Belfrasian Armed Forces
| Belfrasian Armed Forces | |
|---|---|
 Logo of the Armed Forces | |
| Service branches |  Army Marines |
| Headquarters | Thessalona |
| Leadership | |
| Commander-in-Chief | King Nicholaus |
| Secretary of Defence | Adam Potrias |
| Chief of the Defence Staff | General Anastasios Dialetis |
| Manpower | |
| Military age | 16 with parental permission, 18 for voluntary service. Maximum ages for enlist is 35 for Army, 28 for Marines, 34 for the Navy, 30 for the Air Force, and 35 for the Coast Guard. |
| Conscription | No (Can be activated during times of Total War |
| Reaching military age annually | (2013 est.) |
| Active personnel | 565,000 |
| Reserve personnel | 360,000 |
| Expenditures | |
| Budget | $112,814,350,000 (FY2016) |
| Percent of GDP | 2.75% (FY2016) |
| Industry | |
| Domestic suppliers | Venator Defence |
The Belfrasian Armed Forces are a volunteer-based, professional military force for the Belfrasian Federation. The Armed Forces consists of three primary service branches: the Army, Navy, and Air Force. These three primary service branches have numerous sub-branches, such as the Navy's Marines and Coast Guard.
The Armed Forces was founded as an entity under the Latin Empire in the 1700s to organise the military powers of the fifteen subject states of the Empire in Norumbria that were federalised into Belfras in 1900.
Personnel within the military are split between the Branches, although transfers between those branches are allowed so long as time is available to re-train the individuals. The military is a paid, volunteer service with a minimum term of three years for all Branches.
History
Recent History
Budget
Command Structure
Personnel
As of 1 January 2017, 560,000 people were on active duty within the Armed Forces, with a further 360,000 personnel in reserve. Throughout the vast majority of the Armed Forces' life, it has operated as an all-volunteer force although it does maintain the right to conscript individuals in times of war. This right to conscription as detailed by the Constitution limit the military to selecting men and women between the ages of 18 and 38 in a passable degree of health with no single dependants.
The Armed Forces dipped to an record low level of a mere 100,000 personnel spread throughout all three branches in 1924, resulting in almost three quarters of the Navy being moth-balled and the start of the Federal Guard - A part-time militia-based military force - being formed. The Francois Ritterman act of 1932 infused the Armed Forces with a fixed level of funding that would be augmented as necessary. This point onward saw recruiting drives bring the Armed Forces back to normal numbers and is a process utilised today to ensure the military can "continue to maintain a readiness in manpower and training". Despite this act, a draft of a 2007 Financial Year document theorised the downgrade of the Armed Forces to relief banks during the 2006 financial crisis. The document was denied as being official by the government when exposed and was never actioned.
Members of the military all hold a rank that determines their seniority, pay-grade and eligibility for promotion within their respective service branches. Personnel of the same rank and pay-grade are distinguished by time of promotion or of the grade being earned. For instance, a Lieutenant who earned his commission in January would be senior to one whom was commissione din August of that same year. Specialisations, however, augment this further with specialisation superiority being a key with police units having legal power over others as necessary.
Personnel are generally filtered into the following categories: Officers, Warrant Officers, and Enlisted personnel. Officers are commissioned personnel in senior positions to command Warrant Officers and Enlisted and make up the senior level Chain of Command. Enlisted personnel are not commissioned, with the senior enlisted being referred as Non-Commissioned Officers (or NCOs) with leadership positions over lower ranked personnel. The pay grade between the service branches of the Armed Forces are similar enough, despite rank titles sometimes leading to confusion as a Lieutenant in the Army has more powers than a Lieutenant in the Navy.
Recruits to the Armed Forces undergo a standardized physical, moral, and academic test to establish candidacy to the numerous specializations within the service branches of the military. This system came into effect following a lack of qualified recruits in the areas of 1995-1998 which also resulted in extended training periods to permit recruits to gain basic qualifications for both further employment out of the service and to continue their careers within the Armed Forces. Recent changes to the plan allow service personnel to invest in further education at no-cost. Despite controversy over free education for service personnel versus paid education for civilians, this has yielded with an increased number of over-qualified personnel within the service who are often enough guaranteed jobs upon leaving the Armed Forces. A 2014 study revealed that the Armed Forces was actively assisting service personnel find jobs after leaving and that nearly 80% of personnel who left the service went on to further, gainful employment.
Personnel in each service
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| Component | Military | Enlisted | Officer | Male | Female | Civilian |
| Army | 260,000 | TBA | TBA | TBA | TBA | TBA |
| Federation Navy | 130,000 | TBA | TBA | TBA | TBA | TBA |
| Air Force | 150,000 | TBA | TBA | TBA | TBA | TBA |
| Federation Marines | 25,000 | TBA | TBA | TBA | TBA | TBA |
| Total Active | 590,000 | TBA | TBA | TBA | TBA | |
| Belfrasian Army Reserves | 110,000 | TBA | TBA | TBA | TBA | TBA |
| Federation Air Force Reserve | 90,000 | TBA | TBA | TBA | TBA | TBA |
| Federation Navy reserve | 80,000 | TBA | TBA | TBA | TBA | TBA |
| [[Belfrasian Home Guard | 355,000 | TBA | TBA | TBA | TBA | TBA |
| Total Reserves | 635,000 |
Service Branches
Army
The Army is the primary ground force and largest branch of the Armed Forces. The Army, known in the official language of the country 'Esercito Belfrasi' (Belfrasian Army), was formed following the War of Independence in 1798. Despite being formed on this date, the Army had previously helped during the war of independence during several major engagements. Whilst the Army conscripted people into it's service during the war, the articles of the Federation and it's own charter forbid conscription in favour of an all-volunteer force, which it has practised effectively since the early 1800s.
In it's modernised form, the Army makes up the regular and reserves in a single command structure which is based in the country's capital. The Army is formed on a highly mobile framework which is deployable around the world quickly and is adaptive to the scenario in which it is being deployed for. As a result of this framework, the majority of units within the Army are designated as Infantry, with that designation expanding as necessary to show their roles as air assault, armoured infantry, mechanised infantry or light role infantry. Heavier units, such as armoured units with main battle tanks, are static units in a structure with infantry units acting as organic attachments as needed.
The Army maintains helicopter units which are used in tight conjunction with the Air Force. These helicopter units are divided into aviation battalions which act as regimental-level support units in a combat, reconnaissance, or utility role.
Air Force
The Air Force can trace it's origins to the Air Combat Arm of the Army in the early 1900s, when it was used as a primarily close-air-support providing platform. Ever since it's formal creation in 1936 the Air Force has fulfilled several roles within the military. For most of the 20th century it acted as a close-air-support shield for ground forces and an interception force with minimal transportation abilities. It's modern role, however, has seen it grow in size to accommodate several new roles.
Multi-role aircraft feature predominantly in the Air Force, with the Majestic Viper - An Arthuristan-made fighter - being the Air Force's primary combat aircraft. The Air Force also operates and maintains dedicated bomber craft, reconnaissance and patrol aircraft, tankers, transports and unmanned aerial vehicles. It also features the vast majority of the Military's helicopter force with which it works closely with the Army and Navy with.
In addition to directly operating aircraft, the Air Force operates a number of ground units. The Air Force is responsible for maintaining and operating the Air Force Military Police and for the administrative leadership of Army units garrisoning their air bases. The Air Force is also responsible for training Forward Air Controllers, or FACs, to work alongside pilots in coordinating forward air strikes in combat situations.
The Federation Navy was founded in 1798 alongside the rest of the Armed Forces and was comprised mainly of vessels that had defected from their colonial fleets to help in the war. The Navy was still comprised of such vessels when the Civil War happened, resulting in such actions as the burning of half the fleet at anchor in Alexandria in the early 1800s. Upon the end of the civil war, the Navy began patrolling trade lanes for peace-time to keep the trade routes open.
As of 2016 the Navy consists of XXX ships. Overall command of the Navy is held by the Chief of The Admiralty who is both the organisational head of the Navy and head of the Admiralty, a board of high-ranking officers in the Navy responsible for the primary functions of day-to-day operations. The Navy operates a wide variety of surface and sub-surface vessels such as the navy's carrier, destroyers and frigates and nuclear-powered attack submarines.
The submarine force of the Navy is entirely comprised of attack submarines, although scrapped plans did outline the potential of developing the country's first nuclear deterrence through the usage of nuclear-powered ballistic missile submarines, although the plans were scrapped in 2008 with a focus on ballistic missile defence instead.
Marines
The Corps of Federation Marines are the military's main amphibious and expeditionary warfare branch which acts as a direct deputy branch to the Federation Navy. The Marines were formed in 1798 following the War of Independence against Sieuxerr and Etruria. Prior to their formal formation, the Marines operated alongside the rebelling naval forces of both colonial powers and participated in many battles along the coastline, as well as one engagement further in-land against a heavily entrenched fortification.
The Marines are a highly specialised and adaptable light infantry force capable of rapid world-wide deployments and dealing with a wide range of threats both in an amphibious environment and further in-land. The Corps was rated 'Special Operations Capable' in 1997 and have operated as the military's primary expeditionary warfare unit. The Marines are formed into light infantry units and are reinforced with necessary Army units, primarily artillery or armour-related, as necessary. A vast majority of higher-tier special forces units, the Myrmidon Special Operations Group included, recruit from within the Marines ranks and utilise them as a support unit often.
Operationally the Marines are often employed aboard Naval warships around the world either in a Fleet Protection Stance (FPS) for boarding/counter-boarding operations or aboard the navy's amphibious warfare vessels for amphibious/expeditionary warfare. The vast majority of combat operations the Federation has been involved in since the 1960s has seen the Marines be deployed ahead of the larger Army units as a scouting force to weaken the enemy or ascertain intelligence. Their secondary role once the Army has deployed is to go behind enemy lines to sabotage enemy efforts as and where possible. It is this secondary role, along with their special operations missions, that led to the motto "Fear the trident" being born.
Secondary Commands
Strategic Command
The Belfrasian Strategic Command (BELSTRATCOM) is responsible for the operation and maintenance of the military's satellites and other space operations, information operations, missile defence and global command and control, intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance (G4RISR). The command is headquartered in Alexandria, although it has subordinate command headquarters throughout the country. It is a direct subordinate to the Military Council and also maintains the secretive underground survival bunkers for the military.
The command was established in 1954 in response to the rising number of nuclear states and was charged with developing and maintaining the country's ability to counter nuclear strikes and to create a satellite network to monitor any possible hostile launches. Development of the military throughout the 60's and 70's saw BELSTRATCOM receive overarching command of the entire military as the 'spokesbody' of the Military Council in 1978.
Organisation of military forces through BELSTRATCOM is done geographically, with large 'regional commands' being established to effectively organise forces.
The Federal Missile Defence Command (REPMICOM) is a subordinate command of BELSTRATCOM and oversees all ballistic missile defence technologies, installations and research for the country. It is led by the Commander, Missile Defence - Typically a naval admiral - and has it's formal headquarters at Alexandria along with BELSTRATCOM. The essential focus of REPMICOM is the detection and interception of incoming missiles, primarily intercontinental ballistic missiles (ICBMs) and other ballistic missiles carrying nuclear warheads.
REPMICOM has formal jurisdiction over Air Force, Army and Navy assets which would be essential for detecting and countering incoming ballistic missiles. The Air Force maintains a fleet of surveillance aircraft which can operate a command-and-control system for Anti-Ballistic Missile duties in the event of an engagement. The Army operates several Anti-Ballistic Missile shields which are designed to be highly mobile and quickly deployed where necessary. The Navy contributes to REPMICOM through it's RHEA Defence Network and the Arbalest Missile, a high-performance anti-ballistic missile.
Special Operations Command
The Belfrasian Space Operations Command (B-SOC) is the unified command organisation responsible for maintaining and operating the country's Special Operations components of the Army, Air Force, Navy and Marines of the armed forces. B-SOC was brought into being by the Military Council and answers directly to them, despite being responsible for the branches' special forces. The headquarters for B-SOC is officially at Raperilli Air Force Base, although many of it's units operate from around the country.
Formation of the command came in the mid 1980s during the early stages of anti-drug operations within the country. Growing frustrations at prolonged times having to wait for on-scene resources for operational purposes resulted in Army special forces units having Air Force assets organically attached, which eventually became Special Operations qualified after intense training. The idea of merging them came from Chief of Staff and founder of the elite Myrmidon Special Operations Group, who created a command structure responsible for these two units and for the aforementioned Tier One operations unit he had been personally overseeing.
The command conducts a wide variety of covert and clandestine missions, such as direct action, special reconnaissance, counter-terrorism, foreign internal defence, unconventional warfare, psychological warfare, civil affairs, and counter-narcotics operations of which it had been formed to do originally. Each units within the command is capable of it's own operations and are often 'lent' back to their primary branch for operational purposes.
Transportation And Logistics Command
Transportation of assets for the military is handled exclusively by the Belfrasian Transportation and Logistics Command, simply known as BELTRANSCOM which was established in 1968. It is responsible for the coordination of people and transportation assets to allow the military to move and sustain forces wherever it is required. In order to assist BELTRANSCOM achieve it's missions worldwide it has control over all branches' military transportation assets through the Joint Capabilities Command which allows cross-branch logistical missions to be formulated. A further three commands were established to help the BELTRANSCOM, these include:
The Air Logistics Command (ALC) which is the air component of BELTRANSCOM. It is integrated into the Air Force and uses it's assets to provide air refuelling capability and logistical transportation of people and cargo by air anywhere around the globe when necessary. These air assets include: TO BE ADDED. In times of crisis, the Constitution allow BELTRANSCOM to commandeer civilian aviation to either be manned by Air Force personnel or to 'charter' them exclusively throughout the period of the crisis.
The Federal Navy's Transportation Sub-Command is jointly operated with BELTRANSCOM to provide efficient sea-based transportation as necessary. Most vessels in the Transportation Sub-Command are jointly crewed by both Naval and civilian personnel, known as Merchant Mariners. It maintains a small fleet of purposed ships for cargo transportation and is often used to move heavy Army logistics. Much like the ALC, the Transportation Sub-Command is legally allowed to charter commercial ships as necessary.
The Land Strategic Transportation Command (LSTC) is an entirely BELTRANSCOM-operated subordinate structure which is responsible for transportation of cargo and personnel overland. The LSTC manages movement of material by road and rail across the Federation and, when necessary, abroad for deployed military assets. Homeland transportation is done with a majority-civilian employed structure with minimal military personnel overseeing the materials in transit.
Home Guard
The Home Guard of the Belfrasian Armed Forces is the overarching command structure that governs the reserve forces of each of the primary branches and is organised into state-based military organisations, with each state's government having some control over their organisation and is typically manned by residents of their home state. Colloquially referred to as 'The Guard' or the 'Reserves' by active forces, it is comprised of three components; The Territorial Guard, which operates on the ground and also works with the Army's reserve force. The Air Guard is the air component that holds the reserve component of the Air Force within its operational structure. The Coast Guard is comprised of both civil and reserve military personnel for the defence of the coasts. The Civil Guard, the nations Gendarme, is operated within the Home Guard and is under the authority of both the Minister of National Security and the Ministry of Defence.
During normal peace-time operations the Home Guard falls under the control of the state governments with the exception of both the Coast Guard and Civil Guard which retain their command structures. Each state's high command has active liaisons with the active armed forces for logistics and administrative work and each state government has a set code of practice in place to ensure a standard is followed and met for times in which the national government calls up the Home Guard, which it is empowered to do so in times of civil unrest, natural or man-made disasters, war or when decreed by the monarch.
The origination of the Home Guard came prior to the Federalisation of the Belfrasian colonies in the 1850s and was the collective term to describe the state-based militias that were tasked to protect the colonies homes and farmlands to alleviate pressure on the Imperial Legions in time of crisis. Following the Federalisation, the Home Guard became a nationalised force, with the Belfrasian Legions of the Imperial Army being detached to form the Federations first Army. At the outbreak of the first Belfro-Mutulese war, the Home Guard was deployed en masse to the south of the country.
With the components of the Home Guard operating closely with the active duty services' own reserves, those reserves would become an integral part of the Guard itself during emergency situations. During peace-time situations where emergencies or extra security is required, such as the 2003 eruption of Laconis or during annual national holidays, the Home Guard would in some capacity be activated; During the eruption, they assisted in evacuations and during most national holiday's they would assist domestic security of airports, seaports, or during events such as christmas sports events.