Yonderian Defence Force

The Yonderian Defence Force (Burgoignesc: Force de Défense Yonderre, Gothic: Yondersche Wehrkraft), is the armed force of the Serene Grand Duchy Yonderre. Founded initially as a ground force in 1644 by Grand Duke Auguste II de Houicourt, the Yonderian Defence Force also operates the Army of the Air and Marine Yonderre.

The ground element of the Yonderian Defence Force consists of ten standing divisions divided into two corps, the Grand Ducal Guard Corps and the Second Corps of the Army. In adition, the Yonderian Defence Force also operates a further ten skeletonized divisions, brigade-sized units intended to be mobilized from reserves and combat ready within three days in case of national emergency. Yonderre's official policy states that a wartime military strength of 580,000 personnel constitutes a sufficient deterrent to exterior aggression. The army consists of a highly mobile field army backed up by local defence units. The army defends the national territory and its military strategy employs the use of the heavily forested terrain and numerous lakes to wear down an aggressor, instead of attempting to hold the attacking army on the frontier.

The Army of the Air operates some 275 fixed-wing combat aircraft divided into 21 wings as well as a similar number of logistical aircraft. The Army of the Air also operates an arsenal of combat helicopters as well as search and rescue helicopters. The Marine Yonderre is the Navy of Yonderre and operates two Sentinelle-class helicopter carriers, four Vigilante-class frigates, six Infatigable-class corvettes and a wide array of smaller support and auxillary ships.

The Yonderian Defence Force is committed to peacekeeping operations worldwide and has been in the Pukhtun Sea as part of Operation Khyzer Rhykh since 2010. The Yonderian Defence Force has been an active party in the Deluge since 2016, the Army of the Air having led a succesful air campaign against Algoquonan militias in Operation Mission Shield and all YDF branches having fought as part of the later Operation Western Blizzard. The Yonderian Defence Force was also directly involved militarily in Cetsencalia and Quetzenkel during the Final War of the Deluge, fighting on land, air and sea.

History
The Yonderian Defence Force was formed in 1644 by Grand Duke Auguste II de Houicourt in the wake of the Yonderian Peasants' War. The Knights of the Realm, the pseudo-standing army that had preceeded the Yonderian Defence Force, had proven itself incapable of dealing with an interior revolt and had even provided the rebel force with the majority of its leadership. The formation of the Defence Force, known at the time as the Grand Ducal Army, was also de Houicourt's response to the raising of local militias, de Houicourt seeking to centralize military power in the highly federalized Yonderre.

Command structure
The Yonderian Defence Force is under the command of the Chief of the Defence Force, who is directly subordinate to the Grand Duke in matters related to the military command. Decisions concerning military orders are made by the Grand Duke in consultation with the Chief of the Armed Forces and the Defence Minister.

Peacekeeping operations
With the Defence Agreement of 2000, Yonderre changed its geopolitical stance from one of general neutrality (with the notable exception of its participation in LOTA) to one of international peacekeeping. This first manifested itself by Yonderre's participation in Operation Khyzer Rhykh starting in 2010 in which three Infatigable-class corvettes partook in counter-piracy opeations. Since 2016 Yonderre has partaken in the Deluge, lending aid to the Armed Forces of Urcea in Operation Mission Shield and being the leading actor in Operation Western Blizzard.

Women in the YDF
Women have been involved with the YDF as nurses and secretaries since the creation of the organization, but it was not until 1989 that women were allowed to serve in combat roles. As of 2025, women make up just under 4% of YDF personnel in frontline roles. Unlike men who have a constitutional duty to defend Yonderre, women are not conscripted into the YDF but may volunteer for duty. Women undergo the same basic training as men and must meet the same basic requirements for fitness and capabilities during training as their male counterparts, however, unlike men, women may drop out of basic training at any moment of their choosing. Relationships between female and male soldiers are not forbidden but strongly discouraged by the YDF and generally carry strong social stigma within the given units where it happens.

Women in combat roles was a topic of heated debate in late 1980s Yonderre, with opponents claiming that women would make for bad soldiers and that it would distract and potentially endanger their male counterparts in combat if a female soldier needed aid. Others, particularly the Prokopites, warned against allowing women to fight, stating that the woman's place was as homemaker and not as warrior. A persistent issue for the YDF is retention of female soldiers; in 2021, almost 80% of the women who completed their basic training left the YDF within a year.

Equipment
All numbers are approximate and as per the Yonderian Defence Force's own statistics