Aerospace Operations
Aerospace Operations handles all of the smaller craft generally assigned to fighter or mobility squadrons, providing attack and assault transport capabilities to the fleet. Areas of responsibilities and deployments, while generated via Star Fleet Command, will be received directly from Aerospace Operations. (While conventional shuttlecraft may be assigned to a sub-unit of a command as a complete squadron, they are not considered independent commands within themselves.)
Aerospace Operations is commanded by a Rear Admiral.
Aerospace Operations is broken down into 'group commands', which are further broken down into 'wings' and 'squadrons' (not to be confused with starship squadrons):
- Group (Echelon IV): Groups are comprised of 3 wings of fighter and transport craft (72-216), rarely all of the same class. Groups are usually assigned in consecutive sectors, if not the same sector. They are commanded by Captains.
- Wing (Echelon V): Wings are comprised of 3 squadrons (24-72 craft), oftentimes of the same class, but sometimes of 2 squadrons of areospace or deepspace craft and 1 of mobility (transport) craft (or the reverse). They are commanded by Commanders.
- Squadrons (Echelon VI): Squadrons are comprised of 8 to 24 (typically 20) craft, all of the same class, and usually are designated as either aerospace, deepspace or mobility squadrons. They are commanded by Lieutenant Commanders.
- Wing (Echelon V): Wings are comprised of 3 squadrons (24-72 craft), oftentimes of the same class, but sometimes of 2 squadrons of areospace or deepspace craft and 1 of mobility (transport) craft (or the reverse). They are commanded by Commanders.
Aerospace Operations is comprised of three fields of service, referred to as branches. The branches define what type of craft are assigned to a squadron, and also define the mission of a wing. Similar to Type Commanders in Starship Operations, each branch commander is primarily concerned that his particular field of service has the most up-to-date and appropriate craft, overseeing craft selection, acquisition and squadron assignment. They are commanded by Captains. These three branches are:
Air Combat Branch (ACB): This field of service concerns the combat craft primarily designed for use in planetary atmospheres. These craft generally have lifting and control surfaces to enhance their performance in atmosphere and reduce their power consumption for items such as antigravs and thrusters. All these craft are capable of spaceflight, but are much more at home in the air (even when the “air” isn’t necessarily a nitrogen/oxygen mix). The ACB generally oversees all combat operations within a planetary atmosphere. To this end, they possess not only the direct combat assets such as fighters and bombers, but also tactical support assets such as electronic warfare craft and a limited amount of tactical airlift capability.
Space Combat Branch (SCB): This field of service concerns the warp-capable aerospace craft intended for combat, and their primary mission of deep space or orbital escort, interdiction, and attack. Pilots in this field train extensively for patrolling in space, convoy escort duties and anti-starship assault. While these craft could certainly operate in most atmospheres, they are not nearly as at home as they are in a zero atmosphere/zero gravity environment. This is an important but increasingly smaller branch, since most of the spaceborne combat duties in the Federation now fall to Starship Operations.
Mobility Combat Branch (MCB): The MCB’s primary mission is rapid, Federation-wide mobility and sustainment for the Star Fleet Marine Corps and Special Operations' MeSONs, and other high priority transport/cargo support (as directed). Besides tactical airlift support for the Corps and MeSONs, it also provides operational, aeromedical and evacuation support as requested by Star Fleet or Federation. The MCB has primary responsibility for assault landing operations, providing drop ships, assault shuttles, and other landing craft. The branch also plays a crucial role in providing humanitarian support by transporting critically needed supplies for planets suffering natural or man-made disasters, famine, etc.
The commander of Aerospace Operations is a named NPC.
The commanders of groups and branches are also named NPCs, while the commanders of wings and squadrons are unnamed.
Groups
- Ex: 14th Mobility Group