Imperial Navy (Tagmatium)
The Imperial Navy, known in Laimiaic: Basilikoploimon) and commonly in Anglish as the Tagmatine Navy, is the naval warfare branch of the Armed Forces of Tagmatium.
Historically, it was little more than a small force that provided transport to the Imperial Army and intercepted any attempted seaborne invasions of the Greater Holy Empire's territory, as well as bore the army when it undertook its own invasions. However, beginning in the 1790s with the reunification of Tagmatium under Konstantinos VII (1788-1809), there was serious investment into the Imperial Navy to enable it to undertake what would now be called "blue water" tasks and missions. This saw a high point in the early 1900s, with the Great Christian Fleet, made up of twelve battleships and numerous escorting vessels, circumnavigated the glube. They left Tagmatium in 1911 and called at several foreign ports along their route before returning in 1913. Whilst it was an impressive show of force, most of the ships were of outdated designs. Most of the truly useful ships were the array of gunboats, coastal defence ships and monitors that guarded the Tagmatine coast. This set the pattern for the Imperial Navy throughout the rest of the early to mid 1900s, as it was often more of a powerful force on paper than in reality. It was only under the Rule of the Admirals that the Tagmatine navy was able to become a truly modern force.
The modern Imperial Navy serves to defend and protect the Greater Holy Empire's coastal waters and overseas interests, as well as policing domestic shipping lanes. It maintains both a green water force and a blue water force, the latter containing the most impressive vessels in the Tagmatine fleet, the Protathlitai tou Khristou (Anglish: "Champions of Christ") class of aircraft carriers. However, it is the former that make up the bulk of the Imperial Navy's strength, as the blue water element is much newer. It is the corvettes, missile boats and patrol boats that are the true workhorses of the Tagmatine navy, protecting the coastline of Tagmatium and preventing any enemy vessels from getting too close and infringing on vital areas such as the Central Sea. This is referred to as maintaining a naval security perimeter around the Greater Holy Empire's coast. Patrols of Tagmatium's exclusive economic zone (EEZ) are also undertaken, in order to main Tagmatium's control over them. The Imperial Navy also operates the vast bulk of Tagmatium's offensive and defensive cyber warfare assets.
Other branches of the Imperial Navy include the naval air arm, the Aeroporeia tou Ploimou (Anglish: "Airforce of the Fleet") and the marine force, the Navamilitai (Anglish: "Ship-Soldiers"). The Aeroporeia tou Ploimou operate all carrier-based and ground-based aircraft that the navy operates, including jet aircraft and helicopters. The Navamilitai provide shipboard security and security for all facilities owned and operated by the Imperial Navy. They also act as an amphibious infantry force for the Greater Holy Empire of Tagmatium.
