ZLA uniforms

When the Zharan High Council reorganized the ZLA beginning in the early 2360s, one of their first goals was to standardize uniforms for its personnel. The Type 2-A coverall was actually the first design fielded, as the fledgling ZLA Space Fleet required duty wear for its troopers working onboard spacecraft. Next up was Type 2-B, the standardized battle dress uniform, which is designed to be worn in garrison by members of the ZLA Ground Forces.

Ironically, INTELCOM reports indicate that the Type 1 dress uniform was the last to be designed, as it was not standardized into service until 2368. This has been attributed to zharan reluctance to adhere to human standards of military etiquette, and may only have been necessitated by their appearance at more regimented military festivals organized by the Alliance Armada, including the 30th anniversary Exposição Militar Decenal in 2369.

But by far the most well-known uniform for most ICA military personnel has been the Type 3 combat suit, which earned a fearsome reputation as worn by zharan troops in the latter years of the Frontier War. The example shown here was seen worn by a commando of the Asymmetric Warfare Command, under the command of the infamous Third Commander Damon Jerek, and was stationed in the Saturn sector as of 2389.

ZLA Camouflage

The first reports of a standardized camo system for the ZLA came on INTELCOM’s radar in 2362 thanks to espionage conducted by members of the SPIRE force. The pattern they reported on, codenamed Digital Brushstroke, Type Alpha, was used by ZLA Space Fleet personnel on ships and by all personnel in garrison. It has also been used by ZLA personnel deployed to snowy regions on Earth and in the Main Belt.

The second pattern, codenamed Type Beta, was first seen when the Zharan Collective sent a delegation to Aldrin City in 2366 as part of the mission aimed at maintaining peace between the Alliance and the ICA. It has also been used extensively on Titan, including during the Zharan Collective's intervention in the Frontier War from 2379-2381, when ZLA Ground Force troops reinforced Armada personnel there.

The final pattern, Type Gamma, was first used by ZLA personnel deployed to temperate asteroid cities in the Main Belt in the early years of the Frontier War. It has also been used extensively in covert ZLAGF missions to infiltrate the Community of Gaia. As with much of the ZLA’s field doctrine, these camouflage patterns, and the Mark II duty uniforms and Mark III combat utility uniforms they are printed on, place an emphasis on design simplicity, ease of mass production, and durability over prolonged use.

Notes on Art Design...

As stated in my previous posts, I made the soldier designs here using pieces pulled from a variety of original sources, most of them on DeviantArt. I took pains to pull from as many sources as was possible to avoid using any one piece too much for any given uniform design, and I edited where needed to suit my own needs. The helmet of the combat suit involved drawing my own novel design based on a piece I found on Pinterest.

The camouflage patterns started off as a swatch of Portuguese M64 lizard camo that I digitized with Affinity and then recolored on Photopea to suit my purposes.

As usual, I wish to stress that I intend no plagiarism with any of this work, and defer all ownership for the source pieces to their original artists. All I've done is to build upon their work as part of the cycle of art being in conversation with itself.

Service & Dress Uniforms

The uniforms of the IDC have a long history, as their origins can be traced back to the earliest days of organized, large-scale space travel. The Class A service dress, meant for use at formal events (social functions, government affairs, etc.) and is not intended to be airtight. Class B uniforms are intended for use in office situations and in garrison postings where the more formal Class As are not necessary.

The main distinction between Class A and B uniforms is the difference in headwear (peaked caps for Class As and color-coded berets with unit flashes for Class Bs) and the fact that the Class B uniforms eschew the more traditional tunics upon which officers and enlisted spacers wear their campaign ribbons with the Class A uniform. The main difference between the uniforms of officers and enlisted spacers is that rank insignia are worn on the sleeves of the former, whereas they appear on shoulder boards on the latter.

Duty Uniforms

Class C, Level 1-A coveralls trace their origins to the suits worn in space stations by astronauts as far back as the 1970s. Level 1-B duty fatigues are meant to be worn in secure environments such as large-scale enclosed military outposts, multi-use space stations, and indoor habitats on worlds like Mars, Titan, and so on. Level 2 bodysuits are primarily a base layer for Level 3 combat gear, and are designed to be airtight in the event of a breach in the oversuit. Standard-issue duty boots can also be made airtight for use in vacuum, and can magnetically adhere to metallic surfaces for microgravity situations.

Level 3 combat EVA suits are typically worn only in combat situations, or in anticipation of a possible loss of atmosphere onboard a spacecraft or space station. The most common suit issued to frontline Surface Warfare Command personnel in 2389 is the Seidel Corporation’s RG/A-139 Extravehicular Activity - Combat (EVAC) suit, which has been the standard issue since early in the Frontier War. This suit, including magnetic boots and an optional thruster pack system, can be seen all over Solar Space.

IDC Service Wear - the Beret

Much like the militaries of many Old Earth nations, the Spacer Corps uses color-coded berets to distinguish the home command of the spacers wearing them. Examples include cobalt blue for regular personnel from FLEETCOM, moss green for those from SURCOM, and slate gray for field operatives of INTELCOM. Members of subcommands like the Security Forces (maroon) may also wear specialized berets to help distinguish them.

The standard IDC beret comes with a small, shield-shaped patch called a beret flash, each of which bears a special insignia to further distinguish the wearer’s parent unit. Notably, while most SPECWARCOM personnel wear the crossed sword and feather insignia, those assigned to the Strategic Orbital Assault & Reconnaissance (SOAR) Force wear a special insignia showing a winged fighting knife. This is the emblem devised for SOAR by its founders back in the mid-23rd century.

Notes on art sourcing...

As stated previously in my previous posts about the combat gear of the IDC, AML, and ZLA, and about the uniforms of the Armada, I made the soldier designs here using pieces pulled from a variety of original sources, most of them on DeviantArt. I pulled from as many sources as was possible to avoid sourcing too much from any one piece for any given uniform design, and I edited where needed to suit my own needs.

As usual, I wish to stress that I intend no plagiarism, and defer all ownership for those source pieces to their original artists. All I've done is to build upon their work as part of the great cycle of art being in conversation with itself, and I thank them for their work.