Ministry of Defence

The Ministry of Defence is responsible for the defence of the Commonwealth at home, and for its intelligence abroad. It administers the Territorial Service, the five trade establishments of the Commonwealth Armed Forces, Noshem and the Civil Defence Service. Common responsibilities include:

• Defence policy and planning
• Recruitment of citizens and foreigners into the armed forces
• Procurement of arms and equipment through the Defence Industrial Establishment
• Military research, through the DSRE
• Foreign intelligence, through Noshem
• Emergencies and disaster response, through the Civil Defence Service

Operational command of the defensive service rests with the ministry, and that of the Commonwealth Levy with the Parliament of State, although both draw on the same regiments and the same establishments. Since the Commonwealth has no separate army, navy and air force, those establishments are organised by trade. Noshem, its intelligence service, has a considerable reputation abroad. The Ministry of Defence is led by its First Minister, elected from within by professional staff.

Organisations #

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• Establishment: DSRE – defence research
• Establishment: Civil Defence Service – emergencies, disaster prevention and rescue
• Establishment: Control Establishment – military policing and frontier surveillance
• Establishment: Defence Imagery Establishment – geospatial and topographic intelligence
• Establishment: Defence Industrial Establishment – arms production and procurement
• Establishment: Federal Materiel Establishment – non-armament military equipment
• Establishment: Federal Ordnance Establishment – arms and munitions
• Establishment: Fires Establishment – artillery, missiles and air defence
• Establishment: Manoeuvres Establishment – the close-combat arm
• Establishment: Noshem – foreign intelligence
• Establishment: Signals Establishment – sensing, communication and command
• Establishment: Supply Establishment – logistics, medical support and maintenance
• Establishment: Territorial Service – home defence
• Constituent: Defence Home Commission – resettlement and care of ex-servicemen

Services #

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• Mandatory: Commonwealth Armed Forces – the military, jointly with the Parliament of State
• Statutory: Defence Civil Service – civilian officers of defence