Ibomian Armed Forces
| Ibomian Armed Forces Zibutho z’Khakhateyo zaIboma | |
|---|---|
| Founded | July 30, 1750 |
| Service branches | Ibomian Army Royal Ibomian Air Force Royal Ibomian Navy |
| Headquarters | Komodu |
| Leadership | |
| Queen | Rutendo III |
| Councilor for Defence | Zimbiri va Alina |
| Grand Vizier | Rufaro va Asanda |
| Manpower | |
| Conscription | 21 years of age for males 18 years of age for females |
| Available for military service | 43 million, age 18 to 80 |
| Fit for military service | 35 million, age 18 to 80 |
| Reaching military age annually | 1.4 million |
| Active personnel | 500,000 |
| Reserve personnel | 2 million |
| Expenditures | |
| Budget | $50 billion |
| Percent of GDP | 4% |
| Industry | |
| Domestic suppliers | Ibomian Arms Corporation |
| Foreign suppliers | TBD |
The Ibomian Armed Forces (Zibutho z’Khakhateyo zaIboma) comprise the military of Iboma. The Queen is the commander-in-chief of the armed forces. The Councilor of State for Defence advises the High Council and Grand Vizier on defence policy and oversees the running of the State Office for Defence (Lihhovisi l’Ne lakuVikera). The Supreme Commander is the highest-ranked military official and reports to the government.
The military has an annual budget of 51.3 billion SHD (5% of annual GDP and about 15% of the national budget). It has a total force strength of 2.1 million, about 1.6 million of whom are conscripted reservists, with 500,000 comprising the full-force. Men have only been allowed to serve since the 1990s and today only comprise less than 25% of the force. The nation imports military hardware largely from Novarian countries but also has a domestic arms manufacturing sector dominated by the state-owned Ibomian Arms Corporation.
History
Structure
The Queen of Iboma is the commander-in-chief of the armed forces. This means she has the power to declare war, to raise armies and navies and to assume supreme command of the armed forces. All oaths of loyalty are sworn to the Queen. Nevertheless, because of political tradition, the Queen has delegated considerable policymaking authority to the High Council. The High Council decides military policy and sets the strategic objectives of the armed forces.
The Grand Vizier directs the discussions around this process and leverages their political clout to get National Assembly approval for funding and military actions. She also reports all military matters to the Queen. The Councilor of State for Defence advises the High Council on military issues, conveys the report of Supreme Commander, executes the decisions of the High Council and runs the State Office of Defence. The State Office of Defence is the government department responsible for administering the daily affairs of the military.
The Supreme Commander is the equivalent of a Chief of Staff. She is in charge of issues relating to personnel, discipline, training, remuneration and combat operations. The Supreme Commander reports to the Councilor of State. The Office of the Supreme Commander assists her in this regard and oversees all matters relating to the armed forces. Each branch has a High Commander who is in charge of and accountable for the matters relating to the branch that they oversee.
Branches
Army
The Ibomian Army is responsible for ground combat. It has 300,000 troops in its active force. The primary assault rifle is the M16 and the main sniper rifle is the M24 Sniper Weapons System (M24). The Chariot is a main battle tank that provides primary land artillery. The Army has an air wing for transport and combat support, which features the AH-64 attack helicopter for battle support. There are several army bases distributed across the country as follows: Tsagane, Ebeneza, Komodu, and Kinnawa. The High Commander of the Army is Gen. Hamina va Dorina.
The Royal Ibomian Navy is a green-water navy. This is because it can carry out naval combat at high seas in surrounding waters. The Navy provides all Iboma's expeditionary capabilities as the country is an island nation. The Royal Navy is able to patrol the seas from its naval bases in Luzaro, Ilora and Chimangazo. It has no air craft carriers nor any nuclear submarines. It has 40 total battleships, the largest of which are the five Mujaji I-class cruisers, followed by 10 Sabina II-class destroyers. Furthermore the force has 10 frigates, 5 tank-landing vessels, 2 amphibious combat vehicles, 3 minesweeper and 2 replenishment ships. It has 4 diesel/electric ballistic attack submarines, 5 conventional submarines and 4 deep-sea stealth attack submarines. It also has a small air wing which included the Helix attack helicopter. It has a total force of 120,000 soldiers.
Air Force
The Royal Ibomian Air Force has a total strength of 80,000 air men. It uses the Typhoon multi-role fighter jet as its primary attack air craft. A second jet, the Lightning is a major air superiority and ground-strike aircraft. Although the Lightning is a capable of electronic warfare, the Sentry is the primary reconnaissance and electronic warfare jet. With a strength of 300 craft, the Ibomian Air Force can stand its own in aerial combat situations. It has several air force bases: Ruvimbwa on Vivane Island, Luzaro, Abina and Chimangazo.
Personnel
The armed forces practices conscription. Meaning that the law legally obliges all citizens to train and serve in the armed forces. For females, they are required to serve when they reach the age of 18 while males are required to serve at the age of 21. This means when one receives a Royal Call to Arms, one can be arrested for refusing to serve. Nevertheless, there are many exceptions, for instance those taking care of children or an elderly relative, working in healthcare, studying at university especially in a scarce skill. Thus, although there are over 43 million people ready to serve, 35 million people fit to serve and over a million coming age to serve every year, the conscripted force consists of only 2.1 million people.
The full-time force (currently with 500,000 troops) however has a competitive admissions process that includes several physical and mental tests. Furthermore, once one is admitted to the cadet program, they must train for another 2 years. This training is conducted at the Ibomian Military Academy in Kinnawa. It includes combat, emergency health, fire and safety response, vehicle and weapon mechanics, botany and fitness. The military doctrine aims to instill loyalty, discipline and endurance. Thus, troops are exposed to a variety of environments such as swamps, mountains and volcanic terrain. Climbing the pay-grade depends on time, but merit determines rank. Usually one becomes a General (the highest rank) at the age of 70.
Resources
The Ibomian Armed Forces was allocated a budget of $51 billion for the 2021/2022 financial year. This is an increase of $1 billion or 2% from the previous year. This comprises about 5% of annual GDP. This is higher than the regional average but the government has justified the spending in that the country exists in a neighborhood that is notoriously aggressive and hostile. Moreover, it has stated that its adversaries in other nations are quickly increasing their military capabilities through procurement and research and development. Thus, Iboma needs to keep up if it is to protect its territory and interests.
The Iboma Arms Corporation is responsible for military research and development domestically. This involves the manufacture of munitions, infantry weapons, missiles, torpedoes, radar systems, and so on. The IAC has been frequently accused of reverse engineering and mass-producing foreign technology. Some of the claims have been proven true. Nevertheless, it has a monopoly on the production of weapons in the country and continues to produce reliable and battle-ready military equipment.