History & Organization

The Azanian Space Navy is responsible for all Azanian military and government space shipping, including warships, colonial transports, auxiliaries, government couriers, and survey ships. Azania has operated interstellar ships since 2140, and warships since the late 22nd Century. Until the emergence of the Kafer threat, Azania had a relatively small fleet of French designed ships. However, with the Kafer threat to Azanian colonies along the French Arm, the Azanian fleet is being upgraded and expanded. The older French ships are gradualy being phased out and replaced by newer Azanian and British designs.

The Azanian Space Navy is focused on the defence of its colonies and outposts in the Core and along the French Arm. Most of the fleet is based at Earth, Tirane, and Nyotekundu, with other detachments in the French and Chinese Arm.

Relations

America: Relations with America are friendly, and American has many corporate facilities in Azania and her colonies. There is little political interaction between both powers beyond Earth and Tirane, but both nations and colonies actively trade with each other.

Argentina: Although there is limited political interaction between both countries, Argentine relations with Britain cause Azanian some concern. With the British South Atlantic Fleet and troops frequently calling at Cape Town, Azanian facilities in Antartica and the Azanian fishing fleet would be threatened if hostilities broke out between Argentina and Britain in the South Atlantic.

Australia: Azania maintains friendly relations with Australia which is also a Commonwealth member, although there is little political interaction between both countries outside of Earth and Tirane.

Brazil: Although there is very little political interaction, Trans-Atlantic trade between both nations is growing. Brazil has also some unresolved issues with Argentina and is friendly with Britain, and the hostilities between Brazil and Argentina could threaten Azanian interests.

Britain: Britain is Azania's closest ally in space, and there is a large British decended minority in Azania and her colonies. Britain is a fellow member of the Commonwealth and the ESA, and has heavily invested in the Azanian economy, and has also supported the Azanian colony on Joi. Colonial interaction remains close and many Azanians live in British colonies. Azania is also a major supplier of tantalum to Britain, and Britain is becoming the largest supplier of space ships and weapons to Azania.

Canada: Azania has friendly realtions with Canada which is a fellow Commonwealth member. Canada buys some of its tantalum from Azania.

France: Although relations with France remain cordial, there is some tension between both countries over French interests and ambitions in Central Africa. As Azania jointly occupies Kimanjano and Nyotekundu with France, and is one of the colonial powers on Joi which is home to the break away French colony of Elysia, Azanian military doctrine has taken into account the possibility of having to military engage French forces in space.

Germany: Azanian relations with the old state of Bavaria were good, and this relationship has continued with the new German state. Azania and Germany do not directly compete with each other, and Germany has supported and absorbed the two failed Azanian colonies at Dunkelheim and Nibelungen. The only area of difficulty between both nations is over the issue of Friehaven independence, and in this respect Azania would probably favor German claims to Friehaven as there is a growing independence movement in its own Tiranian colony. Azania has wisely stayed out of Franco-German rivalry, although given tensions with the French and German help over Dunkelheim and Nibelungen, Azania would again be more inclined to favor Germany.

Indian States: Although none of the Indian states have any presence in space, most of the Indian states are members of the Commonwealth, and there are a large number of people of Indian decent living in Azania and her colonies. As a result Azania retains diplomatic links with the Indian states, and Azanian naval units frequently undertake manouvers in the Indian Ocean.

Japan: Azania retains friendly relations with Japan, although neither countries are culturally or politically close. However, both nations have colonies on Tirane and Joi and actively trade with each other, while Japan buys a lot of her tantalum from Azania.

Malawi: Azania's small Northern neighbour is an economic satelite and a military ally against French expansion in Africa.

Manchuria: Although Azanian-Manchurian relations are fairly limited, there are thousands of Azanian citizens in both the Manchurian colony of Chyuantii, and the British enclave of New Liverpool, on Syuhlahm, Zeta Tucanae. As a result Azania maintain a diplomatic presence in
Syuhlahm.
 
Mozambique: Although Mozambique has a very small presence off Earth, Azania's neighbour is a client state of France, and French commercial interests have heavily invested in Mozambique's economy. Azania has cordial relations with Mozambique, although Mozambique looms large in Azanian defense planning.

Netherland/Flanders: The Dutch states of Flanders and the Netherlands have only a limited presence of Earth, however the Azanian Afrikaaner minority are largely of Dutch decent, and retain links with the lands of their ancestors. Dutch and Flemish interests from Amsterdam and Antwerp have a very large presence in the huge Azanian diamond mining industry.

Nigeria: Nigeria is Azania's principle rival in the leadership of Africa's nations. Although the Nigerian government and military has a very limited presence in space, Nigeria has ambitions in that area, and there are a large number of Nigerians resident on the Manchurian colony of Cgengdu in the Epsilon Indi system.
 

Order of Battle

The Azanian Space Navy uses a number of types of ships.

1) Pretoria Class Fighter Carrier: Built by British Exospace at their shipyard in Luna orbit. This is a scaled down version of the British Ark Royal Class carrier. It can carry either 16 Harrier fighters, or alternatively 8 landers and 640 troops. The Pretoria is only armed with a few defensive lasers and submunition despensers.

2) Nelson Class Cruiser: Built by British Exospace in Tirane orbit, the Nelson's have completely replaced Azania's fleet of Marechal Class destroyers.

3) Venda Class Frigate: An Azanian designed ship, built at Azania's government shipyard at L-5. The Venda is the most numerous ship in the Azanian Space Navy.

4) Ypres Class Frigate: A very large frigate bought from France. The Ypres have been upgunned with a few missiles and have been retained for colonial guard duties on the French Arm. [Bryn's note, she's really a cruiser, with the same power plant, size etc. as a Kennedy. The "frigate" tag is probably a French term for a non-missile ship or such.]

5) Aconit Class Frigate: The Aconit Class is slowly being phased out of Azanian service.

6) Harrier Class Fighters: The Harrier fighter has been bought from Britain, and are based on the Azanian carrier, and cruisers.

7) Churchill Class Fighter: The Churchill fighter are older planet based fighters bought from Britain.

8) Electra 917 Class Liner: American liners bough on the open market and converted to troop ships. Converted Electra 917's can carry 640 troops and 4 Wessex landers in fairly cramped conditions.

9) Stahlhammer Class Freighter: A German built fast freighter used to supply the Azanian fleet with missile reloads and other ordinance.
 
10) Nafasi Class Survey Ship: An Azanian design used for deep space survey mission by the Azanian government.

11) Faidi Class Courier: An Azanian design used for Azanian fleet and government courier/VIP tranport duties.

12) Wessex Class Spaceplane: The Wessex spaceplane was bought from Britain for interface troop assault duties.

13) City Class Spaceplane: A smaller British designed space plane than the Wessex, used for interface landing duties.

For transporting heavy mechanized units such as hovertanks etc, the Azanians contract commercial freighters and transporters from the Azanian or British merchant fleets.

The Azanian Fleet command HQ is located in a hardened bunker complex deep in the mountains near Pretoria on Earth. However, Azania has built an orbital fleet and munitions base at L-5, with a docking and repair facilities for Azanian ships. The Azanian government shipyard is also located at L-5, while small fleet bases are located in Tirane and Nyotekundu orbit, with limited repair facilities.

HOME FLEET (Earth & L-5/SOL):
CV- Pretoria (Pretoria Class w/16 Harriers or 8 Wessex)
CR- Johannesburg (Nelson Class w/4 Harrier & 1 Wessex)
FF- Botswana (Venda Class)
FF- Namibia (Venda Class)
FF- Swaziland (Venda Class)
FF- Tundukubwa (Venda Class)
FF- Xhosa (Venda Class)
FF- Zambia (Venda Class)
Ft- 14x Churchill Class (Earth)
TA- Drakensberg (Electra 917 Class w/4 Wessex)
TA- Kalahari (Electra 917 Class w/4 Wessex)
Ax- Nafasi (Nafasi Class w/1 City)
Ax- Windhoek (Stahlhammer Class)
Cr- Free State (Faidi Class)
Cr- Kimberely (Faidi Class)
Cr- Mpumalanga (Faidi Class)

TIRANE FLEET:
CR- Durban (Nelson Class w/4 Harriers & 1 Wessex)
FF- Afrikaans (Venda Class)
FF- Swaziland (Venda Class)
FF- Zimbabwe (Venda Class)
Ft- 12x Churchill Class (on Tirane)
TA- Matabeleland (Electra 917 Class w/4 Wessex)
Cr- Natal (Faidi Class)

DEVILLEBIS/CLARKESSTAR SQUADRON:
FF- Zulu (Venda Class)
Ax- Protea (Nafasi Class w/ 1 City)
Cr- Northern Provence (Faidi Class)

DUNKELHEIM/DM+36 2393 SQUADRON:
FF- Jans Smuts (Aconit Class)
Cr- Harare (Faidi Class)

KIMANJAN0/DM+34 2342 SQUADRON:
FF- Mandella (Ypres Class w/1 City)
Ft- 6x Churchill Class (on Kimanjano)
Cr- Western Cape (Faidi Class)

JOI/61 URSAE MAJORIS SQUADRON:
FF- Mbutuo (Ypres Class w/1 City)
Cr- Northern Cape (Faidi Class)

NIBELUNGEN/NEUBAYERN SQUADRON:
FF- Lubumbashi (Venda Class)
Cr- Eastern Cape (Faidi Class)

NYOTEKUNDU/WOLF 359 FLEET:
CR- Cape Town (Nelson Class/w 4 Harrier & 1 Wessex)
FF- Lesotho (Venda Class)
FF- Ndebele (Venda Class)
FF- Venda (Venda Class)
TA- Mashonaland (Electra 917 w/4 Wessex)
Cr- Guateng (Faidi Class)

OQC SUPPORT SQUADRON (L-5/SOL):
FF- Assegaai (Aconit Class)
FF- DeKlerc (Aconit Class)
FF- Umkhonto (Aconit Class)