MILITARY UNITS
Note: Some units may have technological prerequisites, which means they need to be purchased before the units are, to give you access to them.
GROUND FORCES
All ground forces come in brigades of 5,000 military personnel each, including all combat and backup troops unless noted otherwise. Their other equipment is not listed due to country-per-country differences. An armoured brigade includes up to 30 total main battle tanks, specialty tanks, or other support vehicles of whose composition is up to the player. An artillery brigade consists of up to 30 artillery pieces, of whose range and function is up to the player.
1% Rule: The sum of all your ground personnel (army) may not exceed 1% of your RP population during peace time.
Motorized Infantry (10 IC): An infantry brigade excels in urban and mountain warfare, and is also adept at hit-and-run, guerilla tactics. These are usually motorized with trucks, at the player's decision.
Mechanized Infantry (20 IC): One mechanized infantry brigade is an infantry brigade mounted on vehicles like APCs and IFVs. This enables this formation to be effective in mobility warfare, and has excellent firepower.
Airborne (30 IC): An airborne brigade. It is lightly armed and very swift to deploy, outmaneuvering any other ground formation, except SpecOps, in their deployment speed. They might be deployed from helicopters, transport aircraft, and so on. Airborne can be mechanized; this is rare, however, with the USSR having been the only real-world country to do it. Regardless of whether they are mechanized or not, they are softer than other infantry.
Special Forces (50 IC): A special operations brigade, special forces so to say. This category includes Soviet Spetsnaz and Osnaz, British SAS, and so on. It is good for covert missions, sabotage, etc; its value is questionable in actual warfare, however, as the more expendable infantry units can do the same job at a lower cost.
Armour (60 IC): One tank/armour brigade, with excellent firepower. Effective in low hills and flatland, where tanks are most mobile. Although with occasional exceptions, they tend to be weak in territories like dense forests and cities or mountains as they are hulking targets.
Artillery (40 IC): This brigade fights from a distance. It can be equipped with any artillery piece such as towed guns, self-propelled weapons, or even MLRS, and can be considered to include air defenses too. It is adept at destroying enemy concentrations, cities, and almost anything, however it is weak if it directly is confronted by enemy units, so it is best used as a support weapon.
AIR FORCES
Air forces, coming in squadrons of 400 personnel and 30 aircraft, are generally used as support. Light/multi role Helicopters can be considered 'free' or parts of Ground attack or Transport squadrons.
Fighter (60 IC): Basic aircraft, superior air combatant that can also occasionally strike ground targets, even though it is not designed to do so. It excels against any other kind of aircraft, from helicopters to strategic bombers.
Fighter-Bomber (60 IC): A ground attack squadron. Like bombers, they can offer ground support: they take out tanks, ground-based installations, enemy units, and so on. However, they can also defend themselves against other aircraft. True fighters are more effective at air superiority warfare, while true bombers are more effective at surface targeting.
Attack Helicopter (50 IC): A helicopter squadron, usually with heavy armor and highly mobile firepower. Capable of quickly striking ground targets where it would be too dangerous to send in larger aircraft. Sometimes has air-to-air capabilities. Includes helicopter gunships.
AWACS (50 IC): An AWACS squadron consists of 'flying radar' aircraft. This increases the performance of all your forces in a region they operate and offers you intelligence about the enemy. Also, you need not deploy ground-based radars when you operate AWACS, though this can be problematic, depending on your enemy's tactics. AWACS cannot fight.
Tanker (60 IC): Tanker squadrons can carry fuel over massive distances, or even refuel your aircraft (provided they are designed to do so) in-flight to enhance their operational range. Tankers cannot fight.
Transport (40 IC): Transport squadrons can transfer equipment or personnel over great distances, as well as perform Airborne force deployments. Transports cannot fight.
Bomber (100 IC): Bombers excel at destroying surface targets. They have greater range than fighters and fighter-bombers and also better strike capability, but are unprotected against other aircraft. For RP purposes, a regular bomber cannot carry a strategic nuclear missile. This is a high value unit.
Strategic bomber (600 IC): The perfect weapon for massive bombing campaigns, nuclear and conventional, strategic bombers are unmatched in payload and range by any other fighting aircraft. A strategic bomber aircraft has intercontinental range, meaning it can strike enemies even in another continent and return if able. It cannot attack other aircraft, making it a pumped-up, just-as-vulnerable bomber. A strategic bomber can carry 1 strategic nuclear missile each, with up to 10 warheads per missile. One squadron can thus carry up to 300 warheads. This is a capital unit.
Requires Nuclear Technology and Nuclear Weapons if not conventionally armed
NAVY FORCES
Navy forces represent a single ship each time mentioned. Unless noted otherwise, they include helicopters where available, depending on their real-life class. The average personnel per ship, based on calculations, should be about 440 sailors, however take note that this might vary from country to country.
Patrol Boats (20 IC): The smallest naval vessel. Patrol boats are not suitable for deep sea and cannot travel with a main fleet in blue water. Lighter and faster than Corvettes, they are also smaller and more agile, carrying less weapons. These are generally used for rapid watching of the coasts, but specific variants can be proven lethal to a few larger ships, depending on their armament. There are a variety of types, including gunboats and missile boats. Patrol boats often have brown water capability, useful in patrolling major rivers.
Corvette (30 IC): Larger than a patrol boat, but smaller than a frigate. Corvettes are designed to operate close to shore, as well as at sea. These ships can defend a country's assets and interests far away from its own shores, with sophisticated weapons and surveillance equipment. They can be a useful and agile mean to counter ships around their size without mobilizing larger ships, or even countering targets larger ships might be incapable of reaching.
Frigate (50 IC): Larger than a corvette, but smaller than a destroyer. Especially useful in anti-submarine warfare and air defense. Often multi-role and the core of naval formations.
Destroyer (70 IC): Larger than most frigates and usually smaller than a cruiser. This ship specializes in anti-submarine and anti-surface warfare. Often used to escort high value and capital ships.
Cruiser (60 IC): Good against surface targets, including land attack, it can also provide decent air defence. It can be an excellent all-round ship of considerable size and excellent fire-power, depending on class. Due to their size, cruisers may be more vulnerable to attack than smaller ships, and only 3 RL nations still operate them. This is a high value unit.
Requires Nuclear Technology if not conventionally powered
Transport (40 IC): Light transport ship, can transport up to half a brigade with their equipment. Cannot fight.
Amphibious Assault Carrier (500 IC): Heavy transport, can transport up to two brigades with their equipment and provide them with air cover. This is a light carrier with troop quarters that can defend itself. This is a high value unit.
Helicarrier (450 IC): Usually a light carrier with 20 helicopters and defensive weapons. Effective in anti-submarine warfare and early warning roles, at great distances from the main fleet. This is a high value unit.
Aircraft Carrier, Light (500 IC): A light aircraft carrier is a good choice for nations that want to project their power abroad. Cheaper, faster, and more mobile than other carriers, it also holds less aircraft. Comes with 20 aircraft (fighters, fighter-bombers, and helicopters). Or, it can come with 20 vertical take-off and landing fighters. Light carriers specialize in air support and rely on their aircraft to fight. Rarely, they might have room for defensive weapons. Keep away from ship-killers, especially submarines! This is a capital unit.
Aircraft Carrier, Standard (650 IC): A standard aircraft carrier is a good choice for nations that want to project their power abroad. Comes with 45 aircraft of several types (fighters, fighter-bombers, and helicopters). Aircraft carriers specialize in air support and rely on their aircraft to fight. Sometimes carries defensive weapons. Keep away from ship-killers, especially submarines! This is a capital unit.
Supercarrier (1,300 IC): Largest carrier classes, similar to the Soviet 'Ulyanovsk' and American 'Nimitz' classes. Only large countries can afford a supercarrier. Comes with 90 aircraft of several types (fighters, fighter-bombers, and helicopters. Sometimes carries defensive weapons. Keep away from ship-killers, especially submarines! This is a capital unit.
Requires Nuclear Technology
Attack Submarine, Diesel-powered (SSK) (40 IC): Diesel-powered attack submarine, designed to hunt other ships and submarines; its role is mainly coastal defense. Not fast enough to keep up with main fleets in blue water.
Attack Submarine, Nuclear-powered (SSN) (90 IC): Powerful silent hunter, adept at destroying all sorts of ships and submarines with little or no signs of presence. Nuclear attack submarines can operate very far from home, making them an excellent offensive weapon.
Requires nuclear technology.
Guided missile submarine, Nuclear-powered (SSGN) (550IC): Adept at attacking ground targets, groups of ships, and can defend itself against other submarines. The first guided missile submarines were used by the Soviet Union to deter American aircraft carriers in the Cold War; indeed, these submarines are intended as ship-killers and to provide fire support from long range. Keep away from long-ranged ASW-capable units, like helicopters. This is a high value unit.
Requires nuclear technology.
Ballistic Missile Submarine, Nuclear-powered (SSBN) (1,110 IC): Only large countries can afford an SSBN. This submarine can attack enemy cities tens of thousands of kilometres away. For statistical purposes, each SSBN is considered to carry 20 strategic nuclear missiles that can take 10 warheads each, for a total of 200 per submarine. Can be retrofitted to carry conventional missiles instead. This ship is actually a superweapon, not a conventional weapon; keep it away from everything! This is a capital unit.
Requires nuclear technology, nuclear weapons, space program and space research program.
GROUND-BASED SUPERWEAPONS
Superweapons are weapons of mass destruction. So far, two ground units exist: the ICBM silo and the mobile ICBM, able to be armed with nuclear, biological or chemical weapons (usually the former), or simply conventional ones (all other require the appropriate technologies separately). Each of the unit below has personnel circa at the size of one brigade (5,000 men and/or women.)
ICBM Silo (400 IC): Facilities used to operate and launch ICBM missiles, to strike in another nation's homeland. Can accommodate 10 missiles with 10 warheads each, for a total of 100 warheads per silo.
Requires (conventional, nuclear, biological, or chemical weapons), space program and space research program.
Mobile ICBM Launcher (500 IC): ICBM mobile launch pad, more expensive than bases but harder to detect. May be vehicle or train. Can accommodate 10 missiles with 10 warheads each, for a total of 100 warheads per launcher.
Requires (conventional, nuclear, biological, or chemical weapons), space program and space research program.
Conventional Ballistic Warhead: (0.1 IC): This is a single strategic conventional warhead. Each missile can take up to 10 of these, depending on class. Requires something capable of delivering an ICBM in order to use.
Requires Space Program, Space Research Program
Strategic Nuclear Warhead: (5 IC): This is a single strategic nuclear warhead that normally does not require upkeep. Each missile can take up to 10 of these. If you own more nuclear warheads than your missiles can deliver (calculate: (# of ICBM silos + # of ICBM launchers) x 100 + # of SSBN x 200 + # of strategic bombers x 300) you need to pay upkeep equal to 1 IC for each warhead. Nuclear warheads can only be used by ICBM silos, ICBM launchers, ballistic missile submarines, and strategic bombers.
Requires nuclear technology and nuclear weapons.
Strategic Biological Warhead: (5 IC): This is a single strategic biological warhead with the same rules as strategic nuclear warheads.
Strategic Chemical Warhead: (5 IC): This is a single strategic chemical warhead with the same rules as strategic nuclear and biological warheads.
Upkeep rules apply to the sum of all your unconventional warheads, regardless of type.
Special Unconventional Weapons: (5 IC): This is for things like hypersonic ICBMs, tsunami bombs, gay bombs, super EMPs, and the such. The specific weapon type must currently exist in RL or have existed in the past, be deliverable by existing tech, and you must be the producer nation for its RL equivalent. Special unconventional weapons have the same cost as nuclear warheads and they all take upkeep. Pre-reqs vary, depending on the specific weapon.
Smaller conventional missiles and cruise missiles are "free" and need not be declared
MILITARY TECHNOLOGIES
Technologies let you build things or simply improve your nation somehow. Unless noted otherwise, each technology can be purchased once. Technologies often have prerequisites for other technologies. You only need to purchase a technology once.
Satellites (40 IC): Grants the ability to build and operate satellites.
Requires space program.
Military Satellite Network (60 IC): Grants a military satellite network. You cannot develop targeting systems that use satellite data without this.
Requires satellites and space program.
Space Program (60 IC): Grants space program, with ability to send satellites to space.
Space research program (140 IC): Allows you to send manned vessels to space and build ICBM missiles.
Requires space program, satellite network and military satellites.
Nuclear technology (70 IC): Grants civilian nuclear technology. Allows you to build nuclear reactors and nuclear-powered vessels.
Requires NS Mining Sector of at least 5 and defense spending of at least 10%
Nuclear weapons (130 IC): Grants nuclear weapons technology (access to build tactical and strategic nuclear warheads).
Requires Nuclear Technology, NS Arms Manufacturing Sector of at least 5, and ENAA approval if nation joined EU after November 9th, 2009
Biological weapons (160 IC): Grants biological weapons.
Requires NS Arms Manufacturing Sector of at least 5 and defense spending of at least 10%
Chemical weapons (100 IC): Grants chemical weapons technology.
Requires NS Arms Manufacturing Sector of at least 5 and defense spending of at least 10%