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Kalistani Military Modernization (4517)

PostPosted: Fri Jan 18, 2019 2:29 am
by Doc
From: Lt General Philando Diegogarcia, Adjutant to Minister of Defense, United Republic of Kalistan, Fran Franco
Subject: Executive Summary, Kalistani Military Survey


DTC: 461704170800L
Dissemination: Unclassified, for public distribution

Dear Comrade Minister,

As per your request, my office has completed a survey of our armed forces. To preview the summary, we will note that The Regular Force, consisting of Army, Air Force and Navy is in fairly urgent need of modernization, however, combined with the standing up of the various militias that the Republic has seen in the past few years, the Military remains capable of carrying our its defensive mission of Kalistan, and remains capable of projecting our National authority in the seas immediately adjacent to Kalistani National Territory.

We will note here that all figures listed in this executive summary, prepared for general consumption are not precise, due to national security concerns. We have also prepared a much more in depth report to be delivered to the Defense Ministry, who shall present its findings to The President, the Premier, The Finance Ministry, and the Trade and Industry Ministry, as well as Party Leaders and all other people "deemed need to know."

The format will follow typical formatting for executive summaries. We will give a basic overview of the various topics, point out strengths, and identifying areas for improvement. We will then offer a technocratic recommendation for each summary below, and then summarize the entire report.

Chapter 1: Basing

The Basing situation for the regular forces is fairly stable. Over the years, bases have been well maintained and fully utilized. Capital maintenance has been regularly performed. We currently maintain 15 military bases and institutions attached to the Regular Force. Three additional installations have been shuttered following Privatization. All told, our current basing has housing available for all active duty personnel, along with modern PX facilities, fully operational maintenance facilities and six training and maneuver areas across the Republic.

The Bases we still operate are:

1. Kaliburg Arsenal- Kaliburg Ananto
2. Lhasa Moutain Warfare Training Facility- Lhasa, Neveras
3. Fort Harrison Training Center- Springfield, Odufaray
4. Fort Henry Allen- Dahriel, Ananto
5. Fort Vintalli- Reynoldia, Suldanor
6. Bozo River Combined Arms Training Center- Bozoville Ananto
7. Port Davon- Naval Training and Recruit Center, Kaliburg, Ananto
8. Odufaray NAS- Gendaris, Odufaray
9. Dulnerstaad NAS- Dulnerstaad, Ananto
10. Yoshimi Station- Southern Limit, Yoshimi, Suldanor
11. Port Sweedes Station- Northern Limit, Port Sweedes Vrassa
12. Fort Bjorn AFB- Eshar Odufaray
13. Sulu AFB- Dahriel, Ananto
14. Bozo Airstrip- Bozoville, Ananto
15. Kalistan Regular Depot- Sulari, Suldanor

The Installations which have been shuttered following Privatization, which are retained by the Defense Ministry, but are not operational given lack of supply and authority are:

1. Kaliburg National Shipyards- Kaliburg, Ananto
2. Bozo River National Shipyards Bozo River CATC, Bozoville Ananto
3. Port Elga National Logistics Center- Sulari, Suldanor

Weaknesses:

Given the closure of our national productive capabilities due to generalized and indiscriminate privatization sponsored by the Government of Kalistan, we suffer from a significant weakness which will hamper the modernization and supply of our Regular Force. We do not have the ability to develop naval weapons technology, to refit our navy or to retrofit existing ships for more modern technology. The two national shipyards and dry dock facilities, at Kaliburg and Bozo River, were associated with the Kalistani National Ferromineral Company, and when that corporation was privatized, those assets remained in Defense Ministry hands, and therefore, were closed indefinitely. The National Logistics Center at Sulari was associated with Kalistani National Petroleum Company, and therefore, also remains closed.

If we aim to retrofit or build new ships, we need to acquire regular, confirmed supplies of both steel and petroleum, and explicitly reopen these facilities. Otherwise, we need to develop resources elsewhere, perhaps from former suppliers in Vanuku.

As for existing bases, the Northern and Southern Limits remain secure, as well as adjacent seas and Kalistani airspace. We believe that development of more maneuver areas, especially with the aim of coordinated training with Militias, would be beneficial to the Regular Forces.

Proposals:

1. Reopen the Naval Shipyards and the Logistics center. These installations are vital to the upkeep and maintenance, as well as modernization of the armed forces.
2. Develop at least three new joint training installations, two on the mainland and one in Ananto, two Army and one Naval, for joint training with both Militias and foreign military forces of allied and friendly nations. These installations can be administered and maintained by Party Militias, if the Defense Ministry wishes.

Chapter 2- Kalistani Regular Force

The ground and assault forces of Kalistan were recently rated at 84% readiness in the recent RFRA. The Assessment consisted of a battery of criteria, including how able the Regular Force was to deploy to any location in the Republic within 24 hours, its ability to repel a 2 front invasion, its ability to destroy targets "from the hip", its field discipline, its logistics and supply, and its garrison activities (close order drill, uniform inspections, mess hall operations, medical operations, off duty education, and etc.) Regular duty soldiers were interviewed and randomly sampled, to determine morale of forces, which is rated at 9.3 out of 10. Strengths of the Service listed were numerous, but the list was clearly led by "reliability". Soldiers believe very strongly that the Armed forces is a good career choice, and compared military service to private sector work. The team selected one comment that summarized the feelings of the overwhelming majority of those interviewed. "I joined the Regular Force because it is the only job I know of where I will be sure to have a job as long as I want. I can actually trust that I will have a career here. I can't rely on that anywhere else in the Republic."

The Regular Force remains organized along the lines of the Kalistani Regular Force Order of March. Strengths remain fairly stable, and given the large number of volunteers for the Service due to Privatization, the Military has been able to become more selective in its enlistment requirements. Within the last 10 years, the Regular Force has instituted strenuous physical fitness requirements, which require enlistees to be able to run 5 miles in less than 40 minutes, do 15 pullups, do 85 crunches in 2 minutes and 30 seconds, pull 250 pounds more than 15 feet on a skid, and throw a 25 pound weight more than 40 feet. Additionally, enlistees are required to demonstrate fluency in Vrassan Luthorian and Egelion, competency in triganometry, and familiarity with formal logic. Given the strenuous enlistment requirements, pre-enlistment age students have delayed enlistment for a year while they take military preparation courses. But enlistment attempts are nonetheless up.

Weaknesses:

Kalistan's armor is out of date. Though Kalistani national industries had, up to the point of privatization supplied the armed forces with new weapons and replacement Tanks, the designs of the tanks are more than 100 years old, and new technology is desparately needed to make the Armored force competitive in a modern theater of war. The lack of modern armor hampers any plans Kalistan may have of projecting our power beyond our mainland.

Additionally, we are in great need of modern helicopters. Kalistan's last innovations in rotary wing technology was a built in HUD for pilots. That development occurred more than 50 years ago. Modern forces use integrated battlefield technology, drone technology, and smart weaponry on rotary wing craft.

Proposals:

1. The Regular Force needs to make significant investment in modern Armor and Helicopter weapon systems. Either we could begin development here with a generous Government contract to some private defense industry (though we were unable to identify any defense industries in Kalistan capable of producing a tank, let alone a modern one) or we need to cast about looking for modern tanks and helos. These two weapon systems are standards among the armies of even modest powers, and if this is put off for much longer, while other nations continue to develop their technology, we will soon by passed by even by second tier powers.

2. Work more with the Militias. This will take pressure off our force. The Militias perform a very valuable auxiliary role for the Regular Force. Each Militia possess capabilities which the Regular Force needs due to its limitations, both in terms of capability, but also in terms of its need to conduct irregular activities, but it being governed by international norms. Deeper coordination with the Parties and their militias is very important.

3. The military has acquired a very high opinion of itself and maintains high morale. Create more opportunities for the Military to gain honor and demonstrate its new found pride by providing civil assistance in the Republic. This public relations activity on the part of the Military in the Republic will go very far in deepening the esprit de corps felt among the members of the Force.

Chapter 3: Naval and Air Force

The Naval and Air Forces of Kalistan remain organized along the Kalistani Regular Order of March. Their numbers have not been greatly aggrandized or depleted. Up until Privatization, New ships were produced to sustain naval readiness levels every 20 years or so. There have been few Improvements since the development of the Ananto Class submarine. The Naval Service has adopted the enlistment requirements of the Regular Force, and have seen a corresponding increase in interest in recruitment. The Navy's readiness remains high, at 91%, and the morale of the Regular seamen is 9.1 out of 10.

The Air Force is similarly situated. Typically the smallest and most specialized force in the Regular Forces, the Air Force has been easiest to maintain. Their readiness was evaluated with the Regular Force's readiness and the morale sits at 8.9 out of 10. Due to the specific nature of the air service, the physical requirements are lesser in the Air Force, because there are other education requirements which make the recruitment "exclusive".

Weaknesses:

1. The Primary weakness in this chapter is in the Air Force. Republican technology has not advanced for 100 years. Our support technology is particularly lacking given the existence of modern armor which has made our assault craft nearly obsolete.

2. Our navy is in good shape, and it will remain so for another decade, before ships will need to either be refitted or scrapped. Due to the lack of production capability, this will become a problem within 4 years and will become a crisis within 8 years. But for now, our Navy remains well cared for and quite capable.

Proposals:

1. The Government needs to acquire a constant and reliable source of strategic materials and fuel. We will experience an acute crisis in logistics and fuel within a half decade and in materials for armaments and ammunition within a decade. These supplies are key to the maintenance and upkeep of our Navy.

2. We need new air technology. The quickest way to acquire them would be to purchase them from abroad. We will not have the time to develop our own in the event of an invasion, and our air will be generally useless if we are invaded with modern air, placing an even greater burden on the Regular Forces in other branches. We do not have the capability to build them even if we did develop them ourselves.

Summary

The Regular Forces are still doing a passable job in their strategic mission of defending the Republic. Especially with the enthusiastic support for service by Militias, which greatly augment our capabilities. The biggest two problems are the outated technology which will give a modern regional power the edge in any theater outside of Kalistan, and the lack of a regular and constant source of strategic materials, which were available until privatization, were prevalent. The two biggest recommendations are related:

1. Acquire modern technology from an international supplier
2. Acquire a consistent source of strategic materials, most importantly steel, explosive compound, and fuel.

**End Executive Summary**