Atmospheric Command
| Atmospheric Command | |
| |
| Name: | Atmospheric Command |
| Garrison/HQ: | King William's Tower |
| Type: | Command |
| Status: | Active |
| Reporting to: | Marshal of the Army |
Atmospheric Command (abbrev. AC, or RMAAC) is a component of the Royal Manticoran Army (RMA) with responsibility for atmospheric and close-orbit operations.
The Royal Manticoran Army is the Star Kingdom's force for both planetary surface and atmospheric operations, making it equivalent to both the army and air force in Old Earth history.
Echelon Nomenclature
Atmospheric Command utilizes alternate terms from army ground forces for the various sizes of echelon:
| GROUND ECHELON TYPE | AEROSPACE ECHELON TYPE |
|---|---|
| Squad | Element |
| Platoon | Flight |
| Company | Squadron |
| Battalion | Group |
| Regiment | Wing |
Aerospace units will often be combined with ground units in multi-chapter formations such as brigades and divisions.
Types of Craft
Atmospheric Command operates a number of aerospace craft but the two most common are the M105 "Goliath" transport and the M116 "Viper" stingship.
The Goliath is the primary heavy lift platform of the Atmospheric Command, and a Goliath Wing is capable of airlifting an entire regiment from one side of the planet to the other in less than twenty-four hours.
The Viper is the standard single-seat stingship operated by the Army, a high-performance impeller-drive hypersonic attack fighter capable of operations "from treetops to low orbit" as well as limited space capability.[1]
Uniforms and insignia
In addition to the other RMA uniform types, AC personnel may wear flight suits.
Atmospheric Command has a variation on the army branch shoulder patch, with a two-colored background, reflecting their operational domain. The lighter blue represents the planetary atmosphere with the darker blue representing near orbit.
Qualified personnel wear Aerospace Wings, either as metallic badges on dress uniforms or as part of their embroidered name badges on flight suits.[2]
Atmospheric units in TRMN
In The Royal Manticoran Navy: The Official Honor Harrington Fan Association, Inc. (TRMN), RMA chapters may portray aerospace units as a role-play option. This means that the chapter will use the echelon nomenclature appropriate to its size, and members may wear flight suits and (if earned) aerospace wings, as well as wear the Atmospheric Command patch in place of the regular RMA patch.
TRMN Atmospheric units
References
- ↑ Honorverse Companion, pp.410-411
- ↑ Flightsuit name badge vendor with Manticoran wings.