Public Force (Montecara)
| Military of Montecara | |
|---|---|
| File:MontecaraCoA.png | |
| Service branches | |
| Headquarters | Castèl Gerò |
| Leadership | |
| Commander-in-Chief | Colegio |
| Secretary of Defense and Security | Tulio Brucàt |
| Captain-general | Ermàn Manfrìn |
| Personnel | |
| Military age | 17 years of age |
| Conscription | 17 years of age, 24-month period |
| Active personnel | 5,655
|
| Reserve personnel | 16,875 |
| Expenditure | |
| Budget | NSD 4.21 billion |
| Percent of GDP | 2.40% (2017) |
| Industry | |
| Foreign suppliers | |
The Military of Montecara consists of three independent forces: the Armàda (navy), Dragòni (gendarmerie), and Guàrdia di Stado (land forces).
The military is a serious object of the Montecaran government's concern given its history of conflict with its neighbors. Exact defense plans are classified, but it is widely known that Montecara's military strategy is based first on deterrence and second on organized resistance to invasion. Deterrence rests on making it clear that the attacking force would suffer unacceptable casualties in seeking to capture Montecara's small territory. Failing this, the goal of resistance is to deny the enemy use of the nation's strategic assets and exhaust its will to fight.
History
The first professional military in Montecara was that of the Solarian Republic. The modern Montecaran military traces its roots back to this ancient tradition.
Conscription
Of the three components of the Montecaran military, only the Guàrdia receives conscripts. Montecara practices conscription for a term of two years beginning at age 17 for able-bodied citizens and permanent residents, male and female. University-bound secondary-school students may defer their enlistment until their studies are completed, usually at age 19.
Upon reaching service age, new recruits report to Castèl Gerò and take a battery of physical and academic tests. Based on their results, they may be assigned to a remedial physical fitness course or move directly on to recruit training. The basic training course lasts 12 weeks, during which recruits learn the rudiments of military skills and discipline.
Once a conscript's two-year service is complete, he or she is considered a qualified soldier and remains on the reserve list until reaching the age of 40 (for other ranks) or 45 (for officers).
While conscription is theoretically universal, in reality less than 20% of the pool of potential recruits is actually called to serve. Most young people go on to study at university or a technical academy rather than serving in the military, and those that are conscripted are generally voluntary.
International cooperation
Montecara engages in defense cooperation with the other members of the Euclean defense community. Allied ships make regular calls at the Port of Montecara, and the state is de-facto protected by the Euclean Community nuclear umbrella.