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
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.