Military: Gorgas

This page is a section of Gorgas.

Gorgas has a history of irregular and regular warfare that is common throughout the region. The country remains unsatisfied with the tumultuous regional political boundaries over the last century, especially with Donovia. Like most countries, Gorgan military strategy reflects the country’s political agenda. The country uses the military for defensive purposes and to maintain territorial sovereignty that includes force against breakaway provinces. Gorgas currently wants to join NATO and remains the most accepting of Western influence of the five countries in the region.

Military Forces

Gorgas maintains the smallest military of the five countries in this region, which consists of a  ground force, air force, and sea force (coast guard) capable of defensive operations, with limited offensive capabilities. The Gorgas military operates primarily tier 2 equipment throughout its structure. The Gorgan military poses little threat to any of its regional neighbors, but possibly serves as a threat to the separatists in the two breakaway republics, Zabzimek and South Ostremek.

Military Strategy

National Command Authority

Gorgas National Council

Gorgas established a National Council (NC) 15 years ago to address the country’s defense needs, military doctrine, and strategy. The organizational structure consists of a consultative body that answers to the Gorgan president. The NC structure includes but is not limited to the following:

• President (Chairman of the NC)

• Minister of National Security

• Minister of Foreign Affairs

• Minister of Public Information

• Minister of Finance and Economic Affairs

• Minister of the Interior

• Minister of Defense (includes a General Staff)

Strategic Operational Framework

Gorgan Supreme High Command

The strategic operational framework for all countries in the region is similar in construct and application. This is primarily the result of historic influences transcending the region. The NCAs and the NC for all the countries exercise command and control (C2) of the Armed Forces via the Supreme High Command (SHC) that includes the Ministry of Defense (MOD) and a General Staff drawn from all the service components. In peacetime, the MOD and General Staff operate closely but separately. The MOD assumes the responsibility for policy, acquisitions, and financing the Armed Forces. The General Staff promulgates policy and supervises the service components while its functional directorates assume responsibility for key aspects of defense planning. In wartime, the MOD and General Staff merge to form the SHC, which functions as a unified headquarters.

All five countries currently configure their militaries in an administrative force structure (AFS) that manages its military forces in peacetime. This AFS contains the aggregate of various military headquarters, facilities, and installations designed to man, train, and equip the forces. In some cases, the military may group its forces administratively under geographical commands designated as military regions or military districts. If the SHC elects to create more than one theater headquarters, it may allocate parts of the AFS to each of the theaters, normally along geographic lines. Typically, these administrative groupings differ from the country’s go-to-war (fighting) force structure. Other parts of the AFS consist of assets centrally controlled at the national level. (See FM 7-100.4 Opposing Force Organization Guide: Chapter 3, Task Organizing.)

National Strategic Goals

The Gorgan military historically demonstrates two major objectives: to defend the country’s borders and stop an invasion of its country by any outside force, and to recover breakaway territories. The Gorgan military continues to build its troops to a sufficient level to meet these strategic goals. Gorgas’ specific strategic goals include:

• Defense of Gorgan sovereignty
• Recovery of breakaway territories
• Economic expansion
• Elimination of insurgent groups, to include those in breakaway territories

Implementing National Security Goals

All five countries share similar strategies to achieve their national goals. Strategic operations for all five countries remain a continuous process not limited to wartime or preparation for war. Once war begins, strategic operations continue during regional, transition, and adaptive operations and complement those operations. Each of the latter three types of operations occurs only during war and only under certain conditions. Transition operations can overlap regional and adaptive operations.

Gorgan Strategic Operations in Peace and War

In pursuit of their national security strategies, all five countries find themselves prepared to conduct four basic types of strategic-level courses of action:

• Strategic operations use all instruments of power in peace and war to achieve a country’s national security strategy goals through attacks against the enemy’s strategic centers of gravity.
• Regional operations include conventional, force-on-force military operations against overmatched opponents, such as regional adversaries and internal threats.
• Transition operations bridge the gap between regional and adaptive operations and contain some elements of both. The country continues to pursue its regional goals while dealing with developing outside intervention that has the potential to overmatch its military.
• Adaptive operations preserve the country’s power and apply it in adaptive ways against opponents that overmatch the country’s military.

National Security Strategy

Although Donovia, Ariana, Atropia, Gorgas, and Limaria may refer to them as “operations,” each of these courses of action is actually a subcategory of strategy. Each type of operation aggregates the effects of tactical, operational, and strategic actions in conjunction with instruments of national power to achieve each country’s strategic goals. The types of operations employed at a given time will depend on the types of threats, opportunities, and other conditions present.

Each country’s strategy typically starts with actions directed at a regional opponent that the government overmatches in conventional military power, as well as other instruments of power. If possible, each government will attempt to achieve its ends without armed conflict. Accordingly, these governments do not limit strategic operations to military means and usually do not begin with armed conflict. They may achieve the desired goal through pressure applied by nonmilitary instruments of power, perhaps by merely threatening to use superior military power against the opponent. These actions fall under the general framework of “strategic operations.”

The government may resort to armed conflict to achieve its desired end state when nonmilitary means prove insufficient or not expedient. Strategic operations, however, continue even if a particular regional threat or opportunity causes the country to undertake “regional operations” that may include military means. Prior to the initiation of hostilities and throughout the course of armed conflict with its regional opponent, the government will continue to conduct strategic operations to preclude intervention by outside players, other regional neighbors, or an extra-regional power that could overmatch its forces. Such operations, however, always include branches and sequels to deal with the possibility of intervention by an extra-regional power.

Military Forces Overview

Military Strategy

Of the five countries in the region, Gorgas maintains the smallest military, with approximately 33,600 active duty personnel. The military organization consists of the Gorgan Land Force, the Gorgan Air Force, the Gorgan Coast Guard, and the National Guard of Gorgas. The Gorgan military poses little threat to any of its regional neighbors as it primarily possesses defensive capabilities. The military recently, however, engaged in offensive military operations against separatist military elements in the country’s two breakaway republics, Zabzimek and South Ostremek.

Gorgan Military Forces Disposition

The Gorgan military’s major responsibility remains the country’s security and territorial integrity. Nineteen years ago, a civil war erupted in both Zabzimek and South Ostremek, where the territory still remains in the hands of separatists. Gorgas launched numerous operations in an attempt to bring the disputed areas back under Gorgan control. Donovia crossed the northern Caucasus to support the breakaway regions, counterattacked the Gorgan military forces, and recognized the breakaway regions as independent states. The Gorgan military failed in its mission to maintain the country’s boundaries in both of these territories. The desire to bring Zabzimek and South Ostremek back under Gorgan control exists in the minds of most Gorgan politicians and remains a steadfast Gorgan military mission.

Army Overview

The Gorgas Land Force consists primarily of light infantry brigades with some armor and mechanized capabilities. The Gorgas Land Force mainly employs Donovian equipment with tier 2 capabilities. In recent history, the US trained small elements of the Gorgan army in Western military tactics and doctrine. At this time, Gorgas plans to increase its reserve forces while it reduces its active duty strength.

Army Size and Structure

The maneuver brigade serves as the Gorgan military’s basic combined arms unit. The militaries in the region design their maneuver brigades to serve as the basis to form a brigade tactical group (BTG) if necessary. A brigade, separate or as part of a BTG, can fight alone or as part of a larger unit such as a division, division tactical group (DTG), a separate unit in an operational-strategic command (OSC), an organization of the AFS (such as army, corps, or military district), or as part of a field group (FG). (For additional information, see TC 7-100.2, Opposing Force Tactics, Chapter 2, Command and Control.)

The Gorgan Land Force contains three mechanized and motorized brigades, one artillery brigade, a separate tank brigade, one antitank battalion, and the National Guard. Each infantry brigade contains 4,800–6,000 motorized soldiers and operates a variety of vehicles for transport. The land force uses at least two types of main battle tanks along with a variety of artillery weapons. The land force splits its army between its capital city and the two breakaway territories.

The small national guard (only one battalion) serves Gorgas in a variety of ways. The National Guard of Gorgas assists the civil government during a natural or manmade crisis, mobilization resource registration, mobilization manning system operations, and ceremonial activity support.

Army Doctrine and Tactics

Gorgas relies on a doctrine similar to Donovia’s. The Gorgan army, however, seems to want to break away from Donovian influence and adopt military doctrine and tactics that will enhance its ability to interact with NATO or other Western country militaries. Due to the small size of the Gorgan Land Force, it is likely that Gorgas would ask for an intervention by a major extra-regional power in any regional conflict with its neighboring countries. For the regional countries that may attack it, Gorgas will apply the following principles against the threat:

• Control access into its country

• Control the tempo

• Cause politically unacceptable casualties to the enemy

• Neutralize technological overmatch

The Gorgan Land Force’s and other troops’ primary tasks in wartime are to deter aggression against Donovia and its allies. In order to defeat any opponent seen as a threat to its country, the land force uses adaptive resistance and pursue objectives designed to force the enemy to cease hostilities on Gorgan terms. Pursuit of comprehensive military objectives will bring to bear the full capabilities of the Gorgan military across all elements of the operational environment.

At all levels of command, this doctrine provides the basis for Gorgan policy against any forces that represent a theoretical threat. Adaptive resistance also includes operations designed to combat drivers of instability such as rogue regimes, non-state terrorist organizations, and various criminal elements. The Gorgan Land Force pursues an integrated combined arms approach to operations that relies on speed, surprise, and momentum; force and firepower; maneuverability, agility, and minimal footprint; and dynamic coordination carried out across all domains of the battlefield.

Traditionally, the Gorgan Land Force designs itself to respond to crises through the policy of mass mobility, whereby the government mobilizes its forces to deal with the threat. The brigade remains the main organizational construct for the Gorgan Land Force.

Advances in new niche technology and conventional firepower technology allow numerically small forces to inflict the same military effects against an opponent as larger forces previously caused. The Gorgan Land Force attempts to organize the battlefield in such a way that it can rapidly transition between offensive and defensive operations and between linear and nonlinear operations.

The Gorgan military will attempt to organize for mission success and use deception to surprise its enemy. It combat organizes its forces and it is common for Gorgan forces to shift between performing regular and irregular military operations. At some times, uniformed military forces can best perform the functions while at other times irregular forces may perform the action best. Both types of forces will often act together.

The Gorgan Land Force leadership recognizes the complexity of the modern battlefield. This will often lead to situations where part of the military may operate most effectively in a linear fashion, while other parts may need to conduct nonlinear operations. The Gorgan military understands what constitutes a linear or nonlinear battlefield based on general military theory accepted by many countries’ armed forces. Battlefield geometry contains two dimensions: the relationship of units to each other, the enemy, and their support base; and the expected effects of that relationship. (For additional information, see TC 7-100.2, Opposing Force Tactics.)

Gorgas sees offensive operations as the decisive form of combat and the ultimate means of imposing its will on the enemy. While conditions at a particular time or place may require Gorgas to defend, defeating an enemy force ultimately requires shifting to the offense. Even within the context of defense, victory normally requires offensive action. Therefore, Gorgan commanders at all levels seek to create and exploit opportunities to take offensive action, whenever possible.

The aim of offense at the tactical level is to achieve the tactical mission in support of an operation. A tactical command ensures that its subordinate commands thoroughly understand both the overall goals of the operation and the specific purpose of a particular mission they are about to execute. In this way, subordinate commands may continue to execute the mission without direct control by a higher headquarters, if necessary.

Army Training and Readiness

Gorgas possesses a well-trained but small army with a high readiness rate of 92%. The Gorgan army primarily uses Donovian-style tactics because of its Donovian equipment. The Gorgans demonstrated signs that they may turn to more Western doctrine, as the US recently trained three light infantry battalions and one motorized company, making them compatible with NATO. In an attempt to obtain admission to NATO, Gorgas increased its military expenditures from $172 million to $403 million, as NATO requires each country to spend at least 2% of its GDP on defense. Gorgas spent much of this increase on armored personnel carriers, self-propelled artillery, helicopters, and tanks.

The Gorgan military can conduct conventional and adaptive operations, and can rapidly fluctuate between the two to conduct hybrid operations. The Gorgan ground forces currently employ tactical control measures like most armies do today. These include assembly areas, advance axes, checkpoints, jump-off lines (similar to Western lines of departure), and attack lines.

Gorgas used its recently obtained offensive weapons and tactics to launch its attack three years ago to force South Ostremek to return to Gorgan control. Even though the Gorgan military failed to achieve its mission, the land force still possesses much of the equipment. Gorgas plays an active role in deployments outside of its borders to increase its ties to Western nations, increase Gorgas’ possible inclusion in NATO, and provide funds to the Gorgan government. Gorgas provided two light infantry battalions for low-intensity insurgency operations in support of three different NATO and US operations.

Army Equipment and Weapons

Overall, the Gorgan army possesses primarily tier 2 capabilities. Recent Gorgan purchases of newer equipment and weapons provide the army with the potential for tier 1 niche capabilities. The Gorgan army can operate in all terrain types and can successfully conduct 24-hour operations. (For further information see Section 4: Appendix C or the Worldwide Equipment Guide (WEG), Vol. 1, Chapter 1, OPFOR Tier Tables.)

Naval Forces Overview

A few years ago, because of the ship losses that occurred in naval combat with Donovian ships associated with the fight over Zabzimek, Gorgas consolidated the remainder of its navy with its coast guard. Before the war, the Gorgan Navy operated 19 ships but then lost four to the Donovians. The number of ships currently run by the coast guard is estimated to be around 15.

Naval Forces Size and Structure

Gorgan Coast Guard

The Gorgan coast guard operates primarily in the Black Sea, with its major port at Poti and its Naval Academy in Batumi. Most of the ships operate anti-aircraft guns. Gorgas continues to replace its Donovian-era ships with more modern Western ships compatible with NATO forces. (See the OB at the end of this country’s variable.)

Naval Forces Doctrine and Tactics

Gorgas’ maritime forces protect coastal borders and patrol the rivers for illegal activities. The security of the Caspian & Black Seas petroleum (CBS-P) pipeline that ends at Supsa, near Batumi, remains a paramount mission for the Gorgan Coast Guard. As secondary missions, Gorgas’ maritime forces conduct search and rescue (SAR) and port security operations. Coast Guard missions might include:

• Defensive patrolling of coastal areas
• Anti-smuggling operations
• Mine laying

Naval Forces Training and Readiness

The Gorgan Coast Guard conducts most of its training on the Black Sea and partakes in joint exercises. Gorgas also sends its naval personnel to train in NATO countries. For the most part, Gorgas’ maritime forces only possess the strength to conduct coast guard-type operations. Gorgan Coast Guard elements possess a high level of training with a high readiness rate of 94%.

Naval Forces Equipment and Weapons

The Gorgan Coast Guard operates weapons and equipment with primarily tier 2 capabilities. The coast guard recently purchased some newer ships to upgrade its weapons and equipment for the potential for limited tier 1 niche capabilities. Gorgan naval forces can operate in all waters in and around the country, with the ability to conduct both day and night operations. Most Gorgan Coast Guard ships serve as patrol boats, but the country does possess some limited fast attack and landing craft capability.

Due to the consolidation of the Gorgan navy with its coast guard, the country’s maritime assets will more likely focus on the interdiction of criminal activity and the security of the hydrocarbon infrastructure along the Black Sea coast than protecting the country from outside invasion.

Air Force Overview

Gorgan Air Force

The small Gorgan air force is well-trained but has limited offensive capabilities. It does not possess the size, strength, or capabilities to defend itself against a major military force such as Donovia’s, but it can more than hold its own against other regional foes such as Atropia or Limaria.

Air Force Size and Structure

The Gorgas air force is relatively small with only one ground attack squadron, one transport squadron, a training squadron, and support elements. In addition, the air force also fields two helicopter squadrons, one for attack and the other for transportation missions. (See the OB at the end of this country’s variable.)

Air Force Doctrine and Tactics

The air force’s missions include the protection of the country’s borders, troop transport, close air support for ground forces, and protection of key infrastructure. The Gorgans use primarily Donovian- style aviation doctrine. With so few attack fighters, the Gorgans have little offensive air capability. Although its mission requires it to defend Gorgan air space, the air force seriously lacks air support capability. The Gorgan military uses much of its fixed and rotary wing aircraft for transportation and logistical purposes.

Air Force Training and Readiness

The small Gorgan air force is well-trained, with a high readiness rate of 92%. Most Gorgan air force equipment and weapons use technology from 10 to 20 years ago, making it a tier 2 capable force, although upgrades to equipment and weapons produce the potential for random tier 1 niche capabilities. The Gorgan air force can conduct all-terrain, all-weather, and 24-hour operations.

Air Force Equipment and Weapons

Gorgan air force assets include a combination of Donovian equipment and some Western helicopters. All air defense weapons now come under control of the army. Almost all the air defense missile systems come from Donovia. Slowly, Gorgas wants to retire its aging Donovian airplanes and replace them with more modern equipment, probably from Western countries. The military airfields near Tbilisi constitute Gorgas’ most important aviation locations.

Government Paramilitary Forces

Gorgas contains two governmental paramilitary forces that may be useful in any military conflict. Approximately 5,500 border guards control Gorgas’ land and seacoast. The border guards’ mission is to prevent the smuggling of drugs, weapons, or sensitive materials such as nuclear fission material into the country; stop the illegal movement of migrants or terrorists into or through Gorgas; and enforce customs regulations to improve the economy. The Critical Infrastructure Security Service secures Gorgas’ hydrocarbon pipelines and other vital economic assets. Both of these fall under the control of the Ministry of the Interior.

Reserves and Militia

Gorgas fields a single National Guard battalion. Due to the national traditions, those that serve in the guard are proud of their service and are better-trained than reserve forces in neighboring countries. The other countries may have more soldiers in their reserves, but often they are paper units only. (For additional information, see the OB.)

Non-state Paramilitary Forces

Insurgent Forces

Both breakaway provinces in Gorgas maintain armed military forces. While Zabzimek declared its independence 19 years ago, Gorgas did not recognize this declaration. Gorgas fought the Zabzimek separatists to reinstate its control, but Donovia intervened on behalf of the Zabzimeks. The Donovians oversaw the ceasefire agreement that left Zabzimek independent. Three years ago, another six-day confrontation took place between the Zabzimek military and Gorgan units when Zabzimek recovered its territory occupied by the People’s Liberal Republican Martyrs Group (PLRMG) and the Falcon Brothers, two pro-Gorgan groups.

Both the PLRMG and Falcon Brothers want to bring Zabzimek back into Gorgas, but their numbers are very small. Currently, both groups are using an information warfare (INFOWAR) campaign to recruit new members into their organizations so they can try to recover the lost territory once again. On rare occasions, both groups may attack an isolated Zabzimek military patrol for both symbolic reasons—to show the local populace they are still around—and also to obtain additional arms and ammunition.

The Zabzimek military’s current numbers are unknown. The Zabzimek ground troops are believed to operate as a battalion-size force and possess tanks, armored personnel carriers (APCs), and artillery pieces. Zabzimek’s “navy” operates smaller patrol boats. Zabzimek has converted fishing vessels into patrol boats, which make up the remainder of its fleet. The Zabzimek military’s primary mission is to prevent Gorgas from retaking its territory; it has succeeded thus far primarily due to the open and tacit support of Donovia.

When South Ostremek also declared its independence 19 years ago, Gorgas attempted to bring the runaway province back under its control. Gorgas failed again due to Donovian intervention on South Ostremek’s behalf. While Gorgas contributes an infantry battalion to the Donovian-led peacekeeping force in South Ostremek, the status quo remains—with the Ostremeks claiming their independence and the Gorgans asserting that South Ostremek belongs to Gorgas. South Ostremek also supports a battalion-size military force of an unknown number of military personnel, tanks, APCs, and artillery pieces. On rare occasions there are incidents between the peacekeeping forces in South Ostremek. As long as Donovia continues its support to South Ostremek, however, the current status quo will remain.

The Gorgan province of Jarie, being ethnically different from most of Gorgas, also displays separatist tendencies. The province does not have any organized military forces outside of a few small informal cells, whose primary activity consists of damaging/destroying infrastructure, such as bridges.

Another group nominally operating in the country is One Right Path (ORP), which is a violent extremist splinter group of about 5,000 active members whose goal is the establishment of a regional Islamic Caliphate. ORP practices a variant of the Shia faith and is aggressively expanding its territorial control by taking key cities and oil reserves in southeastern Atropia. While the group may operate anywhere in the region, the primary area is a quadrilateral from Astara, Atropia, to Yerevan, Limaria, to Tbilisi, Gorgas, to Mamedkala, Donovia, and then back to Astara. ORP wants to overthrow the Atropian government and wants to limit any influence in Atropia by Donovia. While there are rumors of some sort of association with Ariana, there is nothing confirmed by any authority. The group has limited activity in Gorgas at present, though negative—and even violent—encounters between group members and Gorgan citizens are not unknown.

Guerrilla Forces

Two partisan paramilitary groups operate in the vicinity of the Zabzimek-Gorgas border. People’s Liberal Republican Martyrs Group and the Falcon Brothers both contain ethnic Gorgans who remained behind in Zabzimek after the civil war. These two groups conduct low-level guerrilla warfare in an attempt to reunite Zabzimek with Gorgas. Both groups will support any attempts by Gorgas to force Zabzimek back under Gorgan control.

There are other insurgent/guerrilla groups in Gorgas beside the ones listed in the threat actors’ orders of battle.

Criminal Organizations

A great variety of criminal activity occurs throughout Gorgas. There are a number of criminal groups that operate as gangs, networks, or transnational criminal organizations. The country serves as a prime transshipment point for drugs from Central Asia and corruption exists, driven in part by organized crime. The Gorgan state apparently lacks the resources to effectively tackle crime, especially in the mountainous northeastern border with the Republic of Failaq in Donovia. It remains likely that much of the support provided to anti-Donovian elements in Failaq comes from criminal and terrorist organizations that operate in this region. Zabzimek and South Ostremek are also dangerous, and organized crime permeates both areas. In addition, while Gorgas enacted a limited official trade embargo against Limaria in order to placate Atropia, it purposefully turns a blind eye to illegal Gorgan-Limarian cross-border trade. (For additional information, see TC 7-100.3, Irregular Opposing Forces, Chapter 4, Criminals.)

Three groups highlight the variety of criminal organizations occurring in Gorgas. Nowhere is corruption driven by organized crime more apparent in the country than in the Gorgan Tourist Association. Officially this group poses as a sophisticated travel bureau catering to an international visitors’ market. In reality it is a cover organization wherein organized criminal elements target wealthy foreigners, while bribing local police officials to experience “delays” and “language issues” when responding to foreigners’ calls for help. A phony nongovernmental organization (NGO) active among Muslim minority communities in Gorgas is the Hawala Assistance Brotherhood. This group cultivates an impression among economically deprived classes that it exists to benefit them as a viable alternative to the country’s formal banking system. In reality, the Brotherhood is a band of loan sharks who engage in extortion, kidnapping, and even murder when borrowers fail to make loan payments on schedule. Finally, the Pan-Caucasus Petrol Distributers is a criminal smuggling and illegal mining ring that pretends to operate as a legitimate business enterprise while actually circumventing government restrictions imposed on Gorgan-Limarian cross-border trading activities.

There are other criminal organizations in Gorgas beside the ones listed in the threat actors’ orders of battle.

Private Security Organizations

Any company that operates near Zabzimek and South Ostremek hires locals to provide security against attacks by local insurgents. Additionally, companies involved in the maintenance of the oil and gas pipelines across Gorgas hire guards to protect this hydrocarbon infrastructure critical to the country’s economy.

Foreign Military Presence

There are no foreign military units currently stationed in Gorgas, but there are small security forces at each embassy. There are rumors of possible foreign “advisors” in the breakaway provinces, but those reports are unconfirmed.

Nonmilitary Armed Combatants

The insurgent and guerrilla forces that operate primarily in the runaway republics and the adjacent Gorgan areas are predominately hostile to the US, as they fear a return of Gorgan control to their areas. The criminal organizations in Gorgas are generally neutral to any US presence in their country as long as it does not interfere with their enterprises. Most private security organizations that provide protection to the hydrocarbon pipelines that cross the country support US presence in Gorgas. Pro-Zabzimek irregular forces operate freely within Zabzimek and occasionally conduct cross-border operations into Gorgas. These forces coordinate with and receive support from the Donovian and Zabzimeki regular and SPF units. Their primary goal is to ensure an independent Zabzimek and regularly harass and intimidate ethnic Gorgan civilians. These small irregular units are capable of conducting small unit operations, dependent largely on support from the SPF or Donovian regular units. Capabilities of these units include disruption, fixing, physical destruction, intimidation, and reconnaissance, intelligence, surveillance, and target acquisition (RISTA).

Military Functions

A military function is a group of related tasks, activities, capabilities, operations, processes, and organizations that fulfills the specific military purpose for which these things all exist. When integrated with other such functions, it contributes to the accomplishment of larger missions.

Joint Capabilities

The Gorgas military has limited joint capabilities despite any efforts to improve by instituting a series of exercises that involve its ground, air, and naval units. Participation of Gorgan officers as observers in NATO exercises observing full joint activities continue to increase the Gorgan officers’ readiness to work with other services to accomplish the mission. It will take years, however, for the Gorgan military to totally accept and become a fully functional joint force.

Command and Control

The core of Gorgas’ command and control (C2) concept remains the assumption that modern communications are susceptible to attack and/or monitoring. Accordingly, the military operates from the view that centralized planning defines the means for assuring both command (establishing the aim) and control (sustaining the aim), leading to strategic and operational directions. Necessarily then, the military relies on the loyalty of its forces and gives them far-ranging authority to act within the aim while foregoing rigorous control as both unproductive and unlikely in the modern environment. (See TC 7-100.2: Opposing Force Tactics, Chapter 2, Command and Control.)

Gorgan military battalions are characterized by headquarters composed of a command section including the commander, deputy commander, and a small staff element. It also includes a staff section with the chief of staff and the remainder of the battalion staff. The battalion staff consists of the operations officer, the assistant operations officer, the intelligence officer, and the resources officer. The signal platoon leader also serves as the battalion communications officer, the reconnaissance platoon leader acts as the chief of reconnaissance, and the materiel support platoon leader serves as the battalion resources officer. (See TC 7-100.2: Opposing Force Tactics, Chapter 2, Command and Control.)

The Gorgan military places emphasis on survivability through mobility, redundancy, and security for tactical C2. The Gorgan military streamlines its command posts (CPs) and relies on common procedures to streamline tactical operations, unlike the slower operations found at the operational level.

Maneuver

The Gorgan Land Force contains all the elements necessary for combined operations and to conduct modern maneuver warfare. The Gorgan military, despite its small size, possesses a robust capability to conduct combined arms operations.

Air Defense

The Gorgan military fields one air defense brigade, composed primarily of short-range surface-to-air missiles. The Gorgan military, however, recognizes that air defense is an all-arms effort. Thus, all ground units possess some type of an organic air defense capability to differing degrees, depending on the type and size of the unit. Many weapons not designed as air defense weapons will also damage and/or destroy tactical aircraft when within range.

Throughout maneuver units, there are a number of systems designed for air defense and other systems that can be used in an air defense role. The heavy antiaircraft machineguns on tanks are specifically designed for air defense. Machineguns on armored personnel carriers and automatic cannon on infantry fighting vehicles can engage both ground and air targets. Most antitank guided missiles (ATGMs) are extremely effective against low-flying helicopters. Several ATGM manufacturers offer antihelicopter missiles and compatible fire control, which are especially effective against low-flying rotary-wing aircraft. Field artillery and small arms can also be integral parts of the air defense scheme. All these weapons can be extremely lethal when used in this role.

Gorgas considers every soldier with a man-portable air defense system to be an air defense firing unit. These weapons are readily available at a relatively low cost and are widely proliferated. The small size and easy portability of these systems provides the opportunity for ambush of enemy airframes operating in any area near Gorgan units. Ground units also employ them to set ambushes for enemy helicopters, especially those on routine logistics missions. (For more information, see TC 7- 100.2: Opposing Force Tactics, Chapter 11, Air Defense.)

INFOWAR

The Gorgan Land Force defines INFOWAR as specifically planned and integrated actions taken to achieve an information advantage at critical points and times. The equipment in its single information warfare company is a mixture of old and new technology from a variety of sources. Gorgas received aggressive information and cyber attacks during its recent war with Donovia and has attempted to increase its defensive capabilities since. Despite this, Gorgas would face overmatch from its regional opponents in a future conflict and will primarily focus on defense of its sensors and the remediation of damage. (For additional information, see TC 7-100.2, Opposing Force Tactics, Chapter 7, Information Warfare; TC 7-100.3, Irregular Opposing Forces, Appendix A, Information Warfare; and the Gorgas Information variable.)

RISTA

The Gorgan Land Force contains limited reconnaissance, intelligence, surveillance, and target acquisition (RISTA) capabilities. Most of the RISTA capabilities operate from the technical reconnaissance battalion and the brigade reconnaissance company. Due to a lack of funds and the necessity to replace $250 million in lost equipment from its incursion into South Ostremek three years ago, Gorgas lacks the financial capacity to field the newest and most sophisticated RISTA equipment. US-made radars cover the entire Gorgan airspace but do not operate with the latest technology. The table on the next page summarizes the effective ranges for reconnaissance assets that can support Gorgan tactical commanders. (For additional information, see TC 7-100.2, Opposing Force Tactics, Chapter 8, Reconnaissance.)

Effective Ranges of Gorgan Reconnaissance Assets

Fire Support

The Gorgan military still relies on a large amount of artillery to support its ground forces. The Gorgan ground forces contain a mixture of artillery types. These forces operate self-propelled guns along with rockets and mortars. Gorgas relies on close air support from fixed- and rotary-wing helicopters.

Protection

Gorgas will attempt to minimize civilian casualties to a large extent. The military has engineering assets to reinforce civilian and military positions. The C2 and fire support systems are sophisticated enough to minimize the threat of “friendly fire” or other accidents. The military and civilian populations are closely integrated, however, making it difficult for invaders to launch attacks without the risk of civilian casualties, which would enrage the population and be used as ammunition for INFOWAR. (See TC 7-100.2: Opposing Force Tactics, Chapter 12, Engineer Support and Chapter 7, Information Warfare.)

Logistics

The Gorgan military possesses robust logistics capabilities with the ability to support its maneuver units for any length of time. All five countries continue to improve in all aspects of their logistics systems. These improvements include an increased emphasis on support zone security and plans to stockpile war materiel throughout each country.

Chemical, Biological, Radiological, and Nuclear

Gorgas possesses no biological, radiological, or nuclear (CBRN) weapons and only fields chemical defense units. This is not to say that chemical weapons could not be made from civilian manufacturing lines that use caustic substances. In addition, the country’ industrial base produces large quantities of toxic industrial chemicals (TIC), which are chemical substances possessing acute toxicity. An adjunct to chemical weapons is use of TIC, which can easily be exploited as improvised (or converted into) chemical weapons by military and civilians alike. (For additional information on possible high- and moderate-risk TIC possibly available to Gorgas see the WEG: Vol. I, Chapter 14, Improvised Military Systems.)

Research & Development Goals

Gorgas does not focus on research to build its own military equipment and will continue to purchase its military hardware from other countries. Gorgas wants to retire its obsolete equipment and replace the weapons systems with more modern and more efficient ones, preferably non-Donovian and compatible with NATO systems.

Special Considerations

Gorgas wants to foster favor with NATO and other Western countries while it attempts to get out from under Donovian influence. To obtain favorable treatment from the West, Gorgas often volunteers to help out in coalition operations with Western nations. For that reason, Gorgas continues to supply troops in support of NATO missions.

Summary

Gorgas operates the smallest military of the five countries in the Caucasus region, but the country fields a capable army, navy, and air force with mostly tier 2 equipment and random tier 1 capabilities. Due to its poor relationship with Donovia, Gorgas continues to look towards NATO and other Western countries for military support against its regional enemies.