Tequilapolian Navy

The Tequilapolian Navy is the Military force of the Republic of Tequilapoli. Since 1949, the Navy has been the sole authorized Military Service, comprising air, land and sea forces for the defense of the nation.

Formation

The Tequilapolian Navy traces it's heritage to the Colonial Naval Forces of Tequilapoli, which was founded in 1870 to secure the waterways around the nation from Piracy. The ships used at the time were often British vessels flying under Tequilapolian flag.

on January 1st, 1900, Tequilapoli was granted independence, and the Navy formally relieved the Royal Navy of it's duties. Tequilapoli's fleet consisted of TNS Borneo, a pre-dreadnaught Battleship, and two Cruisers, as well as smaller fighting ships.

Early Years

TNS Sulawesi, 1912

Tequilapoli entered the Dreadnaught Age with Sulawesi in 1909, a copy of the British Bellerophon class Battleship. She was followed a few years later by the Coorstown, an early Super Dreadnaught mounting 14" guns.

The Tequilapolian Navy fought with the British in World War I, and lost the cruiser TNS Dayak at Jutland.

During the interwar years, Tequilapoli joined the Naval Treaties, limiting their warship size and production. Plans to replace Sulawesi' with a newer warship were cancelled, and she was retired in 1925 without replacement.

TNS Borneo, World War II

One class that did go into production was the Borneo class Heavy Cruiser, built to treaty specifications following the pattern of American heavy cruisers. She was originally armed with nine 8 inch guns and ten 5"/25 Caliber guns, but was upgraded shortly before World War II to recieve new 5"/38 caliber guns.

On the eve of World War II, Tequilapoli authorised a new class of Light Cruiser, the Makassar class. Designed around air defense, the powerful ships boasted twenty-four 5"/38 caliber guns, sixteen of them on the centerline. These ships provided air warfare screens for the Navy throughout the war, and made themselves a general nuisance to any enemy surface combatants they encountered. Makassarclass ships destroyed four enemy destroyers and damaged several enemy cruisers in combat.

TNS Makassar, as built

Cold War

After World War II, the Navy absorbed the Army and the Air Force into it's ranks, becoming the sole Military Service of Tequilapoli.

The Navy was quick to try and modernize it's ships during the postwar period. Makassar class cruisers recieved their first refit beginning in 1946, having their 5"/38 caliber guns replaced with 5"/50 caliber guns (built on Borneo), fitted with Autoloaders. During this refit, the 40mm and 20mm guns were removed, as were the wing-mounted 5" guns. In their place, the ships received eight twin 3"/50 gunmounts.

Four ships of the Makassar class were sent to the United States in the early 1960s to be converted to Guided Missile Cruisers. Redesignated as the Bugis class, these Cruisers served until the 1980s.

in 1973, the last gun-armed Makassar class ships were withdrawn from service, leaving the four Bugis class as the sole cruisers in the fleet. By 1981, the older Admiral class Destroyers (originally Destroyer Leaders built during World War II) were retired with the introduction of the Valor class. The first Valor class was ordered from shipbuilders in the US, but the remaining 7 ships were built in Makassar.

Valor class Frigate, 2000's

In the late 80s, the Cruisers were upgraded. The older Bugis class were retired, and replaced by the new, locally built Dominator class Cruisers. The Dominators were built on the hull of the successful US Kidd Class destroyers. They recieved a flush rear deck, 90 VLS cells, and a pair of vertical-loading 155mm guns.

Dominator class, As Built.

Beyond the Cold War

The end of the Cold War led to a draw-down of military spending. Plans for a new carrier and new destroyer class were cancelled in 1992. The Carrier would again come up in 1998 and 2005, but both times funding was not allocated.

Tequilapolian forces would participate in actions as part of global coalitions throughout the 90's and 2000s. In 1991, Dominator screened American Carriers, working alongside very similar American ships in the form of Spruance class Destroyers and Ticonderoga class Cruisers. In 2003, Dominator would again serve in the Middle East, this time with her sister-ship Conquerer. both ships fired Tomahawk Cruise Missiles deep into Iraq, and provided fire support for British and other allied troops in the southern part of the country.

Naval Infantry Forces would be deployed in large numbers to Afghanistan and Iraq, and later Naval Aviators and surface ships would support operations against Islamic State in Syria and Iraq. A-6F Intruder IIs from No. 33 Attack Squadron conducted numerous interdiction sorties in support of Coalition efforts.

Navy Reconstruction

In 2010, Tequilapoli authorized the appropriations for a new Carrier. based on an older American design, the TNS Borneo became the first of the Greater Sunda Class of aircraft carriers. Just over 900 feet long, Borneo carries sixty warplanes and can sail at 28 knots.

Two views of TNS Borneo

a 2015 Appropriations bill authorized the purchasing of a second Carrier, to be named Sulawesi, as well as new classes of Cruisers, Destroyers, and Frigates. This bill became the largest single appropriations bill since 1941, and by 2025 is expected to see existing Dominator and Valor class ships retired. Four of the Valor Class ships will go to the Federal Police Maritime Service as Cutters, while the remaining 8 ships are to be kept in preservation until at least 2035. From there, they may be donated as museums, sold, or scrapped.

TNS Defiant

Customs and Traditions

Among the unique customs of the Tequilapolian Navy is the allowance of Servicemembers to carry traditional weapons. Servicemembers from native ethnic groups may carry any traditional bladed weapons as part of the uniform and combat kit, per NavPers Directive 2301, issued in September, 1939.

All tequilapolian Military Personnel undergo an 8 week training session, learning the basics of military life, regulations, and discipline, before being assigned to "entry training." During this 8 week period, new servicemembers learn the chain of command, military law, marching, and other basics. from there, they are assigned to more advanced training. Officers attend the same class prior to attending officer candidate school, while enlisted service members are then assigned to their branch specialty, weather it is Seamanship training, Ground Combat Training, or Aviation Training.

Tequilapolian surface warships rotate through a 24 month availability cycle. the first 8 month cycle is a working up cycle, preparing for an upcoming deployment. during this time, Ships in the Workup group are on call for emergency deployments as may be required, and often undertake piracy deterence patrols in the South China Sea and Java Sea. Following completion of the 8 month workup period, the ships deploy to a pre-determined assignment. Deployment locations include the Persian Gulf, Horn of Africa, or Pacific Ocean. After returning from the Deployment Cycle, the ships are on a stand-down, wherein any repairs and upgrades to the ship take place. THey may, at this time, enter drydock if needed.