Confederal Navy¶

The Confederal Navy is the most distinctive service of the AFCS and the largest navy in Sierra by personnel and capability except possibly the Aegiran Stolos. Approximately 115,000 active personnel, with approximately 60,000 reservists available on partial mobilisation.

The Navy is the service that distinguishes CSAT from the DPRR most sharply. Where the DPRR maintains a modest coastal-defence Navy, CSAT maintains a peer-tier blue-water-capable Navy with a light through-deck carrier, substantial surface combatants, modern conventional submarines, substantial amphibious lift, and a Naval Aviation Arm. This is the operational core of the confederation's "modern combined arms with a strong navy" doctrine and the only ESA service that treats the Navy as co-equal with the Army.

The Confederal Navy executed the eastern Aegiran island operations in July 2026 — a divisional-scale amphibious operation that seized Lerion, Mytilene, and Selinon by early August. The Navy has since contested the central Aegiran Sea against the Stolos and the broader WDP coalition.

Organisation¶

The Confederal Navy reports to the Commander of the Confederal Navy under the General Staff and the Confederal Defence Council. It is organised into:

Two operational fleets — the Shalmeen Fleet (southern; Shalmeen Sea) and the Aegiran Fleet (western; Aegiran Sea)
The Submarine Force — a unified command operating across both fleet areas; SSK and SSGN classes (no SSBNs per canon)
The Naval Aviation Arm — maritime patrol, ASW, carrier-based fighters, naval helicopters
Coastal Defence Command — shore-based anti-shipping missile batteries, mine warfare, port defence
Naval Special Warfare Command — Razvedchiki combat-diver and ship-boarding force; operationally subordinated to the Confederal Special Operations Command for joint operations
Logistics, training, and engineering commands — supporting elements

The fleets¶

Shalmeen Fleet¶

The senior fleet. Headquartered at the principal Shalmeen-coast naval base. The Shalmeen Fleet operates:

The majority of the surface combatant force — the light carrier, both heavy cruisers, the bulk of the destroyers and frigates
The principal amphibious force — both Asad al-Bahr-class LHDs and the majority of the Najm al-Bahr-class LSTs
Submarines assigned to the southern theatre
Naval aviation assigned to southern operations including the carrier embarked air wing

The Shalmeen Fleet's principal missions are defence of the Shalmeen Sea, power projection through the Volnian Sea and the Aegiran Strait, and amphibious operations against regional adversaries.

Aegiran Fleet¶

The smaller western fleet. Headquartered at the principal Aegiran-coast naval base, with forward operating bases at Lerion / Mytilene / Selinon in the occupied eastern Aegiran islands since August 2026. The Aegiran Fleet operates:

A portion of the surface combatant force — destroyers, frigates, corvettes, Sayyaf-class fast missile boats
Submarines assigned to the Aegiran theatre (the principal Aegiran-Sea anti-shipping force)
Naval aviation assigned to Aegiran operations
Coastal defence forces for the western coast

The Aegiran Fleet's principal mission is the Aegiran-Sea war — currently the AFCS's primary theatre of combat.

Principal forces¶

Surface combatants¶

The Confederal Navy operates a substantial peer-tier surface fleet, principally domestically built by Confederal Naval Industries at FEZ-port shipyards:

Mehrvaan-class light carrier — single hull; the fleet flagship; Kuznetsov through-deck design with an embarked air wing of Su-33 and MiG-29K
Dilvaan-class CG (cruiser) — 2 hulls; Slava senior surface combatants
Karesh-class DDG (destroyer) — ~9 hulls; Sovremenny/Udaloy multi-role
Shalmeen-class FFG (frigate) — ~14 hulls; Admiral Grigorovich; bulk modern surface combatant
Saghir-class corvette — ~12 hulls; Buyan-M / Steregushchiy; the Shalmeen Sea workhorse
Sayyaf-class FAC(M) — substantial inventory of fast-attack missile boats (Tarantul/Molniya)
Hadi-class OPVs — extensive Shalmeen-coast and Aegiran-Sea patrol flotilla

The Submarine Force¶

The Confederal Submarine Force operates fully conventional submarines — no SSBNs (per Sierran Conflict canon, nuclear weapons do not exist on Europa):

Samaka-class SSK — ~10 boats; improved Kilo / Lada AIP-capable conventional attack submarines; the principal Aegiran-Sea anti-shipping force
Qalam-class SSGN — 2 boats; conventional cruise-missile submarines for long-range strike

Submarine operations since July 2026 have included:

Anti-shipping operations against WDP coalition logistics in the Aegiran Sea
Reconnaissance and intelligence-gathering against Aegiran fleet movements
Insertion and extraction of Naval Special Warfare elements
Persistent maritime presence in contested zones

The submarine force has accounted for a substantial proportion of WDP coalition maritime losses in the current war.

Amphibious forces¶

The Confederal Navy operates the principal amphibious force in northern Sierra:

Asad al-Bahr-class LHD — 2 hulls; modern amphibious assault ships (Ivan Rogov / Mistral); each embarks a Marine brigade plus supporting rotary-wing
Najm al-Bahr-class LST — ~14 hulls; Ropucha; bulk amphibious lift; the workhorse of the July 2026 eastern-island operation
Rih-class LCAC — air-cushion landing craft (Zubr)
Smaller LCM / LCU and supporting auxiliary vessels

Embarked naval infantry¶

The Confederal Navy does not field a separate Marine service. Amphibious lodgement and beachhead seizure missions are conducted by detachments of the Confederal Army, embarked from the Aegiran Fleet's amphibious task groups for specific operations. The July 2026 eastern-Aegiran island operations were executed by CSAT Army formations lifted by Najm al-Bahr-class LSTs and Asad al-Bahr-class LHDs; once ashore, those formations remained under Army operational control, with naval gunfire and aviation support coordinated by the Aegiran Fleet's task group commander.

Doctrinal responsibility for amphibious assault rests with the Aegiran Fleet and the army formations attached for any given operation. There is no permanent Confederal Marines establishment — the AFCS treats amphibious capability as a joint task rather than a service line.

Naval Aviation Arm¶

The Naval Aviation Arm operates:

Carrier embarked air wing — Su-33 and MiG-29K fighters on the Mehrvaan-class light carrier
Long-range maritime patrol — Il-38 and Tu-142 (ASW and surveillance)
Naval helicopters — Ka-27 / Ka-29 for ASW and amphibious assault
Maritime strike — coordinated with Confederal Air Force Tu-22M3 long-range bombers (Air Force assets but routinely tasked against maritime targets)

The Naval Aviation Arm's principal current operations are Aegiran-Sea maritime strike, anti-submarine warfare, and air-sea coordination with the Confederal Air Force.

Coastal Defence Command¶

Operates:

Shore-based anti-shipping missile batteries — Bal-E and Bastion-P along Shalmeen and Aegiran coasts; substantial deployment given the maritime contest
Coastal artillery — Continental-bloc-pattern systems retained in selected port-defence fortifications
Mine warfare units — Hadrat-class MCM vessels plus offensive minelaying capability
Port defence battalions — security forces for principal naval and FEZ ports

Coastal defence has been a central operational priority during the war — WDP coalition naval action has produced repeated probes against the Shalmeen and Aegiran coasts.

Naval Special Warfare Command¶

Razvedchiki combat-diver, ship-boarding, and amphibious reconnaissance force. Operationally subordinated to the Confederal Special Operations Command "ash-Shabaq" for joint operations under General Staff direction.

Current operational posture (late 2026)¶

Mission	Force	Status
Eastern Aegiran islands occupation	2nd Marine Division "Eastern Islands" + naval supporting elements	Continuous; reinforced fortifications; supporting maritime patrol
Aegiran Sea contest	Aegiran Fleet (full) + Submarine Force elements	Continuous combat operations against the Stolos and WDP coalition
Shalmeen Sea defence	Shalmeen Fleet (partial) + Coastal Defence	Active defence against WDP coalition probes; protection of FEZ shipping
Submarine operations	Submarine Force (sustained)	Continuous anti-shipping and intelligence operations
Naval aviation strike	Naval Aviation Arm + Air Force coordination	Continuous maritime strike and ASW operations
Coastal defence	Coastal Defence Command (full)	Continuous; substantial readiness escalation since July 2026
Volnian SRA support	Limited NSW and supply	Quiet; continuing

The Confederal Navy is the most heavily engaged service of the AFCS. Naval losses since July 2026 have been substantial — multiple frigates and corvettes lost or damaged, several submarines lost, naval-aviation losses in the moderate hundreds — but within sustainable replacement rates given the domestic industrial base.

Recruitment and training¶

Confederal Navy manpower:

Volunteer-professional core — approximately 70% of personnel are volunteer career enlistees and officers; substantially higher proportion than the Confederal Army
Selective conscription — supplementary; principally for non-technical positions
Officer recruitment — through the Confederal Naval Academy and supporting institutions
Marine recruitment — competitive selection from across the AFCS conscript and volunteer pool; the Marines are an all-volunteer formation in practice though the conscription pipeline remains the formal feeder

Training emphasises technical competence and small-unit professionalism — appropriate to a peer-tier maritime force.

Naval doctrine¶

Confederal Navy doctrine:

Sea control in regional waters — the Shalmeen and Aegiran Seas; the Volnian Sea approaches
Power projection through amphibious operations and limited expeditionary capability
Anti-shipping warfare as a principal mission against the WDP coalition's aggregate naval superiority
Coastal defence as the foundational mission protecting the FEZ port system
ESA maritime coordination with the RPA Navy (though RPA Navy contribution is modest)

The doctrine has been substantially validated by the current war's operational results. The eastern-island operations succeeded; the Aegiran-Sea contest has not been lost; the FEZ port system has remained functional under WDP coalition pressure.

Equipment¶

Confederal Navy equipment is principally domestically produced at peer-tier quality by Confederal Naval Industries at FEZ-port shipyards. See Equipment for full treatment. Key classes:

Mehrvaan-class CV (light carrier, 1 hull)
Dilvaan-class CG (cruiser, 2 hulls)
Karesh-class DDG (destroyer, ~9 hulls)
Shalmeen-class FFG (frigate, ~14 hulls)
Saghir-class corvette (~12 hulls)
Sayyaf-class FAC(M) (fast missile boat, substantial inventory)
Samaka-class SSK (conventional attack submarine, ~10 boats)
Qalam-class SSGN (conventional cruise-missile submarine, 2 boats — no SSBNs per canon)
Asad al-Bahr-class LHD (2 hulls)
Najm al-Bahr-class LST (~14 hulls)
Rih-class LCAC (air-cushion landing craft)
Bal-E / Bastion-P coastal anti-shipping missile batteries