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.
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.
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
more brigades
New Bases and Garrisons
overseas bases (EO and Sarolastra, stenza)
Procurement and Development
AShM
DE attack subs
maritime patrol
aerial refuelling
shore radar
New Security Arrangements
Burgundie
Cronan Union