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The Earth Defense Force (EDF) is the military arm that enforces the Earth Government Colonial Alliance's orders and is responsible for protecting Earth and the various interstellar colonies.[1]

History[]

Main article: History of Earth and the colonies
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An EDF propaganda poster featuring a Marine.

Relatively little is known about the origin, extent and power of the Earth Defense Force, although it can be assumed that it was formed shortly after the dissolution of the Sovereign Colonies in 2314 and the founding of the Earth Government Colonial Alliance in its place;[1] the EDF was, thus, the successor to the SCAF.

The Defense Force possesses a large fleet capable of protecting EarthGov's various interstellar colonies, as well as defending and rescuing civilian vessels from attacks by pirates and raiders.[2] The fleet is also capable of blockading entire star systems during quarantine operations.[3]

Operation: WHITE LIGHT[]

"CEC vessel USG Ishimura in breach of EarthGov system isolation order. Believed to have recovered Marker 3A. Special Ops has confirmed the system but unable to provide planet location. [...] OBJECTIVES: Secure Marker 3A. If infection is present, initiate sterilization protocol 'EURYDICE'. If infection is not present, initiate containment protocol 'APOLLO'. All personnel must, WITHOUT EXCEPTION, submit to full psychological examination during debriefing."
—EDF Chief of Staff[4]
CH08 0370 Valor Contact Videolog

Commander F. Cadigan of the USM Valor during Operation: WHITE LIGHT.

Following the USG Ishimura's breach of government orders as it entered the restricted Aegis cluster, the EDF dispatched a heavily armed warship, the USM Valor, to hunt down and stop the Planet Cracker and to aid Kendra Daniels in her efforts to secure Marker 3A and cover up the incident. However, following an unexpected breach and Necromorph infection via a recovered Ishimura escape pod, most of the Valor's crew and complement were slain; shortly after impacting the USG Ishimura, the vessel became unstable and exploded, leaving Daniels to complete the mission of retrieving the Marker on her own.

Post-Aegis VII Incident[]

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A poster on an EDF destroyer showing the Marines' signature weapon, the Pulse Rifle.

Following the destruction of Aegis VII, an EDF fleet was sent to blockade and quarantine the entire Aegis system.[3] During this time, the EDF was involved in several missions: the USM Abraxis deployed a squad of Marines to investigate the damaged USG O'Bannon and recovered four survivors from the vessel, including Nolan Stross,[2] while Isaac Clarke's shuttle was also successfully recovered.

The EDF also searched for the Ishimura, which was sent drifting aimlessly into deep space with the destruction of Aegis VII. Eventually, its location was revealed to the EDF and a team of Marines departed the USM Victory aboard the shuttle USM Intrepid, intending to board the Ishimura and recover any evidence of the Marker. However, the team was tricked by Stefan Schneider, a member of a salvage group called the Magpies, into landing in a cargo bay that was infested by Necromorphs. The Marines were quickly slaughtered, leaving a pair of Oracles to continue the mission.[3] Afterwards, the EDF presumably recovered the Ishimura and brought it to Titan Station.

Unitologist Uprising[]

In concurrence with the crisis faced by EarthGov after Titan Station's destruction,[5] the EDF appeared to have suffered great losses in the fight against radical Unitologist members and factions like the Circle. Captain Robert Norton and Sergeant John Carver purported to be members of the defense force's last battalion when they secured Isaac Clarke on Luna's New Horizons Colony.[6]

Elements of the EDF[]

EDF Navy[]

DSR USM Valor Render Front and Aft

The Destroyer-class vessel USM Valor.

The EDF Navy (ship prefix "USM", likely "United Systems Military"[7]) fulfills numerous responsibilities, from transport and supply to anti-piracy patrol operations and quarantine enforcement. The destroyers USM Valor and USM Abraxis contained a potent arsenal with powerful cannons and missiles, suggesting preparations for intense ship-to-ship combat as well.

Identified Vessels[]

Destroyers[]
Shuttles[]
Unknown[]

EDF Marines[]

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A propaganda poster for the EDF Marines.

DS3 Special Forces Suit Concept 2

An EDF Special Forces combat suit.

"EDF Navy destroyers defend key EarthGov locations and patrol outlying systems; its marines are known to be ruthless in their handling of pirates and other rogue elements."
—Official description[1]

Part of the EDF Navy,[1] EDF Marines are well equipped with Advanced Soldier RIGs and military-grade SWS Motorized Pulse Rifles and Plasma Pistols. They appear to be the premier military force of the EDF, fighting in naval actions, both defending EDF vessels and boarding opponents, participating in planetary assaults, garrisoning EDF installations, and participating in both SAR and special operations. The Marines from the USM Abraxis were also seen using an unknown rifle that was able to fire a non-lethal shot of electricity to incapacitate its target.[2]

EDF Special Operations[]

"SPECIAL OPS ADVISORY FOLLOWS: Exercise extreme caution. If Marker 3A has been recovered, onboard infection is a credible threat."
—EDF Chief of Staff[4]

The EDF Special Operations branch was responsible for providing intelligence during Operation: WHITE LIGHT in the Aegis system.

Sergeant John Carver is a member of the EDF Special Operations branch.[9] The Special Forces Suit appears to be the standard RIG worn by EDF Spec Ops operatives.

EDF Corps of Engineers[]

The Corps of Engineers is the military engineering branch of the EDF. The blue-colored Venture Suit appears to be the standard RIG worn by members of this branch, adopted after their victory at Europa's Conamara Chaos Iceworks during the Resource Wars.[10]

Other Branches[]

EarthGov's security forces, such as the Titan Station Security Force and the New Horizons Security Force, appear to operate under the EDF,[11] serving as localized gendarmeries on EarthGov colonies and utilizing advanced military equipment such as Gunships.

Known EDF Personnel[]

Trivia[]

  • The EDF logo includes the Han character 天 (Chinese: tiān, Japanese: ten, ame, ama, Korean: cheon), meaning "heaven" or "sky", and resembles a Chinese dragon.
  • Examining the Advanced Soldier RIG's decals texture file in Dead Space (2023) reveals that the "USM" prefix stands for "United Sates Military", a possible misspelling of "United States Military". It is very likely that this is an error on the part of the designers, though, as the term "United States" would have no meaning in the Dead Space universe, with the most likely intended name being "United Systems Military".

Gallery[]

Posters on the USM Valor[]

Sources[]

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