
training up for deployment to the French Arm, where it will serve alongside
Azanian forces performing counterinsurgency duties on Kimanjano.
Though each of these task forces is under the command of a
brigadier general, both are small formations for a true brigade, more
resembling reinforced battalions, particularly Task Force 6. L’ Exercit de Catalunya is generally
deficient in non-tooth arms, and fielding an actual brigade-sized force for
overseas service would require extensive mobilization of reserve elements. As it is, the formation of two separate
reinforced battalion Task Forces has proven to be a significant strain on the
army’s logistical capabilities.
The Catalan component of the peace enforcement mission in
Armenia, Task Force 6 is built around 6è Regiment d’ Infanteria Lleugera,
augmented with two platoons of AC-8 hovertanks, a mechanized infantry company,
and a platoon of special forces troops.
DF 6’s order of battle is as follows:
1er
(Nord) Esquadró de Quarter General
6è
Regiment d’ Infanteria Lleugera
1er
Esquadró (-), 3er Regiment de Cavalleria (AC-8)
3er
Esquadró, 5uè Regiment de Cavalleria (VCIR)
8è
Escamot, 29vè Regiment de Forçes Especial
101è
Regiment de Logística (-)
Destacament
de Forces 205
Presently training up for deployment to the French Arm to
support Azanian counterinsurgency and mopping up operations on Kimajano, Task
Force 205 is, as the name suggests, built around the 20th Mountain
Regiment and 5th Cavalry Regiment.
Presently, active duty combat arms units are supported by the mobilized
102nd Logistics Regiment, though it is expected that this unit will be
augmented with elements of the active-duty 101st Regiment when that
unit and the remainder of Task Force 6 return from Armenia. Destacament de Forces 205’s deployment to
assist the Azanian government is regarded by most observers as a further slight
to Imperial France, as Catalonia is said to have declined contribution of a
force to the multinational Division Europa (it is also rumored, however,
that Azania is underwriting most of the costs of deployment for Task Force
205).
Task Force 205 consists of an infantry regiment (the 20th
Mountain Regiment, with the reconnaissance company from the 1st
Parachute Regiment bringing the under strength 20th Regiment up to
approximately full-strength) and an under strength cavalry regiment with one
wheeled squadron (with VCIRs and ABR-76s) and one hover mobile squadron (AC-8
and AVCI-3) plus regimental troops.
Augmenting this force is a full company from the 29th Special
Forces Regiment, a battery of rocket artillery, and a reinforced logistics
regiment (officially listed as the 102nd Logistics Regiment, this
unit is actually formed by the merging of both the 102nd and 103rd
Regiments). Order of battle for the
Task Force is as follows:
3er
(Central) Esquadró de Quarter General
20è
Regiment de Muntanyas
4rt
Esquadró de Patrulla, 1er Regiment de Paracaigudistas
5uè
Regiment de Cavalleria (-)
2on
Esquadró, 3er Regiment de Cavalleria
1er
Esquadró, 29vè Regiment de Forçes Especial
2on
Bateria, 4rt Regiment d’ Artilleria de Coet
1er Esquadró,
7è Regiment d’ Enginyeres
102è
Regiment de Logística
INDEX
1er
Regiment de Paracaigudistas
An airmobile formation (only the regiment’s 1st
Company is actually jump qualified), 1er Regiment de Paracaigudistas historically
was the preferred unit for foreign deployments and expeditionary
operations. With the general drawn down
of the Catalan force structure and switch to a volunteer force, it has lost
this distinction, though it still maintains a high level of esprit de corps and
regards itself as an elite unit. The
unit last saw combat operations during the Central Asian War, where it
comported itself extremely well conducting anti-guerilla sweeps in western
Kazakhstan. During the Manchurian
breakthrough, however, it was pushed into the front near Chelyabinsk and
suffered heavy casualties, narrowly escaping being overrun by Manchurian
armored forces and combat walkers.
The 1er Regiment de Paracaigudistas is organized
somewhat differently than the other Catalan infantry formations, consisting of
three line companies (Esquadró de Fuselles), but no weapons company and
instead substituting a reconnaissance company (Esquadró de Patrulla). The regiment’s three rifle companies are
somewhat larger and better supplied with support weapons (including a section
of four BH-21 combat walkers), compensating for the lack of heavy mortars and
other weapons company support weapons.
The regiment’s single airborne company and reconnaissance company both
frequently train with foreign military formations elsewhere in Europe and (more
occasionally) elsewhere on Earth or on Tirane (this last curtailed
significantly since the termination of the democratic French government).
The regiment was scheduled to replace 6è Regiment d’
Infanteria Lleugera in Armenia in early 2304, but that deployment has been
cancelled due to increasing friction between 6è Regiment and the
Armenian government. Instead, one
company has been attached over to 20è Regiment de Muntanyas for service
in the French Arm while the remainder of the unit has been stood down from
pre-deployment training.
6è
Regiment de Infanteria Lleugera
Perpetuating the lineage of the former Light Infantry
Division, 6è Regiment d’ Infanteria Lleugera (6th Light
Infantry Regiment) is presently the core unit of Task Force 6, part of the
international peace enforcement effort in Armenia. During the deployment it has been involved in a number of
skirmishes with paramilitaries, and has been subject to a number of complaints by
the Armenian government, claiming bias in favor of Turkish separatists. These complaints appear groundless, but have
prompted the cancellation of 1st Parachute Regiment’s follow up
deployment.
The regiment consists of a headquarters and support company,
three rifle companies, a weapons company with 10.5cm heavy mortars, BH-21
combat walkers, anti-tank and anti-aircraft missiles, and a reconnaissance
platoon with both infantry scout squads and short range UAVs. Catalan infantry weapons companies are notable
for merging anti-tank and anti-aircraft missile systems into a single platoon;
accustomed to operating under conditions of air superiority, members of such
platoons are primarily tasked with anti-armor and bunker busting duties, with
use of the Martel SAMs they also carry being very much a secondary
tasking.
The 6è Regiment d’ Infanteria Lleugera does less
training with foreign units than the other active duty members of the Divisió
d’ Infanteria, as it lacks companies with specialist skills. Though the other infantry regiments consider
this a sign of the regiment’s inferiority, members look upon this status as an
indicator that they are “authentically” Catalan in their tactics, techniques,
and procedures.
20è
Regiment de Muntanyas
Twentieth Mountain Regiment, like 1st Parachute
and 6th Light Infantry, perpetuates the lineage of the former
Mountain Division of the Catalan Army.
While it is organized identically to 6è Regiment d’ Infanteria
Lleugera, the regiment does maintain proficiency as true mountain troops,
with the entire unit training for generalist duties in such environments and
one line company and the regimental reconnaissance platoon being additionally
trained in technical climbing tasks and high mountain operations. This training historically included frequent
exchanges with French, Italian and Bavarian alpine units, though the War of
German Reunification and the rise of the French Empire has reduced the French
and German training exchanges markedly.
Exchanges with Scandinavian Union and Austrovenia have been developed to
compensate.
The regiment is presently undergoing pre-deployment training
for service in the French Arm, an unusual tasking for Catalan forces whose
service off Earth has, traditionally, been almost entirely limited to training
exercises on Tirane. While selection
for this mission was essentially luck of the draw (with 1st
Parachute and 6th Light Infantry regiments already tied up
supporting operations in Armenia), the regiment has taken this high profile
assignment as proof of their superiority vis a vis their fellow infantry
regiments.
29vè
Regiment de Forçes Especial
A traditionally European, commando/direct action focused,
special operations unit, 29th Special Forces Regiment consists of three
eighty-man companies (one of made up of reservists) plus a twenty-four man Escamot
de Reacció Especial (ERE) (Special
Reaction Platoon). The unit is more of
an elite infantry formation than a true special operations force, with only the
ERE maintaining a proficiency level akin to the British SAS, French 1st
Circle SOF units, etc. Recruiting for
the line companies is open to anyone enlisting in the Catalan Army or presently
serving in its ranks that can pass medical and background checks and then completes
a grueling one-month selection course conducted quarterly. Recruiting for the ERE is usually from
within the ranks of the 29th Regiment itself, though in some cases
outsiders are invited to try out; in either case, personnel will have been
thoroughly investigated and observed by ERE leadership before being offered a
chance to undergo the platoon’s own three week selection course.
Circa 2303, the 29vè Regiment de Forçes Especial has
a particularly busy schedule, with elements supporting both the Armenian and
pending French Arm deployments. In
addition, the regiment trades off responsibility with the 200th
Independent Marine Commando Squadron to provide squad to platoon level security
detachments for the Catalan embassies in Venezuela and Indochina (responding to
general threat levels in those nations for foreign nationals and embassies,
rather than any specific threat against Catalan interests) and augments Catalan
police tactical teams as needed for domestic law enforcement operations. This operational tempo is not wildly unusual
for the regiment, and personnel often burn out and transition back to the
conventional parts of the army after several years in the regiment.
200è
Esquadró Independent de Comandos de Marina
This small (100 man) unit constitutes the entirety of the
Catalan marines. While considering
itself an elite, it is essentially a conventional infantry force whose
responsibilities primarily extend to facilities security (a duty it shares with
civilian Federal Police) and boarding party duties. It is organized into four twenty-one man platoons plus a small
headquarters unit. Members of the unit
are easily recognized by their black berets and their use of British L142 gauss
rifles.
3er
Regiment de Cavalleria
L’ Exercit’s hovermobile formation, and the senior
regiment within the cavalry establishment, 3er Regiment de Cavalleria is
equipped with older AC-8 and AVCI-3 hover AFVs which have been modestly
upgraded through the years to keep them from block obsolescence. The regiment has three subordinate
squadrons, each with six AC-8s and eight AVCI-3s, plus a combat support company
with MRL, air defense and anti-tank vehicles (all based on the AVCI-3 chassis). Conventional, high intensity operations in
general, and maneuver warfare in particular, is not a strength of the Catalan
Army circa 2300, and it is rare for the regiment to find the time, money, and
training space to exercise as an entire battalion-strength organization. Most of the regiment’s training and
operations focus on support of infantry forces or operating as company and
platoon level quick reaction forces. In
these capacities, its soldiers are experienced and highly competent.
Due to the limitation on terrestrial maneuver space, the 3er
Regiment’s subunits are very proficient in amphibious and littoral
operations, by the standards of units not specially trained and equipped for
such missions.
5uè
Regiment de Cavalleria
The junior remaining cavalry regiment within L’ Exercit,
5uè Regiment de Cavalleria is organized identically to the 3rd
Cavalry, except that it substitutes ABR-76 armored cars and VCIR wheeled APCs
for hover AFVs. The regiment is
actually somewhat more proficient at large scale operations than the 3er
Regiment de Cavalleria, owing in part to the command environment and
personality of the regiment’s last two commanders and partly to the fact that a
battalion of wheeled armor does not require as much training space as a
comparable hover mobile formation. The
regiment (less some subordinate units) is presently training up, along with the
20th Mountain Regiment, for service in the French Arm.
INDEX
France
Catalonia has traditionally been aligned with the French
Republic as a counterbalance against Spanish irredentist claims, though as the
threat of Spanish military action diminished during the last century, the
relationship with France became less of a primary issue in Catalan foreign
policy. Relationships remained good,
however, until the Junta came to power in France, a turn of events that
democratic Catalonia regarded as abhorrent and inconceivable (the souring
abetted in no small part by the diplomatic ineptness of the military officers
controlling the nation). The creation
of the French Empire remains a matter of consternation for the government of
Catalonia, though a return of civilian control to the French diplomatic corps
and the Emperor’s personal efforts at mending fences with Catalonia and other
traditional French allies in Europe has improved relationships to a
degree. The improvement has not been
sufficient, however, to induce Catalonia to provide forces for the ongoing
French garrison of Central Asia or to serve under French command against the
Kafers.
It should be noted, however, that this relationship is cool
only at the diplomatic level, and do not reflect the attitude of most Catalan
soldiers to their French counterparts.
When forces from the two nations find themselves operating together,
relations are generally cordial regardless of whatever diplomatic tensions
exist between their parent nations.
Germany
While Germany has emerged
as a counterbalance to French influence in Europe, Catalonia has not gone out
of its way to curry favor with the newly reunified nation. In part this is because overly close
alignment with Germany is regarded a being too strongly couched a rebuke to the
French Empire, which would carry too high a cost to undo should Catalonia find
that it needed to mend fences with the French government. The other issue is that Catalonia’s
opposition to the current French government is based on ideological grounds,
and most Catalans see little in the details of Germany reunification to suggest
an excess of ideological purity compared to the present French government.
Italy
There is some commonality
of sentiment in the approaches of Catalonia and Italy to post-Twilight War
Mediterranean politics, with both seeking to avoid involvement in the regional
attempts at power politics and empire building. Italy’s approach, of course, has been more independent than that
of Catalonia, but Italy possesses a superior industrial base, population and
economic clout. In military affairs,
the two nations are not allies, but engage in occasional joint training exercises
and exchanges and there tends to be a good working relationship between the
Italian Army and L’ Exercit de
Catalunya, even if the two organizations have not worked together much
during actual operational deployments.
Portugal
Historically, there has been a degree of friction between
Portugal and Catalonia, owing to the former nation’s status as a gateway for
Brazilian business (and finished goods) into Europe, producing competition with
Catalan industry. Since the fall of the
French Republic, however, relations have warmed as Catalonia has looked for
sources of modern military hardware and sought to expand its trade away from
dependence on France.
Spain
Traditionally Catalonia’s primary security concern from the
Twilight War until well into the 22nd century, relations have
gradually normalized, prompted in no small part by the economic interdependence
of the two nations. Presently relations
are good between the two nations, with Spanish acceptance of Catalan independence
being generally beyond question except among some marginal and extremist
nationalists. It is not uncommon for
Spain and Catalonia to pool military resources for overseas peacekeeping
deployments.
United Kingdom
While relations have always been good with the UK, they have
improved since the termination of the French Republic and the Catalan
government seeks ties with other Great Powers that would not be considered
provocative by the French Empire. In
military terms, this deepening of ties has primarily translated into purchases
of some British military equipment and occasional joint training exercises.
INDEX
The Catalan Army transitioned from a conscript force to an
all-volunteer one in the 2260s, with a concurrent draw down in overall
strength. Following that transition,
the force also moved progressively further and further away from a primary
mission of defending Catalan territorial integrity, first to a period of
relative aimlessness and then to emerging as a perennial member of various
international contingents involved in post-conflict border monitoring,
peacekeeping, peace enforcement, etc.
There are very few people still in uniform, outside some
very senior officers and NCOs, who recall the days of the conscript force, and
a larger, though still small and aging, body of soldiers who recall the
pre-internationalist phases of the Catalan Army’s existence. The majority of the force considers the
present organization, mission sets, and the like to be the preferable format
and role for L’ Exercit de Catalunya.
Foreign observers often note that Catalan troops are optimistic, even
when approaching some of Earth’s ugliest war zones, with a marked faith in
themselves, their army, internationalism and the human community’s ability to
collectively fix the worst of problems.
This attitude is likely aided in no small part by some distance between
France in the present, and other European major powers and their realpolitik. Regardless, however, the professionalism of
Catalan troops, their enthusiasm for missions many militaries consider murky,
and the generally neutral stance of the nation politically has resulted in
Catalan units being the force of choice for many peacekeeping missions.
Catalan Army Rank System
|
Enlisted Ranks
|
Catalan Enlisted Rank
|
Commissioned Ranks
|
Catalan Commissioned Rank
|
Private
|
Soldat
Artiller (Gunner)
Franctirador (Sniper)
|
Junior Lieutenant
|
Subaltern
|
Private First Class
|
Soldat de primera
|
Lieutenant
|
Tinent
|
Corporal
|
Caporal
|
Captain
|
Capitá
|
Sergeant
|
Sergent
|
Major
|
Comandant
|
Staff Sergeant
|
Sergent superior
|
Lieutenant Colonel
|
Tinent Coronel
|
Senior Sergeant
|
Sergent de primera
|
Colonel
|
Coronel
|
Warrant Officer 1
|
Suboficial
|
Brigadier General
|
Brigadier
|
Warrant Officer 2
|
Suboficial de regiment
|
Major General
|
General de divisió
|
Warrant Officer 3
|
Suboficial de brigada/ divisió
|
Lieutenant General
|
General
|
INDEX
Catalonia has traditionally been a French client when it
comes to issues of military hardware.
However, the curtailment of diplomatic relationships during the Junta
era has meant that Catalan force modernization has seen French military
hardware generally superseded by weapons obtained from other sources, most
generally the United Kingdom and Brazil (by way of many Brazilian corporations’
Portuguese divisions or subsidiaries).
Force modernization has also been limited by funding issues
(French patronage having effectively subsidized the Catalan arsenal for many
years) and, to a lesser extent, by some amount of indecision about how best to
modernize the force. As a stopgap
measure, L’ Exercit opted to purchase a “float” inventory of some modern
weapon systems that can be issued as needed to units deploying outside the
country (or used for familiarization training when not deployed). This is not a long-term solution, however.
Small Arms Systems
The bulk of L’ Exercit is equipped with older French
small arms, with the FAA-73 being the standard service weapon, augmented by Mle
74 squad automatic weapons, and the Mle 80 medium machinegun. A battalion set of L142A1 Enfield gauss
rifles and Brazilian MD-7E laser rifles have been procured for familiarization
and as a float pool for deployment (these weapons are currently in service in
Armenia).
Currently, those forces deploying to the French Arm are
training using their FAA-73s and related weapons, but the current plan is to
re-equip Task Force 205 with Azanian TAR-92 series gauss rifles and associated
support weapons. There are some
indications that Catalonia plans to field the TAR-92 on a larger scale, to
replace their FAA-73s. Additional
Brazilian MD-7E laser rifles and some non-Azanian support weapons (primarly
British and Brazilian) will augment the TAR-92 and other weapons issued to Task
Force 205.
Support
Weapons
Again, the bulk of Catalan support weapons are older French
weapons systems, including ML-80 8cm mortars and some early production PGMP-1s
(augmented by some more recently purchased Brazilian copies of that weapon) and
CLP-1As. The ubiquitous DunArmCo
Mini-12 is widely used as well.
Anti-armor weapons consist of a mix of Blindicide-3 ATGW and
Brazilian MD-8 multipurpose rocket launchers.
Armored Fighting Vehicles
Replacement of major weapons systems like AFVs is not moving
forward as rapidly as small arms, due to the expense involved. Consequently, the Catalan cavalry
establishment continues to make due with older French systems like the AC-8,
AVCI-3, and the like. These vehicles
tend to serve effectively enough in the sorts of operations Catalan forces
usually find themselves conducting, though there are increasing concern about
vulnerability to modern light anti-tank weapons, even with the addition of
point defense systems to the Catalan AFV fleet and other upgrades.
Presently, the priority for replacement in the eyes of the
cavalry community is the AC-8 hovertank.
The primary cause for dissatisfaction is the hull-mounted main armament
that has been rendered effectively obsolete alongside more modern
vehicles. The current debate is between
the less-expensive, but shorter-term solution of replacing the AC-8s with
somewhat newer designs like upgraded American M9 or German Lukis-VIII (readily
available from a number of sources), or the more expensive prospect of
purchasing a cutting-edge current generation design (Brazil’s licensed version
of the AC-12 being considered the most likely). Either approach would address the shortcomings of the AC-8, but
no decision has been made at this time as to a replacement.
INDEX
30/04/06
Copyright 2006, James Boschma