Kanon Campaign
Kanon
February 2185 - November 2185
Result: PACT fleet forced out of system
Forces
Kanonian Defence Force
Commanders:
- Duke Akira Sumeragi
Forces:
- 20,000 KDF troops
- 16,000 KDF reservists
- 300,000+ militia by November 2185
Operation Burst Angel
Commanders:
Forces:
- 108,000 ground troops
Losses
Kanonian Defence Force
Operation Burst Angel
- 70,000 captured
Background
The adoption of United Nations Security Council Resolution 11079 on January 30th, 2185 officially marked the start of the war between the ZOCU organization and the major Earth power blocs. While military skirmishing had been ongoing for the previous four years, this was the first time full and unlimited powers were granted to restore peace and security to the Expanse. The first world that 'Resolution 079' forces landed on was Kanon. Identified as a linchpin in the overall ZOCU structure, removing Kanon from the conflict early would deprive ZOCU of one of its primary R&D and production centers along with the majority of the theta dust used in ZOCU warships. To that end, Operation Burst Angel organised two field corps totalling approximately 100,000 pan-PACT troops supported by the American 3rd, 6th and 7th Fleets arrived in-system on February 14th and immediately began landing operations. These reinforced the roughly 8,000 troops that were holding a number of prepared UN enclaves against intermittent probing and harassment. The ground forces available to the Kanonian Defence Force consisted of around 20,000 troops and 16,000 reservists - a 3:1 numerical disadvantage. And while the Kanonians were equipped with mobile suits, there was an even heavier inferiority in infantry operated drones which heavily bolstered PACT numbers.
While early gains were rapid, by the middle of March the local rainy season had begun, turning much of the lowlands and rainforests into treacherous morasses. Konanian sappers destroyed vast lengths of road along the PACT's axis of advance with both explosives and landslides, further hindering fast movement. Partisans equipped with everything from small arms to aquatic mobile suits also quickly made their presence felt. The USASF still controlled the skies however and kept the Kanonian fleet or any offworld ZOCU reinforcements from moving inwards from the Robe, the vast debris field that filled the outer system.
Flight of the Bamboo Cutter
With its large R&D complex and industries already geared up to produce mobile suits including variants on the OMF-04 Peltast and the locally-developed KMF-055 Marin amphibious frame, Kanon had been a natural place to develop ZOCU's next mainline combat frame, the OMF-06 Hoplite. The PACT invasion nearly set ZOCU back years on the development of the new frame and sent shockwaves of panic through the combined militias; even if Kanon could be relieved, any delay in getting new weapons out of the lab and into the field could have serious repercussions.
The 16th Mobile Volunteer Battalion of Unified Militia, KDF fleet command, and KHQ all immediately prepared plans to smuggle the prototypes and plans of the OMF-06 offworld, but with communications insecure, could only trust in rough pictures of what each of the others would do. The 16th MVB finally sprung the operation on April 22 as setbacks on the ground compelled PACT commanders to devote more resources to ground support. Attempts at operational security were unsuccessful however, and the Americans in orbit quickly responded in force, turning a risky but quiet operation into a desperate battle for survival. Through the sacrifice of the Kanonian cruiser Mystic Square to cripple American carrier Gerald R. Ford and a daring action by the 16th, ZOCU managed to evacuate the Hoplite prototypes during the confusion, saving ZOCU from relying on the increasingly-obselete Peltast for the rest of 2185.
The attack on the Ford was the first time an American carrier had ever been seriously threatened with destruction and shocked the USASF out of its complacency and belief in its invulnerability. It amply demonstrated the ability of skilled ZOCU navigators with advanced FTL drives to put gunships within striking range of lightly-armed carriers. If ZOCU was to move into Kanon in force, the USASF could potentially lose one or more of its capital ships to the enemy's destroyers and cruisers. Even the reactivation and deployment of old MacArthur system control ships could not guarantee their protection. As a consequence, the United States leaned heavily on the European Union to take a more aggressive posture to ensure that ZOCU would not have the opportunity to prepare for a counterattack.
Counterattack
Aftermath