The League of Allied Worlds maintains one of the largest military forces in human space, built up over four centuries of conflict with the People's Republic of Terra. The military is organized into three service branches under a unified command structure, with the President of the League serving as Commander in Chief.
When the League was founded, its architects consolidated the redundant service branches of the old United States military into three:
This consolidation acknowledges that Space Force and Marine personnel will frequently be stationed aboard Navy ships and report to Navy officers. The practical distinction is simple: if you wear armor and specialize in firearms, you're a Marine; if you handle probes, satellites, or fighters, you're Space Force; otherwise, you're Navy.
The President of the League is the Commander in Chief of all League military forces. Below the President, the Joint Chiefs provide strategic direction.
The Joint Chiefs are headquartered at Prometheus Station, near the Freelance border, rather than at Calysto. This keeps military command operationally separated from civilian government and positions it to respond to threats from multiple directions.
The Intergalactic Security Council serves as an advisory body to the Joint Chiefs, giving the League's allies - the Lyndri, NorAellians, and Confederacy - a voice in military policy.
| Position | Rank |
|---|---|
| Chairman of the Joint Chiefs | General |
| Vice Chairman / Head of Naval Intelligence | Fleet Admiral |
| Head of Naval Operations | Fleet Admiral |
| Chief of Staff of the Space Force | General of the Space Force |
| Commandant of the Marine Corps | General |
The League Navy operates two major administrative bureaus that coordinate to keep the fleet operational.
The Bureau of Persons handles personnel management for the League Navy - recruitment, training assignments, transfers, promotions, and all matters related to the people who serve. The Bureau also issues official copies of orders from the Joint Chiefs and other command sources. While not strictly required in combat situations, it is standard practice for the Bureau of Persons to sign off on all orders given to Naval vessels.
By tradition, the Bureau of Persons is overseen by the Head of Naval Operations.
The Bureau of Ships is responsible for ship design, construction, and fleet assignment. When a new class of vessel is needed, the Bureau of Ships works with naval architects and shipyards to develop it. When a ship comes off the line, the Bureau of Ships assigns it to a fleet. The Bureau also manages the maintenance schedules and refits that keep the fleet operational.
By tradition, the Bureau of Ships is overseen by the Head of Naval Intelligence. This unusual arrangement dates to the early days of the League, when staffing limitations required officers to wear multiple hats. The practice has continued as tradition, though it does give Naval Intelligence significant insight into fleet composition and deployment.
The two bureaus must work closely together. A ship without a crew is useless, and a crew without a ship is wasted. Coordinating ship construction with personnel training, and matching new vessels with qualified crews, requires constant communication between Ships and Persons.
Any Naval officer ranked O-7 (Rear Admiral, lower half) or above is considered a flag officer. Flag officers may issue orders to units assigned to them but cannot contradict orders from the Joint Chiefs or issue orders outside their designated command.
A flag officer may declare any ship they are physically present on as their "flag." This grants them command authority over that ship's activities (though they are not "in command" of the ship itself) and extends their flag privileges to that vessel.
The League military operates through several unified combatant commands, each responsible for specific functions or geographic areas. These commands coordinate assets across all three service branches.
TRANSCOM is responsible for strategic mobility, deployment, distribution, and sustainment operations. Established in 2291 following the logistical challenges of the First Interstellar War, TRANSCOM operates through three component commands:
TRANSCOM maintains the Ready Reserve Fleet - civilian-pattern vessels that can be activated within days for surge capacity during major deployments.
TBD - Additional unified combatant commands to be documented.
League Navy ships maintain standardized organizational structures that scale with vessel size. All vessels operate with a Command Triad:
| Vessel Class | CO Rank | Typical Crew |
|---|---|---|
| LCS / Corvette | Lieutenant | 5-15 |
| Frigate | Lieutenant Commander | 10-25 |
| Destroyer | Commander | 15-50 |
| Light Cruiser | Commander | 80-200 |
| Cruiser / Heavy Cruiser | Captain | 80-400 |
| Battlecruiser | Captain | 100-1,200 |
| Battleship | Captain | 900-5,000 |
| Dreadnought | Captain | 1,200-3,500 |
| Super Dreadnought | Senior Captain | 2,500+ |
Capital ships typically maintain the following departments:
Most League ships also carry Marine detachments ranging from a small team on frigates to battalion-level forces on super dreadnoughts and fleet carriers.
The Space Force operates fighter squadrons from carriers and capital ships equipped with fighter bays. The Commander Air Group (CAG) is an O-6 ranked officer who commands all embarked squadrons.
The CAG has final authority over fighters and their readiness, while the ship's captain has authority over the ship itself. In combat, the ship's captain typically has "tactical seniority," meaning the CAG follows their orders. In fleet operations, CAGs may take orders directly from flag officers rather than their own ship's captain.
This tension requires CAG officers to be skilled at working within fluid command structures, and selection focuses as much on leadership and diplomacy as on piloting ability.
The League maintains numerous fighter squadrons, including specialized units like Echo Squadron - an elite black ops squadron that doesn't officially exist, composed of Naval Intelligence operatives assembled for single missions.
League military personnel wear four categories of uniform:
The Daily Work uniform incorporates integrated wrist and ankle cuffs that can form airtight seals, and accepts the Emergency Deployable Helmet (EDH) - a compact device worn around the neck that deploys a single-use pressure helmet. Together, these transform the uniform into a temporary pressure suit capable of sustaining life for 10-15 minutes in vacuum.
All League armed forces members are assigned a League Armed-Forces Identity Number (LAFIN), which is embedded in their dog tags and a chip in their left shoulder.
Example: 261101141007LNP H
The LAFIN encodes:
12-digit serial based on recruitment date and location
3-character branch code (LNP = Navy, LSP = Spaceforce, LMP = Marines)
1-character species code (H = Human, L = Lyndri, N = NorAellian, G = GikDaa, X = Other)
See Military Ranks for complete details.
The League military maintains standardized procedures for communications, documentation, and timekeeping across all service branches.
The League Navy organizes its ships into numbered fleets, each assigned to a homeport and an area of responsibility (AOR). Ships deploy from their homeport to operate within their fleet's AOR, though they may be temporarily reassigned to other fleets as operational needs require.
A full-strength fleet typically consists of:
| Ship Type | Count |
|---|---|
| Battleship Equivalents | 10 |
| Battlecruisers | 10 |
| Cruisers | 20 |
| Destroyers | 40 |
| Frigates | 80 |
| Total | ~160 ships |
"Battleship Equivalents" includes battleships, dreadnoughts, and super dreadnoughts in varying proportions depending on the fleet's mission and available assets.
The League maintains approximately twenty numbered fleets, giving it a total naval strength of roughly 3,200 capital ships - one of the largest naval forces in known space.
Fleets can be subdivided or combined as operational needs require:
Fleet - The primary organizational unit, commanded by an Admiral. Fleets are numbered (First Fleet, Second Fleet, etc.) and assigned to specific homeports and AORs.
Task Force - A subdivision of a fleet assembled for a specific mission or operation, or occasionally multiple fleets working in conjunction for major operations. Task forces are designated by number and sometimes given operational names (e.g., "Task Force 7" or "Task Force Aeneid"). Commanded by a Rear Admiral or Vice Admiral.
Task Group - A subdivision of a task force, typically built around a specific capability (e.g., a carrier group, a bombardment group). Commanded by a Rear Admiral or Commodore.
Squadron - A group of similar ships operating together (e.g., Destroyer Squadron 12, Cruiser Squadron 3). Commanded by a Captain or Commodore.
Ships are assigned to homeports - major naval installations that provide berthing, resupply, repair, and crew support. The primary fleet bases are:
Located in the Calysto System, the capital of the League. Home to First Fleet, which serves as the Calysto Home Fleet responsible for defense of the capital and ceremonial duties. First Fleet is frequently used for parades and state occasions. Calysto also hosts major training facilities and the Naval Academy.
Located near the border with Freelance Space. Prometheus is the headquarters of the Joint Chiefs and the operational center of League military command. The fleet based at Prometheus monitors the Freelance border, coordinating with both the Confederacy and independent Freelance worlds.
Prometheus is also a major manufacturing hub and hosts several classified programs.
Multiple fleet bases are positioned along the Terran border (the Front) to maintain defensive readiness against the People's Republic of Terra. These installations host the bulk of League combat fleets.
TBD - Specific bases and fleet assignments to be documented.
Fleet bases in the outer colonies and frontier regions support patrol operations, anti-piracy efforts, and League expansion.
TBD - Specific bases and fleet assignments to be documented.
| Fleet | Homeport | Role |
|---|---|---|
| First Fleet | Calysto | Home defense, ceremonial |
| TBD | Prometheus | Freelance border operations |
| TBD | TBD | Terran border (the Front) |
| TBD | TBD | Core systems patrol |
| TBD | TBD | Frontier operations |
TBD - Complete fleet roster to be documented.
Task forces receive a numeric designation and, for significant operations, an operational name. The naming convention varies:
Task forces are considered temporary formations, assembled for specific missions and dissolved when the mission is complete. However, some task forces with ongoing missions may exist for extended periods.