Territorial Defence Forces

The Territorial Defence Forces are a component of the Kiravian Armed Forces and organised militia of the Kiravian Federacy. Units of the TDF are organised on a provincial basis and function as provincial militia under command of regional governors during peacetime, but are trained and equipped according to Federal standards and financed largely out of the Federal defence budget, and can be brought under federal command during wartime or by decree of the Prime Executive exercising in support of federal military operations. The Territorial Defence Forces form the primary in support of the Kiravian Army and Kiravian Airforce, each of which also maintains a  of separated officers and NCOs on a transitional basis.

Although local and provincial militia have been summoned to Imperial or National service in Kiravia since time immemorial, the Territorial Defence Forces took their current form under the Territorial Defence Act of 2026, superseding the Provincial Forces Coördination System as part of the comprehensive post-Deluge military reforms undertaken by the Ilkaśvar administration.

Background
[Predecessors] [Reform] Provincial navies, which supplement or regionally substitute the capabilities of the Maritime Cutter Service, particularly in Sarolasta, Sydona, and the Overseas Regions, were outside of the scope of the reform. [Constitutional basis] According to the Fundamental Statute of the Kiravian Federacy, power of the sword resides in the Emperor in the right of the provinces except where the Fundamental Statute itself has elevated it to the Emperor in the right of the Federacy for purposes of national defence, the enforcement of federal law, and extension of the Emperor's peace to the sea and sky. Kiravian states have the right to maintain their own military forces, and furthermore all provinces have the duty to maintain a well-regulated militia and to provide military manpower for the defence of the Federacy in times of war. The Fundamental Statute also reserves to the provinces primary responsibility for maintaining civil defence and public order within their territory, including the mobilisation of militia for these purposes.

Mission Profile
The paramount mission of the Territorial Defence Forces as a federalised collective is the defence of Great Kirav and the other major landmasses of the Kiravian Federacy from foreign invasion or domestic insurrection. In the case of the Kiravian metropole, foreign invasion is acknowledged to be only a remote possibility in the contemporary threat environment, given the Federacy's nuclear arsenal and the isolated geography of Great Kirav. However, metropolitan Territorial Defence Forces nonetheless train for this contingency, and their readiness in the face of such a threat is deemed an important element of strategic deterrence. In certain overseas colonies, on the other hand, particularly Sydona, more credible threats of foreign invasion exist, and the regional Territorial Defence Force is crucial to Kiravian defence planning.

Ground combat units of the Territorial Defence Forces are generally (majority) or  (minority). According to the environmental conditions of their home provinces, some TDF units specialise in environment-specific warfare capabilities, most commonly or high-latitude warfare.

[Environmental and technical expertise]

The Territorial Defence forces of Koskenkorva, Intravia, Vôtaska, Erusta, the Northwest Territory, and Thýstara include moose cavalry units, which are used mainly for domestic security patrol operations. However, the TDF of Thýstara and the Northwest Territory have been assigned overseas to assist with border security in the East Arctic Mandate and to train the Mandate's own moose gendarmes.

[Home front support to federal operations] [Civil Defence] [Lawn Order]

Administration
Administrative responsibility for the Territorial Defence Forces is shared between the federal and provincial governments.

Most Kiravian provinces have a cabinet-level Defence Secretariat or Secretariat of Militia Affairs or equivalent that is responsible for the day-to-day administration and readiness of the provincial armed forces. In some provinces, particularly overseas, civilian responsibility for territorial defence falls directly to the Governor. The highest-ranking commissioned officer of a province's territorial defence forces goes by the title of Captain-General and usually holds the rank of, though smaller provinces may have lower-ranking Captains-General.

Deployable as Battlegroups
Æonaran Battlegroup
 * Flag of La Estrella.svg Territorial Defence of Central Æonara
 * NorthÆonaraFlag.png Territorial Defence of North Æonara
 * Flag of Guatapé (Antioquia).svg Territorial Defence of West Æonara
 * Flag of Santa Rosa de Osos.svg Territorial Defence of South Æonara
 * Flag of Mercaderes (Cauca).svg Territorial Defence of East Æonara
 * Flag of Nocaima.svg Territorial Defence of Tævuon
 * UmcaraStateFlag.png Umcaran Republican Army

Farravonian Battlegroup
 * ArgéviaFlag.png Territorial Defence of Argévia
 * CascadaFlag.png Cascada Defence Force
 * IlfenóraFlag.png Ilfenóra Defence Force
 * Metrea_Flag.png Metrea Defence Force

Mid-Oceanic Battlegroup
 * KaviskaFlag.png Kaviska Defence Force
 * NiyaskaFlag.png Niyaska State Army & Army Aircorps
 * EtivéraFlag.png Etivéra Defence Force

Southern Battlegroup
 * IssyriaFlag.png Issyria State Army
 * ValtéraFlag.png Valtéra State Forces
 * MeravFlag.png Merav State Defence Force

Individually Deployable

 * EusaFlag.png Territorial Defence of Eusa
 * IunanFlag.png Territorial Defence of Iunan
 * Ixikéa-QihuxiaFlag.png Territorial Defence of Ixikéa-Qihuxia
 * KnassaniaFlag.png Army of Knassania (includes air wing)
 * SakhalinFlag.png Saxalin Islands (Air wing only)
 * SixuaFlag.png Territorial Defence of Sixua

Permanent Home Guard

 * SydonaFlag.png Territorial Defence of the Sydona Islands
 * MelianIslesFlag.png Territorial Defence of the Melian Islands
 * KrasoaIslandsFlag.png Territorial Defence of the Krasoa Islands
 * SakhalinFlag.png Saxalin Islands (Ground force only)

Not Deployment-Ready

 * KylleraFlag.png Kyllera Republican Guard