European Defence Force
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Founded | 1942 |
|---|---|
| Headquarters | Amsterdam |
| Service branches | Army; Navy; Air and Space Force |
| Oversight | Military Committee |
| Active personnel | 1,500,000 (2019); 2,400,000 (2028 est.) |
| Conscription | Since 2024 |
The European Defence Force (EDF) is the armed forces of the European Federation. It was formed in 1942, during the First Euro-American War, under the Polish general Stefan Konarski, from the national forces of the founding states, and consists of an army, a navy and an air and space force under a single command, overseen by the Federation's Military Committee. The member states keep their own service chiefs and staffs. Since 2022 the Defence Force has fought both the parasite infestation and the United States in the Second World War, and since the Kraków Accords of 2027 it has been under the joint command of the Federation and H&A.
Organisation
The Defence Force is organised in national contingents, which keep their own uniforms, languages of command and traditions and serve under a federal operational command in Amsterdam. The Military Committee, made up of the chiefs of the member states' forces and chaired by a federal officer, oversees it and advises the Council of Ministers. Nuclear weapons are held by the Federation, and are produced and maintained for it by H&A Thermonuclear.
The armed forces had about 1,500,000 active personnel in 2019. Before 2024 military service was a matter for the member states. Federal conscription was introduced in 2024, and the active strength is estimated at 2,400,000 in 2028.
Operations since 2020
From 2021 the Defence Force was deployed against the parasite infestation in the Federation's territories, at first in support of civil authorities. Its navy has escorted merchant shipping since the marine insurance crisis of 2021 and 2022, and as of 2028 escorts the convoys of H&A Logistics.
In 2022 the Federation went to war with the United States. The war has been fought mainly in Canada, where the Defence Force is supplied through Newfoundland. About 140,000 of its personnel had been killed in that war by 2028.
Its largest operations against the infestation include the defence of the Kraków front in southern Poland from 2025 to 2027 and Operation Iron Road, the relief of Japan across Siberia in 2026. Since the EF Integration Agreement of 2022 H&A has been its primary operational contractor, and since 2027 operational authority has rested with the joint H&A-EF command.
Doctrine and equipment
The Defence Force's doctrine against parasite organisms was developed from 2021. Infantry engage the Bolster first and the Summoner second. Soldiers outside held territory move in pairs or larger groups, against the Manducater; positions are roofed or netted against Reekers and Yelloweyes, and monitored with geophones against the Tozoon. Standard protective equipment includes rigid lower-leg armour against Rupters and a gas mask.
RTG ammunition, developed from 2022, is the main ammunition against membraned organisms. Fire and magnesium incendiaries are used against Beckons. Near infested ground, where Dispatchers intercept radio traffic, units communicate by runners and wired lines.