This article belongs to the lore of Kouralia.

Coronial Armed Forces (Kouralia)

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Coronial Armed Forces
Kouralian CoA.png
Kouralian Coat of Arms
Service Branches: Kouralian army banner.png Grand Legion
Kouralian Naval Ensign.png Grand Fleet
Kouralian AF Ensign.png Marischalcy Air Fleet
Headquarters: XX
Leadership:
Commander-in-Chief Crownbearer
Alyx Campbell
Justiciar for War Tamæra Carfagna
Prince-Martial Name
Grand Legate-General Name
Grand Admiral Name
Grand Air-Marischal Name
Personnel:
Military Age: XXX
Conscription: XXX
Active Personnel: XXX
Reserve Personnel: XXX
Deployed Personnel: XXX
Finances:
Annual Budget: XXX
Percent of GDP: XXX

The Kouralian Armed Forces, also known as the Coronial Armed Forces, are the professional military services protecting the integrity of the Crown Union and its citizenry, ensuring national security by promoting Kouralian interests abroad, and keeping the peace in the region of Mystria.

Over the history of the Crown Union and its preceding nationstates the Kouralian Armed Forces and its predecessor organisations have participated in a number of major wars including the 31st Annual Demon War, fighting against the Goldern Herd, and repelling the 3rd Century Scanderan Invasion. Historic successes, commonplace acts of valour, and well-documented dedication to professional standards and promotion of military sciences have given the Kouralian Armed Forces, particularly its army, an international reputation for excellence. Today the Kouralian Armed Forces consist of: the Grand Legion, the Union's principal land warfare service; the Grand Fleet, a blue-water navy of approaching 1,000 vessels including 40 aircraft carriers; and the Marischalcy Air Fleet, a technologically sophisticated air force with a diverse operational fleet consisting of both fixed-wing and rotary aircraft. The professional Armed Forces also include the part-time Volunteer Reserve Forces, and the Veteran Reserves who retain a statutory liability to be recalled for service in an emergency following the end of their contract or commission. The Armed Forces are also supplemented by the Regional Special Reserves, additional military reserves answering to the Governor of each of Kouralia's Regions which can nonetheless be mustered for Central Coronial Service if required.

The Supreme Commander of the Armed Forces is the Kouralian Crown, with the Crownbearer acting in the role of a physical Commander-in-chief, currently Sir Alyxandra Campbell. Constitutional division of responsibility by the Statutes-Principal, is that while the oath of allegiance is sworn to the Crown and the Crownbearer represents that legal authority in ceremonies and formal processes such as declarations of war, responsibility for civilian control of the military is vested in the Central Coronial Government - specifically the Justiciar for War. The Crown Captain of Justiciars acting with the Court of Justiciars makes key grand strategic decisions on use of the Armed Forces. The Armed Forces are managed on a day-to-day basis by the War Council presided over by the Justiciar for War.

Military Governance

As an inanimatocratic system, the source of all legal authority within the Crown Union is the Crown. It is to this emblem, representative of the unity of purpose between the Kouralian state and people, that the Kouralian Armed Forces swear oaths of allegiance. Where the abstract notion of the Crown as a legal entity requires a physical authority-figure, the Statutes-Principal stipulate that as head of state the Crownbearer is the Commander-in-chief of the Kouralian Armed Forces. However, the Crownbearer has no role in managing or commanding the armed forces, and civilian control of the military is exercised by the Central Coronial Government through the War Justiciary and its executive-level Military Boards. As with other business of government, the Crownbearer retains a role as the constitutional guardian to act as the highest check on unethical conduct. This can include symbolic vetoing of key military policy decisions to reflect their perceived unlawfulness.

War Justiciary

The War Justiciary is the Government Department and highest level of military headquarters charged with formulating and executing defence policy for the armed forces; it employs over 75,000 Adjutant Clerks as of 2022. It is controlled by the Justiciar for War and five subordinate Chancellors with responsibility for particular areas of military policy making. Responsibility for managing the armed forces is delegated to a variety of committees which are comprised of political Justiciars, professional military officers, and civil servant Adjutant Clerks. T

Grand Legatine Council

The Grand Legatine Council

Personnel

Expenditure

Weapons of Mass Destruction

Professional Service Branches

Grand Legion

Grand Fleet

Marischalcy Air Fleet

Joint Operational Command

Prior to the restitution of the Crown, and the creation of the Second Crown Union of Kouralia in the early 21st century, operational control of military forces was exercised individually in siloed chains of command for each of the service branches. However, in 2003 this was changed. The Chiefs of Staff for each service ceased to have any involvement in the national chain of command, and a number of Joint Thematic/Theatre Commands (JTCs) were created to focus strategic control on specific geographic areas or functions.

Since that time the number, and responsibilities, of the JTCs have changed, but they operate under the same principles. Grand Strategy and military policy, as appropriately ratified by the Crownbearer and the Senate, is formulated by the Central Coronial Government. This is conveyed through the Justiciar for War to the relevant Joint Thematic/Theatre Commander-in-Chief (JTCinC) who has overall command of all Kouralian military forces from all three services within their area of operations. Depending on the nature of their Joint Thematic/Theatre Command, the forces allocated to them as part of each's Service's Joint Forces Component will vary. It is then their responsibility to ensure that the strategy of the Central Coronial Government is carried out by coordinating and directing the activities of their allocated forces.

JTCs come in two types, 'Thematic' and 'Theatre':

  • A Joint Theatre Command such as Home Command is responsible for military forces within a given geographic area of responsibility, while
  • a Joint Thematic Command such as Cyber Command is responsible for military forces carrying out a distinct function that transcends geographic areas of responsibility.

Each JTC is overseen by the JTCinC, who is an OF-9-graded or four-star-ranked officer such as a Master-General. Below them, the Joint Forces Component's commanding officers are termed GOC-in-C, AOC-in-C, or FOC-in-C, and are typically OF-8 or three-star-ranked officers such as an Admiral or an Air Marshal. Military units are allocated to each Service's Joint Forces Component according to high-level analysis of the nature of that JTC's mission and how best to accomplish it. Some such military units are permanently embedded within a given JTC, whereas others can rotate through multiple commands. An example of this latter process would be warships being moved to operate within a different locality.

List of JTCs

There are presently four Thematic Commands, and four Theatre Commands as follows:

Emblem
Name
Date of
Establishment
Incumbent Commander
Headquarters
Responsibility
Thematic Commands
Cyber Command
'CYBERCOM'
2008
Kouralian AF Ensign.png
AMMshl. Sir Ann aþe’Germeroð
XX
Cyber Command is responsible for ensuring a unified approach to cyberspace operations which includes intelligence gathering, cybersecurity, and offensive cyberwarfare.
Strategic Command
'STRATCOM'
2003
Kouralian AF Ensign.png
AM/Mshl. Sir Escanyr Franclynn
XX
Strategic Command is responsible for control of Kouralia's weapons of mass destruction, anti-ballistic missile defences and strategic anti-thaumic defences, satellites, and extra-terrestrial warfighting capabilities. This includes responsibility for Faeryn Command.
STRIKE Command
'STRIKECOM'
2005
Kouralian army banner.png
M/Gen. Sir Melanæ Vyreyn
XX
STRIKE Command (Special Tactical Reconnaissance and Intervention, Kinetic Expedition Command) is responsible for coordinating and managing the Kouralian Special Operations and Specialist Warfare capabilities.
Transport Command
'TRANCOM'
2005
Kouralian Naval Ensign.png
M/Adm. Sir Barasus Æðelynn
XX
Transport Command is responsible for coordinating logistics, transport and supply at a strategic level between forces allocated to the other JTCs. This includes airlift, sealift, and Land Transport Capabilities.
Theatre Commands
Eastern Command
'EASTCOM'
2010
Kouralian army banner.png
M/Gen. Sir Alessya Byraþƿynn
XX
Eastern Command is responsible for managing all operations undertaken in the geographical region of Eastern Mystria on or around Continental Mystria, the Northern Realms, and the Dragon Sea Islands.
Expeditionary Command
'EXCOM'
2003
Kouralian Naval Ensign.png
M/Adm. Sir Kessya Falliæd
XX
Expeditionary Command is responsible for command of Kouralian amphibious and expeditionary forces, and of deployments which take place outside of Mystria.
Home Command
'HOMECOM'
2003
Kouralian army banner.png
M/Gen. Sir Lyanyr Styrlæn
XX
Home Command is responsible for Home Defence of the Crown Union itself. Nominally its area of responsibility doesn't extend beyond the borders and territorial waters of the Royal Union, however it also covers the Forynthry Defence Perimeters and containment operations relating to them.
Western Command
'WESTCOM'
2010
Kouralian Naval Ensign.png
M/Adm. Sir Ean Astoræll
XX
Western Command is responsible for managing all operations in the geographical region of Western Mystria which surrounds HOME Command, including on the continents of Norstralia and Borealia, and the waters surrounding them.

There is no requirement that a specific JTCinC belong to a specific service branch, however by convention the commanders of Home Command and Western Command will alternate between the Grand Legion and the Grand Fleet. Furthermore, due to the Marischalcy Air Fleet's lead role in cyberwarfare it is extremely rare for the JTCinC CYBERCOM to not originate from that service.

Joint Campaign Commands

A Joint Campaign Command (JCC) and the linked position of Joint Campaign Commander-in-Chief (JCCinC) is a form of JTC created to accomplish a specific task that cannot be completed by a pre-existing Theatre Command whilst continuing other daily operations in its area of operations. This is envisaged to be where successful completion of the Kouralian mission within a given conflict zone will require such a volume of troops that it would become the sole task of a JTC or that it would require a greater force density than a JTC's headquarters caters for. Since the institution of the JTC principles there have only been two JCCs established:

  • Central Joint Command, (2014) was established during the 31st Annual Demon War and immediately incorporated Expeditionary Command, Home Command and Western Command before draining Eastern Command to minimum strength. Whilst it remained active it was led by a OF-10-graded or five-star-ranked officer who was then the senior-most Kouralian military officer.
  • Central Joint Command, (2020) was established during the Tambelon Crisis and, as with its previous incarnation, immediately incorporated all Kouralian military forces within Kouralia and Western Mystria.