Article 15 – Defense

Article 15 – Defense

Section 1 General Provisions.

Defense is a joint Federal Realm power. Each Realm shall be primarily responsible for its own defense, but the Federation shall maintain mobile forces to help defend a Realm under attack and every Realm shall send forces to aid a Realm under attack.

Section 2 Nuclear Weapons

Upon ratification of this Constitution: the nuclear weapons of all member Realms will be transferred to the federal government and the Federal government shall assume the responsibilities under the nuclear non proliferation treaty.

Section 3 Royal Navy

The Navy’s of the member Realms shall be amalgamated into one federal Royal Navy.

Section 4 Realm Coast Guards

Each Realm shall have a coast guard to patrol its national waters.

Section 5 Royal Marines, Commandos and Special Forces

All of the active duty Marine, Commando and Special Forces of the member Realms will be transferred to the federal government and amalgamated to form a federal Royal Marine Corps and a Federal Special Forces. Except in time of declared war, the total number of officers and men of the Royal Marines and Special Forces shall not exceed thrice the number at the time of amalgamation or 60,000 whichever is greater.

Section 6 Federal Royal Air Force

There shall be created a Royal Air Force that shall specialize in the development of strategic air power, especially long range strategic transport. It shall also develop fighter and attack air craft for use by the air forces of the member Realms and shall help support them.

Section 7 The Brigade of Gurkhas

The brigade of Gurkhas shall be transferred to the Federal government. Except in time of declared war, the Brigade of Gurkhas shall not have more than 20,000 officers and men

Section 8 The Federal Airborne Corps

The airborne forces of the member Realms shall be amalgamated into one Federal Airborne Corps. Except in time of declared war, the total number of officers and men of the Royal Airborne Corps shall not exceed the number at the time of amalgamation or 20,000 whichever is greater.

Section 9 Guards Regiments

The Guards regiments of the Realms shall be formed into the Household Division which in addition to serving as the guards of the Monarch and the Governors General shall form the core of the Federal Ground Forces. Additional guards regiments shall be formed as parliament shall direct, but, except in time of declared war, the total force of the Household Division shall not exceed 20,000 officers and men.

Section 10 The Federal Cadre

An active duty cadre of officers and senior enlisted men for training and leading the Federal army in time of war may be maintained, but except in time of declared war, the total number of officers and men shall not exceed 10,000.

Sec. 11 The General Staff

A General Staff may be maintained, but except in time of declared war, the total number of officers and men shall not exceed 1,000.

Section 12 The Realm Active and Reserve Forces

The Federal Government shall by law require member Realms to maintain active and reserve ground and air forces proportional to their population and wealth. The member Realms may maintain forces in excess of those required by law. All Realms shall maintain a number of rifles suitable for infantry use equal to the number of their citizens between the age of 16 and 65.

Section 13 The Citizen Military Readiness Program

Every citizen of a member Realm ages 18 to 55, may earn a sum established by law, but not to exceed 8 percent of the median income of people in the Realm in which s/he resides, for annually meeting the fitness training and marksmanship requirements for those graduating from army basic training and being registered for conscription into the militia. Citizens age 14 and 15 may earn ¼ of the sum aforesaid for fulling the requirements aforesaid. Citizens age 16 and 17 may earn ½ of the sum aforesaid for fulling the requirements aforesaid. But Citizens ages 14-17 do not have to be registered for conscription.

Section 14 Control of the Armed Forces

The active and reserve forces of the member Realms shall come under the control of the federal government only in time of declared war or with the permission of the chief executive of the Realm, except that in the event of the actual invasion of the territory of a member Realm, the federal government may automatically take control of the active and reserve forces of the Realms. However such forces shall not leave the territory of the Commonwealth Federation, except to travel from one to another, without a declaration of war or the permission of the Prime Minister of the Realm. The militia shall only be called into federal service by a declaration of war, but the chief executive of each Realm may call them into the service of the Realm by the means laid out in Realm law.

Section 15 Declarations of War

A declaration of war can only be made by the Federal House and Senate upon the request of the Cabinet.