Arcer Air Force

The Arcer Air Force (AAF) is the air service branch of the Armed Forces of Arcerion, and one of the four distinct elements of the uniformed services. Founded shortly after the First Great War during a periodn of revolutionary military changes in Arcerion, it was established originally as part of the Royal Arcer Naval Service for the purposes of maritime patrol and catapult aircraft from larger capital ships. After it had expanded to several squadrons and its role began to grow it was established as a distinct branch of the military in April of 1929. The core missions of the air force is to set conditions for air superiority, conduct surveillance and intelligence operations in support of other Armed Services, assist with power projection through the use of forward basing and strategic airlift, and assist with the command and control of aerial forces during deployed operations.

The Arcer Air Force is subordinate to the Ministry of Defense, and comprises both uniformed military members in the Regular and Reserve component, as well as civilian bureaucrats and civil servants. The Air Force is commanded by the Commander of the Air Staff, which is a senior General Officer appointment that commands the Air Force writ large, but is subordinate to the General Staff of Arcerion. Some Air Force units are subordinate to other service branches, such is the case with the ground attack controller squadrons and special operations airlift assets seconded to the Arcerion Special Operations Command.

The Air Force currently has 296,550 members in service, spread across Regular, Reserve and civil servant categories. It conducts independent expeditionary operations, liaises with partners, provides defense attache and Air Liaison Officers, supporting the Arcer Army and Royal Arcerion Naval Service, and other assigned tasks from the Minister of Defense. As of 2026, the service operates a number of multirole fighter aircraft, military cargo transport aircraft, helicopters, unmanned drones, and larger surface-to-air missile systems, as well as radar installations/early warning systems. It is one of the largest air forces in Crona, and played a pivotal role in the Second Great War, Istrenyan Crisis, Fourth Bush War, Telekonese Conflict, and the Final War of the Deluge.

Structure
Air Force structure is split into five distinct branches, those being Air Forces (Land), Air Forces (Maritime), Air Forces (Training), Special Air-Ground Operations, and Air Force Staff & Training

Staff and Command
The Arcer Air Force is split into five distinct branches, each with their own respective doctrine, facilities, and requirements for personnel. The Air Forces (Land), deal with direct support to the Army as well as providing the main bulk of Fighter and Interceptor roles to the maneuver brigades of the Arcerion Army. Air Forces (Land) priority is aerospace defense, bomber interdiction, and close air support or support to ground operations. This also includes rotor lift and fixed-wing tactical airlift, and some limited strategic airlift. The Air Forces (Maritime) takes on the bulk of ASW, Maritime Patrol, and Naval Reconnaissance. It has seen multiple deployments to Joint Naval Stations around the Polynesian Seas and Odoneru, and assists with projecting Arcer views such as freedom-of-navigation and Maritime Naval Sovereignty across the globe. The Air Forces (Training) is the second-smallest branch, just behind the Staff and Training branch. It is responsible for new pilot and aircrew training, as well as the logistical and long-term maintenance of Arcer air frames and bases. Interestingly, the Staff portion also includes air defense systems and personnel, such as the maintenance of Surface-to-Air Missile (SAM) sites as well as large aerial radar systems. The Special Air-Ground Operations branch is dedicated to providing supporting air support, usually in the form of airlift and close air support to members of Arcerion Special Operations Command (ASOC).

Air Command
Air Command represents the overall higher headquarters for the Arcer Air Force, with its headquarters in Kurst, Arcerion. Currently under the command of General Isaac Richards, it is for the first time not under the command of a pilot, as Richards by trade is an Aerospace Control Officer, dedicating his career to AWACS and the strategic implementation of aerospace defense. The Headquarters manages the operational and sustainment activities of the air force.

Combat Air
Arcerion's combat aircraft are organized into 3 groups, numbered 1, 2, and 9. They are responsible for the fixed-wing assets dedicated to combat air patrol, bomber interdiction, as well as aerial strike. The Air Force is predominantly based to support, staff, and maintain these groups.

Fighter/Interceptor
Arcerion's fighter fleet is slightly older than most of their Cronan counterparts, with bids for tender still outstanding for a modern fifth-generation jet fighter. As a result, the aged AAI (Arcerion Aviation Industries) Goshawk fleet has undergone consistent and scheduled lifecycle upgrades dedicated to giving it the most modern electronic and avionics systems. The AAI Goshawk is the backbone of the Arcer Air Force, providing the fighter, interceptor, and strike fighter roles. While technically classified as a multirole fourth-generation fighter, the Goshawk is more commonly in use for dedicated roles depending on Squadron. Arcer pilots often refer to the Goshawk as the "Multitool of the Sky," as the Goshawk is no true master of any aerial discipline, but more akin to a jack-of-all-trades aircraft. In addition to fighters, Goshawks provide the Air Interceptor role for the Arcer Air Force, focusing on Aerospace defense, maintenance of Arcer aerial sovereignty and bomber interdiction.

Light Attack/Armed Surveillance
As part of the emphasis on hybrid warfare and support to Special Operations and Low Intensity Conflict (SOLIC), Arcerion has recently been focusing on increasing its smaller, lighter aircraft frames that can assist these forces fighting unconventional warfare. With bids out for tender, the new prop or light jets aircraft will have to fulfill a variety of functions to bridge the gap between a large-scale military conflict requiring the use of all fighter and interceptor squadrons and more localized theatres where the usage of a larger footprint is either politially untenable or where austere conditions place a requirement for a smaller more robust aircraft able to operate from airfields with sparse conditions and maintenance facilities.

Ongoing Commitments
2026 Aerospace Patrol Agreement (Arcerion-New Archduchy).

Doctrine and Training
Arcerion's aerial forces focus on several operational tasks that at their core reflect Arcerion's view of Southern Crona. With an emphasis on Maritime Patrolling, ASW, and Bomber Interdiction on one hand, and close air support/point targeting on the other, it has one foot in the sovereign aerospace defense world and the other in the direct support to ground combat role.

maritime patrolling, anti-submarine warfare, and bomber interdiction

increased reliance on helicopters for MEDEVAC, close air support, as well as troop lift to support vertical envelopment