Melanesian Defense Forces
The Melanesian Defense Forces are the military forces of Melanesia. The military consists of five branches; the Army, the Navy, the Air Force, the Marine Corps, and the Coast Guard. The President of Melanesia serves as the Commander-in-Chief of the Defense forces, and coordinates with the Department of Defense and the Department of Homeland Security to development and execute the military policies of the nation. The highest-ranking military official is the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, a position which is currently occupied by Gen. Curtis Sutherland of the Melanesian Army. Additionally, the National Guard of Melanesia operates as the premier reserve component of the military, providing trained military personnel from all 30 states of the country to the common defense Melanesia. Finally, due to the evolving nature of modern warfare, the Cybersecurity Forces were established in 2015 by executive order as a specialized branch of the military, though subordinate to the Department of Homeland Security rather than the Department of Defense.
| Melanesian Defense Forces | |
|---|---|
     The service marks of the five service branches of the Melanesian Defense Forces | |
| Founded | 20 September 1850 |
| Current form | 11 March 1922 |
| Service branches |
Melanesian Army Melanesian Navy Melanesian Air Force Melanesian Marine Corps Melanesian Coast Guard |
| Headquarters | The Wall, Independence, Melanesia |
| Leadership | |
| Commander-in-chief | Joseph Durham III |
| Secretary of Defense | TBD |
| Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff | Gen. Curtis Sutherland |
| Personnel | |
| Military age | 18–49 |
| Conscription | None |
| Available for military service |
21,759,030 males, age 18−49 (2018), 25,905,653 females, age 18−49 (2018) |
| Fit for military service |
19,844,235 males, age 18−49 (2018), 22,615,635 females, age 18−49 (2018) |
| Reaching military age annually |
1,065,551 males (2018), 1,235,855 females (2018) |
| Active personnel | 484,948 (ranked Nth) |
| Reserve personnel | 294,612 |
| Expenditures | |
| Budget | $155.553 billion (FY 2018) |
| Percent of GDP | 3% (FY 2018) |
| Industry | |
| Domestic suppliers | List of suppliers |
| Related articles | |
| History | Military history of Melanesia |
| Ranks | Military ranks of Melanesia |
Melanesia's maintains one of the largest unified military forces in the region of Oceania, with approximately 484,948 active personnel, and another 294,612 reservists as of 2018. Furthermore, the military operates with a budget of $155.553 billion for the year of 2018 according to the federal budget presented to Congress the previous year. Most of the budget is allotted to the maintenance of personnel salaries, and the extensive weapon stores throughout the country for the rapid mobilization of the population during wartime. Due to the role of nationalism and xenophobia in the general population in both the past and the present, the military has always been an all-volunteer force, with the institution of conscription officially prohibited in the constitution since 1865. Military service has been open to women since the formation of the military, and women today make up about 23% of active military personnel. The military of Melanesia was unified into a single institution in the Military Reorganization Act of 1922, which laid out the framework that would serve as the basis for all future operations of the Melanesian Defense Forces. It likewise established the modern Melanesian military as it exists today, recognizing the Air Force, Coast Guard, and Marine Corps as independent branches of the military, with distinct formations separate from the Army and Navy.
The defense forces have played a distinct role in the history of Melanesia, helping to interior of the island nation during its formative years against aboriginal Papuans, as well as defending its sovereignty during the various points in the country's history where the European and Asiatic powers attempted to partition the country during the late-19th and early-20th centuries. Following the successful defense of the country during its early history, the Melanesian military emerged as one of the most competent fighting forces in the world, with a rapidly modernizing military in spite of the resistance of its neighbors and its youth as a nation. Decades-long fighting against the aboriginal Papuan population of Melanesia would further bolster the capabilities of Melanesia's military, and ultimately help establish Melanesia as a truly independent power on the world stage. Contributions to the defeat of the Axis Powers during World War II would likewise cement the reputation of the armed forces as one of the world's premier military institutions. Today, Melanesia maintains several military bases overseas in friendly states and international hot-spots where a military presence is required for the national security of Melanesia, as well as several so-called "black sites" where its intelligence forces operate against terrorist elements in the global War on Terror.
Melanesia has not disclosed its nuclear capabilities to the League of Nations, and is not a member of the International Atomic Energy Agency. Though it is widely believed that the country genuinely did not pursue the development of nuclear weapons, critics of the Melanesian government have presented the claim that Melanesia successfully developed nuclear weapons in 1979, with some affiliated nuclear weapons experts claiming the country has a stockpile between 40–200 warheads, a claim with Melanesia has neither confirmed nor denied. Regardless of the status of its nuclear capabilities, Melanesia possesses a vibrant nuclear power grid, and is well within the threshold of developing an arsenal of nuclear warheads and the delivery mechanisms for them if pushed to do so. Melanesia has unofficially sworn itself to a "no first use" policy in the event that a nuclear conflict becomes inevitable, leading some within the international community to believe the country does indeed possess a nuclear arsenal. Though the general opinion remains that Melanesia most likely does not have a nuclear arsenal, the intentional ambiguity promoted by the government and the military surrounding the subject has been cited as not helping to foster confidence in such views.