Provincial Defence Forces (FT)

The Provincial Defence Forces are province-based terrestrial military forces that serve as militia forces for provincial governments in the New Greater Empire. Their duties include defending their home provinces during wartime, internal security and counterinsurgency operations, disaster relief, and others as required by their respective provincial governments. Provincial Defence Forces are considered part of the Imperial Military, but are not part of the Imperial Army. Numbering over 46.2 million in total, the number of troops and levels of equipment and training of the various Defence Forces vary widely between provinces across the Empire.

Under Imperial law, all provinces must maintain a standing Provincial Defence Force for self-defence and internal security purposes. These forces may operate land, sea, and air forces as required by local conditions, but are generally not allowed to operate space forces besides the use of satellites or transportation vehicles in low orbit. Provinces are free to form and command their Defence Forces as they see fit, with some opting for conscription and others rely entirely on volunteers.

In peacetime, Provincial Defence Forces are the force of first resort when provinces face internal unrest or other problems requiring military intervention, with the Imperial Army typically only becoming involved if the situation is deemed important enough by Army High Command. During wartime, Provincial Defence Forces are to assist the Imperial Army in defending Imperial territory on Imperial worlds, but are confined to their own home planets. Therefore, Provincial Defence Forces may assist or reinforce other provinces on a single planet, but may never be deployed off-world.

The spaceborne equivalent of the Provincial Defence Forces are the various system-based Orbital Guard formations, which are funded by all provinces in a star system and are commanded by an Imperial-level chain of command. In addition to operating defensive and security space forces, the Orbital Guards are also responsible for "ground" security on space stations and other exoplanetary colonies within star systems.