Royal Armed Forces of the Empire

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Royal Armed Forces of the Empire
Emblem of the RAFOTE
Service branches	Naval Service Imperial Navy Imperial Marines Imperial Coast Guard Imperial Missile Force Morstaybishlian Army Morstaybishlian Air Force Redplate Guard
Headquarters	Xenliada, Redrugus
Leadership
Commander-in-Chief	Lambertus VII
Secretary of State for Defence	Mikhail Sankuda
Chief of the Defence Staff	Admiral Otto von Hessius
Manpower
Military age	16
Conscription	Required by law, but never enforced.
Active personnel	2,743,137
Reserve personnel	1,812,773
Expenditures
Budget	$603.6 billion FY 2021-2022
Percent of GDP	3.9% FY 2021-2022
Industry
Domestic suppliers	Ferrus Industries Trech
Related articles
History	Western Auroran Crusades Morsto-Justelvardic War Auroran Imperial War Four Days War Cranian War I Cranian War II Second Morsto-Oan War Battle Of Friborg I Battle of Friborg II Cranian War III Morsto-Ethalrian War The Eighty Years War Lessau Revolution Gondwanan War Kuthern-Morstaybishlian War Royal Family–Nacata War Latianburg War Great War War in Atiland Atiland Civil War Kuthernburg Revolution South Atiland Civil War Atiland Civil War Auroran-Pacific War

The Royal Armed Forces of the Empire (RAFOTE), also known as His Majesty's Armed Forces (HM's Armed Forces) or the Morstaybishlian Armed Forces (MAF) are the military services responsible for the defence of Great Morstaybishlia, its Overseas Territories and the Crown dependencies. The RAFOTE is the worlds second-largest Armed Forces, with a total of 4.9 million personnel including reserves (0.95% of the total population). It is the fastest growing and modernising military force in the world, with significant defence and global power projection capabilities. Recently, it has been rapidly developing and commissioning new arsenals, with numerous technological advancements and breakthroughs. It is widely known for it's military prowess and training methods. The RAFOTE is the key force protecting the United Nations of the Auroran Continent from foreign invaders due to its large size and budget.

Since the formation of the Kingdom of Morstaybishlia in 1515, the armed forces have seen action in a number of major wars involving the world's great powers, including the Western Auroran Crusades, the Great War, the Auroran Imperial War, the Four Days War, and the Auroran-Pacific War. Repeatedly emerging victorious from conflicts has allowed the MBE to establish itself as one of the world's leading military and economic powers.

Today, the MBE Armed Forces consist of: the Imperial Navy, a blue-water navy with a fleet of 254 commissioned ships; the Imperial Marines, a highly specialised amphibious light infantry force; the Morstaybishlian Army, the MBE's principal land warfare branch; and the Morstaybishlian Air Force, a technologically sophisticated air force with a diverse operational fleet consisting of both fixed-wing and rotary aircraft. The Commander-in-chief of the Morstaybishlian Armed Forces is the Morstaybishlian monarch, Lambertus VII, to whom members of the forces swear allegiance. The MBE Parliament approves the continued existence of the armed forces by passing an Armed Forces Act at least once every six years, as required by the Bill of Rights 1519. The armed forces are managed by the Defence Council of the Ministry of Defence, headed by the Secretary of State for Defence.

Great Morstaybishlia is one of five recognised superior nuclear powers. Overseas garrisons and facilities are maintained at (list of all overseas bases and facilities).

The current Commander-in-chief is Lambertus VII since his inauguration in 1991, whilst the Secretary of State for Defence is Mikhail Sankuda.

History

Empire and the Great War

Since the Union of the Thrones in 1515, the armed forces of Staynes and Caltharus combined to form the armed forces of Morstaybishlia.

During the later half of the seventeenth century, and in particular, throughout the eighteenth century, Morstaybishlian foreign policy sought to contain the expansion of rival Auroran powers through military, diplomatic and commercial means – especially of its chief competitors; Ethalria, Salovia and Oscrelia. This saw Morstaybishlia engage in a number of intense conflicts over colonial possessions and world trade, including a long string of Morsto-Ethalrian and Morsto-Salovian wars.

The naval arms race between Morstopackia and its rivals, Asendavia, Vekaiyu and those in Aurora plunged the world into the Great War. The war ended in a stalemate, and led Morstopackia to break apart. Morstaybishlia entered a 52 year era of relative peacetime before the next big war would begin.

Auroran Imperial War

Once again, tensions accumulated in Auroran relations, and by the turn of the 70s the Auroran Imperial War began. This time, Morstaybishlia lost a considerable part of its territory to the militaristic Norograd state which succeeded the Kormistazic principality and which had been boiling over since the Great War. Through concerted efforts of naval, ground and stealth aircraft supremacy, Morstaybishlia managed to regain control over the Caltharusian lands east of the Ider river known as 'Marislia' which Ethalria had seized in the Great War.

A period of geopolitical tension between Norograd and Morstaybishlia and their respective allies began immediately following the Auroran Imperial War, and lasted until the dissolution of Norograd in 1996. There was no large-scale fighting directly between the two powers, but they engaged in proxy wars such as the Lyrevale Civil War.

Auroran Pacific War

Morstaybishlian and Ethalrian tensions skyrocketed in 2017, and with the death of Crown Prince Thadeus, Morstaybishlia declared war on Ethalria. Ethalria, who had fragmented into two differing nations after the Auroran Imperial War had declared an allegiance alongside Stratarin and Kostromastan. Morstaybishlia held an emergency meeting and allied with the the Oan Isles, Axdel and other nations. The war lasted for nearly six months, and ended with a successful siege of Ribenstadt and the Axis Instrument of Surrender.

Today

Command organisation

As Sovereign and head of state, King Lambertus VII is Head of the RAFOTE and their Commander-in-Chief. Long-standing constitutional convention, however, has vested de facto executive authority, by the exercise of Royal Prerogative powers, in the Prime Minister and the Secretary of State for Defence, and the Prime Minister (acting with the support of the Cabinet) makes the key decisions on the use of the armed forces. The sovereign, however, remains the ultimate authority of the military, with officers and personnel swearing allegiance to the monarch.

The Defence Ministry is the Government department and highest level of military headquarters charged with formulating and executing defence policy for the RAFOTE. The department is controlled by the Secretary of State for Defence and contains three deputy appointments: Minister of State for the Armed Forces, Minister for Defence Procurement, and Minister for Veterans' Affairs. Responsibility for the management of the forces is delegated to a number of committees: the Defence Council, Chiefs of Staff Committee, Defence Management Board and three single-service boards. The Defence Council, composed of senior representatives of the services and the Defence Ministry, provides the "formal legal basis for the conduct of defence". The three constituent single-service committees (Admiralty Board, Army Board and Air Force Board) are chaired by the Secretary of State for Defence.

The Chief of the Defence Staff is the professional head of the armed forces and is an appointment that can be held by an Admiral, Air Chief Marshal or General. Those who were appointed to the position of CDS had been elevated to the most senior rank in their respective service (a 5-star rank). The CDS, along with the Permanent Under Secretary, are the principal advisers to the departmental minister. The three services have their own respective professional chiefs: the First Sea Lord, the Chief of the General Staff and the Chief of the Air Staff.

Personnel

The total personnel (including reserve) of the RAFOTE is 4.555 million. The force works alongside the daughter Royal Colonial Forces of the Empire (RCFOTE) which has a total personnel (including reserve) of 795,666. Combined, the total personnel (including reserve) is 5.351 million. The Royal Colonial Forces of the Empire generally don't merge statistics with the Royal Armed Forces of the Empire.

4.555 million personnel make up 0.95% of the total population of Great Morstaybishlia. There are 2.743 million active personnel which makes up 60.2% of the armed forces. There are 1.812 million reserve personnel which makes up the other 39.8% of the armed forces.

Defence expenditure

Great Morstaybishlia has the largest defence budget in the world, above South Hills and Packilvania. It spends annually between 3 and 4 percent, although in FY 2019-20, the budget was at 4 percent, or $577.4 billion. The Cabinet announced that in the 2020-21 fiscal year the budget will remain the same percentage.

Nuclear weapons

The MBE possesses one of the worlds largest nuclear stockpiles. Today, the MBE has a total of 7,314 respectively. It's largest and most powerful bomb is the Louzar Bombs at 52 Megatons each. The MBE distributes its nuclear arsenal around the globe, with key bases in Kuthernburg and its Oversea Territories.

The total stockpile during the Auroran Imperial War was over 40,000.

Equipment

Weapons

Name	Type	Calibre	Branches	Notes	Picture
Small arms
Ferrus industries SC-AR4	Assault Rifle	5.56x45mm	Army	Current main assault rifle used by the armed forces.	File:StaCal IV.jpg
Ferrus Industries SC-AR3	Assault Rifle	7.62×51mm	Army	Originally introduced in 1957, SC-AR3 has had multiple modernisation, allowing its use to continue to this day, current model being SC-AR3 F. However it's mostly used by the reserves of the armed forces.
Ferrus Industries SC-MR4	Marksman Rifle	8.58×70mm	Army	Introduced in 2000, the SC-MR4 quickly replaced other marksman rifles used by armed forces.	File:TKIV.jpg
Ferrus Ind. SC-MR5	Marksman Rifle	7.62 mm x 51	Army	Introduced in 2016, This marksman rifle is not the standard rifle but will overtake the SC-MR4 in late 2017.	File:G28 Marksman Rifle.jpg
Shotguns
SC-SG AA-12	Fully Automatic Assault Shotgun	12 Gauge	Army, Marines	Introduced in 2005, capable of 300 rounds a minute.
Grenade Launchers
Danal RBGL	Revolving Grenade Launcher	40mm Grenade	Army, Marines, Navy	Six-shot revolver-type grenade launcher capable of 3 rounds a second (rapid fire).	File:Milkor mgs.JPG
Sidearms
Ferrus Ind. SC-P12	Semi Automatic Pistol	9 mm x 19	Army, Navy, Marines	Introduced in 1977, the SC-P12 weighs in at 621g and is the standard sidearm used by most Officers.	File:Fn fnx-9 Staynish standard sidearm.png
Ferrus Ind. SC-P11	Semi Automatic Pistol	9 mm x 19	Army, Navy	Introduced in 1977, the firepower of the SC-P11 still levels the SC-P12 and is logistically a boss.	File:CZ-75.jpg

Crewed Platforms

Name	Type	Caliber	Branches	Notes	Picture
Vehicle Weapons
Ferrus Industries RSKK	Heavy Machine Gun	12,7 × 99 mm	Army		File:RSKK.JPG
Ferrus Industries KRKK	Grenade Machine Gun	40x53mm	Army
Armored Fighting Vehicles
Colonarius mk2	Main Battle Tank	120mm	Army	Estimates project thousands of units in the armed forces (under revision).	File:SCE Main battle tank.jpg
Colonarius mk1	Main Battle Tank	120mm	Army	Despite the introduction of Colonarius mk2 to service in 2012, the Mk1 has stayed in service thanks to multiple modernised versions.

Transports

Name	Type	Crew	Branches	Notes	Picture
CalSta APC	Armored Personel Carrier	2+8	Army	The APC is used by the armed forces.	File:JGSDF APC Type 96.jpeg
Oberon IFV	Infantry Fighting Vehicle	3+7	Army	In it's 27 years of use, Oberon has proven to be flexible and trustworthy companion for the armed forces. The modern Oberon IFV has seen multiple modernisations that have allowed it to remain the main IFV wielded by the army.	File:Type 89 ifv.jpg