Imperial Armed Forces

The **Imperial Armed Forces**, also known as **His Imperial Majesty’s Armed Forces**, are the unified military services responsible for the expansion, offence, and defence of the Imperium, as well as containing the expansion of it’s rivals. They also promote the Imperium's wider interests, support peacekeeping efforts in neutral areas and provide foreign aid, whether civil or military.

The Armed Forces consist of two armed services: the Imperial Army and the Army of the Universal Empire. These alternative-to-norm service branches show the unique history of the empire and it’s political landscape. Both the Imperialists and the Army of the Empire are comprised of Legions: elementally unified autonomous units including ground, naval, and space elements referred to as the Ground Army, the War Navy, and the Space Service. As such, there are three component of every soldier’s military identity: command structure, rank, and element.

## Military Elements

The legions are units that consist of united forces of the ground, naval and air forces of the Imperium, typically (but not always) from around the same area. They consist of the 4 - Imperial Ground Army, the 3 - Imperial War Navy, and the 3 - Imperial Heaven Force,

## Military Services

### Imperial Army

The **Imperial Army** (Latin: *Exercitus Imperatoris*), sometimes **Imperial Troops** (Latin: *Milites Imperatoris*), or **Imperial(ist)s** (Latin: *Imperatoris*) for short, are the elite units of soldiers that form the imperial bodyguard units and imperial escort armies, as well as intelligence agents. Unlike the Army of the Universal Empire, which can only be deployed with the consent of the Senate, the Imperial Army is the standing army of persons troops of the Emperor, to be used for as he pleases.

#### General Staff of the Imperial Army

The General Staff includes the four Colonel-Generals of the three divisions of the Army, all Marshals of the Empire in field rank. It also includes an Inspector of Reviews, a Commissioner of War, 24 aides-de-camp, and other specialist officers, NCOs, and privates. On the outbreak of war, the General Staff transforms into the Supreme Army Command.

#### Composition

The Imperial Army is organised into various divisions, based on rank, function, and seniority.

Palatine Schools:

* The ***Cohortes Praetoriae*** (Latin for Praetorian Guard) consists of the elite units of the Imperial Army that serve as personal bodyguards to the Emperor within the pomerium, and as the first-class fighting core of the Imperial Army.
* The ***Equites Singulares Augusti*** (lit: "personal cavalry of the emperor" i.e. imperial horseguards) are the cavalry arm of the Imperial Army. A highly trained unit dedicated to protecting the emperor, they escort the emperor whenever he leaves the planet on a campaign or on tours of the provinces.

Companies in the Presence:

* The ***Comitatus Praesentales*** (lit: Field Army in the Presence [of the emperor] i.e. imperial escort army) are the esteemed units of the Imperial Army. While not the closest to the emperor, they are nevertheless seen as some of the most elite troops of the Empire and the universe. Special distinction in battle often raises them to temporary Praetorian status.

The ***Legio XXX Aliena*** (Latin for Thirtieth Foreign Legion) is a corps of the Imperial Army with a specific command and comprising several specialities: infantry, cavalry, engineers, airborne troops. It was created to allow the incorporation of foreign nationals into the Imperial Army, stemming from the imperial barbarian cohorts of antiquity.

### Army of the Universal Empire

#### Prefecture of Predaconia

*Due to the stationing of Imperial Legions typically in Predaconia, the prefecture’s own legions are quite few.*

* Prefectural Legions
* Diocese of Lombardy
* Diocese of Trincinaria
* Diocese of Sardinia and Corsica

* Legio I Predaconica
* Legio II Predaconica
* Legio III Predaconica

- Legio IV Mediolana

- Legio V Mediolana

- Legio VI Mediolana

- Legio VII Siciliana

- Legio VIII Siciliana

- Legio IX Siciliana

- Legio X Sardiniana

- Legio XI Sardiniana

- Legio XII Sardiniana

#### Prefecture of Constantinople

* Prefectural Legions
* Diocese of Europa
* Diocese of Anatolia

*Legio I* Scholae Palatinae

*Legio II* Excubitores

*Legio III* Vigilia

*Legio IIII* Hicanati

*Legio V* Numerus

*Legio VI* Optimates

*Legio VII* Hetaireia

Legio VIII Macedonica

Legio VIIII Macedonica

Legio X Macedonica

Legio XI Macedonica

Legio XII Macedonica

Legio XIII Isaura Sagittaria

Legio XIIII Isaura

Legio XV Isaura

#### Prefecture of Germania

Legio I Germanica

Legio VII (II) Immortalis

Legio VIII (III) Immortalis

Legio VIIII (IIII) Immortalis

## Ranks

 *Main Article: Imperial Armed Forces ranks and insignia*

Imperial Armed Forces command structure