Royal Antoran Defense Forces
| Royal Antoran Defense Forces Fuerza de Defensa de Antora Réal | |
|---|---|
 Flag of the FDAR | |
| Founded | 1249 |
| Service branches | 
Royal Antoran Armada  Royal Antoran Armed Legions  Royal Antoran Air Cavalry Royal Antoran Guard |
| Headquarters | Descarai, Antora |
| Leadership | |
| Commander-in-Chief | King Sebastián II |
| Minister of Armed Services | Moses Guevara |
| Manpower | |
| Military age | 18 |
| Conscription | Citizens must complete basic training courses before age 30 |
| Active personnel | 290,920 |
| Reserve personnel | 600,000 |
| Expenditures | |
| Budget | $25.9 Billion |
| Percent of GDP | 2.8% |
The Royal Antoran Defense Forces (Corric: Fuerza de Defensa de Antora Réal, abbreviated FDAR) are the combined military and armed services of Antora. The origins of the FDAR can be traced back to 1249 with the creation of the Orange Guard (Garda de Naranza) of the Kingdom of Casilló. The Royal Antoran Armada is a similarly old organization. The contemporary FDAR consists of the Royal Antoran Armada, Royal Antoran Armed Legions, Royal Antoran Air Cavalry, and Royal Antoran Guard. Each of the service branches is ultimately leg by the reigning monarch of Antora, who holds the rank of Generalissimo-Rége.
The Royal Antoran Defense Forces are responsible for duties defined by the First Constitution: ensuring the continued sovereignty of the kingdom, defending the economic interests of citizens both internationally and domestically, and responding to national emergencies, which include outbreak of illness, natural disaster, and civil unrest. The FDAR is the 14th-largest military in the world by personnel and the 39th-largest by expenditure. As part of the Inter-Novaran Treaty of Reciprocal Assistance, Antora maintains a standing force capable of contributing to the mutual defense of treaty members.
History
The Orange Guard was founded as the protectors of the king of Avantana, an informal group of the best knights and warriors that the king had in his lands. They later were officially established as the Kings’ Own Mounted Regiment once Avantana became the center of the Kingdom of Casilló. Over the centuries the unit expanded, being integrated into the larger standing army as a premiere shock cavalry formation. This standing army became the first official branch of the military, the Royal Arranzic Armed Legions. In the 16th century, the Kings' Own became divided into the First Royal Armed Sword Company, the First Royal Cavalry Company, and the First Royal Volley Company, otherwise known as the Kings' Own Orange Harquebuses. This was the first time an organized Antoran military unit used firearms in battle.
During the 17th and 18th centuries, the increased economic output of the united kingdoms of Casilló y Réal allowed for more expansive changes to the military. The smaller fleets of the crown, nobles, and merchant alliances were consolidated into the Royal Corric Armada. This force of sailing ships was charged with defending Corric shipping and protecting the waterways of the nation. A large portion of the fleet would be occupied preventing pirate raids on merchant vessels throughout this period. The levied armies of feudal Antora were phased out to fully embrace the standing professional army Casilló had used to conquer Réal. The Royal Arranzic Armed Legions were increased in size, and renamed the Royal Corric Armed Legions. Infantry formations replaced their pikes and halberds with shortswords and carbines, and archers and crossbowmen traded their bows for rifled flintlocks. Casilló y Réal never had the manpower, finances, or political need for overseas colonization, and so the nations military and economy remained stable during the period of colonial independence wars.
At the dawn of the 20th century, military technology remained a few years behind the international standards for the Corric military. Lever-action and breech-loading rifles were standard issue while neighboring countries issued their soldiers bolt-actions. Remaining neutral in the Great War, the FDCR played their role in enforcing the nations sovereignty by preventing conflict within Corric territory. The continued lack of martial ambition again benefitted Casilló y Réal by allowing them to learn military science through observation. The lessons learned - and profits derived from selling supplies to warring nations - allowed the FDAR to advance several leaps in training, research & development, and organization. In 1938, the nation added an air force to the FDCR with the Royal Corric Air Cavalry.
Today
Antora maintains a modestly-sized, reasonably modern standing army that focuses on defense-in-depth rather than power projection. The Antoran economy is middling and unable to be used as an effective deterrent against hostilities, according to government experts. The Constitutions also require a certain percentage of the population to be in active military service at any time. This has resulted in a national belief that military power, while morally unfortunate, is ethically honorable to use to prevent foreign aggression.
The doctrine used by the Defense Forces relies on many small, highly-trained, effective units supported by artillery, redundant defense systems, and mobile auxiliaries. The FDAR maintains ten permanent air bases, seven permanent army forts, three naval yards, four naval bases, and eleven guard bases in twelve defense zones. By popular referendum, Antora does not allow the production, transport, operation, storage, or deployment of nuclear weapons in its territory, though it maintains missiles capable of mounting nuclear warheads as part of its participation in the INTRA nuclear triad. In 2022, the Royal Corric Defense Forces transitioned along with all other royal patronages and governmental ministries to become the Royal Antoran Defense Forces. The FDAR participates in the Nordörn exercises with the rest of the Conference for Amity and Cooperation.
Command Structure
The commander in chief of the Defense Forces is the King of Antora; they are granted the ex officio rank of Generalissimo-Rége of the combined Armed Legions, Armada, Air Cavalry, and Guard. The First Constitution of 1659 states in Section 10 the monarch of the kingdom shall have "executive direction and command over all divisions and ministries that concern defending the people of the nation, for combating foreign and domestic threats, and for maintaining the security of the people and their interests through force of arms." The monarch must however have any official acts or decrees concerning the Defense Forces approved or else co-signed by the Minister of Armed Services or the Prime Minister in order to take effect.
The position of Minister of Armed Services was created by the Second Constitution amendments of 1710 as an explicit member of government with codified duties concerning the Defense Forces. As laid out in Section 10.8, the Minister of Armed Services "shall be appointed by the Prime Minister, and the office shall be occupied by an individual that has proven record of honorable service within the self-same Armed Services for no less than ten years, and this individual shall be approved by both chambers of the Popular Assembly, and signed commission into office by the reigning Monarch, and once obtaining these approvals shall have direct administration over the apparatuses that concern the defense of the nation and her people, and their interests, through force of arms, such as defined within this Section." The responsibilities of the Minister of Armed Services, while falling under their portfolio, may also be undertaken by the Prime Minister if necessary, and any mistakes or errors are equally accountable before the courts to both the Prime Minister and Minister of Armed Services.
The Minister of Armed Services appoints a General Staff of five officers of executive rank in their respective branches. This Staff serves as the heads of their service branches and have general administrative control over them, and advise the King, Prime Minister and Minister of Armed Services on matters of foreign policy, military doctrine, and the like. These positions consist of the Chief General of the Legions, Chief Marshal of the Air Cavalry, Chief Admiral of the Armada, and Chief Warden of the Guard. The General Staff is headed by a Staff Marshal, also known as the Master-at-Arms, which is filled by a consensus nomination by the other four Chiefs. The General Staff Headquarters, which administrates defense policy and operations, is located in Descarai.
The incumbents as of 2021 are:
- Commander in Chief: Generalissimo-Rége of the Defense Forces, King of Antora Sebastián II de Naranza
- Prime Minister: Gabrielle Orellana.
- Minister of Armed Services: Moses Guevara.
- Staff Marshal: Air Cavalry Captain Javier Calderón
- The Chiefs of Staff:
- Chief General of the Legions: Fernando Cristóbal Senegá
- Chief Marshal of the Air Cavalry: Carlos Gamesa Palmas
- Chief Admiral of the Armada: Teodoro Maro Guadanala
- Chief Warden of the Guard: Leyre Menéndez Hidalgo
Branches
The Defense Forces are a professional force, with a limited conscription requirement that every citizen of able body completes the seven-week basic training courses of the Armed Legions before they turn thirty years old. Currently in 2020, the total active personnel count 290,920 with 600,000 reserve. Soldiers rotate between active and reserve based on current defense priorities, training schedules, and personal leave. In times of war, the FDAR can marshal upwards of 15 million citizens as dictated by the Emergency Reserve Act of 1909. As mandated by the First Constitution, the nation maintains a standing force of 25,000 minimum within the Royal Antoran Guard, which is a paramilitary police organization that provides anti-terrorist, disaster relief, and other emergency response services for the districts of Antora, as well as acting as the personal protectors of the Royal Family.
Armed Legions
The Royal Antoran Armed Legions consist of fifteen divisions across ten defense regions. Twelve divisions are combat-focused, two are support-focused, and the last is the Command division, occupying the tenth Headquarters military region. Personnel totals 115,000. There are five types of combat division: Infantry; which consists of standard mobile infantry, artillery, and air defenses, Mountain; which contains a large amount of artillery, air defenses, and less infantry units, Armored; which splits focus between mechanized infantry, armored combat vehicles, and artillery, Airborne; which is made up of paratroopers, light infantry, and air defenses, and Special; which are highly specialized and have the nations elite military units.
Armada
The Royal Antoran Armada maintains four Fleets and one Shore Group in five defense regions, headquartered in Descarai but operationally commanded from Porta Armada. The fleets are divided by vessel type and mission statement:
- 1st Attack Fleet - Contains the major surface combatants and blue-water operations capable ships.
- 2nd Deterrent Fleet - Contains smaller surface combatants, mine ships, and patrol vessels.
- 3rd Patrol Fleet - Contains shore, harbor, and river patrol craft, as well as demilitarized Coast Guard-type vessels.
- 4th Support Fleet - Contains logistics ships, tugs, search-and-rescue craft, and oceanography vessels.
The current major fleet elements consist of the flagship, helicopter carrier ARC Antora, as well as 2 destroyers, 3 frigates, 8 corvettes, 10 fast attack craft, 2 minelayers, 3 mine countermeasure ships, 17 patrol ships, 15 smaller patrol craft, and 7 major auxiliary ships. The Armada also maintains several dozen smaller vessels, boats, and miscellaneous craft, and 34 vessels in reserve. In total, the Armada maintains 68 commissioned and named warships, 81 number-registered vessels, and 166 total watercraft including light boats. The 5th Shore Group consists of the bulk of the Armadas' 60,000 servicemembers, filling roles on naval bases, as research, development, or fabrication engineers, marine infantry, and as rotational personnel on vessels.
Air Cavalry
The Royal Antoran Air Cavalry consists of six Air Combat Brigades, two Air Patrol Brigades, and three Transport Brigades. The Air Brigades each have two Air Groups, which encapsulate every aspect of aircraft use from pilots to engineers to spare parts inventories, each Group containing two operations combat squadrons. The Air Cavalry maintains about 100 fighter jets across sixteen squadrons. Along with the direct combat aircraft, inventory also consists maritime patrol craft, transport planes, firefighting aircraft, and many helicopters. The Air Cavalry does not possess bombers or large numbers of long-range aircraft, but operates 10 Volscine-derived strike aircraft as air-launched cruise missile platforms. The Air Cavalry also maintains and operates the Antoran air defense and ballistic missile systems.
Guard
The Royal Antoran Guard is a unit independent of the general structure of the armed services; although it has a representative on the General Staff, the King has direct authority over some of its operations and thus it is not subject to as much administrative oversight as the other branches. The primary mission of the Guard is the protection of the King, his immediate family, members of his extended family as necessary, and members of the upper government branches as necessary. Secondary missions include the training and leadership of civil militias in times of war.
The Guard is separated into eleven Brigades, one for each administrative district, one that remains attached to the King and his household, and one that is spread across royal properties and holdings. The nine administrative district Brigades support the Household Brigade when the King makes trips through the districts, and otherwise operate as a general national guard. Counter-terrorism, armed standoffs, disaster relief, and domestic security will be handled by the Guard. The Palace Guard, as the final Brigade is known, are the public face of the branch. They operate as a highly-ceremonial and visible presence steeped in the pageantry of court functions, though each remains a fully trained elite soldier with functioning weaponry.
In addition to their royal duties, the Guard also has a responsibility to act as an anchor for the defense of their administrative districts in case of invasion. The District Brigades devote portions of their personnel and installations for the mandatory basic training courses, in cooperation with the Armed Legion. The District Brigades also function as the command unit, quartermasters, and special forces when their districts' citizens are conscripted into an Emergency Reserve Division.
Administration
Outside the four main branches of service is the Ministry of Armed Services Administration & Security. This section of the Ministry operates under the Minister and the General Staff. Within the Administration are legal, comptroller, medical, public relations, and civil security divisions. These deal with clerical tasks not directly related to the deployment of the soldiers of the FDAR. The Administration & Security personnel still receive the benefits of a full veteran, and also are included with unit patches and uniforms for official events and parades.