UNSC-CMA Cold War

The UNSC-CMA Cold War was an extended period of tension between the armed forces of the United Nations Space Command, aligned with the United Earth Government, and those allied with the Colonial Military Administration.

Background

 * Has its roots in the Inner Colony Wars, when the CMA willingly gave up territory to the UNSC. Most of the issues come from the way the Handover was conducted, where the CMA was forced to cede the rest of the Inner Colonies to UNSC control.
 * Part of it was down to the UNSC's increasing experience in colonial operation, thanks to them leap-frogging the CMA's policies and infrastructure needed for interstellar logistics, and their implementation of a proper command structure also gave them an edge. Officers began to wonder why the CMA should still be around.
 * For the first time, the bulk of the CMA's manpower was now sourced from the colonies. This started a gradual culture shift away from the UEG's Terra Firma principles.
 * The Handover was very poorly done, and largely amounted to the UNSC petitioning the UEG Senate to transfer all security concerns in the Inner Colonies to them. This was only partially granted, leaving the CMA with some outer sectors, but it did generate hostility.
 * CMA starts collecting support from the courts in hopes of stopping UNSC's attempts to integrate them.

Conflict

 * Naval arms race begins in earnest - CMA starts it with a massive fleet expansion program. Probably begins in 2469?
 * New UNSC command ship (UNSC Mirata?) enters service ~2478. Officially a carrier escort, it effectively outguns all previous designs, and its high speed is only possible thanks to the use of titanium-A1 battleplate, which had only seen limited adoption so far.
 * UNSC doctrine deviates to fleets of smaller ships that can be mass-produced.
 * CMA responds with a large capital ship program.
 * Military exercises are conducted by both sides within their territories in the Mid-Rim Colonies. Partially done to flex on the other, though it is also done to experiment with space combat theories, which has seen little advancement since the days of the Interplanetary War.
 * Proxy wars begin with CMA and UNSC supplying mercenary factions on various colonies. Hydra System Massacres is a notable one that forces the UNSC to step in to contain the violence.
 * Perhaps Far Isle is another proxy war gone wrong?