Calaréann Defence Force

The military defence of Calaré is managed by the Calaréann Defence Force or CDF and is supported by the Joint Defence Headquarters. The Commander-in-Chief of the CDF is HM The King, although command is in practice exercised by the Prime Minister. Day to day command is managed by the Ministry of Defence.

The primary mission of the Calaréann military is the "Defence of the people and interests of the Republic". The force is charged with the protection of Calaré against attack and through Calaré's external treaties participates in international deployments and operations.

Structure
The Calaréann Defence Force consists of the:

Calaréann Army Royal Calaréann Navy Royal Calaréann Air Force Royal Calaréann Marines

The Ministry of Defence administers the Calaréann Defence Establishment which consists of the CDF and the various civilian personnel support organisations. The civilian support consists of activities such as the Defence Materiel Agency, which purchases and maintains all defence equipment, and the Defence Science and Technology Research Agency, which provides science and technology support to the defence forces.

The Chief of the Defence Force Staff (CDFS) is the most senior appointment in the CDF. The CDFS commands the CDF under the direction of the Minister of Defence, and jointly manages the Defence Establishment under a diarchy with the Permanent Secretary of Defence, the most senior public servant in the Ministry of Defence. The CDFS is the only four-star officer in the CDF and is a General, Admiral or Air Chief Marshal.

The CDFS is supported by the Joint Defence Headquarters (JDHQ), which is the overarching tactical and command organisation. The JDHQ is further subdivided into a number of separate commands and committees that oversee the day-to-day running of the CDF, with the head of each service (the Chief of the Naval Staff, Chief of the Army Staff, Chief of the Air Force Staff and the Chief of Marine Staff) and the service headquarters being responsible for raising, training and sustaining combat forces. In addition, each Chief is the principal advisor to the Defence Minister on matters concerning the responsibilities of their service.

Doctrine
Since 2004, Calaré's military doctrine has been one of total defence, the basis of which was established by the Defence Readiness Act of 2004. The policy is mix of doctrines used in countries such as Finland and Singapore since the late twentieth century.

Facilities
The CDF maintains a large number of separate military facilities, including barracks, camps, radar stations, airfields and dockyards at locations all over Calaré. These are permanently manned facilities, with barracks for the accommodation of soldiers, marines, airman or sailors. Most of these facilities are known to the public, but almost all are restricted, and access to them is prohibited under the law. On top of this, the CDF has access to a large amount of land for training and intelligence gathering. These are generally not permanently occupied except during operations or wartime.

The administrative headquarters of the CDF and the three services is located at Throsby House in Wollongong alongside the main offices of the Ministry of Defence, the Defence Materiel Agency and the Defence Science and Technology Research Agency. These offices are located around Throsby House, which was built in 1887 and which was extensively renovated and expanded for the CDF in 2002 after the temporary buildings in Wollongong were damaged by the Six Day War.

Air Force - The Air Force has grown from two bases in 2001, to the present day, where it controls five airbases and a number of smaller auxiliary sites. Today, the most important RCAF sites are AFB Wagga Wagga, AFB Arrawatta, AFB Parkes, AFB Eurobodulla and AFB Learmonth, which are home to Calaré's combat air force and various supporting units. The operational headquarters of the Air Force are located at Throsby House in Wollongong.

Army - The Calaréann Army's operational headquarters, is located in Wollongong. The headquarters of the three active divisions are located at Wollongong (Capital Division), Tomakin (Eastern Division) and Canowindra (Western Division). Other important Army bases include the Bowral Barracks (Royal Border Regiment) and Wollongong Palace (Regimental HQ for the Royal Calaréann Regiment). Most centres with more than 5,000 residents will also have a militia depot, with a company or squadron raised from the inhabitants of the town.

Navy - The navy has two main bases, with the Northern Fleet situated at HMND Keira near Wollongong and the Southern Fleet located at HMND Sussex near Batemans Bay. A smaller dockyard, HMND Cerberus located near Nowra, is also used from time to time as well as being the home of the Royal Naval College. Like the other services, the operational headquarters of the Navy are located at Throsby House in Wollongong.

Personnel
The Calaréann Defence Force is made up of both volunteer and conscript personnel. CDF recruits must be either Calaréann citizens or a permanent resident eligible for citizenship. The minimum age for CDF recruits is 18 years of age and the retirement age is 55 years for permanent personnel and 59 years for reservists.

The CDF has a reported strength of 769,806 in 2010, which makes it larger in size than the Australian Defence Force, which historically has been Calaré's sole adversary. Of these personnel 464,629 are full-time professionals, 288,677 are active reservists, and the remaining 16,500 are first year conscripts not eligible for active service. According to the CDF, another 400,000 former conscripts and inactive reservists could be recalled in an emergency if required.

Women in the CDF
Since independence, women have had a role in the Calaréann Defence Force. Like many western military forces, women are organised in to corps and units along side men. However, women are currently prohibited from participation in any direct combat roles across the defence force. The origins of this policy date back to before the Civil War and the policies of the Australian government who believed that placing women into potential combat roles was inconsistent with Australia's military doctrine. Since that time the Australian government has changed its policy. This policy is currently being discussed by the Rush government. Ranks

Ranks
Main article: Calaréann Defence Force ranks and insignia

The names and insignia for most officers and enlisted personnel is derived from the British system used at the turn of the twenty-first century. All ranks across the services are placed on a comparative footing with the use the NATO Code. This system allows for personnel from different services and different countries to easily identify the rank of a fellow soldier with less confusion. Enlisted ranks carry the designations of OR-2 to OR-9, while officers carry designations of OF-1 to OF-9. Conscripts always carry the designation of OR-1 unless they are subsequently promoted during their period of national service.

Unlike the British services, there is no five-star rank in use in Calaré. Badges of rank for these titles do exist, but military guidelines reserve such badges for the exclusive use of the Monarch alone. Other members of the royal family that have served in one of the services will also hold military ranks, and are treated and promoted just like any other member of the defence force. By convention, assuming they have served without incident, these members are usually promoted to the rank of Colonel, Captain or Group Captain just before retirement and take up a number of honorary commands in the defence force.