Leopard Army

The Leopard Army (Hyojin: Hyo-gun) is the land warfare branch of the Armed Forces of the Republic of Hyokoku. The Leopard Amy was formed in 1682 and is commanded by the Chancellor of Hyokoku. It's headquarters are located at Mount Tetsusan Citadel in Yamakyo, and it's ranking officer is the Army Chief of Staff. The anniversary of the Sacking of Ahmor is celebrated every year as Army Day on October 15th. Recruitment ages range from 18—25, and there is no national draft.

Organization
The Leopard Army is a branch of the Armed Forces of the Republic of Hyokoku and part of the Ministry of National Defense. The highest service rank bears the title "General of the Armies," and the position has only ever been held by one person. The central command structure of the army starts at the Army Staff Office, the highest tactical command body below the National Defense Commission. From there, power is delegated to the Theater Commands, which oversee each of Hyokoku's three Army Defense Theaters—the 1st, 2nd, and 3rd Armies respectively. The highest ranking military official in the Leopard Army is the Chief of Staff.

The Army Staff Office
The Army Staff Office consists of the ranking officers of each of Hyokoku's Theater Commands. It functions as a strategic command body meant to coordinate maneuvers and carry out orders issued by the Chancellor and National Defense Commission. It also works to maintain combat readiness and provide annual reports on the state of the army's equipment and any urgent matters of security to the Kokkai's National Defense Committee.

The Army Intelligence Bureau
The Army Intelligence Bureau is an intelligence-gathering agency under the Army Staff Office responsible for compiling reports on the strength of foreign militaries as well as incidents or issues deemed to be relevant to the army's duties to maintain Hyokoku's national security. The Army Intelligence Bureau cooperates closely with Hyokoku's other intelligence bodies, and is a small part of the country's larger espionage machine.

The Supply and Logistics Office
The Supply and Logistics Office is a department of the Leopard Army responsible for monitoring and maintaining the army's logistics system. It works closely with the Army Defense Technology Procurement and Development Bureau to streamline the functions of the military industrial complex in order to keep the Leopard Army armed, fed, clothed, and fueled.

The Army Court of Criminal Appeals
The Leopard Army Court of Criminal Appeals is an appellate court responsible for enforcing Hyojin civil and military laws within the ranks of the Leopard Army. The court is completely separate from Hyokoku's main judicial system, and it maintains it's own prosecutors office and provides all soldiers with free access to an attorney.

The Strategic Communications Agency
The Strategic Communications Agency is a department of the Leopard Army responsible for organizing, maintaining, and safeguarding the army's communications infrastructure. The Strategic Communications Agency also develops the army's secret codes and works decipher the codes of foreign militaries.

Formations
The largest formation of the Leopard Army is a Theater Command Army, which consists of 20,000—25,000 soldiers divided between two divisions. Under the Hyojin system, divisions are classified for general service, and not specialized. Specialized units—be they armored, infantry, or mechanized—are delegated down to the brigade level. Divisions are internally divided between 3—4 brigades. Brigades themselves are broken down into 5 "frontline" battalions (i.e. armored, infantry, ranger, and mechanized) and additional "support" battalions (i.e. artillery or air defense) as well as Medical Combat Units.

"Frontline" Battalions
Frontline battalions are formations of the Leopard Army which directly engage hostile forces in combat. They include armored, infantry, ranger, and mechanized battalions. A standard infantry battalion consists of an average of 870 personnel, 400 of which are combat troops, and the rest of which are designated to auxiliary or combat support roles. Mechanized battalions in the Leopard Army are usually made up of about 964 personnel and 124 armored vehicles. Armored battalions are the largest battalion-level formation in the Leopard Army with a total of 1,740 soldiers, 144 tanks, and 176 armored vehicles.

"Support" Battalions
Support battalions are formations of the Leopard Army which perform either combat-support or auxiliary roles. Artillery and air defense battalions are both classified as support battalions, and Combat Medical Units—though not technically a battalion—are often grouped into the same category. In battle, support battalions play a fully integrated role in maneuvers and operations with their frontline counterparts, and make use of close communications and shared command bodies to effectively carry out combined-arms warfare.

Homeland Defense
Because Hyokoku had never engaged a foreign country in warfare in the three centuries after the defeat the Huascan Empire, the Leopard Army was historically organized around the idea of "homeland defense." As a result, Hyojin military leaders and politicians organized the Army to excel at serving in a defensive role on Hyojin soil, and for much of Hyokoku's history, this meant they also acted as a counter insurgency force to put down native revolts.

"Snag" Tactics
Snag tactics, or snag warfare, is a doctrinal system developed in Hyokoku based on asymmetrical warfare and guerrilla tactics. Snag tactics were first employed in the early 1930s, and were inspired by the tactics used by native rebels during the Plains Wars and Machok's Rebellion. They emphasize the use of ambushes wherever possible in war, and are built off of the assumption that battles will be fought within Hyokoku and in settings where Hyojin soldiers have the advantage of familiarity with their surroundings. Snag tactics have also developed to exploit Hyokoku's rugged mountain ranges and narrow valleys.

The most basic aspect of the style of warfare is the "snag" itself, when infantry troops make use of anti-tank weapons and coordinated operations with artillery formations to pin down an enemy force. Hyojin rangers—the Leopard Army's elite airborne troops—use a high degree of mobility provided by their helicopters to outmaneuver enemy units and attack irregularly. Air power is incorporated into snag tactics as the source of ultimate firepower, and is used to either surgically target command positions or deliver heavy munitions into hostile forward positions. Mechanized battalions reinforce the initial infantry attack and help prevent enemy troops from breaking out of the snag. And finally, armored formations are committed when a weakness in the enemy's defense appears, and deliver a knockout blow. Tanks can also be deployed when an enemy breakout attempt destabilizes the Hyojin lines, and essentially act as "bandaid" to plug gaps in friendly formations.