Interplanetary Wars

A project page on everything related to the Interplanetary Wars and related conflicts in the 2100s. May be used as a dump for info yet to be added to proper pages. As this is a project page, all information here is still in flux.

Related pages:
 * Human history
 * ZGene

Name
Some historians use the contemporary "Interplanetary War" to refer specifically to the conflict fought between 2164 and 2170, though most interpretations use the plural Interplanetary Wars to describe the entirety of the conflicts taking place roughly between 2150 and 2170.

Context and causes

 * Overpopulation, food shortages and an environmental crisis on Earth. Rising sea levels lead to mass migrations and/or the necessity for vast seawall projects. Many coastal cities become uninhabitable. Massive population migrations across the globe as well as off-world. Out on the colonies, megacorporations hire migrants in search of a better future for cheap labor. In many places, working conditions and worker rights are abysmal.


 * Crisis of identity; rift between old national identities, contrasted with new common Earther identity vs. Martian, Lunar, Jovian ones + emerging sub-indentities on the colonies (generational divides of settlers on rapidly-changing colonies, divides between those descended from the original colonists vs. newer migrants, etc). Existential off-world threat unified most nations on Earth as a front; Earther/UN identity and Earth patriotism was born out of a necessity to safeguard common interests during the IPWs. The birth of the identities of Solar colonies such as the Jovian moons or Mars was heavily tied with the rise of the extremist factions on those colonies, though there were exceptions.


 * Colonist worldviews and values are shaped by the realities of extraterrestrial life: the harsh pioneer conditions give rise to tough, utilitarian mindsets, regimented societies, and large families. Many of the values and societal arrangements once taken for granted on Earth are reassessed and reimagined. Even as colonist societies progress past the pioneer stage and standards of living improve in the larger colonies, the pioneer midset and the values established in the early period stick.


 * Earth's reach exceeds its grasp: the squabbling, divided nations on Earth and an ineffectual, increasingly polarizing UN trying to keep them together are unable to manage problems on their off-world colonies, or prevent the rise of extremist movements. By the mid-22nd century, many colonies have declared themselves independent and are under the control of various extremist ideologies.

Theaters

 * Mercury (minor skirmishes)
 * Earth & Luna + various orbital/Lagrange point habitats
 * Mars (+prominent port stations on Phobos & Deimos)
 * Numerous colonies in the Asteroid Belt
 * Ceres
 * Jupiter / Jovian Moons
 * Europa
 * Ganymede
 * Io
 * Callisto
 * Various lesser moons and orbital stations/habitats
 * Saturn (later in the war)
 * Titan
 * Various lesser moons

Timeline

 * Early 2100s: NATO first establishes the early iterations of Orbital Drop Shock Troopers, then known as Drop Jet Jumpers. (There are many differences in doctrine and deployment methodology dictated by the technology of the time, but the traditions later port over to the UNSC)


 * Prior to the IPW, there is a long "gray phase" of unrest and economic downturn lasting a couple of decades (c. 2140-2160), largely precipitated by the ZGene fiasco. With Earth largely dealing with internal issues at the same time, there is a wave of colonies declaring themselves independent. Even as extremist political groups take power in many places on Luna, Mars, around Jupiter and in the Asteroid Belt, Earth nations are hesitant to involve themselves directly. Meanwhile, both Earther and colonial governments and corporations began to fight proxy wars with PMCs and privateers.


 * 2144: Precipitated by confusion caused by a proxy conflict between regional polities and corporate entities, a Koslovic rebellion in Mars' Hellas Planitia starts a domino effect which leaves large swathes of the planet under effective Koslovic control.


 * 2147: Successful Koslovic uprisings on two asteroid mining outposts embolden further rebellions across the system.


 * 2149: A Frieden terror attack on Phobos followed by failed strikes on Koslovic targets on Mars further inflames tensions between the two movements.


 * 2150: A corporate-backed coup led by Nadja Mielke sees the Frieden movement rising to power on Europa, leaving them to spread their influence across the Jovian system.


 * 2160-2161: The Jovian Moons Campaign. A massacre of United Nations colonial advisors by Frieden death squads on Io lead to three months of fighting between Earther military forces and the Frieden, with the latter gaining the upper hand. A multinational UN task force follows several months after to reinforce the decimated Earth forces, with limited success. This marks one of the bloodiest conflicts on the colonies so far and results in a relative stalemate, leaving the Frieden movement in uncontested control of some of the colonies on Io, Europa and Ganymede. The campaign escalates tensions in the system, and sparks various offworld proxy wars between colonies sponsored by Earth nations. This in turn leads to political and eventually military conflict on Earth.


 * 2162:
 * February: The Rainforest Wars begin as various political movements and national governments clash over ideological differences in South America, while the UN attempts to manage the crisis with limited success. This sparks further conflicts off-world and leads to a considerable civilian death toll and ecological devastation. While the focal point of the fighting is in South America, there are conflicts across the globe. These conflicts are very muddy (politically and literally), and exacerbate Earth's existing problems.
 * Brazil specifically (or potentially a coalition of South American states) was attempting to turn large swathes of the Amazon Rainforest into farmland. Its government may have sided with dissident movements, or was simply acting on its own.


 * 2163:
 * May: The United Nations issues an emergency resolution establishing the United Nations Space Command. All space-borne national military forces are subordinated to the UNSC for the duration of the ongoing crisis.
 * December: The Mars Campaign: A large task force deployed by the UNSC arrives at Mars, launching blitzkrieg-style attacks on Koslovics at the Argyre Planitia industrial sprawl. This marks the first major off-world deployment of space-borne marines, informs future military doctrine considerably, and proves the effectiveness of the UNSC as a jointly-led organization.


 * 2164:
 * The Rainforest Wars have largely subsided, though minor actions continue on Earth.
 * The success of the Mars Campaign spurs a UNSC propaganda campaign and military buildup on Earth, with increasing resources now funneled to the UNSC. This is effectively the birth of the Earth-based patriotism that would shape much of the UNSC's and UEG's cultural character. The UNSC begins a systematic drive to crush the remaining Koslovic and Frieden strongholds across the system. Space warfare technology and tactics advance at an unprecedented pace.
 * The Battle of Delambre on Luna sees the Frieden movement effectively eliminated on the Moon; it also marks one of the first signs of the Frieden movement's splintering.


 * 2166: The Mars Campaign concludes after two full years, ending with the eradication of all Martian Koslovic opposition. The conflict continues in various habitats of the Asteroid Belt as well as further out-system.


 * 2167-2168: Further battles around Jupiter between the UNSC and the Frieden eventually lead to the latter's defeat in their most noted stronghold with the prolonged Siege of Europa, though Frieden resistance continues deep in the subsurface warrens that comprise most of the colonies.


 * 2168: Battles at Titan and various minor moons of Saturn see the defeat of the Frieden movement as an organized force.


 * 2169: By this point, the Frieden movement is effectively dead; most supporters have either gone to hiding or turned coat.


 * 2170: The last holdouts of the Koslovic movement are eliminated within the Asteroid Belt, and the surviving members are apprehended. With the Callisto Treaty, the UNSC is given complete military jurisdiction over the off-world colonies. The war has left significant swathes of Earth and the colonies devastated, and there are widespread famines and population displacements. To tackle these problems, as well as to address various issues inherent to the organization, the UN is reorganized into the United Earth Government, with the UNSC folded in as its military arm.

Unassigned/planned events

 * POSSIBLE: Asteroid/orbital attack(s) on Earth, likely perpetrated by the Frieden - New York City is a likely target due to UN Headquarters, though attacks elsewhere are possible (this would be circa early 2163). This may galvanize most of Earth's nations to band together, and justify the UN's emergency resolution forming the UNSC. OR it happens later on in the war and further galvanizes Earth/removes sympathy for dissidents.


 * Liberation of Rio de Janeiro (part of the Rainforest Wars, pivotal battle)


 * The Ceres Incursion (UN assault on Ceres, partly or wholly under dissident control)

Earth and the United Nations
By the first half of the 22nd century, the UN had assumed an active role in managing various crises on Earth, including overpopulation, an ongoing climate crisis and consequent conflicts, as well as overseeing off-world colonial development across the Sol system. This development had prompted the organization to become increasingly involved in individual nations' affairs. Since some nations were more eager to push this "United Earth project", seen by many as a development toward a global federation, it created rifts within the organization which in turn spurred reforms that made the UN more decisive, and its resolutions more binding on the member states. (By this point, the UN may also have established a parliament as a more effective deliberative assembly - see https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_Nations_Parliamentary_Assembly)

Meanwhile, many off-world groups saw the organization as ineffectual or corrupt; corporations seeking autonomy from Earth authority resented the regulations and oversight it imposed on bio- and nanotechnologies, while a disgruntled laborer class that had built up on the rapidly growing industrial hub of Mars and various Asteroid Belt outposts considered the UN to be a symbol of Earther oppression and bureaucratic bloat that turned a blind eye to their oft-squalid conditions, or the excesses of the megacorporations responsible for those conditions; the UN either was not doing enough, or was doing too much. At the same time, the UN had no true military of its own, merely an interplanetary outgrowth of the Peacekeeping forces, which was wholly ill-equipped to handle the crises that would arise on the colonies.

The UEG's formation was both the culmination of a decades-old "United Earth project", and a long-overdue reform of the UN, with the UEG formed both as a continuation of the UN's ideals and out of seeming necessity in the face of the fallout of the war.

Earth geopolitics/factionalism

 * Note: the UN is increasingly divisive around this period, and some countries will either break off or not participate in the UNSC/UEG project; this is also one of the causes of the Rainforest Wars.


 * URNA, UK and possibly EU (collectively as NATO) closely involved with UN peacekeeping operations in the buildup and eventually the formation of the UNSC, which leads to the UNSC drawing largely from Western (and specifically URNA/NATO) traditions, though various other countries are involved from early on (e.g. Australia + others, Korea, India?)


 * NATO-China war in the 2080s-2090s; fought partly or wholly in Africa over the continent's resources and strategic sites. Took the form of a cold war for several decades, and eventually escalated to a limited nuclear exchange. This leads to the construction of Crow's Nest and components of an anti-orbital missile-defense system in East Africa (the latter bit could also happen later, but is part of the same thread of development)
 * The East African Federation, having sided with the Western powers, undergoes notable economic and infrastructural development around this time, which later spurs its development to a major power in the next century
 * China, which had seeded several space colonies in the initial wave, potentially enters relative downturn after this, at least in the global stage, and may undergo a political reform. If they remain communist, they could potentially sponsor Koslovic-run colonies, at least initially. In any case, the fact it doesn't contribute much to the traditions of the UNSC indicates it either wasn't involved, or did not join until later.


 * Other wars and geopolitics-shaking conflicts in the late 21st/early 22nd centuries? Note: all need not be dated exactly.
 * Status of Russia? Had some activity in space, but was not notable enough by the IPW to shape UNSC doctrine (or was on the losing side); may have been embroiled in a war with some of the former Soviet countries during the 21st century
 * At least one American civil war, though not known by that name (to do: name the war & establish roughly what it was about), as well as the unification of the "political remnants" of the US, Mexico and Canada into URNA (this may or may not be related to the civil war, and likely happened around the mid-21st century). This is reflective of a general trend toward larger regional federations on Earth in order to more effectively guard their interests in space colonization.


 * Korean reunification at some unspecified point in history


 * Africa is the most populated continent by 2100, but while its nations (e.g. East African Federation) are economically large, they may be dealing with internal issues.


 * South/Southeast Asian states (India, Philippines, Malaysia, Indonesia, Vietnam etc) become fairly economically prominent by the first half of the 22nd century and are involved in space colonization

Commonwealth of Australia

 * One of the most ardent supporters of increased UN control, maintained a strong diplomatic and foreign aid presence.
 * Fell back on agriculture as its primary industry (which has made it a desirable trading partner due to food shortages) after the mining industry crash, but there is an industrial presence that was expanded over the 21st century.
 * Has a highly progressive society, but the public is at odds with the government's reluctance on migration and foreign policy.
 * Allies are Europe, NATO, New Zealand; has frosty relations with China and a number of nations in South-East Asia.
 * Public wants a pro-environmental stance; Australia has been criticised for being one of the last nations to move away from heavy use of fossil fuels (basically when the UN forced their hand). Only adopted nuclear fission for their starships.
 * Navy is 68-ships strong (1 battlecruiser with another laid up, 2 carriers, 1 landing ship, 13 destroyers with 9 laid up, 9 frigates with 18 laid up, 17 submarines, 21 patrol boats, 3 replenishment ships), with an additional 15 starships (1 base ship, 3 combat cruisers, 4 cloakers, 7 spaceplanes) in the Royal Australian Spatial Squadron. This massive military was spurred by the fall of the United States, and unlike previous designs, these were designed to be threatening. Premier Special Forces remains the Special Air Regiment of the Royal Australian Army.

UNSC
The early UNSC is an emergency force created in 2163 to deal with offworld unrest and threats to Earth; does not command Earth-based planetary forces until later. The UNSC is at first national spaceborne forces subordinated to a UN command (hence "Space Command"); membership was not optional for space forces, though planetside forces on Earth remained under the control of their respective nations. However, as the UNSC began to pick up momentum, starting in 2164 with the success of the Mars Campaign, more nations began to commit their forces to the joint effort.

UNSC branches only come about during the war in the buildup starting in 2164, when the UNSC begins to amass actual forces of its own. The UNICOM-NAVCOM divide may also come about at this time.

Notably, the UN's Earth-based elements were not under the UNSC's command until late into the war, and by then much of the fighting in the Rainforest Wars had already abated.


 * The "United Earth Space Corps" fits into all this somehow.

One thing that has been brought up is the creation of the Drop Jet Jumpers, the precursor to the Orbital Drop Shock Troopers. Since the ODST is considered a UNSC unit, there is an option for something like the DJJ to be operating in the IPW before they join the UNSC. They will probably come from the URNA and be called something like the URNA Drop Jet Jumpers Special Missions Detachment. They will deploy throughout the Rainforest where they make an exceptional name for themselves. I've debated on the topic of having them deploy to the Jovian Moons, but I am unsure of that yet. And they will deploy to the Mars Campaign as well.
 * Drop Jet Jumpers
 * Basic Notes about the DJJ include
 * A URNA Marine Corps Colonel (O-6) leads the detachment under the URNA Special Operations Command/UNSC Special Warfare Command.
 * They merge into the UNSC as one of the first major SOF units to join the organization.
 * Can be present at a number of conflicts that encourage a spotlight to be shone on them.

Koslovics
The Koslovics had activity throughout the system, but on Mars they became the most organized and prominent, even establishing a government and taking over several of the Earth corporations' operations there. Near Jupiter, Koslovic rebels were also prominent enough to make various Jovian-based corporations back the Frieden to get rid of them. While primarily an off-world movement, there were prominent Koslovic sympathizers among some Earth nations who opposed the UN's increasing control.


 * Prominent leaders:
 * Vladimir Koslov (more statesman than revolutionary, largely let others do his dirty work - was also fairly old by the IPWs and hardly participated in the action)
 * Others (Chinese, Hispanic names + others -> what was the ethnic makeup of the colonies on Mars, Luna, et al?)

Frieden
Authoritarian and corporatist movement which campaigned for self-rule and self-sufficiency for the Jovian colonies and later other outposts on their own terms. Frieden at their height controlled the major colonies on Europa, Ganymede and the space around Jupiter, as well as resource outposts in the asteroid belt and around Saturn


 * Prominent leaders:
 * Nadja Mielke (Jovian Autarky), assassinated in 2163 by Koslovics

Others

 * Minor polities on offworld colonies (planets, moons, asteroids and space habitats)
 * Non-UN-aligned Earth nations, misc. rogue states
 * Extremist political movements independent of the Frieden or Koslovics
 * Mercenary/PMC groups

Technology
Human tech in this era is much more "grounded" and closer to the modern day than what we later see — notably, even the few "exotic" technologies the 26th-century UNSC has are absent, like gravity manipulation or forcefields (not even the atmospheric shields depicted in Halo Mythos' IPW spread illustration). Interfaces are tactile and holograms are scarce and only seen in physically enclosed tanks filled with a reflecting gas medium.

The lack of FTL communications means there is always a "light lag" present in interplanetary communications, which is noticeable even from Earth to the Moon. Coupled with weeks or months-long travel times, this makes the colonies (particularly those in the Outer System) very isolated indeed. It also means the defenders will know when an attack is coming well in advance, and gives them time to prepare.

Infantry were often forced to fight in vacuum or near-vacuum environments, or habitats with a constant risk of depressurization, which prompted the use of bulky vacuum-enabled combat suits; vacuum combat gear was one of the technologies to advance most rapidly during the wars, with suits and weapons used in the early years becoming antiquated by the end.

Ship design and aesthetics
The spacecraft used during the Interplanetary Wars were still a long way away from those of the 26th century. Not only had ship classes not yet solidified to the system we're familiar with, but they were also far more technologically crude.

Spacecraft design was heavily dictated by functionality, even more so than in the 26th century; ships were essentially constructed from a fixed set of modules whose functions were externally visible: fuel tanks, engines, radiators, sensor packages, weapon systems and ammo magazines, etc. Major distinctions include the lack of fusion reactors or hyper-efficient fusion drives, which means large and cumbersome fuel storage; there are no hull-embedded heat radiator mechanisms, so radiators are likewise large and vulnerable; and there is no paragravity, so artificial gravity is either achieved by thrust and/or rotating carousel sections, meaning that ships' decks are arranged perpendicular to the main thrust axis, rather than parallel to it as on later vessels.

Moreover, ships are painfully slow compared to the 26th century, taking weeks or months to cross interplanetary distances.

The wars saw a lot of technological development, with early-war vessels becoming obsolete within a period of a few years.

Military spacecraft were divided into 4 generations retroactively created by historians: In addition, until GEN3 designs, spatial vessels are comparatively weaker and smaller than maritime designs because of cost, requirements of their role, and physical limitations. Ships of both groups typically have service lifespans of 20-40 years
 * GEN1 (pre-2110s) were considered experimental vessels, with ship classes being limited to less than six vessels each, and significant modifications made to each sister. They were usually limited to one ship, and all were designed as short-ranged ships with some sort of weakness that prevented them from going too far. Diverse in shape and design, though most followed the design of a handful of pioneer designs.
 * GEN2 (2110s-2140s) were the production vessels, with modular components allowing for far faster and cheaper production. Most heavily-armed ships are still limited by range, but cruising patrols are possible. Many factions start with GEN2-type vessels.
 * GEN3 (2140s-2160s) saw the rise of increased diversity. Two separate lines of shipbuilding theory were popular; the major powers favoured large, multirole designs that combined firepower, range, and carrier capabilities in a single force-projecting package, while others favoured smaller, more difficult to detect vessels that were intended to secure holdings.
 * GEN4 (2160s-onwards) were the ships built in the Interplanetary Wars.

Ship classes recognised by the UN (other nations have their own definitions). Note that these will all have a descriptor in front of them to denote their exact role (e.g. Hangar cruiser, battle orbitor, heavy lift spaceplane) Orbitors - short-ranged orbit defense ships Spaceplanes - Aerodynamic space-to-orbit patrol ships. Smallest of 'em all. Cruisers - Long-ranged warships designed to operate for extended periods in interplanetary space. Typically larger and more powerful than Orbitors, though there are exceptions Base ships - deployable stations and frontier command ships Surveyors - Originally descended from civilian research craft, these are high-endurance reconnaissance ships with extensive drone capabilities for spy purposes.

Chilled subzero shields and directed beams to lessen the effectiveness infrared scanners may have been used to temporarily jam sensors, though the technologies would have been limited and not widespread. Between heat issues and RADAR counter-deterrence advancements made in the 21st century, achieving true stealth is impossible in space.

Starship technologies
Propulsion:
 * Staged chemical and ion - Uses chemical rockets for the initial acceleration, with ion engines for long-distance steering and deacceleration? Cheap and reliable, but difficult to maneuver when forced off-course due to combat maneuvers. Found on less and less ships as the IPW draws closer, probably was widely used on consumable colony ships.
 * Fission torchdrive - Predecessor to fusion drives, uses Uranium instead.

Locations
Venus:
 * Hampton Station - former semi-permanent research station whose goal was to research and refine Venus' gases for use in terraforming, and attempt to drtermine new techniques for radical terraforming efforts. Later bought up by an Asian country and moved to the planet's langrage point and turned into a Blacksite for military technologies.