Emessan Defence Forces

Emessan Defence Forces
'Forzi tad-difiża Imisani'
Founded	11 March 1942 (1942-03-11)
Current form	6 July 1984 (1984-07-06)
Service branches	Emessan Army Emessan Naval Forces Emessan Air Force Emessan Territorial Command
Headquarters	Ministry of Defence Building, Himera
Leadership
Commander-in-Chief	Pawlu Vella
Minister of Defence	Armand Zaheer
Chief of the General Staff	Emanwel Abdilla
Personnel
Military age	18
Conscription	12–18 months (depending on branches)
Available for military service	1,136,380 (2021), age 18–49 (2015)
Fit for military service	613,645 (2021), age 18–49 (2015)
Reaching military age annually	38,119 (2022)
Active personnel	198,400 (2022)
Reserve personnel	400,000 (2022)
Expenditure
Budget	€4.1 billion
Percent of GDP	3% (2022)
Related articles
History	Independence Wars Alban War

The Emessan Defence Forces (EDF) (Emessan: Forzi tad-difiża Imisani [FDI]) are the military forces of Emessa. It consists of four service branches, the Emessan Army, Emessan Naval Forces, Emessan Air Force and the Emessan Territorial Command. Since its reform following the country's redemocratization process, the Emessan Defence Forces hold no civilian jurisdiction in Emessa, being subordinate to a civilian Minister of Defence.

Structure

Ministry of Defence

The ministry of defence is responsible for the civil oversight of the Emessan Defence Forces, responsible for the defence of Emessa against external military threats. Additionally, the Ministry of Defence is responsible for the oversight of state owned military-industrial enterprises and military procurement.

Ministry of Defence building in Himera

With the exception of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, the Ministry of Defence as of 1984 is established as a civilian-lead institution, limiting the position of minister of defence to civilian and reserve duty personnel exclusively. Emessa's incumbent Minister of Defence is Armand Zaheer, a retired army colonel turned politician.

The Minister of defence is subdivided in the following secretariats and organizations:

• Joint Chiefs of Staff of the Emessan Defence Forces
• Secretariat of Strategic Affairs
• Secretariat of Defence Foreign Affairs
• Directorate of Military Intelligance
• Secretariat of Human Rights and Justice
• Secretariat of Procurement
• Industrial Complex: Emessa Dynamics, Tarzni Konsolidati (TK Shipyards), Aerospazjali

Chief of the General Staff

The Chief of Staff is the most senior military officer of the Emessan Defence Forces, being the highest ranked and executive leader of the Joint Chiefs of Staff alongside the Minister of Defence. It is the military counterpart to the ministry of Defence and is responsible for advising the Emessan President and Minister of Defence on security matters. This advisory role is associated with the lack of command authority over the armed forces, which is instead held by the commander in chief of each of Emessa's military branches and the President.

The current Chief of Staff of the Emessan Defence Forces is Admiral Emanwel Abdilla, which has been serving in the position after being nominated by President Pawlu Vella in 2019.

Emessan Army

Main Articles: Emessan Army

The Emessan Army is the largest component of the Emessan Defence Forces by personnel, responsible for the defence of the Emessan islands. The Army also participates actively on CN peacekeeping missions. The army is organized into two corps and one rapid reaction force, alongside supporting elements. Whereas the majority of the two corps are composed of conscripted personnel, the rapid reaction force's three maneuver brigades feature a larger proportion of career soldiers. Emessa's army is predominantly composed by light infantry units, as well as a heavy emphasis on artillery and air mobility assets.

Structure of the active units of the Emessan Army (click to enlarge)

The army is supported by a a large cadre of combat and service support units organized in individual corps, as well as training brigades. The logistics brigade is responsible for rear line transport of supply, ammunition storage and maintenance of materiel, with dettached logistics brigades assigned to the Army's maneuver units responsible for forward logistics and medical support. The Army's ISTAR Command is responsible for Military and Signals Intelligence, as well as deep reconnaissance missions. Combat service support is done predominantly by the engineering and signals corps, while the army aviation command offers integrated air support and logistics with helicopters.

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  Emessan 1st Mechanized Brigade operating alongside Marines in the Alban War, 1982

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  Emessan soldier during a live fire exercise, 2012

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  Soldiers sling loading a howitzer onto an army CH-47 helicopter, 2015

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  M60TE tank in display, 2019

Emessan Naval Forces

Main Articles: Emessan Naval Forces

The Emessan Naval Forces, consisting of the Emessan Naval Command and Emessan Marine Command, encompass the maritime military branch of Emessa. Since the Alban War, it has established itself as a key aspect on Emessan Sovereignty, with the Emessan Naval Forces playing a major role in defending the Alban Archipelago. The Naval Forces are composed of modern surface warships and submarines and amphibious elements, being regarded as a force capable of exerting regional projection despite the country's relatively small size. The Emessan Marine Command is the amphibious warfare element of the Emessan Defence Forces, consisting of a fully professional cadre of soldiers organized in two brigades and support elements.

While not part of the Emessan Defence Forces, the Emessan Maritime Gendarmerie works closely with the Naval Forces, with the component responsible for the patrol and policing of Emessa's oceanic borders and port authority under the oversight of the ministry of interior.

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  Idra Class submarine alongside a UH-1N helicopter in a VERTREP exercise, 2018

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  Iljun class corvette on the Solarian Sea, 2022

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  EC725 helicopter firing an exocet anti-ship missile, 2021

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  Marine boarding team fast roping exercise, 2012

Emessan Air Force

Main Articles: Emessan Air Force

The Emessan Air Force is responsible for the security and patrol of the country's airspace. It operates a fleet of modern 4th and 4.5th generation Fighter aircraft and support elements. Additionally, the Air Force maintains a network of airbases, ground radar sites and is jointly responsible for anti-aircraft batteries with the Emessan Army.

The Emessan Air Force is undergoing a modernization program, with the acquisition of new G-7M aircraft and the upgrading of its legacy fleet of Mirage 2000s to more modern standards. These upgrades feature the full digitalization of the latter platform, as well as the full integration of data-linking, radar networking and fire control system between its fighter aircraft, trainers and ground radars.

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  Emessan G-7M of the 114. Skwadra in formation with three Mirages at the Independence Parade, 2021

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  Emessan K-130 at a training exercise in an improvised airbase in Marċi, 2016

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  Air Force EC332 Super Puma supporting peacekeeping missions in Hacynia, 2019

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  A formation of three T-260 training aircraft of the 1. Skwadra in flight

Territorial Command

Main Articles: Emessan Territorial Command