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2024-03-07T05:14:37Z

Troop Composition

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The '''Star League Defense Force Royal Divisions''' were the elite of the original [[Star League Defense Force]]. When the SLDF was founded, it was decided that while the soldiers would come from throughout all the six member states of the [[Star League]], troops from the [[Terran Hegemony]] would form the central core of the new defense force.<ref name=SL41>''The Star League'', p. 41: "Organizing the Military"</ref>

==Troop Composition==
When the SLDF was divided into [[Star League Defense Force#Military Regions|six separate regions]], General [[Shandra Noruff-Cameron]], wife of [[First Lord]] [[Ian Cameron]], decided that the core of each region's forces would be divisions from the [[Hegemony Armed Forces]]. Every member of the Royal units had to be a native to a world of the Hegemony. In addition to the Royal Divisions, Royal Regiments and Battalions would be dispersed throughout the rest of the regular army.<ref name=SL41/> This also included Royal units among those elements of the SLDF Marines permanently or otherwise attached to the regular army, one example being the [[8th Royal CAAN Marine Regiment]],<ref name=SL140>''The Star League'', p. 140: "First"</ref> another the marine elements of the [[Royal Black Watch Regiment]].<ref>''Field Manual: SLDF'', p. 39</ref> There were also Royal units among those marine forces under the direct operational as well as administrative control of the [[Star League Defense Force#Naval|SLDF Marine Corps]], including a number of independently operating (as were the bulk of the 'standard' [[CAAN Regiment|CAAN Regiments]]) Royal CAAN Regiments.<ref>''Historical: Liberation of Terra Volume 1'', p. 82: "The Marines of Carver V"</ref><ref>''Field Manual: SLDF''</ref><ref>''The Star League'', pp. 140–158</ref>

Officers of the Royal Guards wore ceremonial swords.<ref name=SL110>''The Star League'', p. 110</ref>

:{{seealso|Uniforms of the SLDF}}

==Equipment==
Generally, the newest weapon technologies were given to the Royal Divisions first, the rest of the SLDF second, and the armies of the member states third. During the military buildup under [[First Lord]] [[Jonathan Cameron]] this policy was reemphasized.<ref name=SL61>''The Star League'', p. 61</ref>

The Royal Divisions included exclusive variations of many BattleMech designs as well as tanks (e.g. the [[Fury (Combat Vehicle)#Variants|SLDF Royal variant of the Fury command tank]]) and aerospace fighters.<ref name=TRO3075169>''Technical Readout: 3075'', p. 169</ref> These variants used the latest Star League technology, giving the Royal Divisions an undeniable edge in combat. Most notable among these variants was the exclusive ''[[Atlas II]]'',<ref name=TRO3075184>''Technical Readout: 3075'', p. 184</ref> released just prior to the [[Periphery Uprising]], which led to the Amaris Civil War. The Royal Divisions were also intended to receive the [[Nighthawk#Variants|Nighthawk Mk. XXII]] [[Power Armor (Light)|PA(L)]], but this was frustrated by the civil war and the eventual fall of the Star League.

:''Also see'': [[:Category:SLDF Royal BattleMechs]], [[:Category:SLDF Royal Combat Vehicles]], and [[:Category:SLDF Royal Aerospace Fighter classes]]

==Alternate command structure==
The [[Star League Defense Force#Royal|Royal Command]] was one of the SLDF's most important Military Departments. Formerly the High Command of the [[Hegemony Armed Forces]], the Royal Command had two roles. The first was overseeing any issues or conflicts regarding Royal units within the army. The second, and less well-known role, was to act as a "shadow" High Command, issuing secret orders for Royal units to carry out.<ref name=TSL129>''The Star League'', pp. 129–130</ref>

==The Amaris Civil War==
The Royal troops of the SLDF were emotionally the hardest hit by [[Stefan Amaris]]' coup, knowing their families were now living under the aegis of a tyrannical despot and murderer.<ref name=SL85>''The Star League'', p. 85</ref> The [[Amaris Civil War]] would devastate the worlds of the [[Terran Hegemony]] during ten long years of fighting, with General [[Aleksandr Kerensky]]'s forces emerging triumphant despite suffering heavy casualties.<ref name=SL93>''The Star League'', p. 93</ref>

The overwhelming majority of the surviving Royal Divisions left with General Kerensky along with the bulk of the Regular Army on the [[Operation EXODUS|Exodus]] in [[2784]].<ref name=SL93>''The Star League'', p. 93</ref>

==See also==
* [[Gunslinger Program|SLDF Advanced Combat and Maneuvering Skills Project (AKA the ''Gunslinger Program'')]]
* [[328th Royal BattleMech Division]]
* [[Striker (BattleMech)|''Striker'' (BattleMech)]] - Early SLDF assault BattleMech reserved for non-Royal SLDF units
* [[Highlander]]
* [[Talon (BattleMech)|''Talon'' (BattleMech)]] - At least prior to the [[Amaris-Kerensky Civil War]] the TLN-5W was reserved for Royal units only,<ref name=sldf1>''Field Manual: SLDF'', p. 14</ref><ref name=sldf2/> as was initially the wartime TLN-5V<ref name=sldf2>''Field Manual: SLDF'', p. 241</ref><ref>''Record Sheets: 3058 Unabridged (Clan & Star League)'', p. 232</ref>
* [[Pillager]]
* [[Gabriel (Combat Vehicle)|Gabriel]]
* [[Snub-Nose PPC]]
* [[Headhunter Missile]]

Examples of SLDF Royal Division-exclusive BattleMech designs/variants:
* [[Marauder#Variants|''Marauder'' MAD-1R & MAD-2R fire support and frontline attack heavy BattleMech]]
* [[Warhammer#Variants|''Warhammer'' WHM-7A heavy BattleMech]]
* [[Galahad (BattleMech)|''Galahad'' GLH-2D heavy fire support BattleMech]]
* [[Griffin#Variants|''Royal Griffin'' GRF-2N long range fire support medium BattleMech]]
* [[Sentinel#Variants|STN-3Lb ''Sentinel'' infantry support and installation defense medium BattleMech]]
* [[Mongoose|MON-66b ''Mongoose'' light command BattleMech]]
* [[Thorn (BattleMech)#Variants|''Thorn'' THE-Nb light BattleMech]]
* [[Stinger#Variants|STG-3Gb ''Royal Stinger'' recon BattleMech]]
* [[Wyvern|''Wyvern'' WVE-5Nb military police/gendarmerie and urban combat medium BattleMech]]
* [[Exterminator|''Exterminator'' EXT-4Db infiltration BattleMech (heavy)]]
* [[Spector|''Spector'' RPS-4F infiltration BattleMech (light)]]
* [[Shootist|''Shootist'' ST-8A heavy command / close-assault BattleMech]]
* [[BattleMaster#Variants|''BattleMaster'' BLR-1C & BLR-1Gb heavy command BattleMechs]]
* [[Black Knight#Variants|''Black Knight'' BL-6b-KNT command and heavy assault BattleMech]]
* [[King Crab#Variants|''King Crab'' KGC-000b heavy assault BattleMech]]
* [[Emperor|''Emperor'' EMP-6A assault BattleMech]]
* [[Excalibur (BattleMech)#Variants|''Excalibur'' EXC-B2b long range engagement BattleMech]]

: Note: ''While it is likely that the relatively few examples of the GOL-1H ''[[Goliath]]'' assault BattleMech procured by the SLDF were issued solely to the heavy assault BattleMech regiments of the Royal Divisions, this has not been confirmed.''

Examples of SLDF Royal Division-exclusive combat vehicles designs/variants (including VTOLs):
* [[Cyrano#Variants|Cyrano (Royal variant) attack/reconnaissance heavy VTOL]]
* [[Ripper (Combat Vehicle)#Variants|Ripper (Royal variant) quick response troop transport VTOL]]
* [[Nightshade (Combat Vehicle)#Variants|Nightshade (Royal variant) reconnaissance/electronic warfare light VTOL]]
* [[Von Luckner#Variants|Von Luckner (Royal variant) heavy tank]] [Note: the Royal Divisions also used the standard version as well]
* [[Burke (Combat Vehicle)#Variants|Burke (Royal variant) heavy fire support/garrison tank]]
* [[Rhino (Combat Vehicle)#Variants|Rhino (Royal variant) heavy fire support vehicle]]
* [[Zephyr (Combat Vehicle)#Variants|Zephyr (Royal variant) medium hovertank]]
* [[Demon (Combat Vehicle)#Variants|Demon (Royal variant) wheeled armored fighting vehicle]]
* [[Lightning (Combat Vehicle)#Variants|Lightning (Royal variant) reconnaissance hovercraft]]

:Note: ''It has not been confirmed whether or not the "fusion" version of the [[Maultier#Variants|Maultier]] [[hover APC]] is actually a Royal variant.''

==References==
<references/>

==Bibliography==
* ''[[Field Manual: SLDF]]''
* ''[[Historical: Liberation of Terra Volume 1]]''
* ''[[The Star League]]''
* ''[[Technical Readout: 3075]]''

[[Category:Military Organizations|Star League Defense Force, 2nd]]

Star League Defense Force Royal Divisions - Revision history

174.162.215.247: /* Troop Composition */