Imperial Naval Fleet

The Imperial Naval Fleet (Latin: Classis Imperialis), also known as the Caphirian Navy, or the Navy of Caphiria, is the naval warfare service branch of the Imperial Armed Forces of Caphiria, serving as the navy of the Imperium of Caphiria. With 2,740,000 active crewmen, along with several thousand officers, the navy of Caphiria is by far the smallest branch of the military, though it does boast near a thousand ships of varying sizes and classes. In the past few decades, the Air Force has been taking on many of the duties of the navy, namely their most important one of patrolling Imperial waters. Nevertheless its importance to the Caphirian economy can not be overstated due to its necessity for controlling Caphiria's assets at sea.

Founded in the heat of the First Thyriasian War, the Caphirian Navy has been instrumental in the Caphirian conquest of the Ecinis Sea, but it never enjoyed the prestige of the Imperial Legion. Throughout their history, the Caphirians remained a primarily land-based people and relied partially on their more nautically inclined subjects, such as the Cartadanians and the Chimor, to build their ships. Because of that, the navy was never completely embraced by the Caphirian state, and deemed somewhat "un-Caphirian". In antiquity, navies and trading fleets did not have the logistical autonomy that modern ships and fleets possess. Unlike modern naval forces, the navy even at its height never existed as an autonomous service but operated as an adjunct to the Caphirian army. The Navy would not become its own separate branch until after the Second Civil War.

Following the First Great War, during which the Imperial Navy was a crucial player, the Kiravians emerged from relative isolation and began to put their newly built industry to churning out ships to protect their trade routes. By the end of the 20th century, the Kiravian Maritime Executive had greatly surpassed the Imperial Navy and are even now the foremost navy on the planet. Whilst still behind the Kiravians, the Caphirian Navy continues to lead the world in naval technologies, particularly in the field of robotics. What they lack in personnel, the Caphirian more than make up for in automated systems, and now the life of a Caphirian sailor is very far from menial. Being a member of the navy is considered a distinction, at least equal to the honor of being a Legionary, though whilst they command the same amount of respect, the public's reaction to them is hardly as impressive; the Legion remains and will always be the heart of the Imperium.

Mission

"The mission of the Navy is to maintain, train and equip combat-ready Naval forces capable of winning wars, deterring aggression and maintaining freedom of the seas.

— Imperial Naval Fleet

The Imperial Navy is a seaborne branch of the Imperial Armed Forces of Caphiria. The Navy's three primary areas of responsibility:

• The preparation of naval forces necessary for the effective prosecution of war.
• The maintenance of naval aviation, including land-based naval aviation, air transport essential for naval operations, and all air weapons and air techniques involved in the operations and activities of the Navy.
• The development of aircraft, weapons, tactics, technique, organization, and equipment of naval combat and service elements.

Caphirian Navy training manuals state that the mission of the Imperial Naval Fleet is "to prepare and conduct prompt and sustained combat operations in support of the national interest. "As part of that establishment, the Navy's functions comprise sea control, power projection and nuclear deterrence, in addition to "sealift" duties.

Organization

The Navy of Caphiria is administered through the Office of the Navy, itself a function of the Ministry of War. Militarily speaking, the highest position in the Navy is Admirallis (Admiral) . Although still subordinate to the Prime Minister of the Navy, the Admirallis has total command over all officers of the Navy and is usually the one to lead important naval movements. Furthermore, the Envoy of the Navy (Nuntius Nauticus) attends virtually all Caetus Legati, representing the Admiral and thereby giving direct influence over affairs in the Legion. The Imperial Commander is however his superior, and is actually superior to all other military positions in the Imperium.

Administrative leadership

On the global scale, there are the four Fleet Commanders (Magistrassis) who each lead one of the High Fleets of Caphiria. These fleets are classed as Omnium, Levantine, Odoneru, and Aquilonem. Although militarily speaking all four Magistrassis are of equal ranking, the Magistrassis Omnium is the second most prestigious military position in the Navy. Though Fleet Commanders rarely attend the Caetus Legati, they do have their own informal military council where they coordinate global affairs and discuss maritime strategy as well as represent Caphirian interests in international seas.

Below the Fleet Commanders are the 32 Fleet Prefects (Praefectus Classis), officers who lead the individual fleets of the High Fleets. A Fleet Commander is responsible for the operation, resourcing and training of the ships, submarines and aircraft, and personnel, of his fleet. The position is highly coveted and considered one of the most obtainable and prestigious ranks within the Navy. A Fleet Prefect may also be responsible for a dozen more commands, depending on the location of the fleet.

Operational leadership

Subordinate to the Fleet Prefect are the 200+ Squadron Commanders (Nauarchi), who controls anywhere between 8 to 14 ships of varying types. The Squadron Commander is considered the first active-duty commanding officer as they are usually always on the front lines giving practical orders. A Squadron Commander may command his own ship or simply control the squadron from the prima navis (First Ship). While the prima navis is not the crown jewel of a particular fleet in theory, in practice it is one of the most vital components to a fleet. All of the orders from the upper command is relayed to the ship, who then relays the information to the rest of the fleet.

Individual ships are led by a Naval Captain (Trierarchus). Captains are promoted by Fleet Commanders and no more than 50% of eligible commanders are able to be promoted to captain after serving a minimum of three years at their present rank and after attaining 21–23 years of cumulative commissioned service, although this percentage may be appreciably less, contingent on force structure and the needs of the service. There are variations to Captains, some may command a nuclear-powered ballistic missile submarine while others may command aircraft carrier strike groups or expeditionary strike groups. Regardless of their ship type and size, Captains are of equal ranking, with their only commanding officer being the Fleet Prefect.

A mid-rank officer onboard a ship, regardless of specific rank, is called a Classiarius. A Classiarius is responsible for the command of groups of sailors and petty officers in various divisions including the deck department, engineering, and others. These are essentially officers aboard the ship and do not perform the more menial duties. Navy lieutenants are eligible to receive the position of First Lieutenant, a special billet that provides exceptional officers with enhanced leadership and responsibilities. A First Lieutenant often serves as second in command aboard small naval ships, including frigates and destroyers, or as the senior Division Officer on a larger vessel. The base rank for a soldier in the Navy is Remex, essentially the crewmen on board the ship.

Personnel

Unlike the other branches of the IAF, every member of the Navy (exc. Fleet Commanders), regardless of their ranking, would usually find themselves "on the field", so to speak. The Admiral assumes Captain of the Flagship, the largest and most powerful ship in the Caphirian armada. A Fleet Commander will usually command the largest battleship in their High Fleet, though they usually did not act as the captain. Another way in which this contrasts with the Admiral is that whilst the Fleet Commanders were in a battleship, the Flagship of the Admiral has long been an aircraft carrier.

Fleet structure

Although the fleet structure varies from Fleet to Fleet, the individual fleets themselves are virtually identical, and the general structure of the entire Navy is:

• (General of the Imperial Armed Forces)
  • (Ministry of War)
    • (Ministry of the Navy)
    • Ministry of Maritime Affairs (Praeministrum Nauticum) - administers the overall administrative functions of the Navy
      • Admiral of the Navy (Admirallis) - leads the entire naval forces
      • Envoy of the Navy (Nuntius Nauticus) - represents the Admiral in administrative and political situations
        • 4 High Fleet Commanders (Magistrassis) - each leading one of the High Fleets of Caphiria: Omnium Fleet, Levantine Fleet, Odoneru Fleet, Aquilonem Fleet
          • 32 Fleet Prefects (Praefectus Classis) - leading each individual fleet within a High Fleet
            • 224 Squadrons (Nauarchus) - commanding 8 to 14 ships of varying types
              • 2688 Naval Captains (Trierarchus) (+250 Officer Flagships) - leading individual ships
                • 53,760 Helmsmen ('Classiarii) - mid ranking naval officers
                • 1,240,000 Crewmen (Remiges) - basic crewmen