Royal Pelinese Air Force (Pacifica)

Royal Pelinese Air Force
ペリナイ空軍 Королевские Военно-Воздушные Силы Пелии
Roundel of the Royal Pelinese Air Force
Active	January 2, 1984 – present (1984-01-02 – present)
Country	Kingdom of Pelinai
Branch	Air force
Size	~280,000 active duty RPAF personnel (2023) ~200,000 reserve personnel (2023) approx. 4,200 aircraft (2023) approx. 200 ICBMs (2019) approx. 700 IRBMs (2019)
Part of	Pelinese Armed Forces
Headquarters	Aerial Staff Building, Dainēsa
Colors	White, blue, gold
Equipment	List of equipment of the Royal Pelinese Air Force
Engagements	Pelinese Civil War (as PWA Air Forces)
Website	rpaf.paf.pln
Commanders
CINC	Izumi Perinaiko
Minister of Defense	General Anton Radovoy
Chief of General Staff	Mkhail Yukisorskiy
Commander of Air Operations	General Kazuma Shashuko
Aircraft flown
Attack	So-12, To-13
Bomber	Na-15, Na-17
Electronic warfare	KaR-11E, To-13EB, To-91K2, To-93K
Fighter	Ae-15V/G, Ae-15S
Helicopter	Be-12M, Ha-5, Yo-12
Reconnaissance	Ru-3G, Se-9RU, Se-12
Trainer	Ae-5V/G, So-11M, Ru-39U, Yo-18
Transport	KaR-11M2, KaR-19, Na-128, Ru-3, Ru-25

The Royal Pelinese Air Force (Pelinese: ペリナイ空軍, Perinai Kūgun; Stelossian: Королевские Военно-Воздушные Силы Пелии, Korolevskiye Voyenno-Vozdushnyye Sily Pelii) is the air combat branch of the Pelinese Armed Forces. It is responsible for the execution of air superiority, close air support, aerial reconnaissance, airlift, and other military aviation operations, as well as the management of the Pelinese strategic missile and homeland air defense systems.

The Royal Pelinese Air Force has existed as a separate branch of the Pelinese Armed Forces since January 2, 1984, when it was established during the general reorganization of the Pelinese military and security structures, before which it operated as a subdivision of the Pelinese White Army during the Pelinese Civil War. Both it and the Royal Pelinese Space Force are organized under the administration of the Pelinese Ministry of Defense through the Directorate of the Aerospace Forces.

Mission

The core mission of the Royal Pelinese Air Force is to develop, maintain, and deploy military air power necessary for the successful conduct of air combat operations, the effective logistical, reconnaissance, electronic, and command support of operations conducted by other Pelinese and allied military forces, and the defense of Pelinai from military attack. It is further tasked with the organization of air defense systems which are assigned to the defense of Pelinese national territory from air or missile attack, as well as the administration and operation of strategic missile forces in the IRBM and ICBM size class.

Organization

Commands

Wings and numbered air forces of the Royal Pelinese Air Force are organized into major commands, which serve as formations that categorize units by function and perform training, management, and other administrative functions. The currently active major commands are listed below.

Command name	Commanding officer	Headquarters
Air Combat Command	General Akira Yoruna	Kamakawa Air Base, Stelossia
The Air Combat Command is the RPAF major command responsible for the deployment, maintenance, and operation of tactical combat aircraft, such as the Ae-15V/G air superiority fighter, the Ae-15S strike fighter, and the To-13 tactical strike bomber, as well as supporting aircraft that provide them with essential tactical AEW&C, C2, and aerial refueling functions. Squadrons under this administrative command are tasked with achieving and maintaining air superiority, providing close air support and interdiction strike capability, and performing other tactical combat operations in support of ground and naval forces. The Air Combat Command operates approximately 2,000 tactical aircraft and 200 supporting aircraft from land airbases in Pelinai, many of which are located in the Yukisora Mountains and utilize extensive underground hangar facilities for defensive purposes.
Strike Forces Command	General Iskandar Teraiko	Chishina Air Base, Yukisora
The Strike Forces Command is the major command responsible for the Pelinese long-range bomber and strategic missile inventories, including aircraft such as the Na-15 and Na-17 Marahu heavy bombers as well as land-based, long-range nuclear ballistic missile systems like the RBD-7 and RSD-11. Military forces of the Strike Forces Command are used to perform long-range penetration strikes with conventional or nuclear munitions against high-value targets of operational or strategic significance, along with the provision of a credible land-based nuclear second strike capability to complement Pelinese ballistic missile submarine forces. The Strike Forces Command currently operates 237 bomber aircraft of the Na-15 and Na-17 types, as well as approximately 200 missiles of ICBM range and 700 of IRBM range.
Reserve Forces Command		Dimira Air Base, Sevaria
Special Forces Command		Momomori Air Base, Loshkaria
The Special Forces Command is the RPAF major command responsible for training and administration of special operations forces under the Royal Pelinese Air Force; this includes transport aircraft, helicopters, SIGINT aircraft, and dedicated special operations variants of the aforementioned, as well as ground forces such as Tactical Air Control Parties and combat search and rescue teams. The number of aircraft that units under the Special Forces Command operate is classified, though it is estimated to be at least ~60 airframes of various types. Likewise, the number of ground special forces teams and their composition is also unknown.
Airlift-Airborne Command		Sarā Air Base, Samara
The Airlift-Airborne Command is the RPAF major command responsible for the provision of tactical and strategic airlift capabilities to Pelinese military forces in support of force deployments, supply and logistics movement, and the insertion of airborne forces. It thus maintains and operates the Royal Pelinese Air Force’s fleet of military transport aircraft, primarily the KaR-11 and KaR-19 tactical airlifters, the Na-128 strategic airlifter, and an assortment of converted business jets used for VIP transport purposes. The Airlift-Airborne Command operates approximately 700 aircraft, including 482 tactical transports, 121 strategic transports, and 84 other assorted aircraft.
Procurement & Materiel Command		Tsuguko Air Base, Yukisora
Training & Readiness Command		Mēsuriku Air Base, Stelossia
Homeland Defense Command	Lieutenant General Mitsuru Ashiri	Giatsuhata Air Base, Stelossia
The Homeland Defense Command is the major of the Royal Pelinese Air Force responsible for the defense of mainland Pelinai from attacks by military aircraft, ballistic and cruise missiles, and other similar airborne threats. It administers Pelinai’s national air defense command zones, as well as units of the RPAF that operate SAM- and gun-based anti-aircraft systems, anti-ballistic missile systems, and ground-based area airspace monitoring systems. The RPAF Homeland Defense Command administers 17 wings of air defense forces and 2 wings of strategic ballistic missile defense forces. It also operates shore-based radar and other air defense monitoring systems in Pelinai, such as the Aurora over-the-horizon radar system.
Force Protection Command		Yaripol Air Base, Loshkaria
The Force Protection Command is the major command of the Royal Pelinese Air Force that maintains force protection and rear area security forces. It raises and maintains the Pelinese Aerospace Forces Security Forces, which act as military police on both RPAF and RPSF bases as well as defend them from airborne, unconventional warfare, and limited conventional warfare attacks. The Force Protection Command directs 73 squadrons of PAF-SF base defense and security personnel, which are distributed throughout airbases and other facilities operated by the Royal Pelinese Air Force and Royal Pelinese Space Force.

Contemporary topics

Strategic doctrine and priorities

Advances in Pelinese military technology and changes in the geopolitical situation since the end of the Cold War have led the Royal Pelinese Air Force to substantially adjust its modern operational doctrine and expectations concerning its role in potential conflicts.

The Royal Pelinese Air Force has received, and is expected to retain, a significant role in strategic-level Pelinese offensive and defensive actions since the dawn of the 21st century. Two primary legs of the Pelinese military’s nuclear triad capability, consisting of the Na-17 Marahu long-range heavy bomber and the Pelinese land-based ICBM and IRBM arsenals, have both been assigned to major commands of the RPAF since their fielding, along with critical land-based ASAT/ABM systems such as the Almandine missile. In addition to adding nuclear strike capabilities, the Na-17 Marahu and the To-13 Botan strike aircraft have both also provided the RPAF with ideal platforms for delivering long-range strikes against hardened, defended targets using precision-guided conventional munitions.

Future of the Royal Pelinese Air Force

The prevailing trend of systems and organization structures in use by the Royal Pelinese Air Force since the end of the Pelinese Civil War has been towards increasing levels of technological sophistication, operational capability, and flexibility of options. The development of new aircraft and munition types is ongoing, and the Royal Pelinese Air Force is expected to continue expanding its inventory throughout the 2020s.

The combat capability of the Pelinese tactical aircraft force has exhibited significant increases since the 1980s with the introduction of new-generation aircraft types and the removal of older models. The 2008-2014 phase-out of the Ae-13 Botan from service and replacement by the Ae-15 Ayame in particular has brought substantial improvements to key aircraft performance metrics such as combat radius, maximum weapons load, radar performance, and generalized avionics capability; improved targeting sensors allowing for the effective usage of precision-guided munitions additionally provide a secondary air-to-ground capability that is further enhanced in the Hono Ayame dedicated strike fighter variant. The Royal Pelinese Air Force has pursued the procurement additional Ae-15 airframes beyond the number needed to replace the Bara 1:1 in order to build an expanded tactical aircraft fleet while also developing new and improved variants of the type: the current and most numerous variant as of March 2024 is the Ae-15V/G, while older A/B models still in service are being retrofitted to V/G standards or replaced.

The Royal Pelinese Air Force has invested significant budget and technical resources into the development and procurement of advanced air-to-surface precision munitions since the early 2000s, particularly those of the guided bomb and air-launched cruise missile types; adoption of such weapons, including examples such as the N7S/L Crystal ALCM, N43S Chalcedony ASCM, and MVB series of bombs, have greatly increased the ability of Pelinese tactical aircraft to effectively threaten hardened targets at greater ranges than previously. Of particular note is the UMBK (Управляющий Модуль Борисова-Кагана, Upravlyayushchiy Modul’ Borisova-Kagana) glide bomb kit, which can be installed on any BVN-series bomb of 250 kilograms nominal mass or greater; the additional strike range (up to 40km maximum in ideal conditions) and satellite guidance capabilties, combined with its low cost and large potential warhead mass compared to guided missiles of similar range, has prompted its mass adoption throughout ground strike-oriented squadrons of the RPAF. Such kits provide Pelinese tactical aircraft with a cheap, easily sustainable ground attack option that offers sufficient range, accuracy, and explosive power to destroy a range of armored vehicle, fortification, and materiel target types from outside the range of point defense SAM systems.

Equipment

Main article: List of equipment of the Royal Pelinese Air Force (Pacifica)

The principal equipment of the Royal Pelinese Air Force consists of aircraft, munitions, air defense systems, and ballistic missiles. In addition to these, it also possesses items such as ground vehicles and small arms for use by airmen and force protection troops such as the Pelinese Aerospace Forces Security Forces.

Aircraft

Main article: List of active Pelinese military aircraft (Pacifica) § Air force

As of December 2023, the Royal Pelinese Air Force operates over 4,000 manned fixed-wing aircraft, 179 helicopters, and approximately 500 unmanned aerial systems of various sizes. All currently active RPAF aircraft are of types that have been designed and manufactured domestically.

The principal combat aircraft of the Royal Pelinese Air Force is the Aetherdyne Ae-15 Ayame, approximately 1,500 examples of which are in service (including both the Ae-15V/G multirole fighter and the Ae-15S dedicated strike fighter) across all squadrons. Other notable combat aircraft in the RPAF inventory include 493 To-13 Botan interdictor craft, 108 Na-17 Marahu long-tange heavy bombers, and 83 So-12 light counterinsurgency aircraft, as well as 239 Yo-18 and 460 Ae-5 operational trainers that are capable of functioning as light combat aircraft if necessary. It also operates 482 airlifters of the tactical class, 121 of the strategic class, 67 liason/utility aircraft, and 17 VIP transports.

Inventory summary

Item	Number in service	Major types	Notes
fighter aircraft	~1,500	Ae-15V/G, Ae-15S	Includes strike fighters.
Attack and bomber aircraft	~600	To-13, Na-17
light combat aircraft	83	So-12	Excludes operational trainers.
trainer aircraft	~1,200	Ae-5, So-11M, Ru-39U, Yo-18	Includes both primary and operational trainers.
Transport aircraft	~700	KaR-11M2, KaR-19, Na-128, Ru-39VO
Airborne refueling tankers
Other utility aircraft	~200	To-13EB, To-91K2	Primarily includes EW, AEW&C, and other similar support craft.
Helicopters	179	Be-12M, Ha-5, Yo-12
unmanned aerial systems	~500	Se-9RU, Se-12

See also

• List of equipment of the Royal Pelinese Air Force
• List of active Pelinese military aircraft
• Structure of the Royal Pelinese Air Force