Austenasian Armed Forces
| Austenasian Armed Forces | |
|---|---|
| Established | 11 October 2009 |
| Country | Empire of Austenasia |
| Service Branches | • Imperial Guard • Comitatenses • Limitanei |
| Previous engagements | Austenasian Civil War War of the Orlian Reunification |
| Current engagements | None |
| Leadership | |
| Imperator of the Austenasian Armed Forces | HIM Emperor Jonathan I |
| General information | |
| Active personnel | TBA |
The Austenasian Armed Forces (AAF) are the national military of the Empire of Austenasia, founded on 11 October 2009, although Austenasia had had a military in the form of the Austenasian Army since 23 May 2009.
The Austenasian Armed Forces are overseen and funded by the Ministry of Defence, and directed by the Monarch as commander-in-chief, who makes decisions regarding the organization of units and the promotion of officers in consultation with the Minister of Defence.
The AAF is currently in the process of restructuring following military reform enacted by the Armed Forces Act 2020. It consists of the Imperial Guard, Comitatenses, and Limitanei.
Current composition
The Imperial Guard is composed of soldiers personally recruited by the Monarch, for whom it serves as the elite bodyguard unit. It is the only military unit of the AAF that is ordinarily on active service.
The Limitanei are regiments of reserve militia recruited by local-level authorities to be mobilised for local defence or emergency situations. Ordinarily, Limitanei regiments are not on active service.
The Comitatenses are units which may be raised by the government in times of war. Comitatenses, unlike Limitaniae, are not associated with any particular territorial claim but rather serve as mobile field units. The Cavalry serve as a Comitatenses unit which is kept active even in peacetime, by special dispensation.
Previous branches
Austenasian Army
The Austenasian Army was founded on 23 May 2009, and as such outdates the AAF itself. It was dissolved on 17 June 2020.
The Austenasian Army was a land-based force modelled on the early imperial Roman army, composed of legions, cohorts and centuries. It was led by a Magister Militum, and at its dissolution had 22 soldiers, most of whom had enlisted in 2010 to fight in the Austenasian Civil War and for some years had shown little to no interest in their position in the army.
The Imperial Navy was established alongside the Imperial Air Force on 11 October 2009, but as Austenasia at this time had no coastline, rivers, or lakes, this former branch of the AAF turned out being completely useless. It was disestablished along with the IAF on 8 March 2010 with its functions transferred to the Austenasian Army, but the Monarch continued to hold the title Grand Admiral of the Imperial Navy until August 2013. In April 2014, Centuria II Ondiara was founded as a naval unit, but was initially part of the Austenasian Army.
In March 2015, Legio I Virginia separated from the Austenasian Army to become the new Imperial Navy, under the command of former Dux Lady Admiral Vera Hewitt as Chief of Naval Operations. It was composed of 24 enlisted personnel, but was dissolved again on 11 February 2020 after the claims at which it was based left Austenasia to become New Virginia.
Imperial Air Force
The Imperial Air Force (IAF) was established on 11 October 2009, but apart from a few secret weapon tests the IAF did nothing to contribute to the defence of Austenasia. The IAF was disestablished on 8 March 2010 and its functions transferred to the Austenasian Army, although the Monarch retained the ceremonial title Air Chief Marshal of the Imperial Air Force.
In September 2010, Zephyria was given permission to found its own local air force, subject to regular inspection by the central government. This was officially founded by Lord Marshal William on 19 December 2010 in response to the Fall of Wrythe.
On 28 January 2012, the Imperial Air Force proper was re-established with the passing of the Imperial Air Force Act 2012. Lord Marshal William's "Imperial Air Force" renamed itself to the "Zephyrian Air Force" in response, before merging with the IAF on 28 April 2014. The IAF was dissolved on 17 June 2020, by which point it nominally had six enlisted servicemen, most of whom had fallen out of contact with the government.
Austenasian Imperial Marine Corps
The Austenasian Imperial Marine Corps (AIMC) were founded during the Austenasian Civil War with the intention of becoming a form of semi-autonomous special forces unit. Considered the successor to the original Imperial Navy (which had been disestablished only a week before), the AIMC showed promise when founded, but soon stopped attempts at recruitment and fell into inactivity before being disbanded by Act 123 on 1 July 2010.
