Imperial Army Procurement

Armies of the Fifth Frontier War has recently been released, covering a broad range of topics affecting the ground forces of the Spinward Marches – Imperial, Zhodani, Darrian and Sword Worlds. We asked author Martin Dougherty to go into a bit more detail on the complex subject of procurement within the Imperial Army…

The Third Imperium is capable of bringing enormous resources to bear on any problem… but it has an enormous number of problems to deal with. Military procurement is just one of them, and it is an extremely complex one at that. Combat capability is only one factor in decisions about what to provide to army units.

One question that must be considered is ‘what is needed?’. There are some that who say ‘fusion guns and battle dress for everyone!’ but this is unrealistic. The Imperial Army rarely faces enemies of its own calibre. Far more often the foe is an ill-armed militia or revolution, or a single planet’s armed forces which may be armed at TL7. Procurement decisions must be based on what is likely to be needed and what can be supported in the field.

There are also economic factors. The Imperial Army must arm millions of soldiers – and also move them, feed them, house them and keep them supplied. There is only so much TL15 manufacturing in the Imperium. This would need to not only provide all the new weapons and equipment but also all the spares and supplies required to keep it working.

High-technology systems require a lot of support, and that requires large numbers of technicians capable of understanding it. An all-TL15 army would need to educate its maintenance personnel to that level, at enormous cost. Spares could only be sourced in a few locations, lengthening supply lines and straining logistics capabilities.

In addition, there are political pressures. Arms manufacturing generates enormous wealth and provides jobs not only in factories but all supporting industries. Procurement decisions are influenced by rich and powerful people who stand to benefit one way or another. A munitions or vehicle manufacturing plant can create hundreds or thousands of well-paid jobs, which will enhance the popularity of the political figure who persuaded the authorities to site one at this location or to issue the contract. It may seem unfair that a soldier cannot have the Gucci kit they want because the procurement board was influenced by a Sector Duke who wanted jobs in their area of interest, but this is how it works.

Ultimately, the decision to arm the Imperial Army at TL12, other than specialist systems, was based upon these factors – the ability to obtain weaponry good enough to do the job, in sufficient quantity, to ensure interoperability and support, and to balance the political and economic pressures of those with an interest in the decision. Long-term sustainability requires that sufficient equipment and spares can be made – and more importantly, kept – available. Basing military production at TL12 allows more worlds to contribute and to benefit from the military budget, which in turn improves contentment as well as local economies.

Each group within the process has their own desires and needs, which seem to be of paramount importance – to them. A soldier at the sharp end might not care that the TL12 arms factory brought prosperity to a distant world, but its government may be glad that the influx of well-paid jobs reduced discontent among a workforce troubled by closures in other industries. A company owner might not care all that much that soldiers a sector away would be more effective with more advanced equipment, so long as the job gets done and the discontented workforce is no longer causing disruption.

It is easy to focus on one aspect of the situation and ask, ‘why do they not…?’ The reasons are very complex and do not always seem to make sense to those in a different part of the system. For example, a warship goes into service without a close-in missile defence system. That seems like an oversight of serious proportions, but it turns out the navy left it out in order to get the project approved at budget, with the intent of asking for a budgetary extension to upgrade later. Such decisions can cost lives, but they are necessary to get any equipment at all out of the procurement process.

In short, in such a complex arena no-one ever gets all they want. Getting anything at all requires balancing all factors so that everyone gets enough of what they need.