Republic of China Armed Forces
| Republic of China Armed Forces | |||||||||||||||||||
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| Traditional Chinese | 中華民國國軍 | ||||||||||||||||||
| Simplified Chinese | 中华民国国军 | ||||||||||||||||||
| Literal meaning | Chinese Republic National Army | ||||||||||||||||||
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| Shorter name: National Army | |||||||||||||||||||
| Traditional Chinese | 國軍 | ||||||||||||||||||
| Simplified Chinese | 国军 | ||||||||||||||||||
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| Former name: National Revolutionary Army | |||||||||||||||||||
| Traditional Chinese | 國民革命軍 | ||||||||||||||||||
| Simplified Chinese | 国民革命军 | ||||||||||||||||||
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The Republic of China Armed Forces (Chinese: 中華民國國軍) are the national military forces of the Republic of China (ROC), which is now based primarily in the Taiwan Area but formerly governed Mainland China prior to 1949. The armed forces comprise the Army, Navy (including the Marine Corps), Air Force, and Military Police Force. The military operates under the civilian control of the Ministry of National Defense, a cabinet-level body overseen by the Legislative Yuan.
Originally known as the National Revolutionary Army (NRA), the forces were renamed the Republic of China Armed Forces in 1947 following the implementation of the Constitution of the Republic of China. Prior to the establishment of the People's Republic of China in 1949 and the subsequent loss of international recognition during the 1970s, the ROC military was often referred to internationally as the Nationalist Military.
Until the late 1970s, the primary mission of the ROC Armed Forces was to prepare for a counteroffensive aimed at retaking mainland China from the Communists, as exemplified by efforts such as Project National Glory. Following strategic shifts and Taiwan’s evolving political landscape, the military’s focus turned towards the defence of Taiwan itself against potential invasion by the People's Liberation Army (PLA) of the People's Republic of China (PRC), which continues to be perceived as the principal threat.
The ROC Armed Forces today maintain an approximate active strength of 150,000 personnel, with the capability to mobilise up to 1.67 million reservists in times of national emergency or full-scale war. A significant pool of former conscripts is available, as all able-bodied male citizens of the ROC are required to undertake at least one year of compulsory military service upon reaching the age of 18.