The first unit raised in East Plate was the Royal Eastplatine Volunteer Militia in 1840. This militia was formed by unpaid citizen-soldiers who were required to provide their own uniforms, although the government furnished them with arms and ammunition. They had a series of privileges uncommon among militias, such as the right to elect their own officers, the ability to choose the length of their service, and being exempted from military discipline. As a result of being unpaid, most of the militia was formed from men coming from East Plate's upper class. Similar volunteer militias were formed until 1856, when the Eastplatine Parliament passed the Militia Act of 1856, which permitted the formation of an "Active Militia" by the Governor, composed of volunteers who were armed, equipped, and paid 5 shillings a day, at the taxpayer's expense, losing their right to elect officers and becoming regulated. Initially set at 1.000 men, the act's popularity forced the government to double its size to 2.000 men by 1857, and to 4.000 by 1860.

Provisionally, and for cases of emergency, the Militia Act stated that the militia's establishment could be maintained by a compulsory ballot among men of certain ages who could be compelled to fight, and who were generally considered to be engaged for a fixed period of service to meet an obligation. This compulsory ballot was, however, never enacted, maintaining the Eastplatine militias a complete volunteer force until modern times.

During the 1860s, strategic concerns such as the American Civil War and the Argentine civil wars made defence reform an important item in the colonial parliament and a number of committees and commissions were formed. Fortifications were built in several locations and the physical infrastructure of defence in the colony was also improved. In 1867, after being informed of the intentions to withdraw the British forces from East Plate by the Imperial Government, the Eastplatine Parliament passed the Colonial Defence Force Act 1867 creating the first Regular Force of East Plate, known as the Armed Constabulary, which remains active today. This was to be a mounted body of not more than 300 permanent troops and cost no more than 30,000 pounds per annum, although both limits have been increased in the following years to its creation.

The Armed Constabulary of East Plate is tasked with both regular law enforcement and the military defence of East Plate by organising, administering and overseeing the militias of the colony. It is legally commanded by the British Monarch, although the Governor of East Plate, as the representing figure of the monarch, takes this role, who in turn delegates it to the Colonial Secretary who appoints a Minister of Defence to direct the defence affairs of the colony and takes the command of the Constabulary. Nowadays it consists of 510 permanent troops and 4,025 militia volunteers, in addition to 1,250 constables dedicated to the policing duties of the Armed Constabulary. With the creation of the Armed Constabulary, East Plate's defence forces obtained higher levels of efficiency as training opportunities were expanded and its organisation was improved. It is important to note that, despite being officially named the Armed Constabulary, Eastplatine defence forces are most commonly known as "The Militias" by the common Eastplatine citizen, as most of its members are part of militias.

Despite an undeserved reputation of colonial inferiority, many of the locally raised units are highly organised, disciplined, professional, and well-trained. Improved railway communications in the southern East Plate allows most of the Colony's big population and industrial centres to be defended by the rapid mobilisation of standard brigades, while the combination of a static defence by combined infantry and artillery, based on garrisoned coastal and land forts, together with the protection and constant threat of intervention by the British Empire, makes East Plate one of the most secure places in South America, despite the territorial ambitions of both of its neighbours.
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The Constitution Fort, built on the island Martín García in the Rio de la Plata is of special importance, as it can easily block access to the Uruguay River to any ship coming from the Rio de la Plata, thus establishing an important commercial advantage for East Plate. The fort was first built by the United Provinces of the Rio de la Plata to deny the Brazilian navy access to the Uruguay River, succeeding in keeping Brazilian reinforcements at bay during the Battle of Juncal between 8 and 9 February 1827, allowing the Argentines to destroy the Brazilian squadron operating on the Uruguay River during the Cisplatine War. The fort was upgraded by the British in 1837, and again by the colonial Eastplatine government in 1862.

The Constabulary also has several newly built forts, such as Fort Victoria and Fort Ponsonby, which are used mostly to fortify important areas exposed to possible gaucho raids in northern East Plate. Perhaps the most important fort under the jurisdiction of the Armed Constabulary is the Citadel of Montevideo which constitutes the fortified part of the City of Montevideo. Formerly, during the colonial era under Spanish rule, the entire city of Montevideo was within the walls of the Citadel, although with the passage of time, and further enhanced by the massive arrival of British immigrants, the city has spread outside the walls. Although multiple entrances have been opened in the city walls to facilitate free transit between the oldest areas of the city and the modern extensions, in addition to the fact that all the original entrances to the citadel remain open, the wall is still relatively functional for possible future emergencies. The citadel is under surveillance at all times by the Armed Constabulary.

In addition to the major fortifications, there are a series of minor fortifications spread all around East Plate. These fortifications range from simple guard posts with no more than 5 members of the Constabulary guarding them, to full-scale forts that have fallen into irrelevancy or disrepair, and are no longer considered a priority but still serve some purpose such as being training grounds or as arms and equiment depots.

The Eastplatine militias did not have an official uniform until 1856, using adaptations from British uniforms up until that point. With the passage of the Militia Act of 1856, the need to establish an official uniform was created, as a way to establish a sense of equality among the members of the militia. Uniforms have to meet a series of guidelines to be effective: They must be comfortable, to facilitate the mobility of the soldier, and not too heavy, so as to not hinder the movements in campaigns and marches of those who carry them. It also must be hygienic by giving an honourable appearance to the soldier and minimizing the possibility of infections. Eastplatine uniforms also tend to be cheap, allowing them to be distributed to all members of the Armed Constabulary, as well as be easily replaced once worn out. Finally, it is also sought for uniforms to be striking, without this meaning that it would become a prominent target on the battlefield, and that it would not be outside the dress code of the time.

Loaded with theatrics in their design, Eastplatine uniforms are intended to easily identify soldiers, but also to strike fear into the enemy. For this reason, they have many showy elements, as well as hierarchical and speciality badges. Eastplatine uniforms are characterised by strong use of blue and red colours, while uniforms present slight variations according to the division or special type of unit that wears them. It is important to understand that the use of non-regulatory garments is common in the Eastplatine troops, either out of necessity, due to lack of resources, or as a result of the idiosyncrasy of those who used them, who wanted to add elements to their official uniforms to "make them personal". This is especially true among high-ranking members of the Armed Constabulary, who often use their own-designed uniforms, exclusive to themselves, although they always followed the general regulations for Eastplatine uniforms, such as respecting the colour code and using the designed hierarchical and speciality badges.

ON FOOT CORPS

Regular On Foot uniform (right)
Cazadores uniform (left)
The Eastplatine On Foot Corps are the Infantry of the colony, consisting of the members of the Armed Constabulary who engage in ground combat on foot, who are usually (but not always) too inexperienced to be part of the Eastplatine Dragoons. Just like the British Army, the Eastplatine Armed Constabulary names its infantry as numbered regiments "of Foot". They usually form most of the permanent garrison of the Eastplatine forts, and in particular, those of Saint Michael Fort, Saint Teresa Fort and Victoria Fort.

Beyond main arms, an infantryman's "military kit" generally includes combat boots, battledress or combat uniform, camping gear, heavy weather gear, survival gear, secondary weapons and ammunition, weapon service and repair kits, health and hygiene items, mess kit, rations, filled water canteen, and all other consumables each infantryman needs for the expected duration of time operating away from their unit's base, plus any special mission-specific equipment.

Uniforms of the On Foot regiments consist of a blue jacket with 6 buttons and red facing (the visible inside lining of a standard military jacket, coat or tunic) and blue trousers with a slightly darker line running along the leg. A wide black belt is usually used to adjust the jacket, while a blue hat is also added as protection for the head.

The Cazadores

The Cazadores (Spanish for "Hunters") are a special group of the On Foot Corps, composed of Gauchos who have joined the defence forces of East Plate, either as the result of the vagrancy laws that restrict their movement in the northern territories, establishing the requirement to join the Armed Constabulary as the penalty for being caught roaming the Eastplatine countryside without motive, or by their own voluntary initiative due to their desire to serve the colony.

The uniform of the Cazadores resembles traditional gaucho clothing. Cazadores wear blue bombachas (wide and resistant pants), a blue jacket similar to those of the other On Foot regiments and black leather boots. On their heads, they use a red beret. Most of the time, they also add a black or red scarf around their neck, which is also very common in the countryside.

Eastplatine Dragoons


Uniform of the Dragoons
The Eastplatine Dragoons are also a special group within the On Foot Crops, which is also mainly composed of Gauchos. Nevertheless, most of the gauchos that form the Eastplatine Dragoons join the Armed Constabulary voluntarily and are well-respected members of it. They are "civilized" gauchos who have fully embraced English traditions and customs, but still retain some of the characteristics associated with the gaucho culture, like their excellent capabilities to ride horses. Like the British Dragoons, the Eastplatine Dragoons are a class of mounted infantry, that uses horses for mobility, but dismounts to fight on foot. They are also employed as conventional cavalry and trained for combat with firearms from horseback.

The uniform of the dragoons is designed to be comfortable while riding horses, adopting blue trousers wider than the typical ones used by the rest of the Armed Constabulary, but not wide enough to be considered as the bombachas that are used by the Cazadores. Dragoons are distinguished from other members of the Constabulary by the yellow colour, which can be seen on their trousers with a wide line along their leg. They use blue jackets decorated with several buttons and a hat for head protection.

National Guard

The National Guard is a special group of On Foot soldiers that are tasked with the protection of East Plate's cities, as well as maintaining civil order within cities and towns and policing the Eastplatine countryside. They are typically known as "The Constables". They have jurisdiction over civil affairs and can be seen as a police force of East Plate. They guard prisons and public spaces such as churches, markets and ports, as well as important roads and railways, and can be seen routinely patrolling the streets of Eastplatine cities. The National Guard is also tasked with criminal investigations and can perform arrests. They have the authorisation to use lethal force against civilians if the conditions require it in order to preserve peace and order. The guard is also tasked with the garrison of fortresses and places of special interest within cities, such as the Citadel of Montevideo. If needed the National Guard may request the help of any other group within the Armed Constabulary to bring situations under control, or to make special policing operations or arrests.

The uniform of the National Guard consists of a long sky-blue coat with tall leather boots, as well as a white backpack where they keep equipment relevant to their function. They also wear a sky-blue hat with a green band with the words "URBAN GUARD" in white. However, not all members of the National Guard use this uniform, as plain-clothed detectives, usually brought in to solve a crime after it had happened, have been introduced to the Guard.


From left to right: Uniform of the National Guard - Gala Uniform of the National Guard - Uniform of the Commander of the National Guard
CAVALRY

Uniform of the Cavalry units)

The Eastplatine cavalry consists of soldiers who fight mounted on horseback. Cavalry is the most mobile of the combat arms, operating as light cavalry in the roles of reconnaissance, screening, and skirmishing, or as heavy cavalry for decisive shock attacks. Cavalry has the advantage of improved mobility, while a soldier fighting from horseback also has the advantages of greater height, speed, and inertial mass over an opponent on foot. Another element of horse-mounted warfare is the psychological impact a mounted soldier can inflict on an opponent.

The cavalry has typically been associated with high social status in East Plate and service as an officer in the cavalry is generally seen as a badge of high social status. Most officers of the Eastplatine cavalry regiments came from a socially privileged background, with the few exceptions of anglicized gauchos who have been promoted due to outstanding services in the name of the colony and the crown.

Due to the nature of East Plate as a very fertile land for the raising of cattle, sheep, and horses, cavalry plays a very important role in the Armed Constabulary, as horses can be easily obtained and do not demand as much expense as in other parts of the British Empire. In addition, the colony is home to some of the most skilled horsemen in the whole South American continent: the Gauchos. When they become members of the Armed Constabulary, they usually join the Cazadores, the Dragoons, or the cavalry, with the last one being the most popular among them. Gauchos who join the cavalry are rapidly assimilated into English and Eastplatine culture, and blend with other Eastplatines perfectly, in part thanks to the discipline they are exposed to after joining the ranks of the Eastplatine cavalry.

The Eestplatine cavalry benefits greatly from the skills brought from the gauchos, becoming one of the most skilled cavalries of the whole continent despite their relatively small numbers. They are mostly used to patrol the Eastplatine frontiers and police the countryside, although most gauchos in the cavalry refuse to fight against gaucho uprisings or gaucho raids over Anglo settlements in the northern provinces of East Plate, rendering the cavalry ineffective against those uprisings. They can usually be seen in cities aiding the patrol duties of the National Guard. Cavalry is heavily used in difficult terrains such as forests and for ceremonial purposes on special dates.

Their uniforms are very similar to those of the Dragoons, with long black leather boots, and wider blue pants to allow for a more comfortable horse ride, but not as wide as the bombachas. They wear a blue jacket with 4 buttons and a black belt. In addition, they wear a red hat for head protection.

Escort Regiment


Uniform of the Premier's Squad (left)
Uniform of the Royal Squad (right)
The Escort Regiment, also known as the Blandengues, performs escort functions to the Governor of East Plate and also to the Colonial Secretary, constituting the colony's Honor Guard. In case of visits from foreign dignitaries, or members of the British royal family, the Escort Regiment is in charge of their protection. In turn, they also offer protection services to the family of the Governor and the Colonial Secretary. The regiment accompanies them wherever they go whenever their presence is requested. They are also in charge of guarding Government House and Premier House, as well as both houses of the East Plate General Assembly (Parliament). They stand guard over the original copy of the East Plate Constitution, which is housed inside the main hall of Parliament.

The regiment has a long history that even precedes the creation of the Armed Constabulary. It was originally created under the name of "Cuerpo de Blandengues de la Frontera de Montevideo" by decree of the Viceroy of the Rio de la Plata, Don Pedro Mello of Portugal and Villena, on December 7, 1796 to protect the ranchers and peasants from vagrancy, theft, and contraband. It was originally formed from pardoned outlaws who brought their horses to the regiment. It fought against the British forces during the Invasions of the Rio de la Plata, but after the annexation of East Plate to the British Empire after the Cisplatine War, the regiment swore loyalty to the British Crown and was incorporated into the British Army. In 1850 they were given the mission to protect the Governor of East Plate and its Colonial Secretary.

The Regiment members also have protocol functions during Eastplatine national days, heading military parades, parades of state funerals, as well as participating in honour ceremonies.

The Escort Regiment is divided into two Squads. One is known as the "Premier's Squad" and is tasked with the protection of the Colonial Secretary and Premier's House, while the other is known as the "Royal Squad" which is tasked with the protection of the Governor, the Eastplatine Constitution, and Government House, as well as any member of the British Royal Family while in East Plate. Both have very elegant and luxurious uniforms. The Premier's Squad wears a light-blue uniform, representing East Plate, while the Royal Squad wears red uniforms, representing Britain.

They are one of the best well-paid soldiers within the Armed Constabulary, earning almost twice as much as any other regular member, but also require levels of discipline and commitment much higher.

ARTILLERY

Uniform of the field artillery gunners

Artillery is viewed as its own service branch with the capability of dominating the battlefield. The gunners (those who operate the artillery) and their guns are usually grouped in teams called either "crews" or "detachments". Several such crews and teams with other functions are combined into a unit of artillery, usually called a battery, although sometimes called a company. Most of these batteries are of coastal artillery positioned to guard ports, naval bases, and coastal locations likely to be used by an enemy to land invading forces, or are designed to protect coastal locations from overland attacks by infantry. In a colony heavily dependent on trade like East Plate, artillery also plays an important role to secure its ports. The Eastplatine Artillery Corps also include engineers, tasked with the designing, building, and garrisoning of forts.

The Armed Constabulary of East Plate classifies its artillery into three categories: Field artillery, which are light pieces that often travel with the on-foot armies. Siege and garrison artillery consisting of heavy pieces that could be used either in attacking or defending fortified places. Seacoast artillery being the heaviest pieces and being intended to be used in permanent fortifications along the seaboard. They are primarily designed to fire on attacking warships. The distinctions are somewhat arbitrary, as field, siege and garrison, and seacoast artillery are all used in various attacks and defences of fortifications.

East Plate also uses a large quantity of Horse Artillery, in part thanks to the abundance of horses. Horse artillery is a type of light, fast-moving, and fast-firing artillery which provides highly mobile fire support, especially to cavalry units. It consists of light cannons or howitzers attached to light but sturdy two-wheeled carriages called caissons or limbers, with the individual crewmen riding on horses. This is in contrast to the rest of the field artillery, which are also horse-drawn but whose gunners are normally transported seated on the gun carriage, wagons or limbers. Once in position, horse artillery crews were trained to quickly dismount, deploy or unlimber their guns (detach them from their caissons), then rapidly fire grapeshot (a type of ammunition that consists of a collection of smaller-calibre round shots packed tightly in a canvas bag), shells or round shot at the enemy. They could then just as rapidly limber up (reattach the guns to the caissons), remount, and be ready to move to a new position.

Horse artillery is highly versatile and often supports friendly cavalry units by disrupting enemy infantry formations such as infantry squares with rapid concentrated fire. This would leave the enemy infantry vulnerable to cavalry charges. Their mobility also enables them to outmanoeuvre enemy foot artillery units and to act as a rearguard (in concert with friendly cavalry) to cover the retreat of slower units. If the horse artillery is mistaken for cavalry, the enemy might receive an unpleasant surprise when the towed batteries wheel around, unlimber, load, sight, and open fire. Highly proficient batteries, like the Eastplatine ones, can do so in less than a minute.


Eastplatine horse artillery

The station split off from the South America Station in 1838 in order to combat the slave trade in Brazil, although many see its creation as a clear indication that the Oriental Republic, then governed by a puppet regime loyal to the British, was soon to be annexed into the British Empire, creating the Crown Colony of East Plate. The Platine Squadron was initially a small force of Royal Navy warships based in Montevideo, and although intended to protect the colonies of East Plate and its dependencies, the ships were primarily used for surveying and police work, as well as protecting trade in the region.

The main port of the Station is the Port of Montevideo, but other significant bases are Port Lewis in New Surrey, Port Williams in New Oldenburg and Port Stanley in the Falkland Islands, where a coal station is located.

Due to Montevideo's importance as a strategically located port, as well as a lucrative port for trade, the Squadron began to be increased in size and routinely used to threaten the Argentine government and the Port of Buenos Aires to comply with British demands, virtually giving the British a free rein over the commercial activities in the River Plate, securing its commercial interests. It is also used to keep trade routes open through the Parana River.

For Britain's Royal Navy, the Eastplatine merchant fleet represented a ready supply of vessels that could have been converted to auxiliary warships, with some help to procure the necessary armament should a crisis arise. Soon enough, though, sail gave way to steam, and East Plate's mercantile fleet became inadequate to complement the British Navy. In 1865, the British Parliament passed the Colonial Naval Defence Act 1865, which enabled colonies to establish and maintain naval forces.

LIST OF SHIPS OF THE PLATINE SQUADRON

Image	Name	Type	Built by	Launched
	HMS Pearl	Pearl-class corvette	Woolwich Dockyard	13 September 1855
	HMS Clio	Pearl-class corvette	Sheerness Dockyard	28 August 1858
	HMS Charybdis	Pearl-class corvette	Chatham Dockyard	1 June 1859
	HMS Rosario	Rosario-class sloop	Deptford Dockyard	17 October 1860
	HMS Hercules [F]	Central-battery ironclad	Chatham Dockyard	10 February 1868
	HMS Pert	Beacon-class gunvessel	Reid & Company	22 June 1868
	HMS Vanguard	Audacious-class ironclad battleship	Laird, Son & Co.	3 January 1870

LIST OF SHIPS OF THE COLONIAL NAVY OF EAST PLATE

Eastplatine Blue Ensign
(Naval ensign)

The Easplatine Colonial Navy is partially manned by the Eastplatine Naval Brigade, which was formed in 1866 and is 300-men strong. There is strong support for the naval brigade, being one of the components of the colonial defence forces of East Plate which receives the most popularity and praise. East Plate takes special pride in its navy, partially due to the nature of Montevideo, its biggest and most developed city, as a city-port and natural harbour, and its long-standing history as an important hub for commerce and ships since the times of the Viceroyalty of the Rio de la Plata and Spanish rule. Montevideo's link to the sea is so strong that almost 60% of the colony's income and most of Montevideo's population has work related to it, and therefore, large investments in maintaining a considerable navy are justified in the Eastplatien colonial government's eyes. A very popular saying in the colony is "If Britannia rules the waves, East Plate rules the rivers".

Image	Name	Type	Built by	Launched
	HMCS Pylades	Pylades-class corvette	Sheerness Dockyard	23 November 1854
	HMCS Gaspee	Armoured frigate	Chatham Dockyard	23 December 1863
	HMCS Constitution [F]	Lord Clyde-class armoured frigate	Chatham Dockyard	27 March 1865
	HMCS Escapade	Plover-class Wooden screw gunvessel	Devonport Dockyard	8 November 1867
	HMCS Paragon	Platine-class corvette	Montevideo Dockyard	13 September 1868