Military Practices and Customs
We of Clan Jade Falcon pride ourselves on upholding the vision and traditions of the great Kerenskys, remaining true to their ideals. This position refers to philosophy rather than technology - our use of OmniMechs and Elemental battle armor, both innovations since the Founder's time, proves that we are not so hidebound as to refuse advantages that do not impinge on the honor of our warriors, our Clan or the Clans as a whole.
Unit Structure
Though the nomenclature may vary, the Jade Falcon Touman follows standard Clan organizational principles. However, the Touman makes notable distinctions between front-line and other units. A front-line Cluster comprises five Trinaries, usually three of OmniMechs, one of Elementals and one of aerospace Omnifighters, though the exact balance varies by Cluster.
Second line units may vary considerably in size, containing between two and four Trinaries or three to five Binaries. Second-line units often use the same equipment as front-line Clusters, through second-line and Inner Sphere refit equipment may appear in them as well. Solahma and garrison units (usually formally designated as such) have few OmniMechs or OmniFighters, instead equipped with BattleMechs and conventional fighters. Similarly, conventional infantry troops often replace Elementals in such units. With the exception of armored personnel carriers for such infantry, Clan Jade Falcon deploys no combat vehicles.
After the Refusal: Reformation
Since Khan Pryde came to power, the Falcon Touman has undergone a drastic shake-up. Though many of the Galaxy designations existed prior to the Refusal War, the composition of each bears little resemblance to that of mid-3057. In the wake of this third overhaul in the past decade (the others being in 3049 after the ascension of Khan Elias Crichell and another following the Battle of Tukayyid), the sheer scope of the changes have confused many outsiders and led one observer to claim that the Falcons deployed "elements of a dozen different Galaxies" during the Coventry campaign. Since Tukayyid, the Clan has grouped its warriors into thirteen separate Galaxies. However, at present the Falcon Touman consists of ten Galaxies, three Galaxies (ten Clusters) short of full strength. Vau and Omicron Galaxies were destroyed on Morges and their names struck from the Falcon honor roll, while a weakened Phi Galaxy was absorbed into Epsilon Galaxy.
Khan Pryde has organized the Clan into appropriate units, but most of those remain understrength. As these units are expected to reach full strength by the time the invasion of the Inner Sphere resumes, the unit rosters beginning on the section "Galaxy Analysis" list the full strength of each. However, the reader may assume that for the time being each Trinary or Binary is an average of one Star below full strength. For example, a unit listed as consisting of three Trinaries can be assumed to currently consist of three Binaries. Exceptions will be noted in each unit's text; full-strength units will be described as such, while units described as seriously understrength may be even sparser than the listed figures indicate. This is especially true of homeworld garrison forces, which have been picked clean to resupply front-line units.
Naval Assets
Since the invasion, the Falcons have gathered much of their naval strength into two naval Stars: the Emerald Talon and the Falcon Stoop. The former operated as an independant unit during Operation Revival, but returned to the homeworlds when we discovered that the Inner Sphere no longer fielded WarShips. The Falcon Stoop is a new unit, created to reduce attacks on Falcon deep-Periphery convoys. Together with WarShips attached to individual Clusters or Galaxy command units, the Falcon Touman contains twenty-three WarShips.
Star Admiral Folkner is responsible for the deployment of Falcon WarShip assets, occupying a Supra-Galaxy Command position second only to the Khans. All WarShips, whether in naval Stars or attached to 'Mech Clusters, report to the Star Admiral, and through him to Khans Pryde and Clees.
The Jade Falcon naval reserve returned to the Inner Sphere expecting glory, but instead found itself sidelined with no worthy foes. Consequently, many of the reserve's combat Stars returned to the homeworlds or else were reassigned as Cluster-level transport and support vessels. however, Star Admiral Folkner felt that Inner Sphere naval technology would not lag behind the Clans for long and has therefore kept his troops in top fighting form.
The recent deployment of Inner Sphere WarShips against the Smoke Jaguars has vindicated the Star Admiral's caution. The fifty-eight year old Folkner fully expects his forces to see combat against Spheroid vessels within the next few years.
Clan Jade Falcon's fleet currently consists of the Congress-class Green Lantern and Kerensky's Pride; the Cameron-class Turkina's Pride (the Clan flagship); the Nightlord-class Emerald Talon; the Black Lion-class Jade Aerie, Blue Aerie and White Aerie; the Aegis-class Jade Talon, Janice Hazen, Frost Falcon, Gold Talon, Red Talon, White Talon, Black Talon, Blue Talon and Hawk Eye; the Liberator-class Gauntlet; the Carrack-class Ironhold Provider; the Whirlwind-class Emerald Tornado; the Vincent Mk 42-class Lightning Strike; the Sovetski Soyuz-class Hawker; the Fredassa-class Kernesky's Blues; and the Texas-class Falcon's Nest.
Command Structure
Clan Jade Falcon uses a semi-independent command structure, with the Khans nominally in command, though day-to-day operations remain in the hands of the Galaxy Commanders except in unusual circumstances. Each Galaxy Commander is responsible for a group of worlds (or parts of worlds, in the case of the homeworlds), and commands anywhere between two and seven units (usually Clusters). Each Galaxy Commander responds to threats within his or her area of responsibility, redeploying troops as needed, and to this end may carry out limited offensive operations. However, as with many aspects of Clan society, success is everything. The need to justify events, where at hte sipmlest level success proves the correctness of an action, prevents Galaxy Commanders from abusing their power.
The Khans oversee Falcon operations, determining the broad swep of Falcon strategy and directing the actions of the Galaxy Commanders and any independant units. Traditionally, the saKHan oversees the Clan's military policy, acting as Falcon warlord, while the senior Khan tends to the political arena, overseeing relationships between castes within the Clan as well as the Clan's dealings with outsiders. Both Khans have the power to reorganize the Falcon Toum,an to best suit its tasks, a power Khan Pryde has exercised a number of times in the years since the Refusal War. The Khans may also exert direct control over units, through they do so rarely. However, with the Falcon Touman understerength and receiving a massive influx of inexperienced troops and officers, particularly at the senior level, both Kahns have been forced to intervene more frequently of late in matters usually handled by Galaxy or Cluster commanders.
Khans Pryde and Clees, both new to their roles, follow a less rigid path than many of their predecessors, dividing tasks between themselves as needed. Khan Pryde remains the most politically active, but she is also the architect of the Clans' military reorganiztio. In contrast, Khan Clees, despite retaining active command of Delta Galaxy, has become more involved in non-military matters, though she is tking on increasing responsibility for the Jade Falcon Touman.
Battlefield Practices
Our warriors are the best the Clans have to offer:
aggres-
sive, tenacious and skilled. We follow the honor road, knowing
that we uphold the vision of Kerensky, maintaining the traditions
that our Founder Nicholas set before us. We challenge worthy
foes and leave those too feeble to test our mettle to weaker
Clans. We are Jade Falcon.
- Falconer Commander Jessica Buhallin
Regarded as dogma by many outsiders, the above passage neatly encapsulates the Jade Falcon warrior tradition. Honorable combat, as governed by the rules of zellbrigen, shapes and molds the Falcon style of warfare. Whereas Clans like the Wolves believe the end justifies the means and hae adopted the Inner SPhere brabarians' style of warfare, the Falcons believe that the way in which a battle is carried out is as important as the end result. Rarely does a Falcon warrior forgo honorable battlefield practices - usually only on the orders of a superior, and when the honor of the unit or the Clan must be placed above that of the individual The actinos of the Second Falcon Jaegers on Alyina, in 3051, using concerted attacks in their attempt to capture Prince Victor Stiener-Davion of the Federated Commonwealth, are an example of a unit putting Clan honor above its own.
Surprisingly, the dominance of zelbrigen has not hindered large-scale operations b Falcon units, who simply treat such events as a large series of individual duels. This style of combat lies at the heart of Falcon offensive operations, leading to the strategy known as the nathaculor- the strike of the unswerving sword. Rejecting the deception and maneuvering of Inner Sphere warfare, teh nathaculor is a direct, straightforward assault. The Falcons' primary objectives are the defender's command, control and communication assets, and Falcon warriors will persistantly drive for such targets. If such positions are not viable targets, the warriors will move to eliminate the most significant concentration of enemy troops.
One specialist tactic used by Falcon warriors is the Roshak Maneuver. Best suited for fast, light 'Mechs facing heavier foes, the maneuver calls on the warrior to circle his foe at maximum velocity, using speed to avoid taking damage. As the 'Mech circles the opponent, the pilot rotates his 'Mech's torso to maintain a solid weapons lock on the target, steadily whittling away the enemy's defense. Also known as the "Cricle of Death," the maneuver is named for Star Captain Bryd Roshak, who developed it. Members of the First Falcon Hussars use a variant of this maneuver to assault fortified positions, employing one or more Eye Stars to cricle the target and maintain a near-constant barrage.
Training
The Falcons' method of training warriors differs somewhat from the Clan norm, reflecting the desire to create the best possible warriors. While the early training of all warriors occurs at our Ironhold facility - before the Inner Sphere, all the training occurred there - the years since Operation Revival began to have seen a subtle shift in the training process.
Upon testing out as warriors, trueborn Falcon troops are assigned to one of the Eyrie Clusters (freeborns are assigned to a garrison Cluster, or a second-line unit if they are lucky). The Eyrie Clusters teach fledgling warriors how to work as a unit, building on the basic training they received on Ironhold. These units are not new creations; they have existed since the earliest days of our Clan, but their deployment to the Inner Sphere greatly increases their chance of seeing combat and seasoning the warriors. Until 3050, all three Eyrie Clusters rarely left Ironhold. More recently, hwoever, two Clusters fought on Coventry. The third fell on Morges and was struck from the rolls.