Shipbucket

Military Doctrine of Nukkumaa
The military doctrine of Nukkumaa is often reffered to as a defensive doctrine that relies heavily on the support of it’s allies. In the event of invasion, the active forces of the Nukkumaa Defence Forces (NDF) are intended to mobilize fast-response units that are at the ready, prepared to relieve the border guard of their duty/assist them in falling back to a position from where they can better hold off an enemy onslaught. This is meant to buy time for the full brunt of the active forces to be mobilized and reach the front.
The main doctrine is not that of holding a rigid line, but of shifting the defending forces to various points from which strategic dominance can be achieved. This allows them to choose when and where to engage the enemy, giving them an upper hand. There is an emphasis on ambushing enemy forces, and creating obstacles in their path which forces them into killzones, or delays their advance towards vital infrastructure. The very remote and hostile terrain is going to be used to full effect, as it is traversed by only a few major roads which are made to be easily blockaded or made impassable.
After/during these opening operations, the reserve forces are to be brought in to meet the forces already deployed and continue the ongoing operations. Reserve forces will be deployed to sites in the interior of the country that are either heavily populated or deemed as crucial to the national security. The police forces of Nukkumaa will ensure that the populace remains inside and away from dangerous zones, as well as evacuating the populace from areas that are in immediate threat of hostile forces.
A key feature of the military doctrine of Nukkumaa is that Nukkumaa relies on it’s allies to help repel the invading forces, as the military of Nukkumaa is small, and will be likely overstretched. The NDF is intended to continually fall back in order to maintain morale and strategic dominance. Because of this, the aid of foreign militaries is vital to the survival of Nukkumaa in the event of invasion. Once foreign military aid arrives in the nation, concentrated counter-attacks are intended to push the enemy out of Nukkumaa’s borders, while operations behind enemy lines are intended to disrupt enemy supply lines, in an attempt to create shortages and delays in the delivery of military supplies to the enemy lines.
The TL;DR version is "stall and isolate invading forces for targeted destruction, disrupt and delay enemy supply lines, fall back to prevent needless casualties, wait for foreign reinforcements to arrive so that you can push the enemy out of the nation"
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Additional information that I feel like might be inportant:
Nukkumaa is my AU nation is septentrion, where I am doing this alongside BB and Owl.
Nukkumaa is rather far to the north, part of numerous military alliances, and not in any immediate threat of invasion.
Nukkumaa is a rather small nation of only 18 million people.
Nukkumaa is a large nation, with the majority of the land being covered by untouched wilderness (very finlandesque, but also remniscient of North-West Canada)
Nukkumaa is bordered on two sides by military allies, it is bordered to the north by the arctic sea, and to the east by an undecided nation (nobody has claimed that land yet)
I would really appreciate any and all feedback/questions/concerns that I can get on this, as I would really like to make this nation as interesting and well thought out as I can
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The TL;DR version is "stall and isolate invading forces for targeted destruction, disrupt and delay enemy supply lines, fall back to prevent needless casualties, wait for foreign reinforcements to arrive so that you can push the enemy out of the nation"

I appreciate anyone and everyone who takes the time to read through this, even if you do not reply. I do especially appreciate those who do reply, however, because your responses and advice and comments will help me to grow and develop as a worldbuilder, and this is something that I very much would like to do. Thank you all
~Drew

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Alternate Universe Projects:
Nation of Nukkumaa (A Septentrion Nation)
viewtopic.php?f=14&t=8129

Military Ranks in Nukkumaa
Enlisted Men
OR-1: Soldat/Private
OR-2: (Army Scouts Division) Ranger, (Army Air Corps) Air Trooper, (Artillery) Gunner, (Cavalry and Armored Units) Trooper, (all other units) Jääkäri/Jaeger/Specialist
OR-3: Alikerkorpralli/Junior Corporal
OR-3-1: (Army Scouts Division) Ranger First Class, (Army Air Corps) Air Trooper First Class, (Artillery) Gunner First Class, (Cavalry and Armored Units) Trooper First Class, (all other units) Korpralli/Corporal
OR-3-2: Ylikorpralli/Master Corporal
OR-4: Kersantti/Sergeant
OR-5: Ylikersantti/Oversergeant=Staff Sergeant
OR-6: Vääpeli/Field Usher?=Quartermaster
OR-7: Ylivääpeli/Over Field-Usher?=First Quartermaster
OR-8: Sotilasmestari/Soldier-Master/Sergeant Major or Chief Warrant Officer
Officers
OF-1-1: Vänrikki/Sublieutenant
OF-1-2: Luutnanti/Lieutenant
OF-2: Kapteeni/Captain
OF-3: Majuri/Major
OF-4: Everstiluutnantti/Lieutenant Colonel
OF-5: Eversti/Colonel
OF-6: Prikaatikenraali/Brigadier General
OF-7: Kenraalimajuri/Major General
OF-8: Kenraaliluutnantti/Lieutenant General
OF-9: Kenraali/General
OF-10: Sotamarsalkka/Field Marshal
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I just want to provide some background information and some premise before getting into the more interesting parts of the organization of my AU nation of Nukkumaa.
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As I said previously, I do really appreciate all who read this, even without replying. Those that do contribute to the discussion are of a higher level, for you are helping to further my understanding of the subject, which allows me to do more interesting things.
Thank you all
~Drew

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Alternate Universe Projects:
Nation of Nukkumaa (A Septentrion Nation)
viewtopic.php?f=14&t=8129

Is it time to get into the more interesting stuff? Yes! Yes it is!
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Mechanized Infantry in Nukkumaa
In the doctrine of the Nukkumaa Ground Forces (NGF), the Mechanized Infantry is probably the most numerous and the most important of all combat units. The military doctrine of Nukkumaa states that the army is to mobilize and use its forces to isolate and destroy enemy forces in the great wilds of the eastern border region.
The mechanized infantry battalions of Nukkumaa are an integral part of this plan. Rapid mobilization and flexible deployment means that the battalion can easily counter any threat on the ground. It is to roll up to the defensible sites that are chosen beforehand, set up camp, and ambush the enemy forces as they come, isolating and destroying them before they reach important regions.
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I want to make my thanks to those who read this customary, as I know that I have garnered a reputation as a little bit of an asshat. Here, I want to show that I do, infact, truly appreciate those on the forums and discord, as well as in other places not connected to SB who have contributed greatly.
In this drawing, credit largely goes to Colosseum, Ecstatic Owl, and Little Bird. I appreciate you having allowed my use of your drawings as assets very much.
*EDIT* Infantrymen are drawn in Franscale, and vehicles are drawn in FD scale
Thank you all
~Drew

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Alternate Universe Projects:
Nation of Nukkumaa (A Septentrion Nation)
viewtopic.php?f=14&t=8129

Very cool and interesting stuff!

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Best regards,

RegiaMarina1939

Thank you!

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Alternate Universe Projects:
Nation of Nukkumaa (A Septentrion Nation)
viewtopic.php?f=14&t=8129

Allies have a feature to betray you, stay out of your actions and not to do what you may want. That heavy rely on foreign help can be a grand fault in your doctrine, that may lead to the collapse of your country.

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«A sea is not a barrier, a sea is a road, and those who try to use the sea as an instrument of isolation soon realize their foe has already put the sea into his own service.». - Alfred Thayer Mahan.

First of all, usually it's not the army to assist the border guard in "neutralizing initial (invading) forces", but the other way round: border guard assists the army. Even the most "heavy" border guard forces, like East German Grenztruppen or parts of the Soviet Pogranichnye Voyska deployed in some parts of the far-eastern border with China after the 1969 Ussuri clashes (which even had 122mm howitzers) weren't supposed to do much more in case of the full-scale invasion than do a phone-call to the HQ and last on their position for several hours, slightly delaying the invaders and allowing the army to start mobilization. Border Guards are about stopping "incursions" and "infiltrations" rather than "invasions".

Secondly, "continually falling back" in itself contradicts both "maintaining morale" and "maintaining strategic dominance". "Falling back" is never too good for morale. Finnish army of the Winter War wasn't supposed to "fall back" any more than to the Mannerheim line in the south, and in the north (which lacked the of more-or-less continuous front line anyway) emphasis was more on channeling invading forces into narrow areas and attacking them from flanks and behind, which is not the same as "continually falling back" (term impicitly suggesting "trading space for time" done by the Soviets in 1941-1942). More importantly, "falling back" means that it's the enemy keeps strategic initiative and therefore dominance, by choosing where and when he'll attack. There's totally nothing "dominant" in "falling back to avioid casualties". It's what French Army did in June 1940. :>

Thirdly, population of 18 million people is not really that small. It's more than 3 times population of Finland, nearly twice the population of Sweden, or half of the population of Poland or Canada. It's accepted as a rule of thumb, that a country (at least with something resembling working economy) can keep a peacetime military establishment of 1% of population (which is 180.000 in this case) before it becomes too much strain of economy. Of course equipping such amount of people with modern equipment is sometimes different matter (though in developed countries these days it's mostly about political will and spending priorities rather than some inherent impossibility), but with a peacetime military of nearly 200 thousand (with possible war-time strength in million-range) once can do much more than just rely on allies to come for help, especially when the landscape gives you such bonus in defence.

As for the organizational sheet... :/
One thing is that it's arrangement is rather confusing because the lines showing subordination go through HQ units. So the way it's now, it suggests, that Mech. Infantry Bn is composed of single Headquarters and Medical Co., and that HQ/Med.Co. is in turn sub-divided into:
-Battalion Headquarters Company,
-Headquarters Company Headquarters (WTF?),
-three Mechanized Infantry Companies.
I suggest You rather make it like that:

-this way the lines are shown as coming between higher and lower units, rather than through HQ elements - it's implied (but clear) that these sub-units are led by their commanders anyway.

Next, I see over-abundance of drones there - both in Scouts Platoon and company Intel Teams. You copied it from somewhere? IMHO it's enough to keep these in Scouts Platoon. Area covered by a battalion isn't really that large, even in Finland/Canada-esque country and they just wouldn't really encounter that many targets to watch - besides, I assume there are some higher-level units that would have larger drones that would give "bigger picture" anyway.

What I see very conspicuously missing from that battalion is lack of any mortars, and the "heavy weapons" in the Heavy Weapons Platoons aren't really that heavy be it in quality or quantity. Typically a battalion has 6-9 mortars of 81mm-82mm calibre - sometimes even 4-6 (occasionaly more) 120mm mortars on battalion level and 2-3 81-82mm mortars in each company (of course all of them either towed by a jeep or on an armored vehicle). Many armies also have 60mm mortars in platoons, but that's usually seen in the light infantry units (though I believe that British Army until relatively recently had 51mm mortars in it's "armored infantry" battalions too). As for the other "heavy weapons" - keep in mind that more often that not such weapons as machine guns, anti-tank missile launcher (btw. You don't seem to have too many of these too - I assume that each of the Infantry Fighting Vehicles has a launcher, or otherwise this battalion is very soft on anti-tank defence), smaller recoilless guns (like Carl Gustav) etc. (basically anything that's not disposable after single shot) has a crew of two - one is carrying the gun/launcher (and operates it), second is carrying ammunition/spare missiles/projectiles.

In relation to heavy (or maybe rather heavy-ish) weapons, there's also something in the platoon organization. First of all, usually Mechanized Infantry platoons have up to 4 IFV's - 3 for basic rifle squads and 1 that carries platoon "HQ" (which is much more miniscule than in Your sheet) and platoon support weapons. Typically "platoon HQ" is just commander (lieutenant) and assistant (sergeant). Maybe add to this someone carrying a radio (arguable in Mech.Infantry). Driver is together with support weapons element, and there are no gunners in HQ.
(though at least in the past Israeli mech.infantry battalions had 6-men command squads, but they weren't armed with anything heavier than UZI)
As for the squads, with mech.infantry, they tend to have CO, driver and either 2 (or more) identical teams (with, say 3 rifles and 1 LMG) or 1+ "light" team (rifles only) and 1 "heavy" team (MG and/or some other heavier weapons - anti-tank launchers, light mortars etc.).
Btw. large part of the personnel, incl. officers, rear-area personnel, drivers etc. would be rather armed with pistols or sub-machine guns rather than full-length rifles, which tend to be too cumbersome for the tasks they do.

Hey Eswube, thank you for your response. I am probably going to address it in a series of messages bc my attention span is not the best, and I want to kinda focus my responses. So as for the doctrine, I very much agree with all of your points. My main issue here seems to have been a poor execution of the explanation, and your criticisms are helping me to hone that much better. Your first point is very much striking true and I think that I should clarify what I meant by this. I intended for it to mean that I have a number of fast-response units that are at the ready prepared to relieve the border guard of their duty/assist them in falling back to a position from where they can better hold off an enemy onslaught.
Your second point is also very much true and again, I explained it very poorly which lead to a misunderstanding. I am not just continually falling back, rather I am conducting a capmpaign of scorched earth and strategic dominance. Rather than just holding a line, this allows me to choose where and when to engage the enemy, which allows for me to stall long enough to fully mobilize my active forces stationed around the country, as well as for close allies to begin to launch their own attacks against the enemy.

A large part of the background of the world in which Nukkumaa resides, which is almost THE most important part of the world, was left out of the additional information, and will be added in after this.
Septentrion is based around a world where the Soviet Union never began to falter, and the Cold War never began to slow down to the extent that it did IRL. As such, responses from allied nations will be nearly immediate. This is because the invasion of my nation means that the whole world is about to be on fire.

I am going to go in and rectify some of these things in my original post, and then resume addressing your concerns.
Thanks again,
~Drew

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Alternate Universe Projects:
Nation of Nukkumaa (A Septentrion Nation)
viewtopic.php?f=14&t=8129