2033 Arcer Armed Forces Act

The 2033 Arcer Armed Forces Act is an Act of the Confederate Parliament of Arcerion.

The Bill is a series of Acts that provide the legislative and judicial framework for the daily operation, funding, and management of the Armed Forces of Arcerion. It provides a framework for an undetermined amount of time, although convention is once every decade, with Defence White Papers and Memos providing more regular updates to the functioning of the Arcer military. The main outputs from the Bill are the reaffirmation of the current model of operation for the Armed Forces, establishing the annual reporting and budgetary responsibilities and requirements from the military, as well as providing updates and revisions to previous Acts to ensure a modern military force is maintained.

The 2033 Arcer Armed Forces Act is the first to be passed since the conclusion of the Final War of the Deluge. It provides a fundamental restructuring and expansion of the Arcer Army and Royal Arcerion Naval Service, as well as additional investments in overseas garrisons, bases, and schools. As well, it builds off of the 2022 Confederate Memo on Defence, the last major white paper to outline changes to the Acer military. The Bill also outlines a funding and costing plan until 2043, which is assumed to be the rough date of the next Bill's passage.

The Bill was introduced in the Confederate Parliament by the Right Honourable Henry Black, the sitting Arcer Minister of Defence.

Background on the Bill

The initial assessments began in 2029 when Prime Minister Iain Donnegal commissioned a Green Paper to be written for internal government circulation and dissemination on the current state of the Arcer Armed Forces. The Green Paper's aims were to identify current deficiencies with defence procurement, review the current size of the Land Force (Army) due to ongoing peacekeeping operations and the conduct of I Arcer Corps during the Final War of the Deluge, as well as identify if the current Naval shipbuilding programme and expansion of the Navy had been successful.

Green Paper

The Green Paper identified that the current Arcer Armed Forces was well-equipped, properly staffed, but under-resourced in terms of deployable units to match the current government's growing list of requirements and commitments. For procurement, the Green Paper found that capital projects such as tanks, ships, and planes received a proportionate amount of attention and care from their respective agencies and corporations involved, delivering most projects on time (within 15-20% of estimated timelines) and within budget. However, garrison buildings, barracks, and academic facilities required drastic upgrades as many of the buildings dated from the 1970s and 1980s, with some Arcerion Air Force facilities dating back as far as the Second Great War. The review for the Land Force looked to the 2022 Confederate Memo on Defence and if its findings and recommendations had taken effect.

Existing Aerospace Defence and Security agreements with the New Archduchy had allowed for the extension of Northern Arcer sovereignty and protection, and was considered to be a boon to the National Interest. The increase in proliferation of loitering munitions, unmanned aerial systems, and more modern anti-tank systems all had been completed successfully as well, with life cycle and replacement programmes not needed until the late 2040s for most systems. However, the planned expansion of 11 Para Brigade had not been successful due to a bottleneck in training requirements and the ability to grow a nascent series of additional airborne battalions. However, the AVISO corvette program had significantly assisted the Navy's ability to conduct patrol and escort operations, and the repair, refit, and life extension program undertaken on the ACS Kurst aircraft carrier in Burgundie had resulted in a modern fleet carrier comparable to its Levantine peers.

Graphic representing recommendations on the increase of Arcer Army Brigades in the Regular Army mandated by both the 2033 Arcer Armed Forces Act and the 2033 Confederate Memo on Defence.

Military Involvement

The Arcer General Staff contributed to the Green Paper with a supporting white paper, titled the 2033 Confederate Memo on Defence. The White Paper looked at the specific problem set identified by Parliament, that being the size of the Army, the status of the Navy's investment in new surface warfare vessels, and the state of the facilities and supporting infrastructure within the Armed Forces and civilian departments supporting it.

It concluded that the current structure of the Arcer Army was suitable for the expeditionary operations and requirements of the early 2020s and had managed a significant operation beyond its stated and mandated scope during the Final War of the Deluge. However, this was done by mobilizing all reserve forces to support the Regular Army and left Arcerion under-resourced for national security concerns, such as an invasion or border crisis with its traditional enemies, Kelekona and Titechaxha. With this, it called for an additional two infantry brigades, one mechanized brigade, one dedicated armoured brigade, and abandoning the 11 Para Brigade expansion in favour of creating 16 Para Brigade.

The Arcer General Staff also identified that the Royal Arcerion Naval Service's procurement programs for the acquisition of new corvettes and destroyers had been completed successfully, and recommended that there be new additional programs for a more modern anti-ship missile (AShM) program, as well as contracting additional merchant marine services to support expeditionary operations. The officer and academic programs housed under the Burgoignesc Security Forces, notably the establishment of a joint base in Equatorial Ostiecia, a jungle warfare school, an parachute school, and the Surface Warfare School had all benefited greatly as the Burgoignesc Navy had significant experience in blue water operations. These changes had drastically changed the makeup, doctrine, and staffing of the senior ranks within the Royal Arcerion Naval Service. Recommendations to build on the successes meant additional procurement of next-generation maritime patrol aircraft, as well as more shore-based radars and sensors to create a better integrated defense and early-warning system.

Members of Parliament in Arcerion applaud after the successful passage of the 2033 Arcer Armed Forces Act.

Drafting and passage through Confederate Parliament

With all relevant stakeholders committed to the 2033 Draft, the Act was drafted in a short period of several weeks in January of 2033, outlining the need for new garrison facilities, budgetary accommodations for bases in Sarolasta and Equatorial Ostiecia, as well as new shore-based radars and naval improvements. The Prime Minister first introduced the bill during Parliament's Spring Session, where it was well received by both parties, although several members of the opposition, led by Member of Parliament John Susley (Representative for Ashden) wanted it to pass through the Parliamentary Committee for National Security as well as the Finance Committee for further scrutiny as there was concerns that the additional spending required would not be feasible due to rising costs and demands of dealing with the refugee crisis posed by Varshan's collapse. Concurrently, Susley's position was that the military had the resources it required right now, and it was fundamentally not in Arcerion's national interest to expand the Armed Forces past their current establishment.

Despite protests from the official opposition, the Armed Forces Act passed with a majority of votes in the House of Commons. Additionally, the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court ratified the act and the Bill as constitutional and it was passed into law.

Overview of the 2033 AAFA

The Arcerion Armed Forces Act of 2033 outlined a series of new initiatives, budgeting, and procurement projects to be done within the next decade. The additional several billion Arcer Pounds are mainly for the Royal Arcerion Naval Service and the additional construction and refurbishment of bases, barracks, and other defense infrastructure such as runways and port facilities.

Force Structure and Changes

A frigate with the Royal Arcerion Naval Service sits at its berth at the under-construction Joint Base Hughes in Equatorial Ostiecia.

For the Arcer Army, ad additional five brigades would be stood up. 12 and 17 Rifle Brigades would be based in Chester-on-Moore, with 16 Para Brigade being stationed in Craigfearn until additional housing can be built in Presdale to support it. The 14 Mechanized and 15 Armoured Brigades would be based in Dalfearn and Presdale respectively, with 15 Armoured Brigade initially being stood up under the command and guidance of the Arcerion Maneuver Training Centre.

In addition to these changes, the Army would be receiving a new fleet of attack helicopters, transport helicopters, and additional the Arcerion Amoured Fighting Vehicle Life Extension Program (LEP) would carry forward the LAV-series of vehicles that formed the backbone of much of the army's mechanized prowess with new anti-tank systems, upgraded radios and sensors, as wella s a host of crew comfort/survivability modules.

Additionally, the Force Structure and relationship with the Reserve Force would change. The Regular Force would now receive additional pay raises to their base compensation, pensions would be improved to assist with recruitment and retention, as well as a retainer wherein Regular Force soldiers completed 2 additional years in the Reserves after their end of active service to ensure the Army Reserve had enough officers and NCOs. Additional provisions were made for academic investment in officer and NCO education with expansions to the Royal Arcerion Military College, as well as improvement to the staff and bureaucratic education provisions for civil servants within the Ministry of Defense.

New Bases and Garrisons

Joint Base Hughes

Joint Base Hughes would be constructed and established in Equatorial Ostiecia. The base was named after the first Arcer expedition chief, Sir John Hughes. The Griffith Barracks was named after Colonel Dean Griffith, the commanding officer of Arcer forces at the Battle of Westchester during the Telekonese Conflict. The Griffith Barracks would house the joint Arco-Burgoignesc Jungle Warfare school, which initially had been partly housed in Burgundie proper, where lessons from Arcerion's Bush Wars and Operation Kipling. In addition to this, the new Burgoignesc Airborne School would have a wing funded and constructed by the Arcer government, and staffed by members of the Arcerion Parachute Regiment.

Members of the A Company, 1st Battalion, King's Arcerion Rifles train in tropical environments as part of their integration into the Griffiths Barracks, Equatorial Ostiecia, Burgundie.

The Griffiths Barracks would also become home to Arcerion's first overseas permanent garrison, with 12 Rifle Brigade being stationed there. 12 Rifle Brigade would be staffed based off of two new infantry regiments, with battle honours and colours revived for the first time since the Second Great War. The King's Arcerion Rifles, and the Chester Foot Guards would both be the seed units for the new jungle and littoral-focused Brigade.

Joint Naval Station Daniel Launtceur

Joint Naval Station Daniel Launtceur, upon completion in 2034.

Further information: Equatorial_Ostiecia § Joint_Naval_Station_Daniel_Launtceur

JNS Daniel Launtceur was named for the Burgoignesc naval officer who assisted with the creation of much of Arcerion's modern surface warfare doctrine, rooted in the Second Great War. His participation in the drafting, acceptance, and implementation was only second to his role as one of the combat officers on His Majesty's Arcerion Ship Tusk, a light cruiser that conducted surface raids and actions against Capetian vessels during the Second Great War. To date Daniel Launtceur is the only non-Arcer officer to receive the Arcerion Order of Merit (AOM) for wartime actions with the Royal Arcerion Naval Service.

Under construction, JNS Lantceur will support the Kurst aircraft carrier group, as well as a host of replenishment vessels, merchant marine expeditionary support ships, and maritime aircraft such as helicopters and transports.

Joint Naval Station Leighton-Lennox

Improvements would be made to the existing infrastructure, including the expansion of the airfield, additional berthing for more ship tonnage, as well as provisions for the creation of a drastically larger oil and gas facility to facilitate the expanded use of oil replenishment vessels operating in the Polynesian Sea. New shore radar stations would also be purchased and added, creating a more significant early-warning capability for the garrison there.

Procurement and Development

Naval Procurement

Provisions for the investment and development of new anti-ship missiles were specifically outlined due to the rising need for a globally-integrated and armed Naval Service. With increasing global maritime commitments, as well as the reality of Arco globalism, require the frigates, corvettes, and destroyers of the Naval Service to have extended range, lethality, and additional surface warfare capability. This would complement the ongoing programs to procure new diesel-electric attack submarines to augment the growing Royal Arcerion Submarine Service.

In addition to the ongoing procurement for naval vessels, the Arcer Air Force also would receive new budgetary freedom to purchase additional maritime patrol aircraft, as well as refurbish the basing facilities such as hangars and repair workshops to ensure their serviceability. The Air Force also would expand their airfield in Port Northford, as well as construct a new airfield at Joint Naval Station Daniel Launtceur to assist with the security and maritime freedom of navigation of St. Brendan's Strait.

Air Force and Joint Procurement

aerial refuelling

shore radar