Themiclesian Air Force

Themiclesian Air Force
震旦空航, tjelh-danh-k′ong-gang
Founded	May 29, 1918
Current form	Jan. 1, 1921
Headquarters	10 Loop Ave., Sng′rja′
Leadership
Emperor	incumbent
Secretary of State for Defence	Sdjem Tsodh
Air Staff Chairman	Air Chief Marshal Dong′
Expenditure
Budget	Int'l $10.175 bn
Percent of GDP	0.5%
Related articles
Ranks	Rank and insignia of the armed forces of Themiclesia

The Themiclesian Air Force (震旦空航, tjelh-danh-k′ong-gang; commonly abbreviated TAF) is the Themiclesian force primarily responsible for aerial operations in defence of Themiclesia and other points of interest. The TAF is under the Ministry of Defence, with the Minister of State for Aviation as its main responsible minister. The most senior professional officer is the President of the Air Staff, who ex offcio holds the rank of air chief marshal.

Name

Currently, the TAF is the only branch of the forces that officially has "Themiclesian" (震旦) as part of its name. The army and navy originated in the distant past when the forces were considered departments of the civil service, so they were referred to by the specific objectives they were raised to accomplish or, in case of standing forces, the civil servants that administered them.  Additionally, only in recent centuries has Themiclesia started to refer to itself as such, previously using only the term "State" (邦) for that purpose.

The term k′ong-gang is a neologism coined specifically for the TAF; literally, it means "air fleet". The word gang "fleet" identifies the navy.

History

The Themiclesian Air Force was founded in 1918 as the Provisional Air Service on the basis of the Aviation League, a federation of amateur aviation clubs, which had been gaining popularity as a sport for the adventurous wealthy. The government was interested of the strategic value of military aviation as reported by its diplomats in Casaterra, which was recently engaged in the highly-destructive War of Sylvan Succession. One motivation for developing an aviation service is the size of the Themiclesian wilderness to the east and north, sparsely inhabited and unfamiliar to land troops. A Minister for Air was appointed the same year to oversee the training and running of an air force. Officers involved in military aviation from foriegn states were invited and consulted during this three-year period, until the Themiclesian Air Force was formally founded in 1921.

The TAF saw considerable development during the Prairie War of 1926 – 33. Originally, the army was also interested in an air service, though this remained in a planning stage and was quickly subsumed by the TAF. As Dzhungestan did not field an air force, the TAF encountered comparatively little resistance, until Menghe entered the war in 1933. The following decade saw rapid development with considerable foreign influence as the TAF adapted to fight a superior enemy, mostly in support of ground forces. However, contests for aerial control also occurred occasionally and, by the end of the 30s, evolved into the defence of air space to protect cities and the industrial sector. In the later segment of the war, the TAF was active both in Maverica and Dzhungestan, pushing Menghean forces eastwards. It also carried out bombing missions to hinder Menghean industrial production.

Since the end of the Pan-Septentrion War, the TAF was withdrawn from Menghe in 1949 along with other Themiclesian forces in the region. The 1960s saw another burst in the TAF's evolution, with the collapse of the Maverican government to communist forces. Maverica outwardly hostile to Themiclesia, the government invested heavily into the TAF and the industries that supplied it. Due to Maverica's massive advantage in manpower, it was decided that only aerial power could threaten key Maverican positions and prevent its land forces from invading Themiclesia effectively and quickly. In the 70s, the government debated the purchase of a pair of aircraft carriers to enhance its ability to deter Maverican aggression, but this never came to fruition, and the TAF remained the primary operator of aircraft.

Equipment

Main article: Equipment of Themiclesian armed forces

Culture

Uniforms

Main article: Uniforms of Themiclesian armed forces

The TAF's uniforms are distinctive amongst the other forces, being primarily inspired by the Tyrannian Royal Air Force's uniforms, which themselves are similar to those of the Royal Army. In the 19th century, military authorities were reticent to deviate from civilian fashions in designing uniforms. The TAF is the first to break from this tradition and issue uniforms that did not cover the wearers' thighs, which was thought indecent in civilian society. The theme colour of the TAF's uniforms is a creamy teal that, due to its dominance therein, is now called "Air Force Teal" in Themiclesia. The Themiclesian Air Force Regiment has a uniform of similar cut but different colour scheme.

See also

• Themiclesia