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This fanfiction article, Marine Shipboard Unit, was written by StoneGhost. Please do not edit this fiction without the writer's permission. |
The Marine Shipboard Unit was a small shipboard force within the UNSC Marine Corps. The MSU was sized to be embarked onboard the Remembrance-class frigate, the smallest UNSC Navy vessel to participate in amphibious operations, and was an expeditionary quick reaction force, ready for immediate deployment. The MSU was essentially a Marine Expeditionary Unit though on a much smaller scale, and comprised the frigate's onboard defence force as well as its deployable ground force. The MSU was made up of a Ground Combat Element, an Air Combat Element and a joint Command/Logistics Element, and overall consisted of 770 personnel and 57 vehicles.
The MSU was the smallest self-sufficient unit deployable by the Marine Corps, comprising its own ground and air combat elements, as well as combat support including logistics, engineers and other support personnel. Embarking an MSU was particularly challenging on a small warship such as the Remembrance-class frigate. Although it was possible, for practical purposes the frigate would embark essential portions of the MSU, such as its Pelican squadron and infantry, while the rest of the MSU would be embarked onboard the Strike Force's planetary assault ships. The frigate could then carry its full complement of Marines only when it was necessary, for example in preparation for a planned amphibious operation. When not supporting the additional logistical and physical presence of a full MSU, a Remembrance-class frigate could instead embark a B-221 Scythe or its patrol or AWACS variants.
The Ground Combat Element totalled roughly 450 personnel, and allowed the frigate to deploy a small yet potent force of infantry, light and heavy vehicles. The GCE was made up of the following:
- 1 Marine rifle company (200 men)
- 1 tank platoon (4 M6A1 Raiders)
- 1 mechanised infantry platoon (70 men, 8 M32 Warriors)
- 1 combat engineer platoon (50 men)
- 1 light reconnaissance platoon (15 M12 Warthogs)
- 1 reconnaissance platoon (50 men)
- 2 ODST platoons (40 men, 48 SOEIVs)
The Air Combat Element consisted of a range of aircraft, including trans-orbital dropships that could ferry troops to planetary combat and offer fire support, and light and heavy VTOL aircraft types. This allowed the Remembrance-class frigate to deploy a small but powerful contingent of aerial vehicles, capable of supporting the Ground Combat Element and operating alongside it in both offensive and defensive missions. The ACE totalled 70 crew and maintenance personnel and twenty two aircraft, and was made up of the following:
- 1 airlift/starlift squadron (8 D-77 Pelicans)
- 1 heavy airlift/starlight flight (4 D-98 Ospreys)
- 1 light VTOL flight (6 MV-14B Hornets)
- 1 heavy VTOL flight (4 AV-22B Sparrowhawks)
The Command/Logistics Element, or C/LE, was the smallest of the three elements and was responsible for overall command of the MSU, as well as logistical tasks. In addition, it contained small units for electronic warfare, intelligence, medical and explosive ordnance disposal tasks. The C/LE was comprised of a total of 250 personnel and 8 logistical vehicles.